Suggestion Add a section to post dive maps

[hawaiian.hokie]

I've been building a website (oahudiveguide.com) to help educate divers new to the island by providing maps and information on popular shore dives. It would be cool to be able to integrate a global map on scubaboard with crowd-sourced dive maps and guides

 

[Akimbo]

What format would these maps be in? Image files are pretty limited due to resolution, but they are easily displayed in a post. Scalable formats like a vector-based file in a pdf file can be included as an attachment.

 

[hawaiian.hokie]

What format would these maps be in? Image files are pretty limited due to resolution, but they are easily displayed in a post. Scalable formats like a vector-based file in a pdf file can be included as an attachment.

The ones I do are just jpeg (basically over-laying symbols on a google earth image). I also link GPS coordinates using Google Earth. But I think the most important part is the write-up

Here's an example: Electric/Kahe Beach Dive Guide (Oahu West Shore)

 

[Akimbo]

When you say section, do you mean a new forum for maps? Wouldn't it make more sense to have those threads in the geographic forum they relate to?

 

[34109411]

I've been building a website (oahudiveguide.com) to help educate divers new to the island by providing maps and information on popular shore dives. It would be cool to be able to integrate a global map on scubaboard with crowd-sourced dive maps and guides

they have something like that already but maybe not develop as you wish. It's out there. ( not talking specifically about oahu but in general).

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

When you say section, do you mean a new forum for maps? Wouldn't it make more sense to have those threads in the geographic forum they relate to?

Or maybe a maps section which then has regional forums for the maps. Toe-may-toe, tah-mah-toe

 

[34109411]

Or maybe a maps section which then has regional forums for the maps. Toe-may-toe, tah-mah-toe

for sure what i like the most when i find a map is to have heading from the entry point to a wreck let's say. Make my like so much easier so i don't get lost.

 

[Akimbo]

Let's think about the objective of forums. Obviously grouping related subjects is first but helping members find information of interest is a close second. The first argues for having maps in the related geographic forum. So how can we make them easier to find?

One method that worked pretty well is the "Trip Report" title prefix flag. Maybe a Maps flag option in every geographic forum would meet the objective. In case you haven't tried it, you can use ScubaBoard's Advanced Search option to find threads in specified forums with specified flags.

Title prefix flags also allows a special forum to be added like these so see them across many forums. See: Search Forums

 

[flametail]

The ones I do are just jpeg (basically over-laying symbols on a google earth image). I also link GPS coordinates using Google Earth. But I think the most important part is the write-up

Here's an example: Electric/Kahe Beach Dive Guide (Oahu West Shore)

could you use the gps coordinates for points along the dive to produce a kml? then you could import it into google earth/maps. That would allow you to reference the dive path off the satellite image

 

[Cthippo]

+1 for encouraging .kml/.kmz as a default format. GE is SUCH a powerful tool forndive planning.