Ushahidi Cooker for Newscoop - New Template Pack

We have just released a new template pack, called the Ushahidi Cooker, in our template section. The Ushahidi Cooker is dedicated to show the full potential of mapping and geolocation in Newscoop. Besides providing maps with multiple POIs (points of interest), it also delivers valid KML-Feeds - a standardised XML file used by Google Maps and for Ushahidi Layers. The Template Pack is called Ushahidi Cooker, because Ushahidi sites can now use Newscoop as a platform to develop and manage layers for their site (see below for details).

Installation of the Ushahidi Cooker

Follow this link to the official page on “How to Install Sample Template Packs”. You can also follow the instructions given in the following screencast.

Installing Sample Template Packs in Newscoop. Using Ushahidi Cooker in this screencast (v3.5) from Sourcefabric on Vimeo.

Creating and displaying maps in the Ushahidi Cooker

Creating maps is really simple - but of course we would say that. If you don’t believe us, watch the following screencast which guides you through the process of login in, creating an article with a new map, adding POIs (points of interest) and give contextual information which is being displayed on the map if and when a reader clicks on a POI.

Newscoop CMS: Creating maps and locations (Ushahidi Cooker template, NS v3.5) from Sourcefabric on Vimeo.

Creating Ushahidi layers from Ushahidi Cooker

The following video is dedicated to illustrate the way in which the Ushahidi Cooker can improve your Ushahidi site. Ushahidi Layers have immense potential but are rarely used on Ushahidi sites. Using layers, you can provide points of interest on top of your Ushahidi map, for example providing locations of hospitals on a crisis map (see video tutorial below). The reason that layers are not used to their full potential lies in the fact that they require a special XML file, a Geographic Data Feed in KML format.

Creating Ushahidi Layers with Newscoop (v3.5) from Sourcefabric on Vimeo.

Newscoop provides a solution and saves you the time to research the technical part of the layers feature any further. The Ushahidi Cooker template pack for Newscoop allows you to prepare and edit maps, order them in sections and locations. And when needed, copy and paste the KML-feed from Newscoop straight into your Ushahidi map. Using Newscoop, you can build a stock of maps for your publication. Running Newscoop and Ushahidi parallel allows you to have a fully fledged open CMS for journalists (Newscoop) combined with the report driven map of Ushahidi.

The video tutorials show the Ushahidi Cooker in action. Covering the entire process, the installation in Newscoop, creating maps and adding layers in Ushahidi, the total running time is roughly 17 minutes, so it is really very straight forward and intuitive.

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