GOM - the Global Overlay Mapping System

The Scale Bar

Included with every map is an individualised Scale Bar, which shows distances of Miles and Kilometres, in two axes. To turn on and off the Scale Bar, click on the small 'Scale' button, located to the right of the upper tool bar. When first operated, it will appear in the top left-hand corner of each map. If you click the 'Scale' button, but can't see the Scale-Bar, scroll the map back to the top left-hand corner using the scroll bars or your mouse wheel.

The Scale-Bar can be dragged to any convenient position on the screen. To do this, turn it on as before, place your cursor over the Scale Bar, click-and-hold the left mouse button, then by moving the mouse, the Scale Bar will follow. Release the left mouse button to 'drop' the Scale Bar in the current position. If you turn the scale bar off, then on again, it will stay in the last position that you dragged it to. The position reverts to its default top left-hand corner one when a new map is loaded.

The Scale-Bar is only dragable when it is the current top layer. In other words, if you turn it on, then turn on another overlay, you will not be able to drag the Scale-Bar about, as the new overlay takes precendence in the stacking order. To regain control of the Scale-Bar, simply turn it off then on again.

If you have read the Map Projections page of this Help & Information Guide, you will know that with the Equidistant Cylindrical projection used for the main maps, distortion increases away from the Equator, and is extreme in polar regions. It is thus true to say that the scale bar should only be used as a guide, and that its accuracy will vary over each map.

NB: The Scale Bar drag-feature is currently not compatible with the 'Mozilla' browser. You can turn the Scale Bar on and off, but you will not be able to move it from the default position. If you are a user of this browser, please email me, and I will contact you when this issue has been resolved.