Use unique colors for observation pins when searching for multiple species

When searching for multiple taxa, think it would be extremely helpful if the observation pins showed up in different colors (or customizable colors) especially if both already default to the same color (if all species searched for were plants, for example). I’m thinking this would be very helpful for understanding how the spatial distribution of some species relates to others. It would also be extremely helpful if the colored pins could be visible when viewing a species on a range-wide scale, instead of the default gray pins that prevent determining which species an observation is without zooming in to view a small area, and then if both species default to the same color, it would still be impossible without clicking on one or filtering for just one, therefore losing the advantage of seeing on a map how the presence of certain species relates to others.

I’m not sure how this could be done, but it would certainly be quite helpful with a lot of what I use iNaturalist for. Just doing an experimental search for a plant and a bird that are known to co-occur frequently certainly showed a local relation, but if viewed on a range-wide scale the observations for both default to gray making it impossible to view both side-by-side, this would be even more problematic if they were both plants, or both birds, etc., making it impossible to separate them on a local scale.

is something like this useful for you needs?
you would of course have to put in your own taxon ID numbers…
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/compare?s=eyJxdWVyaWVzIjpbeyJuYW1lIjoiTnltLm9kb3JhdGEiLCJwYXJhbXMiOiJ0YXhvbl9pZD01MTExOSJ9LHsibmFtZSI6Ik55bS5tZXhpY2FuYSIsInBhcmFtcyI6InRheG9uX2lkPTc4MjM2In0seyJuYW1lIjoiTnltLmFtcGxhIiwicGFyYW1zIjoidGF4b25faWQ9MTY1NzUwIn0seyJuYW1lIjoiTnltLmFsYmEiLCJwYXJhbXMiOiJ0YXhvbl9pZD02MjAwOSJ9LHsibmFtZSI6Ik55bS5sZWliZXJnaWkiLCJwYXJhbXMiOiJ0YXhvbl9pZD0xNjU3NTQifV0sInRhYiI6Im1hcCIsInRheG9uRmlsdGVyIjoibm90X2luX2NvbW1vbiIsInRheG9uRnJlcXVlbmNpZXNTb3J0SW5kZXgiOjIsInRheG9uRnJlcXVlbmNpZXNTb3J0T3JkZXIiOiJkZXNjIiwibWFwTGF5b3V0IjoiY29tYmluZWQiLCJoaXN0b3J5TGF5b3V0IjoiaG9yaXpvbnRhbCIsImhpc3RvcnlJbnRlcnZhbCI6IndlZWsifQ%3D%3D

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Crikey! Where did you find that?? Looks like it’s exactly what we’re looking for!

Hee hee, it is so much fun! Thank you, @lincolndurey

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yep, it is the BOMB! @bouteloua showed it to me ages ago. I hope that @tiwane and @kueda might make it a more accessible / permanent tool one day ?

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Thank you, that was exactly what I was looking for, but had never heard of it. Yes, I agree that this would be a wonderful asset if it was made more accessible.

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That’s awesome, I’ve been looking for something like this too. I’m bookmarking the page and this thread so I can’t lose it.

This is going to be so useful. Thanks for introducing it. We need to use it for the two species of armyworm !

I was trying to figure out how to make the same request when I saw your post. @lincolndurey- thats amazing! Thanks! I’d love for it to become a general use tool.

Had some fun with it and made a nice rat Snakes (genus Pantherophis) in the US map: https://bit.ly/2WTGc3t

Slightly edited topic title - add an action verb.

Unfortunately this isn’t working with the current map pins all being orange :-(

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Yes. For users that have edited their account settings to opt into the map tile test, the “compare” experimental feature appears to be broken. For a while it seemed that the taxa map feature did appear to show different colors for each taxon with both the old and new rendering approaches, but that no longer seems to be the case.

Here’s an example using each approach:

“Compare” feature (doesn’t work with new tiles):

“Taxa map” feature (now also doesn’t work with new tiles)

On the other thread - iNat said - working on the new compare tool

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yes, now the Best Way is the map?taxa= method. I’ve taken to keeping a list of maps in a text file that I occasionally open to do some cleaning:

Acrida:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=321672,358062,211055,154223,119684,622618,154222
Actaea:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=49870,63062,119813,158004,133005,116343
Arisaema:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=50310,84261,639675,276487,509076,483983,471722,416184
Baccharis:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=84813,57913,545873,159127,155045,75729
Cichorieae:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=77940,75956,49328,121998,68553,53193,135226,128733
Cladonia:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=119778,54607,217093,460246,322661,125632
Clethra:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=160747,52867,430824
Clintonia: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=53794,76401,118725,51647
Cnidoscolus:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=160765,133074,81817,273715
Coptis: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=126251,160861,76436,160862,870898,702412,789253,745699
Crassulaceae:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=79023,55734,58102,78846,127597,208245
Crassulaceae:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=79023,79026,58886,55734
Diervilla: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=161898,67983,52758
Elephantopus:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=152133,119609,126570,162267
Eriocaulaceae: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=162557,169501,164402,69685,162556
Goodyera: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=62406,50719,62366,62407
Haemodoraceae:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=277340,204338,428252,416342,119345,118972
Leucothoe: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=127488,164664,77720
Lonicera: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=53416,58100,164765,117329,82664,126145
Maianthemum: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=67748,50247,565359,63939
Mangrove:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=62853,75723,60335
Nuphar:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=82504,204164,78234,204367,549989,355651,821332
Nymphaea: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=51119,78236,165750,62009,165754
Conopholis https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=59980,59983
Aphyllon https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=739040,802714,802543,809373,802494
Parthenium:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=83893,126424
Phyllodoce:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=52131,78560,166760,166759,126558,764711
Physocarpus:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=129048,57249,166852,78578,149008
Rubus:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=51646,62377,132855
Saururus https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=60742,452025
Scutellaria: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=127045,287004,79017,57122
Symphoricarpos: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=48523,169448,128838,53456,79292
Syngnathus: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=146828,113583,179449,179451,118624,118625,117570,54538
Victoria:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=345545,179027
Wyethia:https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=56987,50798,56988,60843

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@pleary, any chance that the new map tiles could do multiple colors (once you get zoomed in enough?)
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/map?taxa=321672,358062,211055,154223,119684,622618,154222
is great on the “dot” maps, but not on tiles.

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ok, I see you are aware:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/open-test-of-map-tile-improvements/7833/67

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This has now been fixed. Users who have opted in to the map tile test can now see separate colors for separate taxa.

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This is a great tool. Is there a way to isolate a certain area/polygon?