Ch 08c: Mapping and visualisation
:::info Summary automatically generated on 11/25/2025 using the gpt-oss:120b model from the servers of Onyxia (INSEE) based on the complete document of the chapter. :::
📄 Ch 8b : Map & Visualization
1️⃣ Spatio‑temporal Map tab
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click [Explorer]. |
| 2 | Run a search or use a [Saved Filter] to retrieve the records you want to map. |
| 3 | Select a record (any record that contains the required fields). |
| 4 | Click [Map]. |
Result: The interface splits into two synchronized panels – a map (top) and a timeline (bottom).
1.1 Prerequisites for a spatio‑temporal view
- At least one spatial field (coordinates, GeoJSON, etc.).
- At least one temporal field (date, date‑range, etc.).
If one of these is missing the map/timeline will stay empty.
1.2 Map panel
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Legend | • Result sets – show/hide points belonging to the current result set. • Map Documents – (see Publish section). • Base map – choose background (e.g., OpenStreetMap). |
| Zoom/Dezoom | Standard zoom controls (🔍). |
| [full screen] | Expand the map to full‑screen mode. |
| Help | Opens the contextual help window. |
| [Bookmark] | Add a temporary point you can later retrieve. |
| [Search] | Geocode a place name (searches OSM index). |
| [Print] | Print the current map view. |
| [Publish map] | Generates an iframe snippet to embed the map on another page, optionally with controls (legend, bookmark, geocoder, selector, print). • You can also export the map as KML for Google Earth. |
| Clusterisation | Points are automatically clustered; clusters recompute on zoom/dezoom. |
1.3 Publishing a map (iframe)
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Include – current query | The iframe displays the map built from the query you just ran. |
| Include – opened map documents | (still under documentation – shows any additional map layers you have opened). |
| Controls | Choose which UI elements appear inside the iframe (legend, bookmark, geocoder, selector, print). |
| Visible in legends | Choose which legend items are shown (basemap, result set, map documents). |
| Other settings | Use current basemap, Allow modify symbology, Show map, Show timeline, Marker clusters. |
| Popup template | You can pick a custom HTML template for the pop‑ups (create a new template in the Templates section of Heurist). |
| Copy code | Two formats are offered: embed (standard <iframe …> ) and web‑safe (escaped for direct insertion in CMSs). |
| Export to KML | Generates a KML file that can be opened in Google Earth. |
1.4 Timeline (chronological strip)
- Synchronized with the map: moving the timeline brush filters the points shown on the map.
- Tools (bottom bar)
- Zoom / De‑zoom – change the temporal resolution.
- Reset – return to the full time span.
- Downloading – export the timeline data (CSV) – see Export section for details.
- Left / Right navigation – step forward or backward in time.
- Timeline options – label display (full, truncated, fixed width, hidden), label placement (inside / above bar), bar stacking, bar wrapping, and a “Filter map with current timeline range” checkbox.
2️⃣ Network tab
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click [Explorer]. |
| 2 | Run a search or use a [Saved Filter] to collect the records you want in the network. |
| 3 | Select a record that will be the entry point of the network. |
| 4 | Click [Map] (the same button as for the spatio‑temporal view; the Network view appears). |
2.1 What you need
- Linked records (relationship fields) or record types that are already defined as linked.
- A query that returns all records you want to appear in the graph.
2.2 Main controls (header)
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Node Control | • Select mode – click‑drag a single node or draw a selection rectangle (right‑click + drag). • Gravity – toggle node‑to‑node attraction; turn on to let the layout settle, then off for a static view. |
| Link Control | • Links – show/hide empty links and expanded links (links that open to show nested relationships). • Node Size Formula – choose linear or logarithmic scaling of node size. • Fixed – set a fixed link thickness. |
| Graph Control | • Refresh Data – re‑load the graph if new records were added. • Open/Close Fullscreen – toggle full‑screen mode. • View Mode – Icon view, Basic info box, Full info box with link view. • Set Zoom – manual zoom slider. • Export – download the graph as GEXF (Gephi format). |
2.3 Tips for a readable network
- Turn Gravity on, let the layout settle, then turn it off.
- If the graph still looks tangled, click Refresh Data under Graph Control.
- Use the Select mode to isolate a subset of nodes and move them manually.
3️⃣ Cross‑tabular (Pivot) View
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click [Explorer]. |
| 2 | Run a search or use a [Saved Filter]. |
| 3 | Select a record (any type). |
| 4 | Click [Cross‑tables] (also called Tableaux croisés). |
3.1 Building the table
- Choose the record type you want to analyse (right‑hand panel).
- Pick Variable 1 (dropdown Var 1) – the first field to cross.
- Pick Variable 2 (dropdown Var 2) – the second field (optional).
- Optionally add a Variable 3 (click the “+” icon).
- Click “Update results”.
If only one variable is chosen, you obtain a simple frequency table; with two variables you get a cross‑tabulation.
3.2 Assign / edit intervals (value grouping)
- Click the pencil icon (✏️) to open the Assign intervals dialog.
- Add Interval – press [Add Interval], select the values to merge, click the right‑arrow, then give the new interval a name.
- Remove Interval – select an interval and click the left‑arrow (or the blue “←” button).
- Reset – press [🔄Reset] to revert to the original value list.
All changes are reflected instantly in the table.
3.3 Table options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| [save] | Store the current table configuration for later reuse. |
| Show – Values | Show raw counts. |
| Show – Totals | Show row/column totals. |
| Show – Row % / Column % | Show percentages per row or column. |
| Aggregates Counts | Switch between sum, average, etc. |
| Hide / Show – null values, empty rows/columns | Clean up the display. |
3.4 Export & visualisation
- Export – click the Export button (top‑right) to download CSV or PDF.
- Chart (pie) – when only one variable is selected, a pie chart button becomes active; it displays the distribution of that variable.
🚨 Warning: At least one variable must be selected before any result (table or chart) appears.
📊 Quick‑reference of Heurist visualisation tabs
| Need | Map + Timeline | Network | Cross‑tabular (pivot) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geographic + temporal exploration | ✅ | ||
| Relationship graph | ✅ | ||
| Quantitative cross‑tabulation | ✅ | ||
| Quick export (CSV / PDF) | ✅ (via Publish or Download timeline) | ✅ (GEXF) | ✅ |
| Embedding in external site | ✅ (iframe) | ✅ (iframe) | – |
| Custom pop‑ups / symbology | ✅ (Popup template) | – | – |
🔖 Key take‑aways
- Map + Timeline requires both a spatial and a temporal field; otherwise the view stays empty.
- Use the Publish button to generate an embeddable iframe; you can customise which controls appear and even export a KML for Google Earth.
- In the Network view, turning Gravity on, letting the layout settle, then turning it off yields the cleanest static graph.
- The Cross‑tabular view is ideal for quick quantitative overviews; remember to assign intervals when you need to group raw values.
- All export actions (CSV, PDF, GEXF, KML, iframe) are reachable from the respective tab’s header toolbar.