# online map overview

*Article written by the DIG-IT team*

As you may already know, since 2025, USE-IT maps now have a digital version available. Cool to spread good tips, but it also means more work for you, your team… and your designer. Do not worry! We tried to make it as easy as possible. Here is a list of all the assets you need to ask them to create (or just export separately 🤫), and an estimation of how much more time it should take them and your team.

## Super required elements

*extra working time: 2H to create/export assets*\
*+ 1H to upload everything*

* **Web-optimized cover & Web-obtimized full paper map**\
  Yes, you already needed them, but now more than ever, with proper size.
* **Original sections**\
  For each section, you will need to upload the image of the section from the paper map version. So it basically means exporting selected extracts of the map (Act Like a Local, 5 min of History and everything else)
* **Base layer of the map**\
  That’s the basemap without icons and numbering, BUT including main buildings and illustrations if you have some. To put it simply: all the non-clickable elements of the map.

{% hint style="warning" %}
The base layer should be much larger than what you are actually showing in your paper map. So do not forget to draw it bigger from the start.
{% endhint %}

* **Category icons**\
  Plain icons (without numbering) in separate images.
* **Color palette with hex-references**

## Optional elements - But would be cool

* **Route images**\
  If your map has routes, you will need a separate image to upload, that will overlay the basemap. It’s basically a line on a transparent background. :)\
  \&#xNAN;*extra working time: +/- 30min per route to create, export & upload asset*
* **Font files**\
  The platform enables you to upload your own custom font for your online map. If you really want it, make sure to use a font that you would own the file of, meaning not a Google Font or an Adobe Font — those won’t work with our system unfortunately.\
  \&#xNAN;*extra working time: none, just anticipation :)*
* **Optimized sections and/or seperate illustrations**\
  As we said previously, you can upload sections as a cutout from your papermap. But you can also make an optimized version for vertical scrolling. \
  \&#xNAN;*extra working time: +/- 15min per illustration + 30min per section of layout*\
  *OR +/- 1H per section + 5min to upload*
* **Custom menu**\
  The platform enables you to upload your own icons for the menu, why not do it ?!\
  \&#xNAN;*extra working time: +/- 1h for creation and 2min for upload*
* **Custom about section**\
  Because your funders may be happy to have their logo on the online map too, you can prepare a web-optimized version of the back-cover : without the covers of the other USE-IT cities, but with the sponsors' logos bigger, and even links to them. They should be happy !\
  \&#xNAN;*extra working time: +/- 30min per route to create, export & upload asset* 

***

For detailed technical needs, see next chapter:

{% content-ref url="/pages/yjLvvZPw7mCR1K4QummT" %}
[guide on preparing assets](/use-it-wiki/map-design/digital-map/guide-on-preparing-assets.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

{% hint style="success" %}
*READ MORE*\
→ [The User Manual](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_gfmkmel3Yu24k74mi6fRYpH_CwmWAQQ/view?usp=drive_link) by DIG-IT team
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://use-it.gitbook.io/use-it-wiki/map-design/digital-map/online-map-overview.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.