Getting familiar with the tools in Metageo will help maximize the usability of the platform and data. When viewing the world model in the main window, you will find the Tools in the upper right, and to the lower right.
The Tools in the upper right begin with the Search Bar. To open the Search Bar, click on the magnifying glass icon, and the search field will appear. The Search Bar allows you to search for place names and addresses to quickly locate areas of interest.
Next you will find the View Home button. This button will return you to a complete view of the planet. This can help to re-orient your position to the globe when moving into a new area.
Next you will find the View button. This allows you to select the view of the world model that you prefer. 3D is the default view. By clicking this button more options will be available to you. Below 3D you can also select 2D or Columbus View. 2D will display the world as a standard, flat 2D Mercator projection. The Columbus View presents a 2D view with the ability to tilt the view to create the appearance of a map on a table. This allows you to see beyond the immediate location in front of you in any particular direction. By using the ‘middle-click + drag’ mouse function, or holding down the ‘control’ button on your keyboard, you can manipulate the viewing angle.
Next you will find the Imagery and Terrain button. By selecting this button, a long drop down menu will appear allowing you numerous map data sets to chose from. These will change the skin of your map and allow the appearance you prefer. Note this window maybe scrolled up and down. At the bottom, you can select between a flat terrain (WGS84), or a hilly, variable terrain with the vertical features of the planet (World Terrain).
Next you will find the button for navigation instructions (The question mark icon, ?). This button will display the instructions for navigation for both a desktop mouse, as well as for a laptop touchpad. These instructions will guide you through all that you need to know to fully explore the world model.
Just below the top row of buttons is the navigation wheel, which can also be used to navigate.
In the next row down, on the far right you will find the Edit Vectors button (see above). By selecting this button a drop down menu will appear with various tools for drawing vector objects on the world. Notice to the left a small window will appear allowing you to select which units you would like to work in for taking measurements. The first button is Draw Point, below this you will find Draw Line and Draw Polygon. These will allow you to create vector shapes on the world with the ability to adjust the appearance of each shape and save it to your project or folder. You can collapse and put away the vector tools by clicking the Vector Tools button again (pencil icon). Note that you will have to select a folder before you will be able to create a vector. When creating a vector, you will notice more buttons appear just below the vector tools. The first is Undo, this will allow you to go back one step in the creation of your vector, and you may click in succession to go back any number of steps to the start of the drawing process. Next is the delete button, which will clear your vector. Below this is the close button which will collapse these buttons and close the creation of your vector. Please note, that you must use the final button below, the Save button, if you want your vector to be saved, otherwise your vector will be deleted and not stored to the folder selected prior using the vector tools.
At the bottom-right of the screen you will find two additional buttons. The top bottom is the Expand button, which will open up a set of new buttons. The top of these is the 3D button. This will turn on Terrain Mode, which will create a 3D surface of the earth with variable terrain. This is the same feature as World Terrain found in Imagery and Terrain. Next is the Translucency button. This will make the world model disappear so that you data can displayed by itself. Next is the 3D Buildings button. This will turn on 3D models of many buildings through out the world. This is best displayed in Terrain Mode so that the elevations of the buildings are in agreement with the surface of the world. Next is the VR Mode button. This button, this is a special setting that will split the screen into two stereo views of the world and your data, so that you can see in 3D. This requires a special headset. You may click the Expand button (eye icon) to collapse and put away these buttons. Lastly, at the bottom you will see the Locate Me button. By clicking this button the location from your device will be used to send you to that location within the world model.
