New Rectangle and Circle Drawing Tools for Web Explore Page

I found these new tools helpful. But, it was difficult to find where I wanted my center point to be with all the initial observations.

Can there be a function added where, when a user clicks on either the circle or rectangle, that the Explore map clears all observation markers to reveal the map?

To compensate for this, I made a tiny circle near where I wanted the final circle to be. (In this case, it was an area in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.) That cleared the map so I could see where I really wanted to make the center point.




5 Likes

You could first filter for observations of polar bears - that might considerably decrease the number of obervations in your area, giving a clear view on the map. But your solution of a secondary circle also is a quick way to clear the map

7 Likes

THANK YOUUUUUUUU!!! @benkeen

1 Like

Try zooming in to find your center point.

Rather than creating a place for a project, is it or could it be possible to use the rectangle and circle drawing tools coordinates to be the search parameter in a project?

For instance I want a project for my home and surrounds.

2 Likes

very cool, gracias!

2 Likes

nice!

EDIT: to comment further, this is a much better way to select a region of interest compared to the previous “search within box” option.

6 Likes

This is great, certainly useful for having flexibility around selecting areas of interest. One thing I wanted to add here is that it seems these features are much more responsive. Using the new “Redo search in map” button seems, at least to me, to load much more quickly than it previously did.

3 Likes

This is great stuff – very useful. Many thanks to the designers and implementers!

1 Like

This is a fantastic feature update that really transforms the “search within box” feature concept into a much more powerful search tool. Thanks!

1 Like

This is a great addition, thanks.

This will make defining search areas much easier. Thanks!

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone, we appreciate it. And if anyone has some coding skills and some time, take a look at our GitHub page to see if there’s anythnig you can help out with.

My understanding is that at this point that’s not possible. This basically just provides an easy way to make a circle or rectangle and use existing search parameters that were already there.

Yes, that happened in July of 2021.

FWIW, if you want to export observation data from an arbitrary polygon, you can use GBIF, they have a tool for that.

Not now, but it would be great to eventually allow user-drawn polygons to be used for projects and not require them to to be actual iNat places. That would likely reduce the burden that place creation causes by quite a bit.

5 Likes

Thanks @benkeen
I already used your rectangle to select the area we are likely to comb for our GSB 2022!
Works like a charm!

1 Like

I have been waiting for this feature ever since I first started usung “Explore.”

2 Likes

But that’s obviously restricted to those observations shared with GBIF, which omits a substantial part of iNat’s entire data pool.

4 Likes

Use the handle below the circle to pan it around over your exact location.

1 Like

Cool - very nice addition.

Could I add a related (to the map but unrelated (not box or circle) request: In the “Places of interest” if you click on a place, it opens Explore with that place in the place filter. I would really appreciate it if:

  • The page could open in a new tab, rather than replacing the current tab.
  • I could optionally select the place, rather than filtered data.

In final parting, I am delighted to see that the size option is now also applicable to the “Nearby Observations” at the bottom of the page on any unobscured observation. That is brilliant! Wonderful! I have been crying or that functionality for years - is it Christmas? Many thanks

2 Likes

That’s good! I can make a circle approximately where I want it and then move it to center it. Thanks.

Fullscreen and Find-your-location dont work though - see: https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/full-screen-function-doesnt-respond/36767

1 Like