Settings – Web Map

Bit Map can sync Map Layers to a compatible Web Map service which anybody can view in a web browser.  The files that are used to run the Web Map service must be exported from Bit Map itself and installed on a web server (once only).  The Web Map settings control how web map sync works, and provides a button to generate the files for a compatible web map (to be installed on a web server).

Web Map URLs

The URLs for a Bit Map web map can be accessed from the Sharing or Management buttons in the toolbar at the bottom of the ‘Web Map’ Settings panel (for a map with all layers) or, for a map with only one of the sync’d layers visible, from the layer action button (‘•••’) next to a map layer in the Map Layers view (see:  Map Layers).

Other combinations of layers can be included by specifying the layer names in the ‘layer=’ parameter of the URL.

Layers can be automatically refreshed at a defined interval of seconds by modifying the value in the ‘refresh=0’ (the default of ‘0’ results in no automatic refreshing of layers).

Enable Sync for a Map Layer

Once the settings below have been configured, a layer can be enabled for sync by following the instructions at:  Map Layers

Note that this will not be available if the Web Map has not already been installed on a web server and sync has not already been configured.  The following items (described in detail further below) must be configured:

  • Install a Bit Map Web Map (this must be done first!)
  • Change Web Map Sync Password (this must be done second!)
  • Enter the Web Map Base URL (in Bit Map settings)
  • Enter the Web Map Sync Password (in Bit Map settings)
  • Set Sync Enabled (in Bit Map settings)

Configure Web Map Settings for an Installed Bit Map Web Map

Before configuring these settings can take effect, a Bit Map Web Map must be installed (see ‘Install a Bit Map Web Map’, below) and the password changed (see ‘Change Web Map Sync Password’, below).

Web Map Base URL

Enter the base URL to an installed and operationsl Bit Map Web Map.  Such a URL would normally (but not necessarily) end with ‘/map/’.  Do not include any query component in this URL (ie, do not include a ‘?’ or anything that may come after the ‘?’ in some web map URLs).  Eg:

http://server.domain.com/map/

(See below for instructions for installing a Bit Map Web Map.)

Web Map Sync Password

The password which is required to sync layers to the Web Map.

See below for instructions to change the password.

Sync Enabled

Enable/Disable sync globally for the app.  Layers that are configured for sync will not sync if this is turned off.

Sync Frequency

The number of minutes between each sync.  A layer that is configured to sync will sync if the following conditions are met:

  • The layer has changed
  • The number of minutes since the last attempted sync is greater than the Sync Frequency minutes

Suppress Sync Failure Warnings

Disable/Enable warnings when sync fails.  Failures can occur for various reasons, including:

  • Wrong Web Map password configured in settings
  • No network available
  • Poor network quality

If warnings are enabled (default) and sync fails, a warning button will appear at the top-right of the Map.  Tap the button to view the sync error message including information about why the sync failed.

Export Web Map Zip Archive

Tap this button to share (export/send) a .zip file that contains all the files necessary to install a Bit Map Web Map onto a web server.

Share Web Map

To share the Web Map for all the layers published from this device:

  • Tap the ‘Share’ button in the Web Map settings (bottom toolbar)

  • Follow the standard sharing prompts to share the Web Map using one of the available sharing methods

Web Map Actions (View, Delete Layer, Delete Device, Change Password)

To interact with the Web Map, including viewing the map, deleting layer(s), deleting all data sync’d from a particular device or changing the password:

  • Tap the Web Map Action button (bottom toolbar)

  • Tap the desired action from the pop up that appears

Each of these actions will redirect to the relevant web page in a web browser.

NB:  To view or share a web map that will only display one specific layer (excluding any other layers that would otherwise be included on the map), see the Layer Actions available in the Map Layers view.

Install a Bit Map Web Map

In order to install a Bit Map Web Map on a web server, you must have administrator access to the web server’s documents directory.

  • Tap the ‘Export Web Map Zip Archive’ button in Bit Map’s Web Map settings view to generate and send a .zip archive containing all the files required to create a Bit map Web Map
    • Select the method to send the .zip file
  • Unzip the .zip file
  • Install the unzipped ‘map’ folder and its content onto the web server
    • Make sure that the ‘data’ subdirectory is writeable
  • Change the Web Map password (see below)

The base URL of this ‘map’ folder is the URL to enter into the ‘Web Map Base URL’ in the Bit Map’s ‘Web Map’ settings.

Change Web Map Sync Password

A password is required to sync layers to the Web Map (but not to view the web map – unless configured by the web server administrator).

To change the password:

  • Either:
    • Navigate in a web browser to the password change page at:  <base-URL>/changepass.php
      • where <base-URL> is the base URL to the Bit Map Web Map 
      • eg:  https://server.domain.com/map/changepass.php
    • Use the instructions for ‘Web Map Actions’ (above) to open the Change Password page in a browser without having to type in the URL
      • requires that the BaseURL for the installed Web Map is already entered into the Web Map settings
  • Enter the current password (the initial password for new installations is, ‘BitMap’)
  • Enter the new password in both of the new password fields
  • Tap ‘Submit’

Upgrade Web Map Version

On rare occasions, an upgrade to Bit Map may require an upgrade to the Web Map service in order for the layers to continue to sync with the Web Map, or for new features of the Web Map to be included.

To upgrade the Web Map for an newer version of Bit Map:

  • Tap the ‘Export Web Map Zip Archive’ button in Bit Map’s Web Map settings view to generate and send a .zip archive containing all the files required to create a Bit map Web Map
    • Select the method to send the .zip file
  • Unzip the .zip file
    • it should unzip to a directory called ‘map’
  • On the web server which hosts the existing (old) Web Map, copy the ‘data’ directory from the Web Map base directory (the base directory is usually called ‘map’) to a safe location outside of the Web Map base directory
  • Archive (eg, rename) the existing (old) Web Map base directory
  • Install (copy) the new Web Map base directory (unzipped in the steps above) to the same location that he old base directory was in (and with the same name – ‘map’, by default)
  • Replace the ‘data’ directory in the Web Map base directory with the ‘data’ directory copy that was made in the steps above
  • Make sure that the ‘data’ directory is writable.

The ‘data’ directory in the Web Map base directory contains all of the custom devices, layers and settings data for your web maps.  Ie, everything that is unique to your installation of Bit Map web maps.  When Bit Map syncs layers to the Web Map service, the results get written within the ‘data’ directory.  Everything outside of the ‘data’ directory is static and should never get modified by Bit Map sync or settings.