US Dataplot 2.0

Used on Hands on the Lands environmental monitoring web site, this Flash-based data mapping tool allows web developers to create custom maps based on delineated data. It uses National Atlas vector-based boundaries data for the US states. Zooming is performed by a single click on the map. Click, hold and drag to pan the map in any direction. A drop-down menu is also available to move users directly to Alaska and Hawaii. Plotted data may contain four levels of information: dot size, dot color, mouse-over text and an optional link. Hyperlinked datasets may also be associated with custom data. Dot color, legend information, map title and the explanatory paragraph may also be customized. The city database provided with this tool contains US cities with populations greater than 100k and at least one well-known city from each state. This database is extendable. Cities are shown on the map relative to population size and zoom level—i.e., cities with fewer inhabitants are displayed when the zoom level increases. The free Macromedia Flash Player version 6.0 or greater is required for the use of this tool. Macromedia Flash MX is not required for the implementation of this tool on a web site.