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We are so glad you decided to join us in improving the Waze Map in West Virginia. Here are some things that will make your Map Editing experience a little easier (and hopefully more enjoyable). Click here for a recent Webinar Intro to Map Editing |
Introduction to Map Editing Webinar
Click here for an Introduction to Map Editing Webinar
WV Discord
We have created a channel on the Mid-Atlantic Server just for West Virginia. This channel is where you can go to interact and chat with fellow editors along with your Area and State Managers. It will give you good insight into the best practices and policies in regard to map editing plus give an easy, convenient way for editors to stay in touch, ask questions (any questions, we all started at Rank #1 at some point), request downlocks or review of your work and get Peer-to-Peer Mentoring.
If you are editing in West Virginia please join us on the Mid-Atlantic Discord Server. You can join easily with this link.
WME (Waze Map Editor) Settings
First thing in the Editor, Select the “gear” icon and enable the first two checkboxes:
Choose "North America only" for the Environment and "US English" for the Language.
Add Ins and Scripts
The Waze Community has created extensions and scripts to make editing a little easier and to help spot errors. The following extensions and scripts are highly recommended to be installed. Chrome is the recommended browser, but FireFox works as well.
Toolbox
This script will highlight some errors that are very common, especially with new editors. Go here to install: Toolbox
Once you have installed Toolbox, press the Toolbox Icon and select a minimum of the following options:
TamperMonkey
You will need to install a browser add-on to manage the additional scripts. Some scripts do not work with the current version of GreaseMonkey, so we recommend installation of TamperMonkey.
WME Validator
WME Validator validates a map area in Waze Map Editor, highlights issues, and generates a very detailed report with wiki references and how-tos.
WME Validator Localization for West Virginia is an add-on that provides additional checks specific to West Virginia. This add-on requires WME Validator to be installed and enabled.
Magic
Tool for highlighting additional errors. Please see Magic for installation information.
WV GIS map
WV GIS Map Opens a WV GIS map in another window, at the same location as the WME map. Keeps the location of the GIS map synced to WME. Note that this script may require creation of a free account.
WME Cities Overlay
WME Cities Overlay Provides outlines of CDPs in West Virginia
WME US Government Boundaries
WME US Government Boundaries Displays the County boundaries and the USPS boundaries for use in adding alt names to segments to aid in address searches.
WME GIS Layers
WME GIS Layers Adds GIS layers to WME for states and counties that provide a public ESRI/ArcGIS interface. Typically, these layers include tax parcels (often with address labels) and/or address points. Please use caution with these layers as information may be inconsistent due to the E911 changes in West Virginia. Use this chart as a reference for which Layers in the GIS Layers script are the most reliable for West Virginiaː
Additional Scripts
Not required but highly recommended. These are the ones we have found to be most useful for new editors; there are others you can browse and decide for yourself. Remember, you have to install TamperMonkey first prior to installing these scripts.
General
- WME Simple Permalink. Shortens WME permalinks by removing any layer and filter specifications.
User Reports
- If you are working on User Reports (UR), install WME URComments . UR Comments is a script designed to streamline the process of responding to Update Requests. It can autofill the comment box based on UR type, or you can manually choose from the list of responses, depending on your preference.
Places
- WME Place Harmonizer (WMEPH). Harmonizes, formats and locks a selected place. Also for Chains, please Submit New Chain Data for any that are not in the database.
- WME Place Interface Enhancements (WME PIE). Modifies the interface to provide additional functionality for Places.
Roads/Segments
- Junction Angle Info. This script helps with junction maintenance. If two connected segments are selected, it shows the turn angle, and estimates navigation instructions. Otherwise it shows the the angle between each segment.
- WME HN Navpoints. Shows the navigation points of all House Numbers (HN), including whether they have been touched by an editor or have been forced.
More Scripts
More scripts and installation instructions for various browsers can be found here: Scripts Wazeopedia and WME script list.
There is also a forum for discussion of the Add-ons, Extensions, and Scripts.
Wiki Pages
Map editing may seem intimidating at first; it's not and everyone here started at the same point you are. The Waze community has come up with guidelines and put them into a Wiki. These are some that will get you started; as you edit, there will be more of these to review.
- Welcome
- Map Edits to Avoid
- Best Map Editing Practice
- Places
- Road types
- Waze Glossary
- West Virginia Wiki
Permalink (PL)
An URL, aka a browser link, (http://...) that shows the map with the same view as the user who created the Permalink (PL). Location, zoom, layers, and selected segments will be the same. You can find the icon for the PL in the lower right corner of the WME screen (two chains linked together). When the mouse is hovered over the icon, press Control-C to copy the Permalink to the clipboard (or right-click it and choose copy). You can then paste the PL into Discord, an e-mail, or forum message so others can access and view what you are seeing.
Formatting the Permalink (PL)
Zoom In! Selecting a PL at the widest extent (Zoom=0) will not enable the editor who may grant your request to select anything. Setting a zoom level = 3 or higher is generally effective in generating the view required for a senior editor to select the segments. If necessary, break up your PL into multiple requests.
Downlock and Uplock Requests
You will find as a beginning editor that some segments or roads are "locked" above your Rank. In order to work on those, you will need to request a "downlock" to your rank. A downlock request can made in the WV Discord channel. Be patient as Senior Editors are often in dozens of different channels, handling issues for dozens of fellow editors. The request, in order to set a good example for other editors and not spread bad habits to newer editors, should be constructed as follows:
Downlock Lx-Ly, "Location", "Reason", PL
Lx = Current Lock Level Ly = Proposed Lock Level Location = Closest City or County or other location description for where the request is being requested. Such as Morgantown, Raleigh County, I-77 etc. Reason = Whatever Reason for the request. Examples include Speed Limits (SL), Elevation, Geometry, etc. PL = Permalink to the segment(s) that you need downlocked.
Be Patient and say Please!
Finished Example:
Downlock Please L5-L2. Huntington. SLs, Elevation. http://www.waze.com/editor/?env=usa&lon=-82.42197&lat=38.39253&zoom=5&segments=65476746
Uplock Requests
Upon finishing your editing, create another PL with the segments needed to Uplock to the Minimum Lock Standard. Use the format Uplock Lx-Ly "PL". This needs to be done because the senior editor who will perform the uplock may be using a mobile device, is reviewing multiple requests, and/or is in multiple Discord channels or it's a different senior editor. Furthermore, if you add a junction node for a speed limit, add a Parking Lot Road (PLR), or merge segments, it may/will create new segment IDs and those will not be the same as the original downlock request.
If you have different lock levels; for example freeway (FW) at L5, ramps at L4 and Minor Highway (mh) at L3, break your uplock request into separate PLs for each lock level needed.
If for any reason the original lock level was higher than the Minimum Lock Standard (for example: a mH at L5 instead of the minimum level, L3), ask if they still need to be uplocked back to that original higher level or can be set to the minimums before you request the uplocks. There are a multitude of reasons for this to occur and it's your responsibility to reset those back to the desired levels.