TOC
CH1: Compass Basics
CH2: School Management
CH3: Student Management
CH4: Creating Stops
CH5: Vehicle Management
CH6: Generating Runs
Using the Coordinates Tool
Geocoding is the process of transforming a specific address to a pair of geographic coordinates (x and y values).
Some common tasks in Compass Route Builder, such as adding new Students, adding new Schools, or creating Stops, require that addresses are converted into coordinates. Compass uses these coordinates to produce Runs and Routes. You can use the Coordinates Tool to disclose x and y values associated with an address or point on the Map. Let’s take a look at Schools Management to illustrate how this is done in Compass:
There are three different tools available for Geocoding under the address text box: A red button that is used to disclose address and coordinates, a green button that can be used to disclose only coordinates and a white button that links an address to its associated coordinates.
1 Red Coordinates Tool
If you know the exact location on the Map, you can disclose the address and coordinates at the same time with the red Geocoding button as follows:
- Click first on the red Geocoding button.
- Zoom in and click on the exact location on the Map. The address and coordinates will be displayed in the corresponding text boxes.
2 Green Coordinates Tool
The green Geocoding button gives the user the option to enter the address manually and even customize the way such address is displayed. To do so:
- Click the green Geocoding button.
- Zoom in and click on the exact location on the Map. The coordinates associated with that location will be disclosed in the corresponding text boxes.
- Then, enter the address information as you want it to be displayed in the address text box.
3 White Coordinates Tool
The white Geocoding button, represented by a magnifier icon, allows users to link an address to its corresponding coordinates. To link an address with its associated coordinates:
- Enter the address in its corresponding text boxes.
- Click on the white Geocoding button. The coordinates will be disclosed below.
Disclosing Stop Locations on the Map
After an actual address is entered in its text box, if the user clicks on the white Geocoding button and the system recognizes its associated coordinates, a pop-up window with such address and geocoding information will be displayed on the Map on the corresponding location.
NOTE: Missing street layout
Sometimes, even an actual address already existing in the database can’t be found in the Map. This often happens because it takes some time to update the map’s information after recent developments. In that case, the system might be able to geolocate the address and assign coordinates to it, but no graphic information of the current street layout would be displayed.
This feature is specially useful when admin users find Students with missing Geocoding information in the database. When this occurs, a red warning question mark will be displayed on the left of the Student’s ID.
By following this method, the user can disclose the associated coordinates and save that information.
