iiab/roles/osm-vector-maps/README.md

What's Changed in Maps for the IIAB 7.2 Release?

1. Some variables have newer meanings:

   1. osm_vector_maps_install in /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml means install the map program (about 40MB).
   2. osm_vector_maps_enabled in /etc/iiab/local_vars.yml is once again standardized, solving #2484 install delays.
   3. osm_vector_maps_installed in /etc/iiab/iiab_state.yml means a functioning world map with 7 levels of zoom (z0-z6) has been installed — i.e. a preview of IIAB's mapping system that helps you select Maps Pack(s) and Satellite Photo Region(s) to download and install on your IIAB.

2. There's a new "Install IIAB Maps" page (http://box/osm-vector-maps/installer/, PR iiab/maps#29) separate from IIAB's Admin Console, to facilitate this selecting/downloading/installing of Map Pack(s) for your favorite continents — and then likewise for Hi-Res Satellite Photo Regions serving your local communities.

   1. The new Hi-Res Satellite Photo Regions are 'squares' with 4 more levels of satellite photo zoom (i.e. zoom levels 10-13) giving you 16X the resolution (i.e. 19 x 19 m pixels) and 256X more photographic information density.
   2. As compared to Lo-Res Satellite Photos i.e. zooms level 0-9 (305 x 305 m pixels) everywhere else on the planet.

3. Map Packs no longer bundle both data and program in a .zip file. All Map Packs are now a collection of 3 .mbtiles files. The main focus of a Map Pack remains Hi-Res Vector Map data from OpenStreetMap, for your selected "continent," but read more at: https://github.com/iiab/iiab/wiki/IIAB-Maps

4. Multiple Map Packs can be downloaded/installed (one "continent" at a time!)

5. Hi-Res Satellite Photos can be downloaded/installed for any 100 x 100 km, 300 x 300 km, or 1000 x 1000 km square region (around the map point that you click).

6. Hi-Res Satellite Photos: multiple regions can be downloaded/installed (one "square" region at a time, even if they overlap!)

7. Map Packs' OSM vector tile data (from 2017) was updated to data from September 2019.

8. The world view (planetwide OSM vector maps included with all Map Packs) increases zoom levels from 0-9 to 0-10 (1.8GB osm-planet_z0-z10_2019.mbtiles) so that city search is successful more of the time.

9. There is a new drag-and-drop feature that instantly displays map overlays — try to drag any relevant GeoJSON file onto the IIAB Maps (http://box/maps) shown in your browser! For example try this GeoJSON file, to explore gerrymandered US Congressional districts: https://eric.clst.org/assets/wiki/uploads/Stuff/gz_2010_us_500_11_20m.json

10. Separately: Students can right-click on the map to add points, descriptions and photos of local points of interest — and then save and restore them using their local browser! [CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST TEACHER TIPS AND/OR STUDENT HINTS AS TO HOW THIS WORKS?]

Please also see our IIAB Maps doc: https://github.com/iiab/iiab/wiki/IIAB-Maps