Advanced Search: Space
Space
Via the Gazetteer [environment] of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) in Dessau-Rosslau, InGrid-Portal analyses for every web page, which is made available by InGrid-Portal, the according spatial reference. This spatial reference is used in InGrid-Portal whithin the framework of the area search. Therefore, the area search is not, as in most other search engines, a full text search for spatial terms.
In the connected databases the area search takes place by browsing the area attributes entered there.
Restriction by Geographic Name
You can add geographical terms in a targeted way to your search term via conceptual area restriction. To do this you enter any term (e.g. Berlin) into the entry field and send a query to the gazetteer (Button Look-up Geographic Names). Thereby a query to the Geo-Thesaurus is started. You then receive a listing of Geographical Names, which you can add to the search term.
If you want further to specify your search term, click on a geographic name (e.g. Berlin country) in the result list. You then receive a list of Spatial Relations. These have a spatial relation to the original search result.
The Environmental Gazetteer Geo-Thesaurus-Umwelt
The environmental gazetteer Geo-Thesaurus-Umwelt is a component of the Semantic Network Service (SNS) of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt). SNS offers commen environmental terms in German and English. Currently the Geo-Thesaurus provides about 50,000 geographical objects.
Just like the place index of an atlas, the environment gazetteer depicts the names of communities, rivers, mountains, landscapes and other geographical objects in Germany. In so doing, the Geo-Thesaurus-Umwelt gives the exact spelling as well as the geographical position (coordinates) of a place.
Restricting by map
The search can be restricted spacially not only via terms but also by selecting a map section (bounding box). InGrid-Portal uses the Semantical Network Service to connect several spatial terms within the coordinates of a defined bounding box (e.g. cities or mountains). These terms can be considered within the search query.
Select bounding box
When you click on the button By Map (Advanced Search: Space), you will see a map of Germany within the map window. The button
Select area 
is active by
default. You define a bounding box by drawing a box while the left mouse button is pressed. The coordinates of the bounding box are shown on the
right side beneath the map window. With the button Add to Query you can use these information for your search query.
Select administrative unit
- Click on the button Select an ID of an administrative unit
- Click on a point in the map
- Activate in the dialog box Administrative unit an administrative unit and click afterwards on Add.
The unit ID is shown on the right side beneath the map window. With the button Add to Query you can use this information for your search query.
Spatial constraints
If you have chosen a map section you can select in which form the area restriction is to be used for the search. Here the following options are possible:
- The spatial footprint of the result is contained in the search area
- The spatial footprint of the result intersects the search area
- The spatial footprint of the result contains the search area.
Buttons above map window
Select area: Bounding box can be drawn by mouse.
Select ID of an administrative unit:
ID from the Semantic Network Service can be drawn by mouse.
Move map: After activating the button, klick with the left mouse button in the map, hold the button and pull it on the map.
Print: Generates a pdf file form the shown map.
Functions within map window
Within the map window you will find the following functions:
- Upper left corner: Bar to navigate within the map (zoome and move).
- Lower left corner: Scale bar and coordinates. The coordinates refers to the current position of the mouse within the shown map.
- Lower right corner: When you click the arrow, you will see an overview map.