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Guides and Help

GeoDiscover Alberta helps you find the data you need.

  • Abandoned Well Map: If you need more help printing a well map, review this Tip Sheet pdf doc prompt or send an email.
  • "Find an Address" only works with a full street address. "Go to a Place" will find named locations.
  • Adding a Shape file: The Map Viewer projection is Web Mercator and sometimes .shp files display in Europe if the projection file has not been included. Select .shp, .dbf, and .prj    The file size limit for uploaded files defaults to 20 MB and a limited amount of points (approx 1000). The AVI shapefile is too complex to Add, contact our office for a generalized version.
  • GDB File Geodatabases can not be added to our Map Viewer, all the other types can be.
  • Minimize tool bar and side panel using the wrench button or mini arrow
  • Export XY Coordinates: Steps: Draw Points, Identify those Points, View Results in Table View, Export to CSV/Excel and get XY points for Drawings. Change the attributes and labels in spreadsheet. Re-save the csv and then upload into the map viewer with real labels.
  • Identify Data: Attribute data information can only be "Identified" on REST services not WMS services. Some of the pre-loaded layers have been locked down where you can not find more details due to licence agreements.
  • Save Your Map Project The viewer has a Save option if you login with a Google Account with the Viewer in a separate Tab/window of your browser. You'll have the option to "share" the Map URL via email or social media but it may not retain all the data you added. We have found that if Gmail is open before we log in to the Viewer there are fewer errors. NOTE: If you have several layers added that are entitled "Latest", only one of the layers will save. The Map Viewer "Sign In" link is beside the wheelchair icon. If one browser doesn't seem to work, try a different one.

To see the data available for download, click on “Data Search” on the main menu.
Choose “Format” from the filter in the left margin. The “Data links” will show various ways to obtain access. The ZIP files often contain shape files.

If you do not see SHP (Shape Data) readily available, look for the “Contact Distribution Information” in the metadata to request the Shape Data.

Narrow Search: Use the filters on the left to narrow down your search. You may also type keywords into the Search Box. The Keyword "filter" lists words found within the metadata.

Location Based: To find data pertaining to a specific area use the "Map" filter. Typing XY Lat/Long coordinates in the search box will not work. On the mini map zoom into your area of interest. Choose the ◉ "intersects" or ◉ "within" to filter out data that is not within the map.

Wild Card Search: Use the asterisk * character as a wildcard for multiple variants. EG: plan* = plan planning plans

Preview Data: If you wish to get a sample of what the data looks like, click on the Preview link. Also, you can view the full dataset on the Map Viewer by clicking Add to Map.

Either Or: This catalog search logic puts an "or" between each word you put in the search box. Example: Sylvan Lake will return records with Lake or Sylvan in them.

Broken Link? The on-line linkage listed in the metadata might refer to a Web Mapping Service (WMS). The web address requires specialized software to view the data. You can view the data using the GeoDiscover Map Viewer.

More Information: you can find the “Contact Distribution Information” in the metadata to get more specific information about the data.

label around a box
Metadata documents are used in GeoDiscover Alberta's catalog to capture salient information. Good metadata serves three functions:
  1. Discover - answers the "Who", "What", "Where", "When", "Why" and "How". For instance as with a can label, the data could answer; Who made the product? What is the product? Where was the product made? When is the product going to expire? How many ingredients are in the product?
  2. Evaluate - the detailed information allows you to evaluate the features of a product and a point of contact for more information.
  3. Access - licence information defining constraints to access the product.
paper map folded Hitting the road in Alberta is nothing short of a splendid adventure. To receive a paper Road map, e-mail Travel Alberta and they will send one in the mail.
An excellent road system makes Alberta easy to get around. Wide highway shoulders allow plenty of room for cyclists. Highways between major urban centres are 3 to 4 lanes in each direction. Secondary highways and rural routes are well maintained. The drive through the Rocky Mountains is one of the top 10 drives on the planet!

Map Viewer Quick Start Guide pdf doc prompt

snapshot of guide overview

Send an e-mail to GeoDiscover Alberta if you don't find the information you are looking for.