How do I help with SABRE Maps?

Talk about items you find on SABRE Maps - interesting features, historic road layouts etc. Also contains announcements of new maps available on SABRE Maps.

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Steven
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How do I help with SABRE Maps?

Post by Steven »

SABRE Maps is always looking for volunteers to help with the project. And most tasks that we need help with are really quite simple, for example, one is as simple as being able to type six numbers and click on an image of a map.

The items we're primarily looking for help with include:
* Georeferencing (or calibrating) maps so that they can be used on SABRE Maps - literally clicking on a mp
* People with map collections who are willing to scan their maps, or have their maps scanned for them
* People with some Photoshop (or similar) skills, who can remove the "joins" from old maps that were mounted in sections
* People with software development skills who can help improve the "look" of Maps, as well as potential new features


There are also a number of pages on the Roaders' Digest: The SABRE Wiki to help people see what's on Maps, and how they can help.

If you're available to help, and wish to volunteer your services for anything, then either PM me, or post on the Discover board. All help that you need to be successful will be provided, so don't think that the documentation is all you will have to go on.

Providing new maps
If you see a map on here that you own, but we don't have, please volunteer to scan it, or allow us to scan it for you. To see articles covering each type of map that we're primarily currently focussing on, then please see Map Coverage Projects. You can successfully scan maps on a standard domestic A4 printer with a scanner on the top; though obviously A3 business-oriented scanners are better.

Georeferencing maps
Georeferencing is the process of ensuring that points on a flat map scan are each related to a particular location. For this purpose, we have a number of custom-built programs, all of which are designed to be as simple as possible to use; and they involve typing in six numbers and then clicking on the appropriate places on the map scan image.

The simplest types of maps for this purpose are OSGB National Grid and Irish Grid maps, which have pretty much all the information needed printed on them - the Grid Reference of the top left corner, the Grid Reference of the bottom right corner, and how far apart the thick gridlines are. If you're not sure on the last point, then just ask!

The full details can be found at this location, along with a whole collection of extended information on the subject of map projections.

Dealing with dissected maps
If you have PhotoShop (or similar) skills, please shout up! Many maps from before World War 2 were sold in a "dissected" format - in other words, the maps themselves were cut into several sections, and then mounted upon a cloth backing, like this example. This means that the map folds were protected, so dissected maps are usually in better condition than folded ones. However, for our purposes, the backing gets completely in the way and the map then can't be georeferenced properly. Hence, we need someone with photo editing skills to be able to put the original map sections back together again electronically for us to use.


Other items you might help with
* Adding a map outlines the full processes needed to get a map to appear on SABRE Maps, but some of them are more complex and less suitable for beginners.
* We need help with creating the annotation files - the notes that appear on SABRE Maps to tell visitors exactly which sheet they're looking at. These are relatively simple text files and so just need Notepad (or similar) to be able to help with
* We also need help with creating SABRE Maps Sheetfinder data for being able to find individual map sheets. These are again text-based JSON files, and are relatively simple to create if somewhat time-consuming.
Steven
Motorway Historian

Founder Member, SABRE ex-Presidents' Corner

Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
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From the SABRE Wiki: SABRE Maps/Coverage projects :

SABRE Maps keeps track of the maps contained upon it as well as the pipelines of maps not yet released within what we call Coverage Projects.

Within them is kept specific information around the map types, such as how they can be dated, as well as tables showing the current coverage of that map type.

Each Coverage Project contains information about the map series contained within; information regarding the projection(s) used; how to date any maps in that series; and a large table

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DanT97
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Re: How do I help with SABRE Maps?

Post by DanT97 »

I can’t believe I’m the first person to reply to this!
T97 - Glencoe to Connell

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frediculous_biggs
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Re: How do I help with SABRE Maps?

Post by frediculous_biggs »

DanT97 wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 21:44 I can’t believe I’m the first person to reply to this!
If you're interested in helping, especially regarding georeferencing maps, keep your eyes peeled on the forum in the coming weeks for news.
Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
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