Adding Historical Maps to the Timeline-Map Plugin using WMS Overlays

The Timeline-Map plugin allows you to create an interactive map and timeline from your collection item set and added items. If you would like this plugin, let us know, and we will set it up for you. When you get access to your Omeka S site, you will find this feature in the pages section.

Navigate to the Timeline-Map Page

1. Login to Omeka to access the dashboard.
   

2. Locate and select your individual site from the Manage Sites list.
   

3. Select Pages along the left-hand menu
   

4. You can include maps and historical map overlays on any page in Omeka S. For this guide, though, select the Timeline & Map from the listed pages.
   

Adding a Historical Map Overlay
 

From the Timeline & Map page, you can edit a number of settings and add new content blocks along the righthand side. For the purposes of this guide, we’ll look specifically at how to add a historical map overlay to the Timeline-Map.

1. Identify the Map by query content block already set up. This is the block that controls the timeline and map.

   

2. Select WMS Overlay within the Map by query box to open overlay settings and add a historical map overlay.

   

3. Give your overlay a Label that will help you identify it.

   

4. Copy and paste the WMS Capabilities URL you got from the Map Warper database (see page 5) in the Base URL field.

   

5. Select Add overlay.
   

6. When the new overlay appears as a WMS Overlay option, select the check box next to it in order to make it the default overlay.
   

7. It you need to change anything about this overlay, you can select the pencil to edit the overlay information, the trashcan to delete the overlay, and repeat the process to add label, base URL, and select Add Overlay to add another overlay.
    

8. Click Save at the top of the page to save your changes.
   

9. Select View in order to make sure the map looks the way you expect it to.
   

10. Go through the timeline to make sure the map looks correct. Due to differences between the map content, projection, and control point quality, it is common that not all locations between historical map and underlying GIS will line up exactly. You want to make sure that it works for your purposes, though.

    

As you go through the timeline, consider if the map is zooming in too far or not far enough; the size and content of the map might change how far you want the map to zoom in as you progress through the timeline. You can change zoom minimum and maximum by going back to the Timeline & Map page and selecting Default View right above the WMS Overlay section.