Mapping the Mainline - Publication User Guide (Draft)

This user guide is intended to provide the user with some general guidance for viewing the publication data in TimeMap. However, this is not intended to suggest that the user should not take advantage of the full range of tools available in TimeMap beyond those that are mentioned below.

Viewing Layers in TimeMap

Each of the four layers in the Continental US Protestant Religion Data 1970-1990 Mapspace is shaded with solid fill patterns. The map that is drawn is generated from the first layer in the list of layers that is checked, or activated. Subsequent layers in the list are 'hidden' from view or load in the map 'beneath' the first layer because all of the layers contain data for the same geographic area, the United States.

In order to view a specific layer, the user can either hide the layers that they do not wish to view or change the layer drawing.

How to Hide Layers

Hiding a layer simply means that though it's description and legend are visible in the table of contents, the data is not displayed on the map. Therefore, if you wish to map a layer shown in the table of contents that is listed below other layers, you can simply hide the layers that are listed above the layer that you wish to view.

In order to hide layers, you simply uncheck (click) the check box located to the right of the layer. Repeat this procedure for every layer in the table of contents that is above the layer that you wish to map. You can make a hidden layer visible simply by clicking the check box again.

How to Change the Layer Drawing Order

1). Move your cursor over the layer in the table of contents that should be displayed on top of the other layers.


2) Click and hold down your left mouse button and drag the layer to the top of the table of contents.

3) The map will redraw to show the layer that is at the top of the table of contents.

Viewing Temporally Enabled Layers in TimeMap

Three of the four map layers in the Continental US Protestant Religion Data 1970-1990 Mapspace contain data for both 1970 and 1990. These layers are "100 Counties With Largest Proportions of Mainline Protestants," Largest Mainline Protestant Denominations," and "Mainline Protestants as a Proportion of Total Population." The fourth layer, "Proportional Change of Mainline Protestants," contains data only for 1990.

In order to take advantage of the time visualization tools in TimeMap for the three layers containing multiple years of data, you need to do the following.

1). Using the procedures described above, either change the drawing order of the layers or hide the layers above the layer that you wish to map in order to make the layer that you wish to see visible.

2). By default, for layers containing both 1970 and 1990 data, the map will show the data for 1990. An example below is shown for the Largest Mainline Protestant Denominations layer.

In order to view the 1970 data, click and drag the arrow located on the right side of the time slider bar so that the right side of the green bar, which represents the time period shown, is located prior to 1990. In the example shown below, all data before 1984, which in this case means 1970 data since that is what is available in the dataset, will be shown.