map to help you decide which maps may you need). After clicking on "Zoning and Other Maps" you will have four viewing options: MrSID Plugin, Without Plugin, Java, and Download.
A summary description of the first three options can be found on the initialmappage. For the fourth option, downloading the map locally, most zoning maps have been placed on the site in in either JPG or GIF format. Due to the quality of the original documents, some maps are available in Adobe PDF format. Please see (How to use ordinances posted in Adobe PDF) for more information about working with PDF files.
1. MrSID Plugin
MrSID, short for Multiresolution Seamless Image Database, is viewing
software that provides faster loading and viewing of maps and other
graphics. In addition, MrSID supports zooming, printing and annotating.
Technically, MrSID utilizes a patented wavelet-based compression technology for compressing and viewing digital raster imagery. Simply, MrSID makes it a whole lot easier to view maps online.
If you do not have the MrSID plugin installed on your computer, you will
need to click on the "get MrSID" link, which will walk you through the
process of downloading and installing the plugin. Once the plugin is
installed, you may use the many features of the MrSID plugin, including:
Zoom
There are three options for zooming, found on the three buttons on the top left portion of the viewer.
"+" Button - select this button to Zoom In
"-" Button - select this button to Zoom Out
"Arrow" Buttion - this button allows you to Zoom In on a selected area. To
use this tool, select it from the menu, then left click on the map, hold the
mouse button and drag the mouse cursor over the selected are, then release the mouse button.
Pan
The next button on the tool bar is the Panning tool. This feature allows you
to change the viewing area without changing the current zoom level. To use this function, select the hand icon from the tool bar. Next, click on the
map, hold the mouse button, drag the map to the area you wish to view, then release the mouse button. It will take a moment for the image data to
refresh.
NOTE: All of the above features, as well as some additional features, are accessible by right clicking on the image and selecting the feature from the context menu.
Resize
Right click on the image and select "Resize." This enables you to choose from existing options or select a custom size to resize the viewing area.
Right click on the image and select "Print." The printer dialog box will
then appear. On the bottom left portion of this box, there is an option for
"Selection." You can select either the Current Scene or the Entire Image,
depending on what you wish to print.
Scale
You can change the scale or percentage zoom by right clicking and selecting the scale at which you wish to view the image.
Image Properties
This option will tell you some information about the actual image, such as
the original file dimensions and the current views' dimensions.
2. Without Plug-in
From the zoning map, select the link for Without Plugin. Features include:
Zoom
To Zoom In, select the percentage that you wish to zoom from the drop down box. After choosing the zoom level, place the mouse on the viewing area and left click.
NOTE: By default, the zoom level will increase after each zoom.
Change the Image Size
From the Image Size dropdown box, select the desired resolution and zoom percentage, then click on the area of the map you wish to view.
Printing the Section
IE users, right click on an area outside the image and select "Print."
Netscape users, left click on an area outside the image, then from the menu select "File," "Print."
Saving the Image
Right click the image and select Save As (Save Image), then save the file to your hard disk.
3. Java Viewer
From the zoning and other maps page select Java Plugin. Features include:
Zoom
There are two buttons for zooming. They are the plus and minus icons on the top left portion of the viewer. To use these features, simply click on the icon, then click on the portion of the map you wish to view. To zoom into an area, select the plus icon, click and hold the mouse button, and draw a box around the portion of the map you wish to zoom into, then release the mouse button.
Pan
You can move the image around by select the icon shaped as a hand on the menu. Click on the hand icon, click and hold the mouse button, move the map to the desired area, then release the mouse button.
Resize
This feature resizes the frame in which you are viewing the map. Right
click on the map and choose one of the resize options. This will
automatically resize the page.
4. Download
Because you are viewing the map in your browser, you already have the map in your computer. You can now save the map (or any graphic) as a file on your hard drive and manipulate it with tools that you have available on your system. Here's how:
1. Right-click your mouse while over the map or graphic image.
2. Choose "Save Picture As" from the menu choices available. The Save
Picture screen opens and prompts you to save the picture using the name we have used for the picture. You should probably choose a name a bit more descriptive than our naming system allows. For instance, if you are saving the zoning map for Atlantic City, you may name the file "Atlantic City Zone Map".
3. Choose the location where you want to save the picture, this may be in
the project folder or a special folder where you save all downloaded items.
4. Remember the location and click the Save button. The save is fairly
quick.
5. Open Windows Explorer. You can do this by right clicking on the start
button and choosing Explore. Find the picture you just saved and
double-click on the file, in this example, the Atlantic City Zone Map. The
file is opened in a program that allows you to manipulate it in many
important and useful ways. In most cases, the Microsoft Photo Editor is the program that is used to open the GIF file type. However, your computer may have another program that is used to open graphic files, such as the Wang Image Viewer (by Wang Laboratories, formerly of word processing fame), Corel Paint, Adobe PhotoShop or others. Often, these "higher-end" programs preempt Windows defaults and assume you want to use them for graphic manipulation. This is not a problem, however the higher end programs are slower because they are full featured and able to manipulate image files in complicated ways. If you are viewing GIF images often, you may want to switch back to a program designed primarily for viewing as your default. Whichever viewer you use, you will be able to quickly determine how to zoom in or move around the map. Generally, maps viewed on-screen are much clearer than paper based maps, because of the ability to zoom. Remember, you can also use these electronic maps to cut and paste portions of the map into CAD
files.
