Mapedit version 2.1

[Note: there is also a smaller, earlier version of Mapedit available on this server: Mapedit version 1.1. That version can only produce server-side maps, and can only work with .GIF images.]

How to install and use Mapedit version 2.1 (MS Windows)

1. Download the executable program maped21 (124Kb) to a suitable directory on your PC and enter the command maped21 from the DOS prompt to unpack the three files stored within it. You should end up with three files called mapedit.exe, mapedit.hlp and orderfrm.txt. You can then delete maped21.exe from your PC, and launch the mapedit.exe program from Windows File Manager.
2. Decide whether you wish to create a server-side or a client-side image map (it is good practice to create imagemaps that function as both client-side and server-side maps... see the Computing Centre workbook HTML7: Creating Active Maps for further details). Remember that client-side image maps are only supported by the more modern browsers (e.g. Netscape 2 or later).
3. If you are creating a client-side map, you must start with an HTML file that already contains an in-line GIF or JPG image. Mapedit will allow you to open this HTML file and select the image which you want to turn into a map. You can then define the "hot areas" on this image, and the sites to which you want them to link (use the left mouse button to define hot areas on the image, and the right mouse button to call up the Object URL dialogue box - See a screen-shot of Mapedit in use -18Kb). When you save your work as a client-side map, Mapedit will amend your HTML file so that the in-line image now functions as an imagemap. For example, the following lines of HTML denote an image called myimage.gif, which has one circular hot-spot linking to a file called target.htm in the author's filespace:
   <IMG SRC="myimage.gif" USEMAP="#myimage">
   <MAP NAME="myimage">
   <AREA SHAPE="circle" COORDS="22,25,16" HREF="http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~username/target.htm">
   <AREA SHAPE="default" NOHREF> </map>
   where username is the author's UNIX login name.
   
4. A server-side map file is stored as a simple text file with a filename which ends in .map. They can be created in Mapedit by first selecting a name for the map file, then opening a GIF or JPG image and defining the hot-spots as above. Then save your work as a server-side map, being careful to select the NCSA format option. Copy the map file to your public_html directory in your UNIX filespace and make sure it has general read permission. Insert a reference to both the map file and the image (GIF or JPG) into your web page as follows:
   <A HREF="example.map">
   <IMG SRC="sample.gif" ISMAP>
   </A>
   Replace example.map by the name of your map file.

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Last Modified: Wednesday, 19-Mar-1997 18:59:52 GMT