Your First Map

MapEdit is a professional map creation tool that lets you draw, edit, and export publication-ready maps. Whether you're creating simple location markers or complex geographic analyses, MapEdit provides the tools you need.

1. Sign up or log in — Create a free account to save your work to the cloud, or use the editor in demo mode to try it out.
2. Create a project — From the Projects page, click "New Project" and give it a name. Each project contains layers with your map features.
3. Add a layer — In the Layers panel on the left, click the "+" button to create a new layer. Layers help you organize different types of features.
4. Start drawing — Select a drawing tool from the toolbar (Point, Line, Polygon, Rectangle, Circle, or Freehand) and click on the map to add features. Each tool has a keyboard shortcut — press P, L, G, R, C, or F to switch quickly.
5. Style your features — Click on a layer to open its style settings. Change colors, line widths, and marker shapes to customize your map's appearance.
6. Save and export — Your work is automatically saved. When you're ready to share, export your map as KML, GeoJSON, or a high-resolution image.

• Projects contain all your map data and can be accessed from any device
• Layers organize your features and control their appearance
• Features are the individual shapes (points, lines, polygons) on your map
• Styles define how features look — colors, line widths, markers, and labels

Now that you've created your first map, explore the other documentation pages to learn about advanced features like spatial analysis, data import, and custom styling.