Drawing Polygons

The Polygon tool creates filled area features by connecting vertices to form a closed shape. Polygons are essential for representing parcels, zones, regions, buildings, and any geographic area.

1. Select a layer in the Layers panel (or create one)
2. Click the Polygon tool in the toolbar
3. Click on the map to place the first vertex
4. Continue clicking to add more vertices around the shape
5. Double-click to close the polygon

Polygons have both fill and stroke (outline) styling options:

• Fill Color — The interior color of the polygon
• Fill Opacity — Transparency of the fill (0-100%)
• Stroke Color — The outline color
• Stroke Width — Outline thickness (1-8 pixels)

To edit a polygon after drawing:

1. Switch to the Selection tool
2. Click on the polygon to select it
3. Drag vertices to reshape the polygon
4. Drag inside the polygon to move the entire feature

When a polygon is selected, the properties panel shows:

• Area in square meters, kilometers, or acres
• Perimeter length
• Number of vertices
• Name and description fields
• Individual styling options

For complex shapes with many vertices, consider:

• Zoom in for more precise vertex placement
• Use the Simplify tool to reduce vertices in overly complex polygons
• Import existing polygon data from KML, GeoJSON, or other formats

• Property parcels and land boundaries
• Zoning districts
• Building footprints
• Park and recreation areas
• Study areas for analysis