Map Generator Skill

This skill creates interactive Leaflet maps as MicroSims for intelligent textbooks built with MkDocs Material theme.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when users request:

• Geographic visualizations (regions, countries, cities)
• Location-based data displays (historical sites, landmarks)
• Campus or facility maps
• Travel route visualizations
• Custom maps with markers, layers, or highlighted borders
• Educational geography content

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Map Requirements

Ask the user for the following information:

1. Map Purpose: What geographic data are we visualizing?
2. Geographic Region: Region name, country, city, or coordinates
3. Markers/Points: What locations need markers? (names, coordinates, descriptions)
4. Map Layers: Do you need multiple layers (satellite, terrain, street map)?
5. Borders/Regions: Do any borders or regions need to be highlighted?
6. Zoom Level: Initial zoom level (1-18, where 1 is world view, 18 is building level)
7. Interactive Features: Popups, custom markers, layer controls?
8. Educational Context: Related concepts, Bloom's taxonomy level, target audience

Example user input: "Create a map showing major universities in California with markers for each campus"

Step 2: Create Directory Structure

Create the MicroSim directory:

docs/sims/[map-name]/

Naming convention: Use kebab-case (e.g., california-universities, ancient-rome-map, world-capitals)

Step 3: Create map-data.json (Optional)

If the map includes markers or GeoJSON data, create a map-data.json file:

{
  "center": {
    "lat": 37.7749,
    "lng": -122.4194
  },
  "zoom": 10,
  "title": "Map Title",
  "subtitle": "Map Subtitle",
  "markers": [
    {
      "lat": 37.7749,
      "lng": -122.4194,
      "title": "Location Name",
      "description": "Location description",
      "category": "category-name"
    }
  ]
}

For borders/regions: Use GeoJSON format for complex geometries.

Step 4: Create main.html

Create main.html using the template from assets/template-iframe-main.html:

Key elements:

• Leaflet CDN links (CSS and JS)
• Map container div with id="map"
• Optional controls section for layer toggles
• Script reference to script.js
• Minimal padding/margins for iframe embedding

Replace placeholders:

• {{TITLE}} - Map title
• {{SUBTITLE}} - Map subtitle
• {{MAP_HEIGHT}} - Map container height (default: 400px)

Step 5: Create style.css

Create style.css using the template from assets/template-iframe-style.css:

Critical requirements for iframe embedding:

• body { margin: 0; padding: 0; } - No body margins
• Minimal margins throughout (2px max for headings)
• Fixed height for #map container
• Responsive breakpoints for mobile
• aliceblue background (repository standard)

Customization options:

• Map height (adjust based on content needs)
• Control button styling
• Marker popup styling

Step 6: Create script.js

Create script.js using the template from assets/template-script.js:

Core functionality:

1. Initialize Leaflet map with center coordinates and zoom level
2. Add tile layer (OpenStreetMap default, or custom)
3. Add markers with popups
4. Optional: Add GeoJSON layers for borders/regions
5. Optional: Add layer controls for toggling map types

Replace placeholders:

• {{CENTER_LAT}}, {{CENTER_LNG}} - Map center coordinates
• {{ZOOM}} - Initial zoom level
• {{MARKERS}} - Marker data array
• {{TILE_LAYER}} - Tile layer URL (OpenStreetMap, satellite, etc.)

Common tile layers:

• OpenStreetMap: https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
• Satellite: https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}
• Terrain: https://{s}.tile.opentopomap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png

Step 7: Create index.md

Create index.md using the template from assets/template-index.md:

Structure:

• Title and overview
• iframe embed (width="100%", height="700", frameborder="0")
• Link to fullscreen view
• Features section (interactive elements)
• Customization guide (how to modify the map)
• Technical details (library version, dependencies)
• Use cases
• References

iframe embed format:

<iframe src="main.html" width="100%" height="700" frameborder="0"></iframe>

[View Fullscreen](main.html){:target="_blank"}

Step 8: Create metadata.json

Create metadata.json using the template from assets/template-metadata.json:

Dublin Core fields:

• title, description, subject, creator, date, type, format, language
• coverage, rights, audience

Map-specific fields:

• map_type: "interactive", "choropleth", "route", etc.
• center_lat, center_lng: Center coordinates
• zoom_level: Initial zoom level
• marker_count: Number of markers
• concepts: Array of related concepts
• bloom_taxonomy: Cognitive level (Remember, Understand, Apply, etc.)

Step 9: Update mkdocs.yml Navigation

Add the new map to the navigation in mkdocs.yml:

nav:
  - MicroSims:
      - Introduction: sims/index.md
      - [Map Name]: sims/[map-name]/index.md

Naming: Use Title Case for navigation labels

Step 10: Test and Validate

Perform these validation steps:

1. Direct HTML test: Open docs/sims/[map-name]/main.html in browser
   - Verify map loads correctly
   - Test zoom and pan controls
   - Click markers to verify popups
   - Test responsive behavior (resize window)

2. MkDocs test: Run mkdocs serve and navigate to the map page
   - Verify iframe embedding works
   - Check margins/padding (should be minimal)
   - Test fullscreen link
   - Verify navigation link works

3. Browser compatibility: Test in Chrome, Firefox, Safari

4. Mobile test: Verify responsive behavior on mobile devices

Common Map Patterns

Simple Marker Map

Basic map with multiple markers:

const markers = [
  { lat: 40.7128, lng: -74.0060, title: "New York", description: "The Big Apple" },
  { lat: 34.0522, lng: -118.2437, title: "Los Angeles", description: "City of Angels" }
];

markers.forEach(marker => {
  L.marker([marker.lat, marker.lng])
    .bindPopup(`<b>${marker.title}</b><br>${marker.description}`)
    .addTo(map);
});

Highlighted Region (GeoJSON)

Show a highlighted border or region:

const region = {
  "type": "Feature",
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Polygon",
    "coordinates": [[...]]
  }
};

L.geoJSON(region, {
  style: { color: 'red', weight: 3, fillOpacity: 0.2 }
}).addTo(map);

Layer Controls

Toggle between map types:

const street = L.tileLayer('https://{s}.tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png');
const satellite = L.tileLayer('https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}');

const baseMaps = {
  "Street": street,
  "Satellite": satellite
};

L.control.layers(baseMaps).addTo(map);
street.addTo(map); // Default layer

Custom Marker Icons

Use custom icons for different categories:

const universityIcon = L.icon({
  iconUrl: 'university-icon.png',
  iconSize: [32, 32],
  iconAnchor: [16, 32],
  popupAnchor: [0, -32]
});

L.marker([lat, lng], { icon: universityIcon }).addTo(map);

Educational Considerations

Bloom's Taxonomy Alignment

• Remember: Identify locations on a map
• Understand: Explain geographic relationships
• Apply: Use maps for problem-solving (routes, distances)
• Analyze: Compare geographic patterns
• Evaluate: Assess geographic data quality
• Create: Design custom maps for specific purposes

Accessibility

• Ensure marker popups have descriptive text
• Provide text alternatives for visual information
• Use high-contrast colors for highlighted regions
• Include keyboard navigation support

Performance

• Limit markers to <100 for optimal performance
• Use marker clustering for large datasets:
  javascript const markers = L.markerClusterGroup(); markers.addLayer(L.marker([lat, lng])); map.addLayer(markers);

Troubleshooting

Map not displaying

• Check that Leaflet CDN links are correct
• Verify #map div has a fixed height in CSS
• Ensure coordinates are in decimal format (not DMS)

Markers not appearing

• Verify latitude/longitude order (lat first, lng second)
• Check that coordinates are within valid ranges (-90 to 90 lat, -180 to 180 lng)
• Ensure markers are added after map initialization

Iframe not fitting properly

• Verify body { margin: 0; padding: 0; } in CSS
• Check iframe height in index.md (adjust if needed)
• Ensure container has minimal margins

References

• Leaflet Documentation
• Leaflet Tutorials
• OpenStreetMap Tile Usage Policy
• GeoJSON Format Specification

Version History

• v1.0 (2025-01-16): Initial release with basic marker maps, layer controls, and GeoJSON support