Launch HyperCities

Archive for July, 2011

How to Navigate a HyperCities Collection

by | July 14, 2011 | In How To 1 Comment

Landing View of a Collection
Image 1: Landing view of a HyperCities Collection.  The column on the right is called “Narrative View.”  The dark panel at the top is the main collection header, containing a brief general overview or introduction to the collection as a whole.  In the yellow band, you can operate the “Next” and “Previous” buttons to advance forward or backward through the objects.  In this collection, the objects are all contained inside subcollection folders.  Clicking on the subcollection folders opens those folders and reveals the objects and sometimes other subcollections.

Image 2: After opening a sub-collection, the map will re-locate to the site associated with the first object, which is highlighted. Use the Left-pointing arrow at the top of Narrative View, in the dark-colored sub-collection header, to return to the main collection.  Click on objects directly to view them and to re-locate the associated maps, or advance with the “Next” and “Prev” buttons.

Collection options

Image 3: Various options are available while viewing a collection.  A, B, C and D operate on the Google Maps/Google Earth navigation and mode.  The “x” box labeled “E” in this image will close the current collection and return you to the general HyperCities environment.  You can

return to this collection from there by clicking on the “back” button on your browser.

Image 4: Click the center button (F) to center the map on the selected object’s default view. Click the checkbox (G) to turn that rich object on. Clicking anywhere on the textual description of an object will switch to that rich object and check the checkbox; clicking on the checkbox of an object other than the one that you are currently viewing will turn on the objects and maps in addition to the objects and maps of the object you are currently viewing.

Image 5: If Sync Map (H) is on, HyperCities will attempt to find a historical map for the object you are viewing if the object does not already have a historical map connected to it. This is off by default because many objects already have historical maps associated with them. Time format (I) adjusts the format of the time displayed in each object; it defaults to “date.” Auto ZoomIn (J) changes the map view to the view associated with each object as it is selected; this is on by default. 3D buildings (K) controls whether

Google Earth’s own provided 3D buildings are displayed in Earth mode, and defaults to off.