Overview

MapEdit provides a comprehensive set of drawing tools for creating geographic features. Each tool is designed for a specific type of geometry, from simple point markers to complex freehand shapes. Select a tool from the toolbar on the left side of the editor, or use the keyboard shortcut shown in parentheses.

• Point (P) — Add markers to specific locations with a single click
• Line (L) — Draw paths, routes, and linear features by placing vertices
• Polygon (G) — Create filled areas with any number of vertices
• Rectangle (R) — Quick rectangular shapes aligned to the map
• Circle (C) — Create circular areas by clicking the center and dragging to set the radius
• Freehand (F) — Draw shapes by clicking and dragging freely across the map

Additional tools in the toolbar:

• Select (V) — Click features to select, move, or edit their vertices
• Delete (D) — Click any feature to remove it from the map

Most tools follow the same basic workflow:

• Select a drawing tool from the toolbar or press its keyboard shortcut
• Click on the map to place vertices (for lines and polygons)
• Double-click to finish a multi-vertex shape
• For rectangles and circles, click once to start, then click again to set the size
• For freehand, click and hold the mouse button, drag to draw, then release to finish
• Press Escape at any time to cancel the current drawing

Use keyboard shortcuts to quickly switch between tools without leaving the map:

After drawing a feature, switch to the Select tool (V) to modify it:

• Click a feature to select it — a blue highlight indicates selection
• Drag the feature to reposition it on the map
• Click and drag individual vertices to reshape lines and polygons
• Use the Properties panel on the right to change the name, description, and style
• Press Delete or Backspace to remove the selected feature
• Use the Delete tool (D) to click and remove multiple features quickly

• Features inherit the default style of their layer — change the layer style to set defaults for new features
• You can override styles on individual features via the Properties panel
• Use Ctrl/Cmd+Z to undo if you make a mistake
• The freehand tool is great for tracing irregular boundaries like coastlines or property lines
• Layer visibility can be toggled in the Layers panel to reduce visual clutter while drawing