TERPNAV PEDESTRIAN MAP LINK

Campus Map Pilot Project

TerpNav Pedestrian Interactive Map

The University is pleased to showcase and solicit feedback on the interactive campus mapping system, TerpNav, generously provided for our use as a pilot through the efforts of University of Maryland students. We invite your suggestions, and would like to continue the dialogue on future electronic services to better serve the University of Maryland community and campus. Please help us with data too! A change from the older paper-based maps means the biggest part of our task is not just software, but obtaining map data in a digital form. While much of the available data has been put into the system, the inventory is not complete so we encourage you to be a partner in this process as well. Send your comments to: vcmap@umd.edu, thanks!

TERPNAV PEDESTRIAN MAP LINK

TIPS FOR USING TERPNAV:

  • It's simple! To find the shortest pedestrian route between points, just click anywhere on the map to set your start and end points. The shortest route that is closest to your selected points will appear automatically. ...
  • ... OR you can set your end points to be specific campus venues (such as buildings or other, well known locations) by selecting those venues in one or both of the boxes in the START/END LOCATIONS menu. Click in the box and just start to type one of the names - known locations will appear as you type, and the list will become more specific the more you type. To select a building or location as an end point, just click on the name you want once you see it. (Be sure to click on the name you see to select it - that guarantees you will find what you want. Typing a building's full name yourself might or might not get you a match.)
  • You can modify any route by opening up the ROUTE FILTERS menu and clicking on your preferences. For example, the "No Stairs" preference will give you wheelchair accessible routes, including accessible entrances should your end point be a campus building. More options for route preferences are coming along, and we'd love to have your suggestions for them too.
  • To simply locate any campus venue on the map, select the venue from the FIND LOCATIONS pull-down menu, just like with the start/end locations above. Click your selection and the page will highlight the selected venue on the map.
  • You can easily reposition the map by "clicking and dragging". U se the controls in the upper left corner to zoom in or out of the map display. (Greater magnification will provide you with more details about buildings and routes, data that would make the map look cluttered if we tried to fit it all in on one grand page.)
  • TerpNav will automatically give you routes that avoid temporary campus disruptions such as construction. These are marked in red boxes on the map. If you prefer, then you can clear these - or click on the box and expand them or add your own - in order to customize your routes.
  • Location and routes to many campus events can be found by pulling down the EVENTS menu and using the same typing convention as searching for buildings. More events will be added all the time as we get this up to speed!
  • Compatibility: TerpNav works with the lastest releases of popular browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari, providing that you have enabled Java/Javascript. Some of TerpNav's map or route information may not render correctly on older releases of those browsers. In any event, we recommend keeping your browser current. The PDA-compatible TerpNav is expected later this fall, though Apple iPhone users will be happy to know that all map rendering will look great on your new devices.
ABOUT TERPNAV:
  • This prototype pedestrian map system is a joint venture between two groups of students. A team of Gemstone students called FASTR (Finding Alternative Specialized Travel Routes) designed and commissioned the construction of this map as part of their research project. FASTR then turned to Software Engineering at Maryland (SEAM), another student group. Run by the Computer Science Department, SEAM is a "software co-op" that pairs student teams from upper level software engineering classes with partners in industry or government.
  • On-going efforts in SEAM are actively looking at integration of this service with in-door information (room directions, detailed status of facilities and so on), a PDA-based service, and also 'data mash-ups' to allow users to drill-down into the map to retrieve reliable information from other sources (e.g. bus routes and actual bus location, shop hours of operation, schedule of classes, parking availability.) We'd love to have your suggestions on other data that is natural to hang on a map!