Google Maps Tutorial

Google Maps Tutorial

If you have never used Google Maps before, this will help to get you started.

Toggle back and forth between this page and the map using the back arrow on this page and the "Click here" on the map page.

See the 3 rectangles in the upper right of the map labelled "Map" "Sat" and "Hyb"

These stand for Map (obviously) Satellite and Hybrid
When you first go to the page "Map" should be highlighted (bold)

Now, click on "Sat" - the "Map" should disappear and be replaced by a "Satellite" view of the same area. "Sat" should now be highlighted.

Next, try clicking on "Hyb" and the map and satellite views will be joined (hybridized?).
I find this the most useful setting, although the satellite view becomes fuzzy and eventually disappears as you zoom in.

Now, lets try panning. With the pointer on the map press and hold the left mouse button - a cross with arrowheads should appear. While continuing to hold the button down move the cursor - the map should move until you either run out of room or release the button. By repeating the procedure enough times you could pan your way to Vancouver (don't try it though - there's an easier way).

OK, now lets do some zoom zoom. See the + and - in the upper left of the map. You can guess what they do. Try it. Usually you will also have to pan to keep the target location centered. See the red "balloon" - keep clicking on the + and moving the balloon to the centre - voila!, there's Horn Lake.
You can get there quicker by skipping rungs on the "ladder" but may lose your target - try it!
You can use the "-" button to zoom out until all of North America is visible. I told you there was an easier way to get to Vancouver!

Last thing. Those green "balloons" mark 7 golf courses within reasonably easy reach of Horn Lake. You can zoom and pan your way to any of them and by clicking on them get a quick ID of the course.

Well, OK, one more item. Down in the lower left of the map you will see a scale bar with distances in miles or feet (for our American friends) and kilometres or metres. You don't have to do anything with this - actually you can't anyway. However, it does change by itself as you zoom in or out. There, that's it.