Planning Department

Help & Hints

This help file is divided into sections that describe what each frame of the Online Mapping Application web page does. We recommend you familiarize yourself with the interface before working with the maps. The On-line Mapping Application is easy to use, but it does take a little time to become familiar with it.

Help Pictorial

The Online Mapping Application has been tested to work with the following browsers, Netscape 4.5+ and Internet Explorer 4.0+. In addition, your browser must be able to load pages that contain JavaScript. To download a newer version of Netscape or Internet Explorer, click on one of the icons below.


Information Frame

The Information Frame has links to the Metro Home Page and the Planning Department Home Page. The frame also provides links to this help file and frequently asked questions. The hours of operation are listed and a link is provided to send comments and questions about the mapping site.

Map Frame

The Map Frame is where the map will be displayed. Any icons or buttons presses in the Toolbar Frame, Search Frame and the Layers Frame will affect the Map Frame display. Some icons and buttons when pressed will require a click or click and drag of the mouse in the Map Frame.

Legend Frame

The Legend Frame is where the visible layers symbology will be defined.

Toolbar Frame

Zoom In:To zoom in to an area of the map, click on the "Zoom In" icon. This icon can zoom in to a point on the map or to a box. To zoom in to a point, place the mouse cursor over the location on the Map Frame desired and click the mouse button. The display will be redrawn zoomed into that area. To zoom in to a box, place the mouse cursor over the desired location on the Map Frame, hold the left mouse button down and drag the mouse in any direction until the desired box is formed and release the mouse button. The display will zoom into the area designated by the box.
Zoom Out:To zoom in to an area of the map, click on the "Zoom Out" icon. This icon can zoom out from a point on the map or to a box. To zoom out from a point, place the mouse cursor over the location on the Map Frame desired and click the mouse button. The display will be redrawn zoomed out that area. To zoom out to a box, place the mouse cursor over the desired location on the Map Frame, hold the left mouse button down and drag the mouse in any direction until the desired box is formed and release the mouse button. The display will zoom out to the area designated by the box.
Zoom Full Extent:To zoom to the countywide extent, click on the "Zoom Full Extent" icon. The display will be redrawn zoomed to the countywide extent.
Zoom To Active Layer:To zoom to the active layer, click on the "Zoom to Active Layer" icon. The display will be redrawn zoomed to the extent of the active layer.
Zoom To Previous Extent:To zoom to the previous extent, click on the "Zoom to Previous Extent" icon. The display will be redrawn zoomed to the previous extent.
Pan:To pan around the map, click on the "Pan" icon. To Pan, place the mouse cursor over the desired area on the map frame, press down the left mouse button and move the mouse in the direction you wish to pan, then release the mouse button. The display will be redrawn moved to the new location.
North Arrow:To move the display area to the north, select the "North Arrow" icon. The display will automatically be redrawn shifted to the north.
South Arrow:To move the display area to the south, select the "South Arrow" icon. The display will automatically be redrawn shifted to the south.
West Arrow:To move the display area to the west, select the "West Arrow" icon. The display will automatically be redrawn shifted to the west.
East Arrow:To move the display area to the east, select the "East Arrow" icon. The display will automatically be redrawn shifted to the east.

Print Map:To print a copy of the map that is currently displayed in the Map Frame, click on the Print Map Icon. In the Text Frame, an input box will be displayed to enter a title for the map. After typing in a title for the map, click on the submit button. A new window will open with the map displayed. Use the browsers print function to print the map.

Layers Frame

The Layers Frame contains a list of the map layers that are available for viewing in the Map Frame. Certain layers are only available at certain view scales, because of the density of the features of that layer. The layers in the list are the layers that are currently available at the current view scale. As the Map zooms in or out, different layers will be listed.

Visible Check Box:The Visible Check Box is for making layers in the list visible or not visible in the Map Frame. When the box is checked, the layer will be visible and when the box is unchecked, it will not be visible. Certain layers are automatically visible when the application opens for the first time.

Active Radio Button:The Active Radio Button is for making layers in the list active in the Map Frame. When a layer is active, selections and other functions can be performed on that layer. Property is the active layer by default.

Search Frame
"Identify" Button: The "Identify" Button gives information about the active layer. To identify information about the active layer, place the mouse cursor over the desired location on the Map Frame and click the mouse button. In the Text Frame, a list will appear with information about the data at the location specified. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information.
"Search by Parcel ID" Button: This button will search the parcel database for a parcel with a specific parcel ID. To search by Parcel ID, press this button. In the Text Frame, a box will appear prompting for an parcel ID. Enter the parcel ID like this example: 10500003000. A parcel ID is a series of numbers representing the specific map and parcel number connected together. In the previous example, the 105000 represents the map number and 03000 represents the parcel number. Enter a parcel ID and press the submit button. A record for that parcel will appear in the Text Frame. The record will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel ID will be highlighted. Click on the parcel ID, and the Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Search by Owner" Button:This button will search the parcel database for owners matching the search criteria entered. To search by Owner Name, press this button. In the Text Frame, a box will appear prompting for an owner name. Enter the owner name in the following manner, last name, first name (Example: Smith, J). A first name need not be entered. If you are unsure how to spell a last name, you can simply enter the first few letters of the last name. A list of matching records will appear in Text Frame. The records will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel IDs will be highlighted. Choose the parcel ID associated with the owner of interest. The Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in a red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Search by Address" Button:This button will search the parcel database for a parcel with a specific street address. To search by street address, press this button. In the Text Frame, two boxes will appear prompting for a house number and street name. Enter the house number exactly; if the exact house number is not known this method cannot be used (Example: 632). Enter the street name leaving off any prefixes or suffixes (Example: Gallatin). If you are unsure how to spell a street name, you can simply enter the first few letters of the name. A list of matching records will appear in the Text Frame. The records will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel IDs will be highlighted. Choose the parcel ID associated with the address of interest. The Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Search by Street" Button:This button will search the parcel database for parcels on a street. To search by street, press this button. In the Text Frame, a box will appear prompting for a street name. Enter the street name leaving off any prefixes or suffixes (Example: Gallatin). If you are unsure how to spell a street name, you can simply enter the first few letters of the name. A list of matching records will appear in the Text Frame. The records will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel IDs will be highlighted. Choose the parcel ID of interest. The Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Custom Search" Button:This button will search the parcel database by Zoning, Landuse and Acreage. To perform a custom search, press this button. In the Text Frame, two list boxes will appear, one for Zoning and one for Landuse. Another list box will contain search criteria for acreage and an input box will appear for entering an acreage. Select the Zoning desired from the Zoning list box. To select multiple zonings in a row, press the shift key while selecting the Zonings. To select multiple zonings not in order, press the Crtl button while selecting the Zonings. To unselect a Zoning, press the Ctrl button while over the selected Zoning. The Landuse list works the same way as the Zoning list. The default acreage search criteria is equals. To select another type of search, select one from the list box. If you wish to search by acreage, enter an acreage in the input box. After you have selected the criteria you wish to search on, press the submit button. At least one search criteria must be entered for either zoning, landuse or acreage. A list of matching records will appear in the Text Frame. The records will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel IDs will be highlighted. Choose the parcel ID of interest. The Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Find Intersection" Button:This button will search for a street intersection. Press this button to search for a street intersection. In the Text Frame, two boxes will appear prompting for street names. A list box will appear with a list of available layers for finding intersections. This list will contain only one entry for Street Centerlines. Enter the street names leaving off any prefixes or suffixes (Example: Gallatin). Press the locate button. A list of matching records will appear in the Text Frame. If the intersection is located within the current extent of the Map Frame, the location will be marked with a red dot and the intersecting street names highlighted in yellow. In the Text Frame, the data in the # field will be highlighted in blue. If you would like to locate another intersection, press the Locz Click on the record that has the intersection you are interested in locating. The Map Display will zoom to the intersection selected. If you are interested in locating another intersection, press the Locate Another Intersection button in the Text Frame.
"Select by Rectangle" Button:This button selects features from the active layer by a box drawn on the Map Frame. To select features by a rectangle, first make the layer you wish to select from active in the Layers Frame. The Property Layer is active by default. Next, place the mouse cursor over the location on the Map Frame desired and click the left mouse button and drag the mouse until the desired box is drawn and release the mouse button. The Map Frame will zoom to the extend of the selected features and the features selected will be colored yellow. In the Text Frame, a list will appear with records from the selected features. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. If the active record is Property, a record for that parcel will appear in the Text Frame. The record will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel ID will be highlighted. Click on the parcel ID, and the Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Select by Polygon/Line" Button:This button selects features from the active layer by a polygon or line drawn on the Map Frame. To select features by a polygon or line, first make the layer you wish to select from active in the Layers Frame. The Property Layer is active by default. In the Text Frame a series of buttons will appear. The "Restart Button" will clear the selection if one already exists. A polygon and a line are a made of a series of points. The "Delete Last Point" Button, will allow you to delete a point if you made a mistake. The "Complete Line & Select" button will end the line segment and select the features touching the line. The "Complete Polygon & Select" button will complete the polygon and select the features touching the polygon. A polygon requires at least three points. To actually draw the line or polygon, place the mouse cursor over the location on the Map Frame desired and click the left mouse button. Wait until a point is draw on the map at that location and then select the next location. When you have finished marking the points for the polygon or line, press the "Complete & Select Line" or the "Complete & Select Polygon" button in the Text Frame. The Map Frame will zoom to the extent of the selected features and the features selected will be colored yellow. In the Text Frame, a list will appear with records from the selected features. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. If the active record is Property, a record for that parcel will appear in the Text Frame. The record will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel ID will be highlighted. Click on the parcel ID, and the Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.
"Clear Selection" Button:This button will clear the features selected by the Select by Rectangle or Select by Polygon/Line Buttons. The button will also clear measurement markers from the Measure Button. To clear the selection, press this button and the Map Frame will be redrawn with the selected features cleared.
"Measure" Button:This button allows for measuring of distances on the Map Frame. To measure a distance, press this button. At the top of the Map Frame, two text boxes will appear. The first text box will display the total distance measured, and the second text box will list the distance of the current segment. The current segment is the line between the last to point drawn and where mouse the mouse is currently located. To start measuring a distance, click the left mouse button on the Map Frame at the starting location for measurement. A point will be displayed at the location. Next, click the mouse on the next location. A point will be drawn at this location and the total will distance will appear in the total box. Continue this process until all desired points have been entered. To start over, press the Clear Selection button in the Search Frame and then press the Measure Button again. The text boxes will be reset.
"Set Units" Button:This button will change the display unit of measurement on the Map Frame. Changing the display units will also change the measuring units. To change the units of measurement, press this button. In the Text Frame, a list box will appear with the Map Units, this value cannot be changed. Another list box will appear with a choice of display units. Select the desired display units and press set units. The Map Frame will be redrawn with the scale bar showing the selected unit of measurement. All measurements made with the Measure button will also be shown in the selected units.

"Create Buffer" Button:This button will create a buffer around the selected features and select new features touching the buffer of a selected layer. Features must first be selected with the "Select by Rectangle" or "Select by Polygon/Line" button. To create a buffer, press this button. In the Text Frame, a list box will appear with a list of all of the layers to select from. Choose the layer you want the buffer to select features from. An input box appears after the list box for entering the distance of the buffer. Enter the distance of the desired buffer. A check box also appears to Display Attributes. Check this box if you want the attributes of the selected layer to display. Once you have selected a layer and entered a distance, press the Create Buffer Button. This process may take a long time depending on the criteria you have chosen. The Map Display will be redrawn zoomed to the extent of the features selected by the buffer. The selected features will be colored yellow. The buffer will be gray. If the Display Attributes option was selected. The records for the the selected features will display in the Text Frame. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. If the active record is Property, a record for that parcel will appear in the Text Frame. The record will contain the Parcel ID, Property Address, Owner Name, Acreage and Zoning. The parcel ID will be highlighted. Click on the parcel ID, and the Map Frame will zoom to the selected parcel and the parcel will be highlighted in red. In the Text Frame, the parcel information will be displayed. Data highlighted in blue, means that there is a link to more information or another web site that will provide more information. The Icon will open a new window with a printable parcel record. Use the print option of the browser to print the parcel record.

Text Frame

The Text Frame is where information about the selected features will display. Also when certain buttons are pressed, this frame changes allowing selections to be made.