Maps in World Anvil Codex | World Anvil

Maps

Restructuring the Codex

We are currently moving articles around and changing the general structure of the Codex. Please come back later if you get lost!
Written by TJ Trewin
This page is outdated! Click to read the updated guide to Maps.
  This guide describes and explains all the features available with the maps. There are many ways this feature can be used.

Interactive Map Example

Map Features Showcase
 

How to upload a map

Select the world you want to work on and then click the map icon on the left panel, or from "Go to world..." > Maps. This will take you to the maps list of your world! You will be able to edit your maps here, not in the images section.   https://www.worldanvil.com/world/map/list   To add a map, click the Create Map button. You will need to upload an image of your map and fill in some basic information like a title.   Can't upload? Your image might be too big. Check what size image you can upload based on your guild membership here.  

How to add and edit pins on a map

Once you have uploaded a map, drag the example pin into the location you would like the pin to be, or input the longitude and latitude in the boxes below. You can adjust these later if it's not quite in the right place.   Select what type of pin, label or other you would like to add to the map and fill in any extra details. If you link it to an article, the contents of the article will appear on the map when you click the pin. You can also write a description instead.  

Visual example of all of the map pins

Map Pins Showcase
 

How to add map layers

To add a layer to a map, edit the map and click the Layers tab. Upload the layer image and that's it! It might be a good idea to make sure that the image is the same size if you are showing a comparison between the same image. Check the sidebar of this guide for ideas on alternative uses!   The layers will appear in the very top right of your map view, where you can switch between the layers.  

How to embed a map

Edit a map, and find the BBCode beneath the View Map button, it should look something like this:
[map:d359e84b-f549-4fd4-8999-a8566e491c41]   Copy & paste it anywhere in your article to insert the fully interactive map!   You can also specify the zoom level and coordinates of the embed —do so with the syntax [map:ID|X coordinate|Y coordinate|zoom]. For example: [noparse][map:d359e84b-f549-4fd4-8999-a8566e491c41|726|255].   To quickly center the embed on a specific marker, click on the button next to its coordinates on the marker list, as shown in this screenshot:  

 

Embedding maps with specific centerpoint and zoom level

In addition to the above you can also define for each embed the centerpoint of your map in order to do this you need to use the | character to separate the ID of your map with the X, Y and Zoom parameters
for example
[map:d359e84b-f549-4fd4-8999-a8566e491c41|300|200|2]   Note: You will not be able to embed a map within another map's description legend or the description of its markers. You can always link to the map though.  

How to use direct linking pins

When creating or editing a pin, marker or label you can make it so that it directly links to something - rather than having a pop up message.   Under the Functionality tab, check the Direct Link box and then choose a related map, location or organization.  

Guild-only features

 
 

How to use CSS on map features

The map can be further changed with CSS. Check out the Map CSS Guide   Click the examples on the map for the code to copy!
These are a work in progress, want to contribute? Contact TJ or Ademal !
Map CSS Examples
 

Pin CSS

Edit a pin.
Add a CSS class to the pin e.g.
mypin-redbg
make sure to leave out the .
In your world CSS (configuration page) add your custom css to affect that pin, e.g.
.mypin-redbg {
background-color: #b51c1c;
}
 
 

How to add a map line

Click the line tab and make use of the same features as the polygon tool to draw lines on your map. Again, if you check the helper box, you can drag the initial pin into place on your map and draw out your line by clicking, dragging and releasing for each point of the path.   You can also set the line thickness, and if it is dashed. To set a line as dashed, find the "line dash array" field and type in a number between 0 and 100, which will ditacte the number of pixels between each dash of the line.   The line tool can be used to show trade routes, roads, rivers, constellations in the night sky, borders, military tactics and pretty much anything you can think of!  
 

How to use marker groups

Marker groups allow you to toggle pins, labels and shapes on and off. It displays in the same place as the layers, in the top right of the map.   To add a marker group, select the tab when editing a map. Create a group, and then add your pins to it (edit the pin and select the group to put it in).   This means that you can assign specific pins, markers or labels to only display on a certain layer (if the layer is added to the same group). When you toggle the layer, the correct pins will show for that layer!   You can also set a marker group to be visible on load. This means that all items in this group will be visible when you load the map.  
 

How to add a polygon or circle

To add a polygon to the map, use the default example pin to move to the first point of your polygon shape. Note down the longitude and latitude in the box, separated by a comma. Before saving, move the pin again to get the coordinates for the next point of your shape and add this to the details.   Coordinates should be separated with commas, and points should be separated by spaces. Here is an example used on the showcase map:
polygonpoints
  If you check the helper box, you can drag the initial pin into place on your map and draw out your shape by clicking, dragging and releasing for each point of the polygon.  
 

How to add a custom pin

To add your own custom pin to the map, you will first need to upload your pin image (and a separate image for it's shadow, if you wish) to your image gallery. This must be on a world that you own, not a co-author's world.   Next, go to STUDIO on the top menu of World Anvil, and select your pin image. Create a memorable name for it, fill in the details and then you will be able to add your pin to a map!   Important note: currently, using a custom pin in a world that you don't own (but you can edit as an Editor) might cause issues with your whole map. We suggest you leave custom pins for the world owner.  

Adding HTML pins

You can completely customize your pins with HTML. Click on the Add special HTML Marker option under the choose your ping type drop-down and type your HTML code in the box that will appear.  
  Its contents will be wrapped in a 51x51 px area which can be styled with CSS. For example, the following HTML code will generate a tree icon from FontAwesome:
<i class="fas fa-tree"></i>
While this code a sword icon from RPG-Awesome:
<i class="ra ra-sword"></i>
  You can also style the icons with inline CSS with 'style'. For example, if we want to make the tree icon from FontAwesome green:
<i class="fas fa-tree" style="color:green"></i>
  Check out the list of FontAwesome icons and the list of RPG-Awesome icons.   Here's an example of the HTML pins in use.

Map of Nonogawa by Amy Winters-Voss

 

Feature Access

  If you're thinking of becoming a guild member and want more information on what other cool features are available, check here!  
Available to all Journeyman Master Grandmaster+
Max 3.5MB upload for Maps   2 Map Layers   Standard Pins Set   Generic Pins Set   Inject yours maps into any Article BBCode   Set Initial Zoom Level & Location   Set Max/Min Zoom   Direct Link Pins   Max 25MB upload for Maps   Unlimited Map Layers   All free features, PLUS:   Fantasy Pins Set   Science Fiction Pins Set   Geography Pins Set   Map CSS Styling Access Max 25MB upload for Maps   Unlimited Map Layers   All Journeyman features PLUS:   Marker Groups   Map Labels   Map Compass Image   Invisible Marker Max 25MB upload for Maps   Unlimited Map Layers   All Master features PLUS:   Circular Markers   Polygon Markers   Creator's Studio: Pin Designer
Click here for the advanced video tutorial    

Navigation

 

FAQ

I need more storage space for my maps!
Free accounts have a 100 MB storage capacity and a 3.5 MB upload limit. If it's not enough, you can either upgrade to Guild membership (up to 5 GB of storage and 25 MB of upload limit) or use compression tools to make your maps smaller.
 
How big can a map be?!
Apart from the size limitations imposed you should always consider that World Anvil is relying on your browser to render your maps. Browsers are not able to render massive files, both the actual pixel size and file size of your map can contribute to how your browser will render and perform. It is suggested that your maps should not be over 10000 px wide or long in any case and generally, for good performance about the 6000px mark.
 
How can I delete a map?
Go to the Map Settings > Other Actions tab and press the big red delete button. Be careful, once it's gone, it's gone!
 

Tips & Tricks

  You can embed maps pretty much anywhere! Try it in your world introduction (under world configuration), in an article or even in the sidebar (such as the example here).  
Leyfen by Caeora
 

Alternative Uses

Here are some great ideas from our Discord community for interesting ways you can use the maps feature!
  • Treasure maps (using layers)
  • Labelling the anatomy of a species
  • Showing the x-ray or heatmap of something (with layers)
  • Creating a custom, interactive timeline or tree
  • Floors of a building (using layers)
  • Creating an interactive adventure (using direct links)
  • Showing the change of a landscape after an event (using layers)
  • Showing how a person has aged (using layers)
  • Describing an item or vehicle with labels
  • Sharing secret locations with your subscriber groups
  • Showing the scene of a battle

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!
May 31, 2019 01:57 by Julien Meyer

Is there any way to change the center point of a map when embedded in a page? For example, is it possible to have the map automatically center on a settlement when that map is embedded in that settlement's page?

Nov 2, 2019 16:16

+! can we do this?

Dec 11, 2019 14:11 by R.C. Christeson

I was just looking for a way to do this and that would be a nice feature to have added.

Feb 20, 2020 11:41 by Dimitris Havlidis

You can do it now :) You can get the bbcode from the list of pins but the format is This article will be updated to show this and I will be putting a blog post up about it as well :)

World Anvil Founder & Chief Grease Monkey
Twitter | World Anvil Changelog
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” - Aesop

Sep 20, 2020 13:13 by Ivan Jiron-Beirute

yeiii!

Aug 5, 2019 20:55

I'm really interested in the custom label for my maps, but I can't seem to get the CSS code for those to work. Any tips or help on these?

Co-creator of the fantasy worlds Isekai & Seireitei
Co-creator of the TTRPG System Storybook
Dec 2, 2019 16:12 by Jonathan Sulc

I was looking for the same information as well and finally figured it out: the code given here on the custom label popup needs to be added to your world CSS (under Configuration > Styling). To set the label to your custom style, when editing the label, click on "Show advanced options" near the bottom, scroll down to "Unique CSS class" and enter the name of the CSS class created. In the example given here, this would be "custom-label" (not ".custom-label", and without the quotes).

Aug 17, 2019 21:53 by Horatio Hornblower

I understand that without Guild Membership, all my maps are also visible on the main page, it's fine that way. However, is it possible for those maps not to start with Map? I mean I give the title to the map so that it is displayed there, but then the system seems to add Map to the start of the title for some unknown reason. Is there a way to get rid of that functionality?

Aug 21, 2019 10:15

how do I delete a map that I don't want anymore?

Aug 22, 2019 05:54

Edit the map, go to Map Settings, Other Actions, Hit de button.

Aug 25, 2019 14:19

thank you

Apr 18, 2020 22:34

Thanks!

Mar 2, 2021 18:44

THANK YOU!

Aug 31, 2019 16:13 by Kevin Seachrist

I have my campaign set to private, but my invited PC's can see any articles marked as public. However, while they can see the first map I've created as a thumbnail under "Maps" they cannot click on it and get to the map, even though it's public. I can embed the map into an article, but then the view is much more constrained than I'd like, and the pins have weird translucent boxes around them.

Aug 31, 2019 16:13 by Kevin Seachrist

Meant to actually ask my question: how can my players see the full screen map?

Oct 25, 2019 14:56

How do you delete a map? I made a mistake with my first map and now I'm having trouble removing it.

Dec 24, 2019 15:07

Edit the map, then go to map settings. In Other Actions there is a delete option. It would help to have the instructions in the Codex.

“Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is enough.” – John Adams from Micah 6:8
Dec 24, 2019 17:26

Thanks for the info, it worked without any difficulties.

Nov 1, 2019 17:35

Like to see pins visibility by zoom level. Might of missed it some where?

Nov 15, 2019 18:16

One basic instruction missing is how to delete a map if you upload the wrong image file (as I have done).

Dec 24, 2019 15:08

Took me some time to find it. Edit the map, then go to map settings. In Other Actions there is a delete option. It would help to have the instructions in the Codex.

“Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is enough.” – John Adams from Micah 6:8
Dec 1, 2019 17:50

What size can the map be in terms of pixels? Every time I upload a map all I can do is zoom out and a lot of details that I want to zoom in on are lost.

Aug 25, 2023 11:36

i know this is old, but this can be fixed with the following: edit the map > go to map settings at the top of the screen > go to basic (this should be the section opened by default) > look for the option that says " maximum zoom level" and edit it till you find your desired maximum zoom.

Dec 5, 2019 12:59

There is no way to delete a map, how do you do that?

Dec 24, 2019 15:09

Edit the map, then go to map settings. In Other Actions there is a delete option. It would help to have the instructions in the Codex.

“Do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is enough.” – John Adams from Micah 6:8
Dec 30, 2019 22:47

I uploaded a map, but it's been rotated 90 degrees to the left (counterclockwise) How do I turn it back to vertical?   Thanks

Jan 4, 2020 02:46

i accidentally uploaded the same map twice, and i can't find a delete option, so how do i get rid of one of them?

Feb 1, 2020 18:23

I've been trying to delete a map, but it gives me a 404 page when i click on delete.

Mar 2, 2020 18:22

Wouldn't it be cool to have spherical world maps? Planets are round after all, and many 2D maps look cool when flat but strange and distorted when projected onto a sphere. Other projections such as the Mercator, Mollwiede, Robinson and Winkel Trippel would be cool too.   Another thing that would be awesome is animated maps. It could be used for showing plate tectonics, weather, climate change, winds, currents, migration... the list could go on! It could probably work by either uploading a finished video file, or a series of stills. Things such as framerate could be set after.   tl;dr A more artistic form of Gplates

Aug 25, 2023 11:37

God i would love that!

Mar 3, 2020 16:59

Is it possible to set dynamic map boundaries? Say for example i wanted my player to only be able to explore the world map in a given area, would it be possible to create boundary closing off all of the map except the selection?

Apr 12, 2020 10:09

How do I delete a map picture after uploading?

Apr 17, 2020 14:21 by Sam Saha

Can’t we just make maps here on world anvil, then we would not have to upload files

May 4, 2020 16:05

Hello guys, my players can't see the maps i created... how can I change that?

May 4, 2020 17:58

We had a question on Discord about that, but in case that wasn't you: keep in mind that your players don't automatically see everything in a campaign word if the world is private. Make sure that the map is set as public (and the world too if you want it public). Alternatively, use subscribers (check out the codex guide!) so that only your players can see the content.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
May 7, 2020 04:20

Is there a way to update maps? I made a small change to my map and I dont want to lose all the placed pins by deleting and re-uploading.

May 7, 2020 10:51

You can replace the base map image (map settings). However, if the map does not have the same exact size, you will have to adjust all pins.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
May 7, 2020 23:09

Ok thanks! I missed that option in the menu!

May 25, 2020 23:23

Is it possible to hide markers at certain zoom levels? I'd like markers for less important/smaller things to only pop up when you zoom in more, otherwise the map can start getting cluttered in some areas.

May 26, 2020 11:25

As a Grandmaster, you can probably do that with CSS! If you are not fluent in CSS, I suggest the guide to CSS formatting and especially the #guild-css-help channel on our Discord server.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jun 2, 2020 01:29

I have a new version of a map. If I delete the old version, do I loose the pins that are already defined on the old version? Or upload the new version, transfer the pins to the new version, before I delete the old version?

Jun 3, 2020 09:21

You won't lose the pins, but they will stay in the exact same place, which means that it will be kind of a mess if the new version has a different size than the old one.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jun 3, 2020 12:07

Got it. Thanks!

Jun 6, 2020 13:38

how do i delete my map

Jun 6, 2020 20:51

Go to map settings -> other actions -> big red button

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jun 16, 2020 12:38

I have one map and no layers but every time I try to add layers, i keep getting told that i've reached the maximum number of layers.

Jun 17, 2020 08:56

The layer limit includes all layers created by you in any map, so you probably have another map with layers.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jun 23, 2020 22:18

how can i save my map to my computer

Aug 12, 2020 04:17

Is there a way I can change how the marker groups are presented? Currently in presentation mode, I believe the Marker Groups are appearing in the order I created them. I'd prefer to see them presented alphabetically.

Aug 12, 2020 21:07

Hi! I'm assuming you mean in the table you have when editing the map. If so, just click "Title" in the table header and it will sort them alphabetically.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 14, 2020 22:45

Nope, I meant when viewing the map, not adding/removing marker groups.

Aug 15, 2020 10:17

I see! Unfortunately, I don't think this can be done. It's a good feature request, though!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 22, 2020 03:34

Is there a way to delete an old map if I've now cooked up a better one?

Aug 22, 2020 11:20

Of course! You'll find the option in map settings -> other actions. Make sure that you're deleting the right one, once it's gone, it's gone!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 22, 2020 17:10

Thank you, Ondo. Still took me a bit to find it, but knowing it was there helped me persist. Much obliged.

Sep 3, 2020 09:43

Can someone explain to me how can I delete a map ?

Sep 3, 2020 15:01

This guide explains it (see the FAQ section). Go to the map settings, Other Actions sub-section, click the red button. Keep in mind that once you delete it, it's gone forever!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 6, 2020 05:23

Don't feel bad, Yellow Thing. I missed it, too.

Sep 23, 2020 22:33

Is there a site or resource which shows a visual reference of all the pins currently available? The visual example guide at the beginning of the Guide to Maps is very helpful but I was hoping there might be a comprehensive list so it would be easier to make the proper selection for specific map.

Sep 24, 2020 10:53

Good idea, I'll talk about this with the team!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 25, 2020 22:24 by Francis Soulard

Is it possible to replace the image of a map/update the image of a map? I've a big city map with updates in the image and I would like to replace the old, but I don't want to lose all the pins! ;)

Sep 25, 2020 22:30

You sure can! Just go to the Map Settings tab and use the "Update Map Primary Image" box in the right sidebar. Make sure the new image has the exact same size as the old one, otherwise the pins won't fit it!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 25, 2020 22:43 by Francis Soulard

Thank you!

Sep 30, 2020 12:42

Greetings and salutations! Is there a way to add weight on a map since there is an option to display them in the world?

Sep 30, 2020 14:29

Greetings and salutations! :)   Yes, go to the map settings, "Navigation" tab, the "Position/Weight" field is there.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Oct 1, 2020 00:07

Yeap, there it is thank you!

Nov 22, 2020 10:00

Greetings WA Team, Lost traveler, is there a way to set the size of my pins so they do not adjust automatically with zoom? All my towns get lost under the pin cushion. Thanks

Nov 22, 2020 16:20

Hi! That's not an option currently. You could try suggesting it as a feature from this page, but I'm not sure how difficult it would be to implement with the current system.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 10, 2021 11:41

This is what im working on currently. It seems as though the pins do NOT actually adjust on zoom, the pins actually remain the same size and its the scaling of the map zooming that creates the stacking of pins. I think I can accomplish this via CSS, but I havent solved it yet, though Im not sure which level guild master you need to be in order to access CSS.   The other thought I had for solving it was just to create tiny 10px by 10px circular dot images to use as the map icons, though you do need to be Grand Master for that feature in the studio.

Jan 11, 2021 16:27

Is it possible to replace a map image without starting over on the pins etc on WA? What I'm thinking of doing is "create" a map but continue to tweak the base image. If possible, I'd like to start working on it using the WA interface while the image itself is still a work in progress.

Jan 12, 2021 09:10

Yes, it's possible. There's a "Replace base image" panel in the map settings (right sidebar). However, keep in mind that if the updated image has a different size, all markers will of course stay in the same place in relation to the old size! So for the best results, make sure that the first version of the map is already the final size.   Hope this helps!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 12, 2021 23:04

Thank you so much!

May 21, 2021 01:19

I've looked through all of the posts on this string hoping to find my specific problem. I've replaced the map that I had in my world but the markers disappeared from the map. They are still in my groups but I can't get them to the map again. How do I bring a preexisting marker out and place them on the updated map? I have layers so it's possible that I'm just not seeing them but I did think it was weird that I can use my old markers on the updated map. I understand I might need to move them if the map resolution changes but I just need to go them to the new map.

May 23, 2021 10:35

Hi! Is the new map smaller or larger than the original one? If it's small, it could be that they are now out of frame. Otherwise, edit the markers and check if they are set to display on the layer you expect them to be.   If this doesn't work, I suggest you join our Discord server to get some more real-time help from other people!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 14, 2021 12:16

is there a way to link to a specific layer of a map?

Jan 14, 2021 12:35

Not currently, but it's a good idea! Feel free to request it using the feature request site (accessible from the help page). Note that you'll need a separate account for the bug-tracking site, as it's a third-party service.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 15, 2021 16:35

I want to try a Western Marches campaign and have the PCs wandering around and exploring. Is there an easy way to create a fog of war that obscures everything except where the PCs have gone? I realize I could create a "Fog" layer, but it seems that I would have to manually export the layer, clear the regions newly explored, and then upload it. Is there a quicker way? I'm not seeing it.

Feb 18, 2021 11:56

Hi! Sorry for the slow answer. World Anvil is not designed as a VTT, so the functionality on this front is limited. We have no fog of war feature, so the only way to replicate it is to create a separate layer and set it so that it's the only one players can see. However, you won't be able to move the layer, and layers are not transparent so you'll essentially have to duplicate the image.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 19, 2021 22:10

Thanks.

Apr 6, 2021 05:14

I have (a bunch) of PNG files. I try making a map from one. It gets imported. That's nice BUT it's aspect ratio (horizontal vs. vertical size) is completely messed up. And there appears to be no way to change it. I know that the PNG file (correctly) contains its size, as I can import it just find in all manner of other graphics software, so (1) Why did it mess up? (2) Once its imported, is there any way to change the aspect ratio? ("Edit Map" is apparently a matter of adding pins/layers, etc. which is nice but actually doesn't EDIT the map, at least one important "aspect" anyway.)

Apr 6, 2021 09:55

Hi! The map editor doesn't let you change anything about the map file itself, it's purpose is to make it interactive, so the map file has to be edited separately (including the aspect ratio).   I am not sure what's the issue here, but if it isn't keeping the aspect ratio, that's definitely a bug. Have you tried deleting the map (from map settings) and re-creating it? If this doesn't work, please report this as a bug from the help page.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 19, 2021 22:50

How could I change color under the map image? I would like it to be black to be consistent with the rest of the world.

Apr 20, 2021 09:20

Hi! You need CSS for that. I'm no CSS expert, but this could work maybe:

.map-context-user-css {
  background: black;
}
  If it doesn't, I recommend joining our Discord server to ask in the #guild-css-help channel!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 20, 2021 19:52

That is it! :) Thanks!!

Apr 22, 2021 21:33 by Johnny Ahsome

On my home page it shows aps i a working on , how can i remove them from that page?

Apr 23, 2021 09:59

Hi! I think there are some typos there and I don't completely understand what you mean. But if you're looking to remove some of the widgets in your homepage, you can do so from the world configuration. Use the "Homepage" tab to change the world homepage's settings. Hope this helps!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
May 1, 2021 18:41

Is there a way to just reveal a part of the Map, that you can just show your players a part of the Dungeon that they see?

May 4, 2021 10:27

Hi! World Anvil isn't intended to be a Virtual Table Top, so we don't currently have fog of war features. There will be a map update in the future, so it might come, but it's not likely.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
May 12, 2021 13:45

Is there a way to link/embed a map with a specific marker group activated?   I wanted to represent several excursions a party had at different times but in the same area. I'd like to avoid having to upload several times the same map just to place different markers for each one.

May 12, 2021 16:09

I'm afraid that's not currently possible! But it sounds like an amazing feature request, so feel free to open it! I'm sure there's other people who would support it.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
May 13, 2021 10:41

Yeah I'll probably do that as soon as I get the coins.

Jun 2, 2021 22:48

How do you add map pins to map legend?

Jun 3, 2021 10:09

Hi! This is unfortunately not possible with the current system. But the development is largely influenced by the community, so feel free to suggest this as a feature! If it gets enough bots it might be implemented.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jul 17, 2021 02:13

i might have skipped over it but does world anvil have a system to make a map

Jul 18, 2021 10:34

No, World Anvil is not a mapmaking software. It only makes your maps interactive.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jul 30, 2021 03:55 by Stephen Mayville

I can't seem to find information on the creation of pins using Creator's Studio: Pin Designer. I've downloaded the standard pins template, created pins, and then uploaded/created them. What I can't seem to figure out is how to get the pins to behave the same as standard pins that are already available (circle, star, square, etc.). The anchoring seems off. I can place the pin when zoomed out so the very bottom tip of the pin is where I want it, but when I zoom in, the pin location moves more like it is centered or something instead. Are there perchance standard anchor point settings that the standard pins use which I should use with pins I've created? I just want the pin to anchor to the bottom of the "pin" like the regular ones do? Thanks!

xSpazztic
Jul 30, 2021 12:11

I've never created custom pins, but I believe that the anchor point is the center of the image. Can you try editing your custom pins so that the tip/bottom of the pin is in the middle of the image? Let me know if that works!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jul 30, 2021 17:10 by Stephen Mayville

I've spent a fair amount of time adjusting the anchor points in the custom pins and I can get it to end up all over the place, but I've never gotten it to center to the bottom tip of the pin like the standard pins. You're correct, the default (which I assume is 0x by 0y) is the center of the pin.   Do you mean to edit the image itself to try and make the very bottom tip the center? I could, but I thought it was meant to just take the template provided, update the image, and then re-upload. Makeing that sort of modification to the image itself would take quite a while and I have a couple hundred pins I'd have to update. The instructions state "The Anchor Point is the unique pixel point where the edge/point of contact of your pin is with the map. Normally it would be at cartesian 0X and half the pin's width Y" With the pin size being something like 51x51, I would have thought something like 0x by 25y would come up with something like that. Maybe it is a bug and not something I'm doing wrong.   Do you know of anyone who has used this feature and maybe could confirm an issue or confirm that I'm just goofy? It doesn't seem like I should have to completely change the template pin to force a center point, but instead use the anchor points built into the tool. I'm really at a loss. I love the feature, but they are making me a little crazy trying to get them to behave like the standard provided pins.   Thanks!

xSpazztic
Jul 31, 2021 10:27

Hi! Are you able to join our Discord server? If so, I highly encourage you to do so. There's a #help channel and as a grandmaster you'll get access to several guild-only channels. It has many experienced World Anvil users, so I'm sure you'll be able to find someone who has used this feature.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jul 31, 2021 16:10 by Stephen Mayville

I had joined it months back, but because I hardly ever use Discord, I sometimes miss answers for eons unless I'm actively watching it. I'll give it a shot though and see if anyone else has used them. Thanks for the assist!

xSpazztic
Jul 31, 2021 17:02 by Stephen Mayville

I wanted to comment back to let you know the results and to share with anyone else who is doing or thinking about doing their own pins and was reading this. I did indeed find someone with the answers. In following their instructions, I also discovered a 'guidelines.txt' file tucked neatly in the downloaded template file (I felt more than a little goofy when I opened it and saw that it had the answers...). It contains the recommended settings for use with the pin templates. I wanted to just paste that here for others to see:   Pins Guideline   =================   Icon Size   X: 35   Y: 60     Shadow Size   X: 82   Y: 60   Icon Anchor   X: 17   Y: 60   Popup Anchor   X: 1   Y: -50     Design by:   TJ Trewin for World Anvil LTD   https://www.worldanvil.com   --------------------------------   Thanks again!

xSpazztic
Jul 31, 2021 20:20

Glad you could figure it out! :D

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 26, 2021 09:46

Hi There, I just joined and wow - loving all of it - however despite having a small enough file size (tired 21.9MB and 4.97MB) I cannot seem to upload a map :( - please help - Cheers!

Aug 26, 2021 10:08

Hi! 21.9 MB should fit within your allowed map size as a Master. Is it possible you've reached your total of 2 GB worth of files? If that's not the case, please give me more details about it. What exactly happens when you try to upload a map, and are you still able to upload images as normal?

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Oct 7, 2021 23:51

If you expand the description on the left in a map when no pin is selected, it shows the world description by default. Is there a way to link an article or a different description for that? Or can you only link articles to pins and not the map itself?

Oct 9, 2021 11:35

Not exactly, but you can definitely customize that panel. Go to the Map Settings and in the Basic tab, you'll be able to customize what appears in the panel using the Description text box. The world description will still appear under that (although you might be able to remove it using CSS).   You can link a map to a location (using the "Navigation" tab under "Map Settings"). This will add a link to the map in the articles you select.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 4, 2021 14:15

Hi there, I have created a map and added a bunch of locations (pins). When I go to my world page for that map though, the pins do not show up. What is it that I am missing?

Dec 6, 2021 12:46

You have no public worlds so I can't check if I can see them. Start by viewing the map on a different browser (and a different device too, if possible). If they're still invisible, do you see the markers in the edit interface (in the list or on the map itself)? If so, are they associated with a specific map layer that may not be enabled by default? Are you using default pins, or custom HTML ones? If they're HTML, they might have syntax errors.   Sorry for all the questions! Let me know if any of this helps.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 8, 2021 02:38

Thanks Sage Ondo! I found out that there is at least one instance where the map is actually only pointing to the image used for the map and not the map itself (with the pins) ... :)

Dec 8, 2021 10:26

Glad you could figure it out! Let me know if you need more help with that, or join the Discord server, where we have a dedicated help channel with really nice and helpful people! ^^

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 15, 2021 11:11

Is there a way to export or copy a map to another World?

Dec 16, 2021 10:46

Not currently, but that's a feature you could suggest in the feature suggestion board.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 27, 2022 18:42

Hei i have a wold map as a jpg file it's a A4 page on its side, but when i import it, it always end up prese together. it's corectly orientated, but it's 1200x1600 or somthing, and it suposed to be 1600x1200. anyone know wat to do??

Jan 28, 2022 09:57

Hi! Have you tried re-uploading it as a new map (instead of replacing the current map image)?

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 29, 2022 15:29

Yep i only get tall maps not wide. Even white an original that's sideways A4 format.

Jan 31, 2022 10:09

If creating a new map from scratch doesn't fix the issue, it sounds like it's probably an issue with the file itself. Can you try rotating the image 90 degrees on your end (this website can do it) and upload that?

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 31, 2022 19:24 Private

Tank's that webpage worked :)

Feb 9, 2022 00:40

Is there any way to flip the map?

Feb 9, 2022 10:00

No, you'll have to flip the image on your computer and re-upload it. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jun 29, 2022 22:29 by Tawny Tran

Is there an option to have both a Pop-up window and a Direct Link on the same Map Marker?

Jun 30, 2022 09:09

No, it's one or the other. But you can always add links to the pop-up window if you want easy access to an article from a marker.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jul 1, 2022 20:57 by J R C Salter

So this mentions that you can make the lines dashed, but I see no way of doing it. There is a field called 'Line Dash Array', but it's not clear what I'm supposed to put in there. The hint only says 'The weight in relative pixels of the line.' I put a number in there, but nothing happens. Can anyone answer this please?

Jul 3, 2022 22:08

I'd love to know the answer to this too. I haven't found it anywhere.

Jul 3, 2022 22:24

Okay I JUST figured it out. One the line dash array, enter a positive number between 0 and 100 and that will dictate the number of pixels between each dash of your line. I recommend something between 10 and 20 (I set mine to 10 since it looks good zoomed in and out). Hope this helps!!

Jul 4, 2022 21:23 by J R C Salter

Thanks. That helped a lot. I tried putting in a number before, but I guess it was too low to be seen as a dashed line.

Jul 5, 2022 08:35

I've added this to the guide, thank you!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Aug 16, 2022 13:16

I'm confused as to how the pins scale when you zoom in and out. They seem too big when I zoom out and I'm not sure how to edit this. Does anyone have any information on how to fix this or if it's possible?

Aug 17, 2022 07:59

Hi! The pins don't scale at all, they stay the same size (in relation to your screen) regardless of map zoom.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Oct 8, 2022 16:52

Is there a way to upload an updated version of a map and transfer all relevant links? For example, I have a regional map with a village and a river that both have interactive pins linking to articles. But, then my players explore a bit beyond the village and discover some ancient ruins. Because we have to use a separate website for our mapmaking, I add the ruins on that site and now need to add the updated map to WA. How do I do that without having to remake all the interactive pins from the original version?

Oct 10, 2022 07:55

If the new map image is exactly the same size as the previous one, you can replace it from the map settings: find the "Update map primary image" panel on the right side. If the new image is not the same size, you can still use it and the pins won't be deleted—but you'll have to reposition them manually.   If you think the map will expand in the future, I recommend making the map image larger than it needs to be right now. This way, when you expand it in the future as your players progress, the actual image will be the same size.   Let me know if that helps!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 3, 2022 06:05

How do I add a second map on the main campaign page. I cant see where this is done. I only have the one map uploaded now and it shows up on the main campaign page...what setting to have it show on the campaign page?

Dec 12, 2022 10:08

Hi! Not sure I follow. Could you elaborate on where you want the second map to appear exactly?

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 5, 2022 11:59

Hello all, the map tool is amazing, I would just like to know - is it possible to embed the map to completely different website?

Dec 12, 2022 10:07

Hi! If the website is yours, you should be able to use the iframe HTML tag as you usually would to embed the map!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 15, 2023 17:08

I have found a Map of the sword coast that has pins and other maps imbedded in the overall map. Is there a way to link/add that map to my current campaign? It is in world anvil already and has a lot of great detail in it. Would like to just add events that my group goes through. instead of having to just reinvent the map. Thanks for any info or help.

Mar 16, 2023 08:41

Hi! Technically having a map of the Sword Coast in a public world is not allowed because it's copyright infringement (which means that if Wizard of the Coast issue a takedown request, the map will be taken down). This applies to public content only, you, as a Grandmaster, can choose to make your own maps private or only available to your players, which would be fine.   But to answer your question, the only way is to paste the actual link. You can use the [url][/url] tags to make it clickable: [url:PLACE LINK HERE]Sword Coast map[/url]. But you can't edit a map made by someone else, no.   Let me know if this helps!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 16, 2023 14:27

Yup, Im starting to just pull what they have done and put it into my own map so i can edit it.   If you set a map to private can your party that is in your campaign see that map?   Sorry if these are noob questions but i have only just started world anvil about a month or so ago

Mar 17, 2023 09:16

No problem! Private maps can only seen by you (and co-owners) by default. However, if your players have World Anvil accounts, you can add them as subscribers to your world so they can see specific private content that you choose. They don't need a Guild subscription for that—a free account will do.   This page explains how to set up subscriber groups and how to add them to a map: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/WorldAnvilCodex/a/subscribers

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 6, 2023 01:32

Hello! I've been enjoying the map tool so far but I was wondering if there is a way to rotate the label markers text? I've tried using CSS but it seems the code I could use gets over written by another instance of the same code used for making the labels stay in the correct locations when zooming.

Apr 6, 2023 07:39

Hi! That's currently not an option, although you can suggest it here: https://www.worldanvil.com/community/voting/   For CSS, you could try adding !important at the end of each line (before the ";").

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 12, 2023 13:56

Is there any way to 'lock' map markers? I can't even count the amount of times I've dragged a map pin across the map unintentionally, and this seems like a function that would be in the basic toolset.

Apr 12, 2023 14:55

Hi! The editing interface's purpose is editing the map, so markers can't be locked there. However, markers are always locked in presentation mode (i.e. when you click the eye button in the maps list, for example).

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Apr 13, 2023 08:58

Thank you for your answer! If this is not currently a feature, I will create an improvement suggestion for it! It drives me wild sometimes haha.

Jun 9, 2023 19:14

Where do I find invisible pins?

Jun 12, 2023 08:19

Hi! Just create a regular marker and in the pin type field, look for the pin called "invisible" (in the search results it will display like a square with a dashed line, but on the map it will be invisible). When created, you won't be able to see it, but if you click it the pop-up will appear.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jun 30, 2023 03:47 by Tlcassis Polgara | Arrhynsia

I know how to get my map to open centered on a specific location and zoom, but how do we get the size of the map to be smaller (a specific size)? I'd like to embed my map in an article and not have it take up an entire width of a column of content - perhaps 350x350.

Follow my worlds: Arrhynsia and Compendium and check out my author website at tlcassis.com to see my latest work!
Jun 30, 2023 08:15

That would be the initial zoom level! For the embed specifically, you can use the parameters to control de zoom level: [map:ID|X|Y|zoom] (for example, [map:123|500|500|0]).   The size of the embed itself can be controlled by putting it in a column or (potentially) with CSS!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Sep 2, 2023 04:02 by Tlcassis Polgara | Arrhynsia

Thanks! I'll go poke around the Codex to see if I can figure out how to control the embed size using CSS. I thought there might be a size control on the embed I was missing in the taxonomy of the command.

Follow my worlds: Arrhynsia and Compendium and check out my author website at tlcassis.com to see my latest work!
Aug 17, 2023 20:29

I can't find how to set a map to public or private, draft or published. Youd' think that would be in here. Or on the page where it lists my maps. But no luck.

Aug 18, 2023 08:53

Hi! Maps can't be drafts or published, only public and private. Edit the map and under the Map Settings tab you'll find a Display & Privacy sub-tab where you can control all visibility-related settings. Let me know if you have any other questions!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Oct 10, 2023 04:57

Hi all, just starting on my World Anvil Journey and was wondering if a Pin can link to a heading in an article? I'm trying to create a dungeon map with one article, with the room pins linking to each room respectively within the article. Or is there an easier way to this without creating an article for each individual room?

Oct 16, 2023 06:33

Hi! The direct linking can't link to a specific section, no. However, you don't need to have articles for the rooms at all! Simply use the description field in the map pin, which is a text field with full BBCode formatting support. If you click on a pin in view mode, the description will be displayed in a floating panel on the left of your screen.

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Dec 8, 2023 15:25 by Owen Stephens

Is there a way to make the marker groups for a layer activate immediately when someone goes to that layer?

Aspiring author!
Dec 11, 2023 05:33

Hi! This isn't currently a feature, but you can suggest it and the Team will consider it if it gather enough support from the community!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Jan 5, 2024 00:02

is there a way to add and edit roads on the map currently? if not is there any thinking in doing so?

Jan 5, 2024 06:33

Hi! If you are asking about road-shaped markers (i.e. clicking anywhere on a road gives you information about it), that's not currently a feature we support per se. However, we do have polygonal markers, which you can use to manually draw a polygon around the road.   If you're asking about actually drawing roads on the map, keep in mind that we're not a mapmaking software, so this is not supported either.   Let me know if this helps!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Feb 5, 2024 23:23

How Do I download a map I uploaded? I no longer have the original file and need to backup a copy

Feb 6, 2024 06:47

Hi! The map base image should be available to you from the Images section of the world. Click the Image icon on the sidebar and look for it there!

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.
Mar 26, 2024 14:55

Is there a way to add markers to a map after you have made it? I can't figure out how to add more markers to my map. I really hope I don't have to make all my markers when I make my map and can only edit, but not add more after that.

Mar 27, 2024 06:19

Hi! There should be a toolbar with marker creation options at the bottom area of the map. The official guide explains how the updated maps interface works: https://www.worldanvil.com/learn/map-making/maps

[they/them] Creator of Black Light, a science-fantasy universe.