Adding Maps and Locations to Services
You add maps to your system by specifying the GPS coordinates of the top-left and bottom-right corners of the map. When end-users open a map, it is opened in their device's native map app: Google Maps for Android devices and Apple or Google Maps for iOS (both are supported).
After adding maps, you can identify locations on the maps to be visible to relevant end-users. For example, you can publish the location of the graduate studies department for graduate students or the registration location for all students. You group locations by categories (libraries, residences, parking lots, and so forth). Locations are also used for other purposes, such as positioning iBeacons (for more information, contact Ex Libris customer support); these locations are usually set to not appear on the map.
End-users view locations on maps by selecting the location category and then, optionally, the location. The app displays the relevant map with all locations of the selected category, or the selected location highlighted. You can define specific actions that the end-user can perform on the map at the location, such as viewing library hours or a count of empty parking spaces.
Maps on end-user devices are relevant to the end user's current location. End-users can also select a default map.
For more information, watch Maps and Locations. (4:43 min)
When end-users select a location in apps built upon the React Native platform, three tabs become available:
- About – Shows the location marked on the map, with either the name of the location displayed in the tab, or, if the Note field of the location contains text, that text is displayed
- Actions – Provides links to actions that are defined for the location (see Adding Actions to Map Locations, below)
- Around Here – Shows the location, and all other marked locations, in the map
Adding Maps
You add a map on the Campus maps page (App Settings > Maps/Locations > Campus Maps). This page presents a list of your maps; for information about working with lists, see Working with Lists. You can reorder the entries on this page using the up and down arrows. (The order in which the maps appear in the list has no effect unless multiple maps that use image files (see Show Map Image / Image below) cover the same region. In this case, the highest map in the list is displayed.)
For each map, configure:
- Description - The name of the map, as it appears in various other places in the App Manager.
- Show Map Image / Image - This functionality is not supported on the React Native platform.
In the legacy platform, you can use this option to upload an image file containing a map. When an end-user selects a location in the app, if the region represented by the uploaded map (defined by its GPS coordinates – see below) overlaps the part of the device's native map that is currently displayed, the image file is superimposed on the native map in that region.
In order for a map image to be used for this purpose, it should meet the following requirements:
- The map must be oriented north.
- The map must have a fixed scale, so that it can be overlaid onto the native map in the region defined by the GPS coordinates.
- The map must be smaller than 1 MB.
- It is recommended that the length of the longer side be no larger than 1500 pixels.
One way to create such a map is to capture a screen from a device's native map app and then mark-up the image to identify locations of interest.
To create a map that uses a map file as an overlay, after the map file has been uploaded (see Uploading Files), select the Show Map Image checkbox, and then, under Image, select the map file.
Example of a Map with an Overlay - Last Updated - Optionally configure a date and time for the map. If the date/time you configure is more recent than the date/time of the map on the end-user's device, the app downloads the newer map.
If you update the location categories and/or locations associated with the map, you must manually publish the map.
- Sort order - The order in which this map appears in a list of maps in the app.
- GPS top left / bottom right - latitude / longitude - You must identify the top-left and bottom-right coordinates in order to enable interaction between the map image and the native map app. You can find the coordinates in Google Maps, for example, by selecting on the corners of the area. If you require assistance with this, contact Ex Libris customer support.
- Profile owner - Optionally select a profile. When selected, only users associated with this profile can manage this map.
- Roles - Associate the map with the required app roles. For more information, see Customizing End-User Access to Services.
Adding Map Locations
After adding maps, you add locations on the maps that are relevant to various types of end-users. To add locations, you first add location categories, then you add the locations, and then any specific activities that you can do at these locations.
Adding Map Location Categories
You most likely have configured or will configure location categories together with Ex Libris during installation.
However, you can continue to manage location categories on the Location categories page (App Settings > Maps/Locations > Location Categories). This page presents a list of your categories; for information about working with lists, see Working with Lists. You can reorder the entries on this page using the up and down arrows.
For each location category, configure:
- Description - The name of the category as it appears in the dropdown list when configuring locations and in the app when the end-user is looking for certain types of locations.
- Image icon - An image to identify all locations of this category on the map within the app. Select an image you previously uploaded to the Asset Manager; see Uploading Files.
Locations on the Map in the App - Sort order - The order that the categories are presented in the app.
- Profile owner - Optionally select a profile. When selected, only users associated with this profile can manage map locations associated with this category.
- Roles - Associate the map with the required app roles. For more information, see Customizing End-User Access to Services.
Adding Map Locations
You manage locations in the Positions page (App Settings > Maps/Locations > Positions). This page presents a list of your locations. For information about working with lists, see Working with Lists. You can filter the list by searching the list or by selecting a location category and/or an associated map on the right.
For more information, watch How to Add a Position to a Campus Map.
For each location, configure:
- Description - The name of the location. In React Native apps, this name is displayed in the About tab if the Note field is empty.
- Show on Positions Map - Whether the location appears on the map.
- Sticky Location - For the React Native platform: Select Yes to include this location in all location categories, as well as upon initial entry to the map when no category has been chosen. These locations serve as markers of important landmarks within the institution. This option has no effect in non-React Native app versions. See also Feature Focus – Maps.
- Customer Location Reference - This is a code used by your institution's backend server if any. This code enables your backend server to map locations to campusM locations. Contact Ex Libris customer support for assistance.
- Sort order - The order that the locations are presented in the App Manager and the app.
- Last updated - Optionally configure a date for the location. If the date you configure is more recent than the date for the location on the end-user's device, the app downloads the newer location when you publish the app or when the app downloads the map to which this location is associated.
- Image - An image for this location to display when the end-user selects the map to view details about the location. Select an image you previously uploaded to the Asset Manager; see Uploading Files.
Typically this is a picture of the building, event, or similar. The image should be approximately rectangular in shape, 200-400 pixels wide and 200-400 pixels high. It is recommended that the image be 50 KB or less, so as to not be too large for downloading to mobile devices over 3G.
- Latitude / Longitude - GPS coordinates for the map.
- Altitude - Include this information if it is useful.
- House no / Flat / House name / Street name / District / Town / County / Post code - Address information.
- Note - Text that is displayed to the end-user when they view details about the location. In React Native apps, this text is displayed in the About tab if it is filled in.
- Comments - Internal note that is not shown to the end-user.
- Categories - Select categories for the location one-by-one (see the on-screen text for instruction).
- Maps - Select maps for the location one-by-one (see the on-screen text for instruction). Each map you select must include the coordinates of the location within its map area.
Adding Actions to Map Locations
A location action enables the end-user to select a map location and open a campusM URL, which presents some other service in the app. For example, the end-user selects a library on a map and views opening hours for that library.
Location actions only work in native apps; they do not work when accessing the app in a web browser.
For more information, see How to Add Position Actions.
In React Native apps, a location's actions appear in the Actions tab, with optional icons identifying them (see Icon, below).
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Actions in the Actions Tab in a React Native App
You manage location actions from the Position actions page (App Settings > Maps/Locations > Position Actions). This page presents a list of the position actions defined in your system and their associated locations; for information about working with lists, see Working with Lists.
For each location action, configure:
- Position - The associated location.
- Description - The name of this action as it should appear in the list of available actions that opens in the app when the end-user selects a location.
- Image - An image to display for this action in the list of available actions that opens in the app when the end-user selects a location. Select an image you previously uploaded to the Asset Manager; see Uploading Files.
- Location reference - Enter the code used by your institution's backend server to identify this location, if one is required. This code enables your backend server to map locations to campusM locations. Contact Ex Libris customer support for assistance.
- Url - The URL to open when the end-user selects this action. See Working with App URLs.
- Icon - For the React Native platform: Select an icon to display beside the action's description in order to identify the type of action (e.g., Phone Icon
, Website Icon 
; see illustration above). This option has no effect in non-React Native app versions. See also Feature Focus – Maps. - Roles - Select the app roles for which the action should be made available. For more information, see Customizing End-User Access to Services.
Bulk Upload of Maps, Categories, and Positions
You can upload maps, categories, and positions in bulk using an Excel file.
For more information, see How to Add Position Actions.
To upload maps, categories, and positions in bulk:
- Download an Excel file with your current Maps, Categorizes, and Positions by selecting Export from the Import/Export Positions page (App Settings > Maps/Locations > Import/Export Positions). (If you do not have any data yet, this file can be used as a blank template with the columns ready-made.)
Bulk Upload of Maps, Categories, and Positions - For each tab of the Excel file (Maps, Categories, Positions) edit or add information according to the fields described above.
- campusM adds a Code column to your data for internal purposes that cannot be changed.
- Deleting data is not possible with the bulk upload feature.
- Select Choose File and select the Excel file with your data. Select Submit to load it into campusM.
Your maps, categories, and position data is available in campusM.
Adding Maps and/or Locations to the App
To add a map or map location in the app, add a redirect from a service (basic, static content, or banner) to the map or location URL. See Configuring Services and Working with Static Content and the Content Menu. See Working with App URLs.