Real-time collaborative maps on MapHub

The most requested feature since launching MapHub has been adding collaborative maps. As of today, this is now possible!

Collaborative editing is one of the most powerful features of online tools, allowing multiple users to edit the same document together. There is a big problem though, making it possible for multiple users to edit the same document at the same time is really difficult.

For example, WordPress gives you this warning, when you are trying to edit a post that is edited by someone else:

In MapHub I didn’t want to implement a similar “limited” collaborative editing but felt the right way to do this is to allow users to edit together maps in real-time.

Real-time editing

What does this mean? How does it look in practice?

1. The first step is to register on MapHub with multiple accounts. Say Alice is the owner of a map and would like to collaborate with Bob and Cecil. She asks Bob and Cecil to register on MapHub.
2. Then Alice invites Bob and Cecil by clicking on the new Collaborate button.

3. After saving the map, Bob and Cecil will see the map showing up on their “My Maps” page.

4. By opening the map, they’ll go into real-time collaborative mode. If the real-time connection is working, a small green dot appears in the top right corner of the Save button.

5. Now the pure magic part: everything they do will show up on each other’s screen, in real-time. For example, what about a game of tic-tac-toe?

This works with different devices, across different networks equally well. For example, one user might be in the office on a desktop computer, while a colleague is in the field using a mobile phone or tablet, their devices will be synchronized!

Save often, and in case you made any mistakes, there is always the possibility to revert using the “Version history” button.

Try it out!

Have a try at collaborative maps on MapHub! As of today, collaborative editing is enabled for all MapHub accounts!

Please report your findings, if you found any bugs or encountered any problems. You can always reach me on the forum or by email.

You can follow MapHub updates on Twitter, Facebook, or here on Medium.

Zsolt