Draw New Features
Use the Draw button 
to draw new features on the map. A feature is a point, polyline, or area on the map that has attributes associated with it such as size, year installed, etc. A fire hydrant is an example of a point feature.
Points, Lines, Areas
There is an option in Layer Settings that dictates what types of geometry are allowed on each layer. Therefore, some of the buttons described below may not appear on your draw toolbar depending on which layer you have selected to draw on.
Layer List
The list of layers shown on the Draw New Features toolbar only lists those layers that you have permission to edit. Layer editing permissions are setup on the Layer Settings screen and can only be set by a map manager. To create a new layer to draw on go to Layers and then click Add. It is a common problem that people will start drawing things without paying any attention to what layer they have selected. Don't be one of those people.
To draw a point feature
First select the layer you want to draw on. Then click the Point button 
. Next click on the map where your new point feature is to be located. A blank feature form will appear for you to fill in. Enter as much or as little information as you want to record at this time and then click the "Add" button to finish.
To draw a polyline feature
First select the layer you want to draw on. Then, click the Draw button . Next click on the starting point of the line. Then, click one or more additional points tracing the path of the line. After clicking the final point of your polyline, click the Done Button 
. A blank feature form will appear for you to fill in. Enter as much or as little information as you want to record at this time and then click the "Add" button to finish. When drawing lines that have a direction associated with them, such a gravity fed sewers, try to always draw your lines in the direction of the flow. Doing so will make it meaningful to use the arrow line style if you should ever choose to do so.
To draw an area featur (ie. polygon)
First select the layer you want to draw on. Then click the Area button 
. Next click on some point along the permitter of your new area. Then trace the complete permitter of your area by clicking additional points along that path. After clicking your last point click the Done Button feature form will appear for you to fill in. Enter as much or as little information as you want to record at this time and then click the "Add" button to finish.
To draw a point feature using GPS
See here for instructions on how to mark a point using GPS/GNSS.
To draw a circle
First, select the layer you want to draw on. Then, click the Circle button 
. Next click on a point on the map that marks the center of the circle. Next a screen will appear prompting you to enter the circle's radius and geometry type. The types of geometry allowed are limited by the types of geometry your layer allows. See 'Points, Lines, Areas' paragraph at top of this page.
To add a geometry-less feature
If your advanced layer settings specify that neither points, lines, or areas are allowed on a layer. Then, a special button 
will be included on the draw menu letting you add features that have no geometry. This allows you to create a feature by filling in all the field values but you will not be prompted to mark a location on the map. Applications for records like this might include listing employees, vehicles, or other assets that are not tied to any location.
To draw a grid
The grid button can be used to draw a rectangle or a grid or rectangles. This button only appears on the draw bar when you have a layer selected that accepts area type features. This tool is commonly used for drawing cemetery lots. To draw a grid of rectangles first select a layer on the draw toolbar. Next specify the number of rows and columns to include in your grid. Also specify the width and height of each cell in the grid. Next use your mouse to position the yellow box on the screen by clicking and dragging. This box represents the location that you want to place the grid. To rotate the grid either click and drag on the rotate button next to the grid, or enter a specific rotation angle on the setup screen. You can resize the overall grid by clicking and dragging on the corners. Note that when you resize the grid corners it will change the row height and column width parameters.
Zooming
Make sure you zoomed in close enough to precisely locate your feature before drawing. If you are new to drawing on the map we recommend that you zoom the map to the location of your new feature before starting any of the drawing steps described above. It is possible, and sometimes necessary, to zoom and pan while in the middle of a drawing task but it's easier to do so before you start drawing.
Snaps
While drawing, when you move the mouse near a feature already drawn on the map you will see a small square or diamond appear. These are drawing aids called "snaps". The appearance of a snap is the map's way of saying, "I assume you want this new point to exactly align with this existing geometry". A diamond indicates that you are touching a line and a square indicates that you are touching a point or vertex. Snaps are your friend - use them! However, there may be times where you want to pick a point near another point and the snap is preventing you from doing so. In this case, hold down the shift key on the keyboard to temporarily disable snapping.
Availability
Newly drawn features are instantly stored on the cloud server and will appear in the feature table on the browse screen. The new feature will also be synced to other users displays in about 60 seconds.
Adjustments
If your drawing doesn't look as clean as you had hoped don't delete the feature and draw it again. Instead see the adjust points topic for instructions on how to move individual points after the feature is drawn. You can also break a previously drawn polyline in two by clicking on the line and then selecting "Break Polyline" from the action menu.
Other Notes
- See also the Import tools for bringing in layers that other people have already drawn.
- See the Add/Remove Fields screen to change which text fields are collected each time you add a new feature.
- If drawing feature in the field on your tablet make sure GPS tracking is turned on so that you can more quickly determine your current location on the map.