Circle Tool
The Circle tool creates circular polygon shapes by defining a center point and radius. Circles are useful for service areas, buffer zones, broadcast ranges, and any radial coverage area.
How to Draw Circles
- Select a layer in the Layers panel (or create one)
- Click the Circle tool in the toolbar
- Click on the map to set the center point
- Move your cursor outward — you'll see a preview circle
- Click again to set the radius and complete the circle
Circle Representation
In GeoJSON format (used internally and for export), true circles don't exist. MapEdit approximates circles using polygons with many vertices:
- Circles are stored as 64-vertex polygons
- This provides a smooth appearance at all zoom levels
- The approximation is accurate for most purposes
- Exported circles maintain their smooth appearance
Because circles are actually polygons, they work with all polygon operations like buffer, union, and intersection.
Circle Styling
Circles have the same styling options as polygons:
- Fill Color — The interior color
- Fill Opacity — Transparency of the fill
- Stroke Color — The outline color
- Stroke Width — Outline thickness
Circle vs. Buffer
When should you use the Circle tool vs. the Buffer tool?
- Circle Tool — Quick visual circles at any location
- Buffer Tool — Precise distance-based zones around existing features
Use the Buffer tool when you need an exact distance (e.g., "500 meters from this point"). Use the Circle tool for quick, visual circular areas.
Use Cases
- Service coverage areas
- Broadcast or signal ranges
- Walking distance zones
- Proximity analysis areas
- Visual emphasis on locations