Natural Resources Canada
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Topographic Mapping Tool Help Page
The Atlas of Canada's interactive topographic maps are designed to be easy to use, but you may not be familiar with all the features and tools. This Help document describes the interactive features and explains how to use them.
These topographic maps mainly show data from the 1:250 000 and 1:50 000 National Topographic Databases and are seamlessly linked together. They originally come from over 13 000 individual maps. The currency of the information, from these source maps, varies so not all features shown will be up-to-date. Liability restrictions apply, so please read the liability note regarding geographic data from these topographic maps.
The maps also show data from the Atlas of Canada’s Framework datasets at scales of 1:30 000 000, 1:7 500 000 and 1:1 000 000.
The roads are from the GeoBase Portal, a new federal, provincial and territorial government initiative. In addition the satellite image, CanImage, and elevation image, Canadian Digital Elevation Data, are also offered. If you would like more specific information about the currency or other details of any of this data, please go the Map Sources section.
If you would like more specific information about currency or other details of any of this data, please go the Map Sources page.
For answers to many common questions about these topographic maps, visit the Toporama Frequently Asked Questions page.
What feature would you like information on?
- Top Navigation Bars
- Finding Other Maps
- Toolbar
- Map Window
- Locator Map
- Legend Tab
- Search Tab
- Pan Arrows
- Scale Bar
- Map scale
- Distance Box
- Map Sources
1. Top Navigation Bars
The navigation bars at the top of the window provide links to other pages, as described by their titles. These bars appear at the top of every page of the Web site.
2. Finding Other Maps
There are three options to navigate to or find other maps:
- Click the "Return to previous page" link above the title of the map until the "Explore Our Maps" menu reappears on the left side of your browser window. Use the menus to select another map theme by following the instructions at the bottom of this section.
- Click on one of the "breadcrumb"links near the top to go to another page where the "Explore Our Maps" menu appears. Use the menus to select another map theme by following the instructions at the bottom of this section.
- Use the site search, in the upper right corner of every page, to find another map or site page
Using the "Explore Our Maps" menu.
This menu provides you with access to all maps in the Atlas of Canada site.
3. Toolbar
The toolbar buttons give you access to more information about the map and the selected map location (city, boundary, province, etc). The buttons enable you to navigate within the map, get help and print the map.
Zoom In
This tool lets you view part of the map in greater detail.
Instructions:
- Click the "Zoom In" button.
- Position the cursor over the part of the map you would like to see in greater detail.
- Click the mouse.
- The map will be redrawn to show more detail.
Zoom Out
This tool lets you view a larger area with less detail.
Instructions:
- Click the "Zoom Out" button.
- The map will be redrawn to show a larger area.
View Full Map
This tool lets you zoom out to view the entire map.
Instructions:
- Click the “View Full Map” button.
- The map will be redrawn to show all of it.
Re-centre Map
This tool lets you select a specific centre for the map.
Instructions:
- Click the “Re-centre Map” button.
- Position the cursor over the part of the map you would like to be the new centre.
- Click the mouse.
- The map will be redrawn.
Map Size
This tool lets you change the size of the map window.
Instructions:
- Click the one of the three buttons, “S” (small map) or “M” (medium map) or “L” (large map).
- The map will be redrawn in either a larger or small window size.
Note: This tool has been designed to work best after using the "Zoom In" tool at least once.
Get Info from Map
This tool allows you to get specific information about any location on the map. You will be able to obtain the National Topographic System map sheet number, the latitude and longitude and elevation, all at the same time and with one click.
Instructions:
- Click the "Get Info from Map " button.
- Click a location on the map.
- A small pop-up window will appear with the information.
- Once you are finished, click the “Close Window” button.
Note: Liability restrictions apply to the information shown; please read the liability note for complete details.
Measure Distance
This tool allows you to measure distances on the map, in kilometres.
Instructions:
- Click the “Measure Distance” button.
- Click one or more locations on the map.
- A purple line will show the location of the distance(s) to be measured.
- View the distance, by segment, in the box below the bottom right corner of the map. See Section 11 below
- To measure another distance, repeat steps 1 to 4.
Note: Liability restrictions apply to the distance(s) measured; please read the liability note for complete details.
Print Preview
This tool lets you print your map. It provides a printer-friendly, letter-size, portrait-format page that includes the current map, locator map and legend.
Instructions:
- Click the "Print Map" button.
- The browser window will refresh showing the map, title, locator map and legend.
- Using the browser's print function, send the page to your printer.
Note: The maps print best using a colour printer.
Save Map
This tool allows you to save a copy of the map you are currently viewing to your computer.
Instructions:
- Click the “Save Map” button.
- A small pop-up window will appear with instructions.
- Using your mouse, right-click on the map.
- Select "Save Image / Picture As".
- Select and save the map to a location on your computer.
Note: Liability restrictions apply to the map you are saving; please read the liability note for complete details.
Help
This tool gives you access to these instructions for using the interactive mapping features.
Instructions:
- Click the "Help" button.
- The browser window will refresh showing the help information.
4. Map Window
The map window shows the map that you are currently viewing. The text box in the upper right hand corner contains links to more information about topographic maps. The north arrow in the upper left corner points to True North.
5. Locator Map
The locator map shows the full extent of the map you have selected and highlights, with a red box or dot, the location currently showing in the map window.
6. Legend Tab
The legend lists the map's features and explains the colours, symbols, line patterns, shadings and annotation used for them. The legend also shows you the different layers of information the map contains.
The satellite and elevation image layers, at the top, are always turned off but can be turned on by clicking the box to the left of either layer name. When this is done, all the other layers are turned off. If you wish to display one of the other layers or layer groups on top the satellite or elevation image, click the box to the left of the layers or layer groups you wish to turn on.
The 1:250 000 and 1:50 000 Map Sheet Index layers can also be turned on and viewed over top of the map by clicking the box to the left of either layer name. These layers are helpful to find the actual National Topographic System map sheet number. You can use this number to purchase a printed map, the data used to produce the map, or find information related to the currency of the map and data.
The next entries in the legend are groups of specific types of topographic information such, as roads. These groups are always visible except when the satellite and elevation image layers have been turned on. If you wish to view any of these groups on top of the satellite or elevation image layers, click the box to the left of any of the group names.
If you would like more specific information about currency or other details of any of the map layers or any other information about topographic maps and data, please go the Map Sources page.
7. Search Tab
The search tab allows you to perform three types of searches to locate a specific area of interest and view the topographic map for that area.
Search using Place and Feature Names
Instructions:
- Enter the place or feature name you would like to search for (for example, Ottawa or Ottawa River) in the text entry box.
- Click the arrow button to the right of the text entry box.
- The search tab will refresh with the search results that match the name searched for.
- Click the name of the place or feature you are interested in viewing a map of.
- The map window will refresh with the selected map.
- You can use the tools in the toolbar to explore the map.
- To do another search, click the “Return to Search” button at the top of the search results list.
- If you would like to do an advanced search, click the “Advanced Search” link on the search tab.
Search using a Topographic Map Sheet Number
Instructions:
- Enter the topographic map sheet number in the text entry box of this section of the search tab.
- Click the arrow button to the right of the text entry box.
- The map will refresh showing the boundaries of the map sheet searched for.
- You can use the tools in the toolbar to explore the map.
Search using Latitude and Longitude
Instructions:
- Enter the latitude and longitude in the text entry boxes of this section of the search tab.
- Enter the numerical degrees only in the degrees box and the numerical minutes in the minutes box, for both the longitude and latitude.
- Do not add a “negative” sign, as is commonly done, for degrees of west longitude.
- If you do not know the minutes, do not enter anything in the minutes box.
- Click the arrow button in the bottom right hand corner.
- The map will refresh with a topographic for that location.
- You can use the tools in the toolbar to explore the map.
8. Pan Arrows
The pan arrows, eight small triangles around the edges of the map, let you move left, right, up, down and diagonally to see parts of the map that aren't currently visible.
Instructions:
- Click the arrow that points in the direction you would like to move.
- The map will be redrawn showing the new parts.
10. Map Scale
This tool allows you to change the viewing scale of the map you are currently viewing.
Instructions:
- Click your cursor in the map scale text box.
- The current map scale value will disappear.
- Enter the scale value that you would like the map displayed at.
- Click the “Update Map” button to the right of the map scale text box.
- The map will refresh at the selected scale.
Note: The maximum allowable viewing scale value is 20 000. The map centre will be maintained when the viewing scale is changed.
11. Distance Box
The distance box shows the distance that is being measured when using the “Measure Distance” tool. Please refer to the section describing this tool in the Toolbar section of this page.
If you can't find what you're looking for in this Help document, use the "Contact Us" feature in the top navigation bars to send us an e-mail.
