First steps with the HERE Map Creator

At SxSW earlier this month, we announced the extension of HERE Map Creator to more people and more areas.

It’s a very simple tool to use, and with the power of many local mapping communities across the world, each adding and reviewing contributions, HERE maps are getting fuller and more accurate at a startling pace.

Here’s how simple it is to get started.

The first thing you’ll need to do is sign in to the site using a Nokia account, your Facebook ID or a Microsoft account.

The next thing you need to do is go to the country, then the area, and finally the locality that you want to edit. Once you get in close, the map overlays satellite imagery of the area. This makes it easier to be sure that the roads or places you’re adding and editing are exactly where you think they are on the map.

We’re off to Mangalore in India, as you can see. (Don’t worry: we didn’t save any changes!)

Once you’re fully zoomed in, you have several options. To add a road or a place, or to examine – and potentially edit – existing features and the changes that others have made to the area’s maps.

Adding a road is simply a question of drawing a line from an existing road to a new end point. Obviously, roads are often curved, so you can create a multi-line road if you need to.

Don’t worry – people aren’t making changes directly to the live map. Everyone’s edits are moderated by local mapping communities and verified by HERE before they are committed. This also protects against vandalism, of course.

There’s an enormous amount of detail you can add to both roads and places: the driving direction, speed limit, number of lanes and other details. These are optional, but it’s part of the fun of getting involved in improving the map to add as much detail as possible.

As a HERE Three Sixty reader, we reckon you’re probably pretty enthusiastic about having the ability to make contributions. Anyone who’s ever loved laying down roads in a game like Sim City will appreciate the satisfaction that comes from taking part. And indeed, HERE Map Creator knows how satisfying it is to take part and keeps a running tally of the additions and corrections you have personally added.

Have you had a try at HERE Map Creator yet? Let us know what you think.

image credit: Medien Bundeswehr