SimplyMap Tip: Creating a Custom Location
Custom Locations allow SimplyMap users to combine several locations into one larger region. For example, you can use this feature to combine three adjacent ZIP Codes to create your study area.
In this example, we will take a look at neighborhoods (at the block group level) surrounding a university in Chicago.
To get started creating your custom location from the map, use the i-tool and select a location. There will be a drop down to “Add to Combination” with an option to “Create New Combination”.
This will open up a box to create your combination. Enter a name, and Save.
Once saved, your combination location will be available to have additional locations added to it. To add more locations, use the i-tool over a location once more, and select “Add to Combination” while choosing the combination that was just created.
Repeat this process with all locations you would like to include. Selecting the locations panel, and going to “Custom” will allow you to access your new location.
Below is a map representing the new custom location.
One of the additional features of creating a custom location, is that this location can be utilized throughout your reports. SimplyMap will combine the data from each individual location, and present the total for the combined custom location.
Method #2
The second method of creating a custom combination does not require the user to have the location in a recent or favorites, as described above.
1. Go to locations, and select your geography.
2. Check the box for Custom Location, as shown below:
3. Select "Combination Location" (by default the Radius Location will be checked)
4. If you don't already have a custom area, select "Create Combination" and give the target area a name, as shown below:
5. Save
6. Now you can select the drop down of locations and add them into your new custom combination that you created.
When you're ready to use your new location, select "Use This Combination"
Stay tuned for more SimplyMap tips and tricks! And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @SimplyMap.
More from SimplyAnalytics
Posted on Nov 29, 2009 by Admin
The ALA 2010 Midwinter Meeting will be held on January 15-19, 2010 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. (Note that this is not the Hynes Convention Center). Geographic Research...
Posted on Feb 17, 2015 by Admin
Our recent trip to Chicago exhibiting at the ALA Midwinter Meeting inspired this week’s SimplyMap blog post. Today, we’re going to demonstrate how to use business points in SimplyMap to a...
Posted on Jul 30, 2015 by Admin
One great feature within SimplyMap is the ability to track the same variable across multiple years. In this report, we will track the percentage of households in the US ordering items fro...
Posted on Mar 09, 2010 by Admin
The GRI team will be exhibiting at the 2010 Public Library Association conference later this month at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR. The PLA National Conference is the prem...
Posted on Jun 27, 2009 by Admin
The library faculty at Regent University in Virginia recently spotlighted SimplyMap in their Library Faculty Recommendations blog, highlighting its powerful ability to create professional...
Posted on Jul 09, 2009 by Admin
The American Library Association 2009 Annual Conference will take place in Chicago, IL from July 9- July 15, 2009 at McCormick Place West located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL. ...
Posted on Sep 08, 2016 by Admin
One of our favorite uses of SimplyMap is to find data that validates our general assumptions and observations. For example, in a previous blog we wrote about the growth of tablet ownershi...
Posted on Oct 08, 2008 by Admin
Geographic Research, Inc. (GRI) is pleased to sponsor the fourth annual American Collegiate Retailing Association’s Undergraduate Student Retail Analysis Competition. This is the second ...
Posted on May 25, 2010 by Admin
The American Library Association 2010 Annual Conference is coming and the GRI team is gearing up for another great event this summer. We will be in Washington, D.C. again this year, June ...
Posted on Jan 12, 2020 by Admin
Happy New Year! SimplyAnalytics will be exhibiting at the ALA Midwinter meeting, held this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia on January 24th-27th. If you attend, ...








