Field Testing North Queensland (NQ)

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Portable Map Server Field Test Areas, Updated 28 May 2019

This is the help and home page for six areas in Northern Queensland that are default field test areas for the ZGUS portable map server.

They correspond to six state regulated areas set aside for recreational and tourist fossicking. A licence is required to fossick in these areas. Downloaded information.

How to access the local server

  1. Look for a WiFi access point with name similar to zgus1234. For password use the name.
  2. When connected, access https://maps.zgus.lan/nq from a web browser
  3. When accessing for the first time, warnings will appear because your web browser will not be able to verify security certificates for secure access to maps.zgus.lan. Click on ‘Advanced’ or similar.
  4. Click on ‘Proceed’ or similar.

How does this work?

The following is in addition to broad information in section ‘Map servers in the field’ on maps.zgus.com. Also on maps.zgus.lan

A nameserver runs on the portable map server. The WiFi access point of the router is configured to offer your device the address of the nameserver as a nameserver when you connect (provided you are using DHCP which if you don’t know what this means, means you are using it).

The name server translates zgus.com.lan to its own address for the web server. While it seems easier to just let the nameserver lie and use maps.zgus.com instead of maps.zgus.lan, so avoiding dual links and avoid having the browser complain and issue dire warnings, it unfortunately reduces the likelihood that potential problems can be quickly and easily solved. 100 problems quickly solved, easily solved and easily learnt how to be solved in the field is preferable to one stressful problem requiring complex investigation, a lot of time and a high level of skill and experience. The field is not head office land where IT support can be summoned at the click of a finger.

In addition an mDNS service also runs, allowing use of domains maps.local and just maps (for example https://maps) instead of domain maps.zgus.lan. This service is not emphasised as mDNS use is not compulsory. If an OS or browser allows use of mDNS it is considered a convenience favour. For example mDNS works for PCs but not Android phones.

Usage

Please see /basemap-map-legend-and-other-improvements-for-nq-field-test-maps for screenshots

  • On phones two fingers can be used to zoom in, zoom out and rotate map. One finger can be used to pan map.
  • On desktop PC the left mouse button can be used to pan, the mouse wheel can be used to zoom and the shift key with left or right mouse button can be used to rotate.
  • The H button (for home or help) will take you to this page
  • The R button (for reset or reload) will force a full reload. This will remove GPS tracks so take a screenshot first if necessary. Currently there is no facility to save tracks.
  • The bottom left has a scale and a button to show a map legend. The map legend can be collapsed by pressing or clicking on x. The map legend shows scale below legend when legend shown.
  • The top right has an arrow symbol to reorient map to North upwards, the default position. There is currently no facility to allow map to automatically rotate while navigating. Manual map rotation is allowed (two fingers on mobile phone screen or shift key with mouse on laptop).
  • Below top right arrow is an icon with image of squares in layers. It is called the ‘layer switcher control’. Pressing opens up a menu to turn on or off selected layers and to choose one of several basemaps. Each layer and basemap can have its transparency adjusted with a slide bar. The order of layers and basemaps can be changed by dragging vertical arrow on right. A GPS track, if generated, can be converted to a layer and can be hidden and shown again.
  • The + and - symbols on left allow map to be zoomed in and out without using two fingers or the mouse wheel.
  • Can pan and zoom the map to the six different areas within North Queensland using the bookmark facility accessed from bookmark icon near top left. Can add and delete the current map view you are on to the bookmarks. Added and deleted bookmarks are saved by your browser. The map server has no knowledge of your bookmarks. There is no login to the map browser. If you use the same device and do not delete browser local storage then the bookmarks will reappear. Note bookmarks set when on maps.zgus.com do not carry over to bookmarks set when on maps.zgus.lan, as well as the other way around.
  • The navigation icon on the lower right allows live GPS tracks to be viewed on your browser. Recording of view can be paused. Be aware if you refresh the page the track disappears. The track is currently not saved to browser local storage and the map server has no knowledge of any tracks you recorded. If you need to save the track then take a screenshot (vol down + power buttons held down). The layers menu allow you to hide and show ‘historical GPS tracks’.

GNSS/GPS Tracking

The GNSS/GPS facility can show you your location on a map. There is a facility to draw a history of your past locations on your map, called tracking.

The primary purpose of this tracking facility is to help with data collection by converting started and stopped tracks into features of one or more layers, a facility that has not been implemented yet.

For example, if implemented, walking around a boundary of a culturally sensitive area would enable that boundary to be added as a polygon feature of a layer documenting culturally sensitive areas for the purpose of conducting a Native Title survey to be used in an ILUA (Indigenous Land Use Agreement). The end of the section further mentions data collection issues.

Another example, if implemented, is to collect information to investigate if some activity is in violation of agreed boundaries by simply walking around the area of the activity. In fact the existing facilities will allow this to a limited extent (no coordinates provided) by refreshing, starting a track, walking around, stopping track, taking a screenshot and providing an appropriate file name for the screenshot.

This primary purpose of data collection is the reason for a distinction between a live and historical GPS track outlined below.

Currently all started and stopped track line segments are combined together into a ‘MultiLine layer’ historical GPS track (called ‘GPS Track’ in the layers switcher control) and currently there is no facility to add in any other information, such as information about a feature added.

For the purpose of clarity, a track that is currently being recorded and that can be included in the historical ‘GPS track’ layer when recording has been stopped is called a ‘live GPS track’.

While the GNSS/GPS tracking can appear to act as if it tracking like a conventional GNSS/GPS device or app, it can only add track points while the web page is visible on the screen. When the page is not visible tracking is in effect paused. Also, currently, refreshing a page loses all track records.

If you need the functionality of a GPS device or app that can record tracks in the background then you need to use such a device or app in addition.

Clicking the GPS icon on bottom right wil show two further icons. You need to give permission for your web browser to track location. The right red button will start recording a ‘live GPS track’ with a blue dot (no movement assessed) or a triangle (movement assessed), indicating current location in the center of the screen. Pressing the right button again will pause recording, which can be resumed. Pressing the left button will stop recording a ‘live GPS track’ and the finished line segment into the historical ‘GPS track’ MultiLine layer. The historical ‘GPS track’ MultiLine layer is thinner than a current ‘live GPS track’ line segment.

The thinner historical ‘GPS track’ line can be hidden from view using the layer switcher control. The layer switcher control has no effect on the visibility of a ‘live GPS track’ line.

A transparent green circle around indicated location gives an indication of accuracy of location on map.

If you pan away from the centre of the screen while there is live GPS tracking then a ‘center’ button will appear to allow you to recentre map to where your location is.

Refreshing will lose both the historical ‘GPS track’ line and the ‘live GPS track line’. There is currently no facility to retain and reuse the historical ‘GPS track’ line or ‘live GPS track’ line. You can take a snapshot of the screen. For example using volume down + power buttons pressed down together for about a second.

With regard to implementing data collection, there is considerable complexity in dealing with new information generated by a track or by a screen interaction. A considerable amount of clean up editing can be required, particularly if free form data entry is allowed, such as allowing notes. A GIS desktop application, such as QGIS, helps organisation and further processing, once all the information has been collected at the end of a field trip. How should the information generated in the field be stored and used until further processed with a GIS application? Should the information be sent as soon as possible back to the map sever in the field to be made available in some form as a temporary map layer to others in the field to help co-ordinate work, help review progress or indicate additional resources or expertise is required at a particular location in the field?

A note on terminolgy. GNSS strands for ‘Global Navigation Satellite System’. GNSS includes GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou and other regional systems. However the term GNSS has little recognition and the term GPS is frequently used in place of GNSS. The term Geolocaton has various meanings. It can be considered to include GNSS and so GPS.

In Chrome in Android, option (three vertical dots on top right), ‘Add to Home screen’ will allow current web page to be added to home screen.

Map Server map tile caching

While the current field test server on maps.zgus.lan, a rpi3, is reliable, it is considerably slower than the simulated local server on maps.zgus.com to build up a cache of map tiles.

Web browser map tile caching

You can also build up a cache of map tiles in your browser (for a particuar address as mentioned above) by panning to areas you want to visit and zooming up and down through them. This will enable you to go beyond WiFi connection range with usable map tiles. Non basemap layers will still show even if map tiles are not available provided there has been no forced refresh. Please bear in mind this may result in considerable delays with an rpi3 local map server if the rpi3 has not cached the map tiles first.

Because the default map server address is the same as the web site address, you cannot build up a browser cache on maps.zgus.com and expect it to work on maps.zgus.lan. For the same reason, the browser cache for maps.zgus.lan will not work as browser cache for https://maps. So it helps to be consistent with your choice.

Map Server and Browser Code Acknowledgments

Map Attributions

Data Sources

Boundary areas for the six sites can be exported from both https://qldglobe.information.qld.gov.au and https://minesonlinemaps.business.qld.gov.au.

For the first site exports can be in various formats. The second site only supports .shp file exports. Also the second site requires use of the Silverlight plugin, limiting use to a PC with Internet Explorer.

The first site is very resource demanding and may not be usable from a mobile phone.

The boundary areas for the six sites were obtained from exported shape files at https://minesonlinemaps.business.qld.gov.au.

The six pdf area map files below were georeferenced and crosschecked with satellite map files. It should be kept in mind the six pdf files have not been updated for more than 20 years.

Downloads on local server, accessible without Internet

Selected downloads from QLD government site as of 2 May 2019

No direct links to documents provided because QLD Government web sites constantly change links. Use search instead from qld.gov.au

Guides

PDF maps of the six areas

  1. Agate Creek
  2. Lava Plains
  3. Mount Gibson
  4. Young’s Block
  5. O’Briens Creek
  6. Moonstone Hill