muralBase Help
Index
Welcome to muralBase, an interactive mapping application and database
showcasing hundreds of murals that Philadelphia's Mural Arts Project has
created since 1990. With muralBase you can search for a particular mural or
learn the geography of Philadelphia's rich array of mural artists. MuralBase was
created by the Cartographic Modeling Lab (CML) at the University of Pennsylvania
in partnership with the Mural Arts Program.
I. Introduction for New Users
II. MuralBase Functions
The toolbar on the left side of muralBase Home lists all of muralBase's
functions. Click on it to select one of the following functions:
III. Special Topics: Map Tools and Details Window
II. MuralBase Functions
Search Murals
1. Click on the Search Murals
function in the left-hand toolbox to bring up the Search Mural Database box.
2. Using a set of pull-down option boxes, you can search the mural database,
refining your search by one of the following criteria:
- Theme (22 different themes were developed to describe Philadelphia's
murals, e.g., abstract, portrait, sports, youth);
- Artist name;
- Zipcode; and
- Year completed.
3. Optionally, you can select a geographical area of the City to further
refine your search either by selecting one of six broad areas in the pull-down
box or clicking on an area of the map of Philadelphia. Hint: do not select both
zipcode and an area of the city.
4. Click on "Search for Murals" to see your results.
5. The Mural Search Results window shows a map of the murals that meet your
criteria. Murals appear as orange boxes with their unique identifying numbers
and a list of murals meeting your criteria appears to the right of the map.
Click on "Go to Mural Search Summary" to see the details of each
mural. Select "Explore an Interactive Map" to see your mural search
results on a customizable, printable map (see Interactive Map Tools).
Back to Index
Map Murals by Address
1. Click on "Map Murals by Address" to bring up a window of the
same name.
2. Type in a street address complete with street number, direction and street
name; e.g. 210 S 34th St or 1515 Arch St.
3. Click on "View Map." This will return a map zoomed into the area
with murals denoted by blue squares and your selected address shown as a red
star.
4. Use the map tools defined below to zoom in or out, pan/recenter, identify
murals and see more details about them, and/or print the map (see Interactive
Map Tools).
5. Click on the "Add/Remove Layers" link to make changes to map
layers (see Interactive Map Tools).
Back to Index
MuralBase Feedback
Click on Feedback to bring up a Philadelphia muralBase Feedback form. Use
this form to report problems with the muralBase application or make a comment or
suggestion. Please describe your operation system information and the nature of
your problem in as much detail as possible. The form can be sent online or
printed and faxed to the address listed.
About muralBase
This document contains a more detailed description and background of
muralBase. Partnering organizations and relevant web sites are included.
MuralArts.org
Click this link to go to the MuralArts Program website, which opens in a
separate window.
Back to Index
III. Special Topics: Map Tools and Details Window
 zoom in: Click the zoom in button on the tool bar and move the mouse pointer
over the map display. Click once to zoom around a point. Alternatively, click
and drag a rectangle defining the area over which you want to zoom in.
 zoom out: Click the zoom out button on the tool bar and move the mouse
pointer over the map display. Click once to zoom around a point. Alternatively,
click and drag a rectangle defining the area over which you want to zoom out.
 move map: Click the move map button on the tool bar and click on a point in
the map to move or recenter it. Alternatively, click and drag the mouse to move
the map around the display area.
 identify mural: Click the identify mural button on the tool bar and click on
the blue square that represents a mural you'd like to learn more about. A
details window opens with more information about the mural.
 Print: Click on the printer icon on the tool bar to generate a printable map
in a new window. Print to your locally installed printer.
 Add/Remove Layers: This tool allows you to turn on and off several different
map layers. A map layer is a level of information in a map, like major streets
or rivers. The layers are shown by clicking on the Add/Remove Layers button in
the left section of the screen which brings up a "Change Map Layers"
window. Examples of map layers include Murals with Photos, Parks, Water,
Streets, Councilmanic Districts, NIS Neighborhoods, Schools (public, private and
charter), and Recreation Centers. Some of these layers allow labels to be shown
as well. Clicking on the "show" box next to the layer name adds this
layer to your map. Click "Apply Changes" to see your selections. Hint:
if you select the Murals with Photos layer, those murals will be shown on the
map as white stars outlined in black. Click on one of these stars to see mural
details, including photos.
Hint: Most layers are visible only at certain scales; for example, if you
have selected both public schools and their labels, the labels might not be
visible if you have zoomed out over a large area. Hint: Do not attempt to
display too many layers at one time as it will result in overcrowding of symbols
on the map.
Back to Index
Details Window
When you click on a specific mural on either a list or a map using the
"identify mural" tool, a new window will open that contains details
about that mural. The details window includes a locator map thumbnail, photos
(if available) and two tabs: mural and photo gallery. Click on a tab to activate
it. Click on a thumbnail photo to enlarge.
Mural Tab: This tab gives details about the individual mural including name, artists'
name(s), location, completion date, theme(s), and sponsor. The artist's name(s)
are hyperlinked to a profile of the artist that includes a self-description, a
commentary on murals, and a list of all the other murals painted by the same
artist.
Photo Gallery Tab: If you are viewing a mural with photos are available, the photo gallery
includes enlarged photographs of the murals. Some murals have shots of the
location before the mural was in place and some offer pictures of the mural
being produced. Not all murals have photographs yet; photos will be added as
they are made available by the Mural Arts Program.
Back to Index
Copyright Notice: ©2001-2009 Cartographic Modeling Laboratory.
All rights reserved.
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