CartoDB’s new open source Odyssey.js tool makes it easy to create interactive maps without coding

Cloud-based mapping service CartoDB has released a beta version of a new tool, Odyssey.js, that lets you create interactive maps in Markdown without knowing how to code.

The open source tool lets you choose from three interface templates: slide, scrolling and timeline. You’ll then use a Markdown sandbox to specify different places and events in your story, as well as add content, such as text or images.

When you’re ready to share, you can embed the map as an iFrame, grab a custom URL, or download the source. If you do know how to code, CartoDB has included a JavaScript library so developers can dig deeper.

Odyssey.js was funded by the Knight Foundation as part of the Knight Prototype Fund for “early-stage media and information ideas.”