WebImage: Image Mapping

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Q: What is an image map?
A: An image map is used in an HTML document to allow regions of an image to be linked to other HTML documents. This is different than a standard image link which links the whole image to a single document. The web browser will bring up a different document depending where on the image map the user clicks. This is handy for images that are menus or button bars. The map itself is either a separate file (server side maps) or part of the HTML document (client side maps), but is not actually part of the image.

Q: How can I get back to the Image Toolbar when the Map toolbar is currently displayed?
A: Select Map Mode under the Mapping menu. This will uncheck the Map Mode option and bring back the Image Toolbar.

Q: When I reload my image, why doesn't my map appear?
A: The map is a separate file from the image. As of yet, image types themselves don't support the imbedding of a map file. The map file is instead saved off separately and must be either uploaded to your server (for server side maps) or copied to your HTML document (for client side maps).

Q: What is the difference between a client side and server side image map?
A: A client side map is a map file that is located in directly in the HTML document that the user has downloaded. A server side map is a map file that resides on the server itself. The downside to server side maps is that every mouse click has to be sent back from the user to the server and the server checks to see where on the map the mouse was clicked. With a client side map, the information is ported over in the actual HTML document. This allows the browser to give immediate feedback on the cursor position and to instantly translate the mouse click to the necessary address and ask the server for that address directly. The downside to client side maps is that they need to be imported into a document, often by hand, whereas server side maps can be uploaded to the server with the other web documents. We suggest using both types of maps as some browsers can handle one type but not the other.

Q: What's the difference between CERN and NCSA maps?
Q: Why didn't my server side map work when I uploaded it to my server?
A: The differences between CERN and NCSA are minor, but they are different and some servers need one kind and some servers need the other. The only way to determine which kind your server needs is to ask someone who maintains it. They should be able to tell you and you can then save you map files in the appropriate formats.

Q: What do I do with this map file I made?
Q: How can I get my map file into my HTML editing program?
A: There isn't anything you need to do with server side maps except upload them to the server and add the map commands to your HTML document. For client side maps, the process is a little trickier. You must open the map using a text editor (NotePad, WordPad or Word all work) and copy the map information from the file into your HTML file. Some HTML editors do not support map calls and there is nothing Group 42 can do about that. The only way around that is to open the HTML file as a text file and copy the map information directly into it. This presents a problem however if your editing program refuses to re-read the map information and summarily discards it. The second option is to buy a different HTML editor.

Q: Why can't doesn't your program connect the points I'm drawing with the point tool?
A: The point tool is only used for creating single points on the map. To connect them to form a shape, use the polygon tool.

Q: Why doesn't my web page recognize my map file, even though I put the map file where it needs to go?
A: Not only do you have to upload or insert the map data, but you also need to hook the map to the appropriate image. For a server side map, wrap an anchor or link around the image and set the HREF to the map file. Then, in the IMAGE tag, include an ISMAP qualifier. For a client side map, simply add the map into the code and include a USEMAP=#mapname qualifier in the IMAGE tag, where mapname is the name of the map. Because they use separate qualifiers, you can include both types in the same image.

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