Generic links to our MapGuide maps
Links to MapGuide maps from outside sites to this site should generally go to our main MapGuide map page at http://gis.pima.gov/maps/mapguide/. This link tells the user about our maps, gives instructions for the MapGuide Viewer and links to general help using our site.
Linking to a specific MapGuide map
We discourage linking directly to a specific MapGuide map because:
- The map's URL will change with new versions of the MapGuide Viewer.
- The URL may change when we add features to our maps.
- After a period of time the URL or link may stop working or the displayed map may not include our latest functions.
Instead of a direct link to a MapGuide map, link to one of our map pages that describes a map and offers links to helpful information and includes a link to the map that we keep updated. For example, link to:
If you feel you must create a favorite, bookmark or a link directly to one of our maps, we can't stop you. But please use map URLs as linked from our web pages. These URLs generally include "mgmap.cfm" plus additional parameters and look like these: (Each URL should be on one line. Your web browser may split the examples.)
Note that the examples are to a CFM file with a path parameter to the MWF. They are not a direct links to an MWF.
We have no links on our site directly to MWF files. Therefore, users should never see a URL directly to a MWF to bookmark. They will always bookmark a CFM file, usually mgmap.cfm. The exception is MapGuide's right-click menu where Copy, Copy as URL puts a link directly to the map's MWF file on the clipboard. We don't recommend using the URL that right-click, Copy, Copy as URL generates although it can be helpful to get latitude/longitude parameters as described below.
Internal Pima County web developers who need to create a link to a specific MapGuide map should contact the webmaster using the Send Feedback button for help constructing URLs.
Specifying latitude/longitude on a MapGuide map link
You can make links to a specified latitude/longitude location on a MapGuide map by using a link as described under "Linking to a specific MapGuide Map" above and adding LAT, LON, WIDTH and UNITS parameters to the URL.
For example:
If you don't have the latitude and longitude available, the easiest way to determine these parameters is to
In many cases, a better way to link to a specific map location is to link using a parcel code to zoom to a parcel's area as discussed next.
Linking to a specific parcel on a MapGuide map
Some web sites, such as real estate sites, need to link to parcel level maps or orthophotos. We strongly encourage these sites to link to a special page on our website made specifically for this purpose. The page shows explanatory info and then zooms to a parcel on a MapGuide map. This special page identifies the source of the map, includes our disclaimer, and offers a "Using Autodesk MapGuide" link for new users. It also has a link to an Oblique Aerial Photo Map of the parcel's area from Bing Maps.
The special page requires passing a required parcel code parameter in the URL and including optional parameters as needed. For instance:
The parcelmap.cfm URL has one required parameter and two optional parameters:
- parcel (required) parcel code
- type (optional) Type of map.
type=ortho displays the Orthophoto MapGuide map. (default)
When type=ortho is used, the view will be 3 times
closer since the parcel will not be selected to identify it.
type=main displays the Main MapGuide map.
- magnification (optional) factor to scale the view. 2.0 would be twice as close.
The initial view is based on the parcel size and the magnification
factor. The default is 1.0.
Basic example showing required parcel parameter:
Examples with optional parameters:
Avoid linking directly to an MWF file
Never link directly to an MWF file. Users end up bookmarking it and if the MWF file is ever moved, there is no way to post a notice at that URL that the link has changed. (The MWF file alone not HTML or CFM or even plain text.) Further, you will never be able to customize your map through the MapGuide API at that URL, nor will the URL use Internet Explorer to download the MapGuide viewer, and Java Edition Viewer users (Macs and UNIX) cannot use your map.
MapGuide's right-click menu Copy, Copy as URL function puts a URL directly to an MWF file on the clipboard. Don't use it for any links you create except to capture LAT, LON, WIDTH and UNITS parameters. Use one of the methods described above instead.