Handbook GeoAtrium

1. The Interactive Map

Map Navigation

• Zoom: Use the mouse wheel or +/- buttons. On touch devices: pinch gesture.
• Pan: Click and drag with the mouse. On touch devices: swipe with one finger.
• My Location: Click "My Location" to jump to your current position (requires location permission).

Map Types

Choose between different map views:

• OSM: OpenStreetMap vector map from our own map server (© OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles)
• Topo: Topographic map with contour lines and hillshade (our own map server, © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles, © ESA Copernicus)
• Minimal: Light, subtle vector map (our own map server, © OpenStreetMap contributors, © OpenMapTiles)
• Satellit: Aerial and satellite imagery

POI Markers

Places are displayed as round markers:

• Markers with image: Show the main image of the place
• Red numbered circles: Multiple places grouped – click to zoom in
• Click on a marker to open a popup with details
• Multiple places at the same point are displayed side by side from zoom level 14

Right-Click Menu

Right-click on the map to copy coordinates or create a new place.

The map on your phone

On small screens the map takes up most of the space. Search, filters and the results list are not shown permanently there but are tucked behind a button:

• Tap “Search & filter” (with the number of places found) to open search, category filters and the list of places in a window. Tapping a result closes the window and flies to the place.
• In portrait the button appears at the bottom centre above “My location”; in landscape at the top right below the layer switcher. On tablets in landscape and on a computer, search and filters stay next to the map as usual.

2. Customize Design

Light/Dark Mode

Click the sun/moon icon to switch between light and dark design.

Change Language

Choose your language via the flag icons. Available: German, English, Swedish, French, Spanish, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Italian, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Finnish, Romanian, Russian, Greek, Turkish, Ukrainian, Icelandic, Czech, Slovak, Serbian, Slovenian, Croatian, Bulgarian, Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian.

On smaller screens the language selector is a menu: tap the flag with the arrow and pick the desired language from the list.

3. Discover Places

List View

Under "All Places" you will find all registered places and routes as a clear card gallery.

• Preview image
• Category badge (e.g. Nature, Restaurant, Sight)
• Name and short description
• Attributes like "Dogs allowed", "Accessible", etc.

Detail View

Click "Details" to see the full description, all images and GPX tracks.

4. Search and Filter

Text Search

Enter a search term to find places by name or description.

Category Filter

Filter by categories:

Attribute Filter

Enable advanced filters for specific requirements:

• Dogs allowed: Dog-friendly places
• Barrier-free: Wheelchair accessible
• Parking: Parking available
• Free entry: No entrance fee
• Playground: Playground nearby available

5. User Account

Registration

To create places yourself, you need a user account. Click "Register".

• Username (3-50 characters)
• Valid email address
• Secure password (min. 12 characters)

After registration, you will receive a confirmation email.

Login

Log in with your email address or username and password.

Forgot Password?

Click "Forgot Password?" and enter your email address.

6. Create New Place

Step by Step

1. Choose Position: Click "+ New Place" or right-click on the map.
2. Enter Basic Data: Enter name, description and category.
3. Set Coordinates: Drag the marker to the exact position.
4. Set Attributes: Enable applicable attributes (Dogs allowed, Accessible, etc.).
5. Upload Images: Upload up to 10 images. The first image will be used as the main image.
6. Save: Click "Save". The place will be published after moderation.

7. GPX Tracks and Routes

What are GPX Tracks?

GPX is a standard for GPS data. Hiking routes or bike tours can be uploaded as GPX files.

Upload GPX

When creating a place, you can upload GPX files. The route will be displayed on the map.

View GPX

Routes are automatically displayed on the map. You can also download the route.

8. Draw map layers

With certain plans you can draw your own map layers directly on the map — points, lines (e.g. routes and trails) and areas (e.g. zones). The result is saved as your own layer and shown on the map. This function is distinct from and completely separate from the geo-layers (reserved for instances).

How to start

There are two ways to the drawing page:

1. On the map: click the “✏️ Draw map layer” button in the sidebar.
2. In the dashboard: open the “My map layers” tile and click “Draw map layer” there.

Drawing tools

Pick a tool at the top, then click on the map to place the points:

• Point: single markers (e.g. stations).
• Line: a path with several points (e.g. a route). Double-click to finish.
• Area: a region (polygon). Click the corners one by one, double-click to close.

“Undo” removes the last drawn object, “Clear all” removes the whole drawing. You can collect several objects in one layer before saving.

Use the switcher in the top right (OSM / Topo / Minimal / Satellite) to choose the background map while drawing.

Name, category and colors

• Layer name: the name is also shown as a label on the map.
• Category: free text — type your own category (e.g. “fishing spots”), suggestions are offered.
• Line and fill color as well as opacity and line width: changes are shown immediately in the preview on the map.

Visibility

Each drawn layer is either private or public:

• Private: only you see the layer on the map — your own workspace.
• Public: the layer is visible to all visitors of the map. Whether you may publish publicly depends on your plan; if it is not included, the layer stays private.

Saving

After “Save layer” you return to the map and your drawn layer appears as a colored overlay with its label.

Manage, edit, download

Under “My map layers” (in the dashboard) you manage your drawn layers:

• Edit: change name, category, visibility and colors — and edit the geometry itself (move vertices, draw more, delete).
• Download: export the layer as a GeoJSON file.
• Delete: remove a whole drawn layer again.

Downloading and exporting

You can download your drawn layers as a file — individually or several together:

• Single layer: “Download” on a layer (in the list or the edit window) gives you exactly that layer as a GeoJSON file.
• Multiple layers: “Download multiple” at the top of the “My map layers” page packs several layers into a single file — either all layers together or only the layers of one geometry type (point, line or area layers only).

When selecting by type, a layer is only included if all of its objects have that type. Mixed layers appear only under “All layers”.

The bulk download offers two formats:

• GeoJSON: the complete, lossless map format — can be read directly into GIS software (e.g. QGIS).
• CSV: a table with one row per object (columns: layer, type, geometry as WKT and your properties) — handy for spreadsheet programs such as Excel.

9. Images and Copyright

Image Rights for Uploads

When uploading images, you must confirm that you have the necessary rights. Only use your own photos or images for which you have a usage license.

• Only upload images that you have created yourself or for which you have an explicit usage license.
• You guarantee that you have all necessary rights to the uploaded content.

Image review

Depending on the administrator's decision, images at public places are either visible immediately or released only after a check. In both cases, however, they are reviewed by a moderator. Images that fail the check are blocked.

Images at strictly private places are seen only by the person who uploaded them – they are not reviewed, because nobody should have to look through other people's private photos. As soon as you share a place or make it public, however, these images are submitted to moderation, including those uploaded earlier. Because from the moment others can see these images, victim protection takes precedence over privacy.

Report Images

If you discover an image that may be copyrighted or violates our terms of service, you can report it using the "Report" button. We carefully review every report.

10. Sharing, Recommending and Referrals

Share interesting places with friends and family through various channels.

The recommend button

In the detail view of a place you will find the "Recommend" button. Click it to see the available sharing options.

Sharing options

• Email: Opens your email program with a pre-filled link to the place.
• WhatsApp: Share the place directly via WhatsApp.
• Telegram: Send the link via Telegram.
• Signal: Share via the secure Signal messenger.
• Threema: Send the link via Threema.
• Facebook: Share the place on Facebook.
• X (Twitter): Post the place on X.
• Copy link: Copies the direct link to your clipboard for manual pasting.

Share places with friends

Besides external sharing, you can also share places directly with other members of the platform. Go to the member area and use the friends feature.

11. Reporting Content

If you encounter problematic content, you can report it to our moderation team. We take all reports seriously and review them carefully.

Reporting Images

In the detail view of a location, you can report individual images:

1. Open the detail view of a location
2. Click the flag icon below the image
3. Select a reason for the report from the dropdown menu
4. Optional: Provide additional details about the report
5. Click "Submit Report"

Reasons for Image Reports

• Copyright violation: The image was used without permission from the copyright holder
• Inappropriate content: The image contains offensive, violent, or illegal content
• Spam or advertising: The image contains unwanted advertising or spam
• Other: Other violations of the terms of service

Reporting Locations

You can also report entire locations if they are problematic:

1. Open the detail view of the location
2. Click "Report Abuse" (flag icon)
3. Select a reason for the report
4. Describe the issue (optional)
5. Submit the report

Reasons for Location Reports

• Spam or advertising: The location serves only advertising purposes
• Inappropriate content: Offensive or illegal content
• Incorrect information: The information about the location is false or misleading
• Copyright violation: The content violates copyrights
• Other: Other violations

Processing of Reports

Our moderation team reviews all incoming reports. Depending on the severity of the violation, the following measures are taken:

• Marking as "Under Review" during processing
• Warning to the creator for minor violations
• Removal of content for confirmed violations
• Account suspension for severe or repeated violations

12. Member Area

In the dashboard, you manage your places, friends and shared content.

My Areas

As a member, you can create places in three different categories:

My Friends

Under "My Friends" you can see all people with whom you share places or who have shared places with you.

• Invite friends via email and select places to share
• Share more places with existing friends using the "Share More" button
• Set permissions: "View" or "Edit"

13. Installing the app

GeoAtrium can be installed like an app — straight from your browser, without an app store. On smartphone, tablet and computer. Afterwards you open the map via its own icon in full screen, and maps and places you've already visited work even without an internet connection.

Benefits of the app

• Its own icon on your home screen — one tap and the map is there.
• Full screen without the browser bar, like a real app.
• Works offline: maps and places you've already visited work without internet.
• Always up to date — no store updates needed.

How to install the app

• Android (Chrome): Open the browser menu and choose “Install app” or “Add to Home Screen” — or tap the install hint that appears by itself.
• iPhone/iPad (Safari): Tap “Share” at the bottom, then “Add to Home Screen”.
• Computer (Chrome/Edge): Click the install icon in the address bar or choose “Install” in the menu — GeoAtrium then opens as its own window.

14. Enquiries (questions, suggestions, criticism)

Questions, suggestions, criticism and bug reports all arrive in one place. Every enquiry gets a number, a history and an owner — so nothing gets lost and nobody works on the same thing twice.

How to reach us

There are three ways — all end up in the same system:

• Feedback button: Bottom right on every page (when you are signed in). Choose what it is about — suggestion, criticism, bug or question — and write. The page you are on is sent along automatically; that helps us reproduce a bug.
• Contact form: Via the “Contact” menu item — no account needed. You receive a confirmation with your enquiry number.
• Email: Write directly to support@geo-image.eu. Your mail is recorded as an enquiry automatically.

How you receive our reply

The reply arrives by email. Simply reply to it — your answer is attached to the same enquiry automatically, there is nothing to watch out for. If you are signed in you can also see the whole history under “My account → My enquiries” and reply there directly.

15. Contact and Support

If you have questions, problems or suggestions, the following contact options are available:

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