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Chris George edited this page Jan 27, 2016 · 6 revisions

In order to use a country's map within EUMS, the following information is needed:

  • A GeoJSON map that is under 500K in size, based on the WGS 84 coordinate system (this is what is used by OpenStreetMaps).
  • The center coordinates of the map, which are also based on this coordinate system.
  • The zoom level for the map, which will determine how it fits within the EUMS dashboard page.

This document is a reference document to help obtain this information.

Obtaining a GeoJSON map

  • There are a few websites that allow you to directly download GeoJSON files for specific countries. One website to look at is here. Read the README in order to understand how to find your specific country's file.
  • Note that for EUMS to show locations (e.g. districts) correctly within EUMS, you need to make sure the GeoJSON file's 'properties' section has key called 'name' which represents the name of these locations.
  • If you are able to find a GeoJSON file, but it is not small enough in size, there is a handy website called mapshaper which will allow you to decrease (simplify) the size of your GeoJSON map.
  • If you cannot find a GeoJSON map directly for your country, you can look for a Shapefile of your country. If using a Shapefile, note the following:
    • Make sure the Shapefile is based on the same coordinate system mentioned above (WGS 84).
    • There is a command line tool called 'ogr2ogr' that you can download that allows the conversion from a Shapefile to a GeoJSON file via appropriate command line options.
    • Make sure your Shapefile has the projection file (.prj) along with the other required files (.shp, .shx, and .dbf) before attempting conversion.
    • After converting to a GeoJSON file, use the mapshaper tool mentioned above to simplify the converted GeoJSON file if need be.

Finding the center coordinates and zoom level for your map

  • There are various online tools out there that allow you to find an appropriate latitude, longitude, and zoom level for a country.
  • One of these tools is on the website teczno.com. Note the following about this particular tool:
    • This particular link shows you the appropriate positioning for Uganda in order for it to show up correctly within EUMS.
    • The map zoom level, latitude, and longitude can be found on the URL respectively.
    • You can use this tool to drag and zoom the map to the appropriate section of the world you need. You can also change the URL to trial and error different combinations.