Measurements

The Measurements tool lets you interactively calculate distances (lines) and areas (polygons) directly on the map without leaving the interface. It’s ideal for quick feasibility checks, planning, or validating spatial assumptions.

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Modes

Mode	Geometry Drawn	Output	Typical Uses
Length	Polyline (multi‑segment)	Total distance	Routing estimates, corridor widths, linear assets
Area	Polygon	Surface area	Site footprint, coverage zones, allocation planning

Both modes support multiple active measurements.

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Desktop Workflow

Measure Length

1. Open the Measurements tool.

2. Choose units (optional) from the Units dropdown.

3. Click Measure Length.

4. Click to place the first point; continue clicking to add segments.

5. Double‑click to finish (or press Enter while hovering the final vertex).

6. The total length label appears at the final vertex.

Measure Area

1. Open the Measurements tool.

2. Select units for area (e.g., m², km², ha) if needed.

3. Click Measure Area.

4. Click to add vertices; shape updates as you go.

5. Double‑click the last vertex to close the polygon.

6. The area label appears at the centroid.

Managing Multiple Measurements

Create several independent measurements; they remain until you click Clear Measurements or leave the map session.

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Mobile Workflow

1. Open the Measurements panel from the main menu.

2. Tap the mode (Length or Area).

3. Pan with one finger to position the crosshair; tap Add Point (or similar label) to place each vertex.

4. For Length: add segments until satisfied, then tap Finish (or double‑tap last point if supported).

5. For Area: add vertices; tap Finish to close and calculate.

6. Tap Clear to remove all, or start a new measurement directly.

Gesture	Action
Single tap	Add point / confirm final point
One‑finger drag	Pan map (re‑position crosshair)
Two‑finger pinch	Zoom map while composing

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Units & Precision

Measurement	Supported Units (examples)	Notes
Length	m, km, ft, mi	Switch before drawing to avoid confusion.
Area	m², km², ft², mi², Ha	Conversion recalculates instantly.

Precision is influenced by projection and zoom level. For high accuracy tasks (engineering grade), export geometry to a GIS for validation.

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Managing Measurements

Action	Description
Clear Measurements	Removes all current lines and polygons.

Measurements are ephemeral— they are not persisted to the database.

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Tips

Goal	Suggestion
Reduce clicks	Use longer segments unless path curvature matters.
Improve accuracy	Zoom in before placing vertices.
Compare scenarios	Create multiple measurements; screenshot if needed.
Avoid clutter	Clear occasionally to keep map legible.

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Resolution
Double‑click finishes too early	Extra click mis‑interpreted	Use single steady clicks; undo via re‑start.
Units not changing	Dropdown modified after draw	Switch units first or toggle mode to force refresh.
Hard to place points on mobile	Finger occludes location	Zoom in or use stylus if available.
Measurement disappears	Panel refreshed / map reloaded	Redraw; feature persistence is not supported.

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Accessibility

Input	Action
Keyboard (desktop)	Tab to tool, Enter to activate mode, Enter to place point (if supported), Esc to cancel current draw.
Screen Reader	Labels announce measurement totals; ensure map canvas receives focus first.

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Accurate measurement supports informed decisions—use it early to validate assumptions before committing to more detailed workflows.