Level up your RAMM Map with a new base layer
When working with data, maps are a very powerful tool to have in your arsenal. They can help you explore, evaluate and consume your data in intuitive ways, that scrolling through rows and rows of data might not provide.
If you are a user of the RAMM HTML app, you will probably be familiar with the RAMM Map. This is the first screen you see when logging into RAMM HTML, and by default, it will launch with the standard Google base map.
Note: we will be using the lovely Dunedin City as our backdrop for this article.
The RAMM map lets you see all sorts of data from your RAMM datasets, like asset and condition information, in a spatial context on your network.
But did you know that you can actually change the default map layer?
Often times your data can tell a better story when viewing information in the context of other base layers, like aerial photography for instance.
Customising the base layer
To customise your base layer, click the layer menu button in the top right of the screen…
This will pop open a panel with the different layer options available. Let's click the Satellite layer.
Your map will update to show you satellite imagery at your current map extent….
Now let’s try one of my favourite base layers... the Satellite with Labels layer.
This gives you the best of both worlds between aerial image and the standard google map layer. You can read more about it in this article here.
As you can see in the screenshots above, changing the base layer in your RAMM Map can be a quick and easy way to give more context to your data.
Switch on LINZ Aerial imagery
For RAMM networks in New Zealand, you can also access aerial imagery from LINZ. And the process to do so is really easy.
To do this click the Customise option in the layer menu.
This will open a secondary Basemap Settings window. From here you just need to double click on the LINZ Aerial Imagery layer to update your map.
Once the map refreshes you will see the new image layer...
It’s as simple as that. But there are even more customisations options available to you out of the box.
Further layer customisations
Any other available data sources will also be listed in the same settings panel we accessed above, so you can try these out to theme your map as needed. A few other examples are below….
Open Streetmap…
Open Topo Map…
RAMM GIS Classic…
So that is a wrap on how to level up your RAMM Map by changing the base layer. Give it a go next time you are in RAMM and customise your base map. You might just be surprised how much extra context it can provide your data, just from a quick and easy setting change.
