Hopefully you've had a chance to take a look at the introduction to GIS Concepts section where we discussed layers.

Because there are often many layers available for a map, map layers are organized into related folders. When you initially open the map, some folders may be open and some may be closed. Likewise, some layers may be turned on while others may be turned off by default.

To open a closed folder, click on it. A list of all layers contained within the folder will be shown. Similarly, you can click on an open folder to close it. Notice that opening and closing folders doesn't turn layers on or off; it simply helps you stay organized. Next to the folder icon you will see a small colored rectangle and a small grey and white rectangle. To display all available layers in a folder, click the small colored rectangle. Clicking on the grey and white rectangle turns off all layers in the folder. It doesn't matter if a folder is open or closed when you do this.

You can turn an individual layer on or off by clicking on the adjacent checkbox. A layer is 'on' (displayed on the map) when there is a check in its checkbox. Some layers are only available at certain scales. Layers that are available at the current scale will be shown with a light blue identify icon next to the layer name, while layers that are unavailable at a given scale are shown with a grey identify icon next to the layer name. Clicking the red asterisk next to the name of an unavailable layer zooms you to the closest scale at which the layer is available.

A layer is made 'Active' by clicking on the icon adjacent to a layer name. A dark blue icon denotes the active layer, and its name is displayed in the area below the map window. You can only have one active layer.

What the heck does this mean? It means that the spotlight is on this layer. In other words, this is our way of telling the computer that this is the layer in which we are interested. How is this relevant, you ask?

Wow, you ask a lot of questions. Read on.

The introduction to GIS Concepts section discussed layers and how features have attributes in a GIS.

Suppose you are interested in the elevation of a particular location into which you have zoomed. First, you ensure that the layer with elevation attributes is the active layer (see the above lesson to do this). In this case, the 'Contours' layer is made active.

The Identify tool allows you to get attribute information about a feature by clicking on it. You select the Identify tool to click on the feature whose attributes you want to examine.

The attributes for that feature are displayed in a new window. If the window does not appear, make sure that the feature you are clicking on is part of the layer that is active.

Display or Remove a Legend Associated layer legends are displayed in the map layer list.

By default the Show Legend option is active, and a legend is automatically displayed for all layers that are available and visible at a particular scale. To hide a single legend, click the Hide Legend icon . To hide all of the legends uncheck the Show Legend option (found at the bottom of the layer list).

Please note that even if you have all of the legends turned off, the legend will display automatically in any PDF maps that you generate.

When you print a map, the legend is automatically added to the map.

A Key Map gives the main map context by showing where the map fits into the broader scheme of things. For instance, if we were making a map of the Burundi, it would probably be worthwhile to include a Key Map showing where in Africa Burundi is situated.

A Key Map may also cover the same area as the map itself when it first opens. In our example we are looking at a Key Map, which accompanies a map of British Columbia. The red rectangle reflects the current extent of the map viewer. As you zoom in and out, the Key Map can be a useful tool, as it helps you to stay oriented.

You can display the Key Map by pressing the Key Map tab on the function menu. Choose another map function, and it's gone. Isn't technology marvellous?

Bookmarks are simply preset map locations, which will zoom you to a location but not alter layer display. By clicking the Bookmarks tab on the function bar, available bookmarks display in the information panel.

You can create your own Personal Bookmarks if your browser accepts cookies. To add a Personal Bookmark for a particular location click Add Current Extent. You will then be asked to type a name for the new bookmark. Your extent will be stored for a year under whatever name you choose. Click on your personal bookmark at a later date, and the map will jump to that location.

To remove a bookmark, click the red beside the bookmark name.

So you want to print a map, eh?

Choose Create PDF from the tab at the top of the map to create a map as a PDF document, which you can print or save.

The first step in creating your PDF is to specify your map title when prompted in the information panel. Next, select your paper size from the drop down menu. Choose 8.5" x 11" unless you have a larger format printer. Next, select the quality of print for your map. The higher the quality, the larger the file which will take longer to load.

The next step is to set the scale at which you would like your map to be printed. If you select nothing, the map will print at the current scale that is seen in the viewer. To set a scale for printing, you can either choose a scale from the list, or you can set your own scale by entering it in the text box.

Finally, you can add some notes to the map to be printed. Once you have finished setting up your map for printing, click the Generate Map button. Depending on the nature of your request, it can take anywhere from 10 seconds to a minute or two to generate your map. As well, because the PDF's may be large (around 2MB) it may take additional time to download to your machine depending on the speed of your Internet connection.

Because Geocortex prints maps to Adobe PDF format you must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

If you have been following the tutorial, congratulations. You have finished the really important section. Pretty painless, wasn't it?

At this point you can go look at a map and use what you just learned or you can continue on with the next section of the tutorial. This optional section will guide you through tasks like measuring distances, finding particular records, and conducting some simple queries.