The ArkDB Simple Maps Interface

The ArkDB Simple Maps Interface provides a direct route to drawing maps in ArkDB. Using ArkDB in this way, the user can:

  • circumvent the usual ArkDB navigation paths, and focus more specifically on map drawing criteria

  • select and draw combinations of maps, map types and species (multiple maps for 1 species, multiple maps for multiple species)

  • input their own Map data, which is drawn and displayed alongside ArkDB Maps

    • The Simple Maps Interface is the stepwise menu-driven means of determining user map selection criteria. At the end of these simple selection steps, the maps are drawn.


    What to do here:

    Go to the Arkdb Home Page

    Select 'Maps' from the ArkDB menu


    Map Query - how many ?

    The first step determines the number of maps the user wants to draw. This allows for a current maximum of 11 maps.


    What to do here:

    From the drop down list, select the number of maps to draw

    Click the 'Next' button


    Map Query - which Species ?

    The second step provides the list of ArkDB species for which maps can be drawn. For example, having selected 3 maps, then its possible to:

  • select and draw 3 maps for 1 single species

  • select and draw 3 maps for 3 different species

  • select and draw other permutations of 3 maps and 1,2 or 3 species


    • What to do here:

    From the drop down list, select the species for which maps will be drawn

    Click the 'Next' button


    Map Query - which mapping analysis ?

    The third step selects which type of mapping analyses the maps will be selected from. These are listed, and grouped essentially according to the available map analyses for the species.

    Currently these are the types of analyses which are provided by ArkDB:

  • Linkage Maps

  • RH Maps

  • Composite Maps

  • Cytogenetic Map

  • User Map

    • Note: not all types of analyses are necessarily available to each and every species. This depends entirely upon which mapping analyses are available and are held in the ArkDB database. New analyses types and map data are continually being added to ArkDB over time.


    What to do here:

    From the drop down menu, select the mapping analysis from which a map is to be drawn

    Click the 'Next' button


    Map Query - which specific map ?

    The fourth and last step determines which specific map will be selected.

    To recap on the map selection process up to this final step:

  • Step 1: select the number of maps

  • Step 2: select species

  • Step 3: select map analyses

  • Step 4: this last step - select a specific map

    • Note: where user data has been selected for a species, then the data values are entered here. The interface for doing this is unsophisticated, simply type in a line of data for each map point as a map position (a number) and a locus (a name, any format). Alternatively - rather than typing - simply cut and paste the data into the form. Thats useful when there are more than a handful of data points to enter.


    What to do here:

    From the drop down map menu, select a specific map

    For a user map, enter data as line seperated point locus records

    Click the 'Draw maps' button

    or:-

    Clicking the 'TextView' button produces a browser ArkDB popup window with marker details for this map


    Map Drawing ApplicationThe map drawing application draws all selected maps. The map names, locus details and any map relationships are rendered to screen. The map drawing application provides further functionality to perform operations like Zoom, Flip and Move maps.


    What to do here:

    See the map drawing application tutorial for functional details


    Points to be aware of:

  • Navigating and altering selection criteria. The browser's 'Back' arrow button takes the SimpleMaps interface back to the preceeding page. In this way its possible to correct an error in map selection criteria. "Oops - I'm on the 'which mapping Analysis' page ...but I actually meant to select Maps for Chicken-Turkey-Duck, not for Chicken-Turkey-Quail". Browser 'Back' button will take the interface back to the point where the selection can be changed. In this way selection criteria can be altered all the way back - even to the start of the SimpleMaps interface eg decide to select 6 Maps rather than 4.

  • Initialising selection criteria. An effective way to completely reset the selection criteria at any time, is just to click 'Maps' in the ArkDB menu bar. The effect of this is to reset the SimpleMaps criteria right back to their opening "non user specified" values.

  • If maps don't draw. If selected maps don't display in the map drawing application, then there are "known issues" which may account for this. Consult the ArkDB help page for a current list of these known issues which could affect the capability of the map drawing application.