Overview

Features are geographically placed items of infrastructure or activity for a site, which collectively define a "Site Plan." The Site Plan allows users to create and manage multiple site features, specifying each feature's location on a map. Features may be placed as a point of latitude and longitude if an address location is known, or as a line or polygon if more detailed knowledge of the location is available.

Adding features to a site and designating their location helps to depict the overall layout of the site spatially, as well as providing additional capabilities.

• The feature can be referenced in a permit as a Permitted Feature. For example, an outfall feature could be referenced as a permitted feature with specific discharge limits specified in what nVIRO calls a permit limit set. 

• The feature can be made available for reference on a submission form.

• Features placed on the map become visible as a spatial layer in nSITE Explorer.

Features added to the site are assigned a Feature Type. Feature types are configurable under the Admin menu.

New sites are automatically assigned a special 'Site Location' feature type. The Site Location feature type is used to designate a primary location for the site on the Site Plan map.

Site Plan tab:

Managing Site Features and Locations

Adding a New Feature

Features are created in two ways:

• Through a submission that has been designed to create a site location or feature using form tags to designate their creation. (See Feature Integration into nCORE for information on configuring forms.)

• By directly adding a feature from the Site Plan page following the steps below.

To add a new feature to a site:

• From the Site Plan tab, click the Add New button.

• A list of feature types is displayed.

• If desired, filter the list:

  • The Show Feature Types control filters for features that have been designated for a particular program area.

    • If the current user is configured with a Default Program Area, the filter is applied using the specified default.

  • The list may be filtered by entering a search word in the filter as shown here:

• Scroll through the listed feature types and click the desired feature type that you wish to add.

• Enter the feature information. Each field available is listed in the following table:

• Follow the steps to add a feature location shown below.

• Click Save.

Adding Feature Locations

Adding a new feature to a site can be done from the Site Plan tab. A point location (latitude/longitude coordinates) can be specified on the site plan map when the user is adding a new feature (via the Add New button), editing an existing feature, or specifying a location for an unplaced feature. 

Locations may be placed on the map as either a point, polygon, line, or directional line. Locations are drawn and manipulated using the mouse.

To place a new feature location on the map:

• After searching for and selecting a site, navigate to the Site Plan tab.

  • The Site Plan page displays the site map on the left and the list of site details on the right.

• Click one of the options based on the desired shape that will be specified, either:

  • Place Point

  • Draw Polygon

  • Draw Line

  • Draw Directional Line

• Place the feature location: Once the location is found on the map (see Navigating the Map tip below), single-click the location to begin placing the feature location; double-click to finish placing the feature location (see Place a Point, Draw a Polygon, and Draw a Line or Directional Line below).

• Enter a Name for the feature location. (A default will be provided based on the selected shape type.)

• Click Done to confirm the feature location.

• Click Save to update the feature with the new feature location.

Place a Point

To place a point:

• Click on the map in the exact location you wish to place the point.

  • To edit the feature location, single-click the point again.

  • The point can now be dragged using a long click. 

• Click Done.

Direct Entry of Point Coordinates

A point's latitude/longitude coordinates may be directly entered. This option is only available for points (not lines or polygons). To edit the coordinates:

• Click the Shape Options menu in the bottom center of the map:

• Select Edit Point Coordinates.

  • A dialog box appears:

• Enter the coordinates, specifying latitude and longitude separated with a comma.

• Click Confirm.

Draw a Polygon

To draw a polygon:

• Click on the map in the location where one of the corners of the polygon should be placed.

  • As the mouse is moved, a line extends from the original location clicked.

• Click the map in the next corner of the polygon.

  • Repeat this until the last corner is located and double-click the mouse, OR

  • Position the mouse on the first corner placed and click.

• Click Done.

Draw a Line or Directional Line

• For a Line:

  • Extend the line to the distance desired.

  • The line's direction can be changed by clicking the map along the line's path. 

  • Double-click to complete the shape.

To draw a line or directional line:

• Click on the map on the starting location for the line.

  • As the mouse is moved, a line extends from the original location clicked.

• Click the map in the first 'turn point' for the line (a line may have multiple turn points).

  • Repeat adding line 'turn points' as needed.

  • To finish the line, double-click at the termination point for the line. 

• Click Done.

Multiple Feature Locations

The site plan supports specification of multiple feature locations for a single feature. Features are not always a single point, line, or polygon. The ability to specify multiple feature locations may be used to enhance the detail of various elements of a particular feature.

For example, a feature may be comprised of several fragments of wetland area. These fragments are best represented as a single feature when they are associated with a single impact of a project; such as when one new building will be built that has multiple discrete impact areas.

To add an additional location to a feature:

• Click the + next to the Feature Location(s):

• Follow the steps specified for Adding Feature Location to add and name the additional location.

Uploading Feature Locations

Feature locations may be uploaded from a spatial file. This file may contain up to 50 geometric objects (feature locations).

KML Format Mapping

An example KML file snippet is included below:

         <Placemark>
			<name>Point of interest</name>
			<description>American Legion</description>
			<LookAt>
				<longitude>-100.0317945970091</longitude>
				<latitude>37.7377286317814</latitude>
				<altitude>0</altitude>
				<heading>-3.101575429704853</heading>
				<tilt>18.42140640962052</tilt>
				<range>2444.404592399153</range>
				<gx:altitudeMode>relativeToSeaFloor</gx:altitudeMode>
			</LookAt>
			<styleUrl>#m_ylw-pushpin1</styleUrl>
			<Point>
				<gx:drawOrder>1</gx:drawOrder>
				<coordinates>-100.0339076590229,37.73791391402472,0</coordinates>
			</Point>
		</Placemark>

Import mapping logic is as follows:

• Each Placemark becomes a Feature Location on the feature

• The name element maps to the Feature Location Name

• the coordinates define the feature location layer geometry

• No other elements are used

GeoJSON Format Mapping

An example GeoJSON file snippet is included below:

{
  "type": "FeatureCollection",
  "features": [{
    "type": "Point",
    "name": "Point of Interest",
    "coordinates": [30.0, 10.0]
    ]
}

Import mapping logic is as follows:

• Each features array item becomes a Feature Location on the feature

• The name element maps to the Feature Location Name

• the coordinates define the feature location layer geometry, type is used to determine whether it is a point, line or polygon.

Feature Location Upload Steps

To upload a spatial file when creating a new feature:

• Select Upload KML/GeoJSON at the bottom of the Add New Feature pane:

• Drag and drop the file to be uploaded to the upload area, or click the Choose Files button to use a standard system dialog to select the file.

• Click Start Upload.

  • The file is validated and geography is added to the feature.

  • Feature locations are appended from the source file to the existing feature locations.

  • If you upload a file in the middle of drawing a feature location, you will lose your in-progress work.

Navigating the Site Map

Viewing or Editing a Feature

Filtering the Feature List

The list of features may be filtered using any combination of the following options:

• Show Only Active Permitted Features - Checking this box filters the features to only display features that are referenced on any "active" permit.

• Show Feature Types - This selection control provides the ability to only display features that have been designated for a particular program area. This designation is configured in the Feature Type lookup.

• Filter by name - Entering text in this field filters features that match the entered text. The filter applies to the feature name, type, or description.

• Show Only Active Permitted Features and Show Feature Types are duplicated on a map control. They are identical to and will reflect changes made to those filters on the sidebar:

  

   

• If a feature has been filtered out of the Feature List, it will continue to appear on the map. It will have a new style applied to be more transparent and always gray with dashed rather than solid lines:

  

Viewing Feature Details

Details for an individual feature may be viewed or edited by clicking on the corresponding row in the Site Plan Feature List:

Upon clicking on the feature, the site map zooms to the feature location and the detail screen is displayed. From the feature detail display, the feature attributes may be edited and feature locations may be added, edited, or removed (see Editing Features below).

Permits that are associated with the feature are displayed (along with the permit status). 

Clicking on the permit name/number opens the corresponding permit displaying the Features tab:

Other features displayed on the map

Other features will have a higher transparency than the feature which is currently being edited:

You can zoom to a specific feature location by clicking the shape icon to the left of the feature location name. The map will pan to the selected feature and temporarily highlight the selected feature:

Editing Features 

To edit the feature:

• Click the edit button (pencil) corresponding to the feature name.

  • The screen shifts to edit mode.

• Edit the fields as desired.

• Click Save.

To edit a feature location:

• Click the edit button (pencil) corresponding to the feature name.

• If desired:

  • Edit the shape on the map (refer to Add Feature Location). 

  • Edit the feature Name.

• Click Done.

  • The feature detail is displayed. 

• Click Save to save all changes to the feature.

To remove a feature location:

• Click the more (...) menu corresponding to the location.

• Click Remove.

  • The location is removed from the list. It will not be deleted until the feature is saved. 

  • If a location was unintentionally removed, click Cancel.

Unplaced Features

• If there is an unplaced site location in the Site Features list, click the Place button:
  

  

Viewing Measurements

If a feature location is a polygon or a line, then measurements may be viewed. 

To view measurements, click the Measurements link below the feature locations:

Upon clicking, the measurements are displayed:

The display may contain two measurements, depending on the feature location shape type:

The Units field may be selected to change the unit of measure being used.

Viewing and Reporting Intersections

Intersections may be viewed to assess proximity to various locations that are represented by GIS layers. Intersections may be viewed for the feature as a whole, or for individual geometries. GIS layers may be applied before or after clicking the Intersections link using the Layers option on the map toolbar. See Applying GIS Spatial Layers for more information on adding and removing layers.

Viewing Feature Intersections

To view Feature Intersections, click the feature Intersections link to display a list of intersections against actively applied GIS layers:

The Intersections page displays. Specific intersections are listed. If the GIS layer provides additional metadata, clicking the intersection name expands or contracts display of associated metadata values for the intersection:

Viewing Feature Location Intersections

To view intersections for a specific location, click the more (...) menu corresponding to the feature location.

Apply a Buffer

By default, a small buffer is added to the feature when first viewing, essentially 'expanding' the footprint of the feature by the buffer size specified. This buffer may be cleared or expanded to adjust the intersection calculation. The buffer can be specified in feet or meters.

To apply a buffer:

• Enter the Buffer value and the corresponding measurement type (e.g., 100 feet).

• Click the Apply button.

• The intersections are updated based on the specified buffer.

• To clear the buffer, click the Clear button.

Generating an Intersection Report

In addition to displaying intersections on the screen, an intersection report can be generated and saved to a submission record. The most common use of this feature is to document the site information at the time an application is being reviewed for approval.

To generate an intersection report:

• From the feature Intersections display, click Generate Intersect Document.

• A screen appears listing submissions to which the document can optionally be associated. Select a submission to save the intersect report as a record related to the submission. 

  • If no submissions exist, the document may still be generated and downloaded.

• Click the Generate Intersect Document button.

• Click the Download Document button to download the document that was just generated.

OR

• Click the Close button if a download is not desired.

Deleting a Feature

Features can be deleted if they are not the Site Location feature and are not referenced on a permit.

To delete a feature:

• Click the trash can icon corresponding to the feature.

• Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.

Map Tools 

Site Plan map tools are displayed across the top of the map. They provide the ability to apply various GIS layers, print the map, show or hide feature labels, get measurements, or zoom in/out:

These tools are described in order below.

Filter Options

The filter options dropdown provides two options which will filter the features displayed on the map as follows:

• Show Only Active Permitted Features - Checking this box filters the features to only display features that are referenced on any "active" permit.

• Show Feature Types - This selection control provides the ability to only display features that have been designated for a particular program area. This designation is configured in the Feature Type lookup.

Measure and Intersect Tools

To access the measure and intersect tools, click the Tools button. Select Measure Area, Measure Distance, or Inspect Intersections.

Measure an Area on the Map

To use the Measure Area tool:

• Click Measure Area.

• Click a point on the map to begin measuring.

• Click one or more additional points on the map to change the line direction.

• Double-click to display the measurement in a pop-up.

• Click the X to close the pop-up.

Measure Distance on the Map

To use the Measure Distance tool:

• Click Measure Distance.

• Click a point on the map to begin measuring.

• Click one or more additional points on the map to change the line direction.

• Double-click to display the measurement in a pop-up.

• Click the X to close the pop-up.

Inspect Map Layer Intersections

When one or more custom layers are applied, the Inspect Intersections tool can be used to identify layer intersections for a particular point on the map and the associated metadata for the intersection. 

To use the Intersect tool:

• Click Inspect Intersections.

• Click an area of the map.

• A pop-up box displays the intersection layers and metadata.

• Click the X to close the pop-up.

Print the Site Plan

The site plan map can be printed as it is displayed on the screen. 

To print the site plan, click the Print button. A page is displayed containing a picture of the Site Map along with legend data for layers that were applied to the site map.

Applying GIS Spatial Layers

GIS spatial layers are categorized into Base Layers (e.g., Street, Satellite, Topo) and Custom Layers (e.g., Environmental, Wetlands, Coastal). A single base layer is always displayed. Zero or more custom layers can be displayed simultaneously.

nVIRO currently supports ESRI and Bing Base Layers. Use of Bing layers requires provision of a Bing Maps Key. 

To change the base layer:

• Click the "<Base Layer Name>" button (the current base layer is displayed in the button name).

• Click the base layer that you wish to display.

To add or remove custom layers:

• Click the Layers button.

• A list of layer categories is displayed. 

• Expand a layer category by clicking it.

• A list of layers is displayed.

• Layers that are unchecked can be checked to add them to the map.

• Layers that are currently checked can be unchecked to remove them from the map.

Show/Hide Labels

When a site plan has multiple features, to help with identification, the Show Labels button can be used to display labels with each feature. Note that labels can overlap depending on the zoom level of the map.

To show labels, click the Show Labels button. The labels are displayed and the button name changes from "Show Labels" to "Hide Labels".

To hide labels, click the Hide Labels button. The labels are removed from display and the button name changes from "Hide Labels" to "Show Labels".

Custom Search Configuration/Map Centering

The Site Plan has the ability to be configured to support searching based on user-supplied entries. 

Support for this capability requires loading of an agency-provided GIS layer containing search data into an nVIRO table that is used for searching.

For example, township/range/section (TRS) is a custom layer that has been loaded for certain implementations. The user is then able to search using a specific format such as "S31-T11S-R16E" to center the map on that location.