Tools Panel
The Tools panel gives you drawing, annotation, measurement, and spatial analysis tools to work directly on the 3D globe.
Open it by clicking the Tools button (wrench icon) in the toolbar. The panel floats above the timeline at the bottom of the screen and can be dragged to any position.
The panel has three sections: Draw, Measure, and View.
Draw tools
Draw tools let you create geographic features directly on the map. Features are collected into a session before you save or export them.
| Tool | What it draws |
|---|---|
| Point | A single marker at a clicked location |
| Line | A multi-segment line — click to add vertices, double-click to finish |
| Freehand | A free-form line drawn by clicking and dragging |
| Polygon | A closed area — click to add vertices, double-click to close |
| Circle | A circle defined by center and radius |
| Rectangle | A rectangle drawn by clicking and dragging a corner to the opposite corner |
| Text annotation | A text label placed at a clicked location |
Drawing a feature
- Click a draw tool to activate it — it highlights blue.
- Click on the map to place vertices. For lines and polygons, keep clicking to add more.
- Double-click to finish the shape (or release the mouse for freehand and rectangle).
- The feature appears in the feature list in the Tools panel.
- Click the same tool again to deactivate it.
Snapping
Click the Snap button (magnet icon) to toggle vertex and edge snapping. When snapping is enabled, the cursor snaps to nearby vertices and edge midpoints of existing features as you draw. This helps you draw features that share boundaries without leaving gaps.
Undo and redo
Use the Undo and Redo buttons to step backwards and forwards through drawing actions. You can also press Ctrl+Z (undo) and Ctrl+Y (redo).
Style customization
When one or more features are selected in the draw session, a style panel appears. The options shown depend on the feature type:
| Feature type | Style options |
|---|---|
| Polygon / Circle / Rectangle | Fill colour, fill opacity, stroke colour, stroke width |
| Line / Freehand | Stroke colour, stroke width |
| Point | Marker colour, icon, scale |
| Text annotation | Text colour, font size, scale mode |
Select individual features or a mix of types to adjust their style. When you have multiple feature types selected, common controls are shown.
Editing feature properties
Expand a feature in the list by clicking the arrow next to its name. You can:
- Rename the feature label
- Edit existing properties — click a value to change it
- Add new properties — enter a key and value in the fields at the bottom, then press Enter or click +
- Delete a property — click the × next to it
Editing vertices
For lines and polygons, click the pen icon next to the feature to enter vertex-editing mode. Drag individual vertices to reposition them. Click a midpoint to insert a new vertex. Press Delete while hovering a vertex to remove it. Click the pen icon again to exit editing mode.
Saving drawn features as a layer
When you have finished drawing:
- Enter a layer name in the field at the top of the feature list (a timestamped name is used if left blank).
- Click Save layer.
- The features are saved as a new GeoJSON layer in the project and appear in the Layers panel.
Use Save layer to persist your drawing across sessions. Unsaved drawings are local to your browser — they will be lost if you close the tab.
Exporting drawn features
Click Export to download your drawn features without saving them to the project:
- GeoJSON — compatible with QGIS, ArcGIS, and most GIS tools
- KML — Google Earth compatible format
Discarding a session
Click Discard (trash icon) to clear all drawn features and end the session without saving.
Collaborative drawing
When other project members are drawing at the same time, their in-progress features appear on your map in real time. A badge in the Tools panel shows how many collaborators are currently drawing. Their changes become visible on your map but do not affect your local drawing session until they save their features as a layer.
Measure tools
Measurement tools calculate distances, areas, and elevations by clicking points on the map. No data is saved — measurements are temporary and cleared when you switch tools or close the panel.
Measure distance
Measures the total length of a multi-segment path.
- Click Distance to activate.
- Click points on the map to define the path.
- The total distance is displayed in metres or kilometres.
- Double-click to finish.
Click Export CSV to download the point coordinates and cumulative distances. Click Save as layer to add the path as a GeoJSON line layer.
Measure area
Measures the area of a polygon.
- Click Area to activate.
- Click points to define the polygon boundary.
- Double-click to close the polygon.
- The area is displayed in m² or km².
Click Export CSV to download the polygon vertices and the computed area.
Measure elevation profile
Samples the terrain elevation along a line and shows an elevation profile chart.
- Click Elevation to activate.
- Click two or more points on the map.
- Double-click to finish.
- An elevation profile graph appears showing height vs distance along the path.
The chart shows the minimum and maximum elevation and the total path length. Click Export CSV to download the sampled elevation points.
Elevation measurement requires terrain data for the area you are measuring. If terrain is unavailable, a "terrain unavailable" message is shown instead of the chart.
View tools
Clipping Plane
The Clipping Plane tool cuts through terrain, 3D tilesets, buildings, and models to expose cross-sections. Use it to inspect underground infrastructure, building interiors, or subsurface terrain.
- Select Clipping Plane in the View section — it highlights blue.
- Choose the Clip axis:
- X (East/West) — cuts along an east–west plane
- Y (North/South) — cuts along a north–south plane
- Z (Height) — cuts horizontally at a given altitude
- Adjust the Position slider to move the cutting plane. The position is in metres relative to the auto-centred reference point at your current camera location.
- Use Range min and Range max to create a slab — only the section between the two values is shown.
- Under Apply to, choose which objects the clipping plane affects: Terrain, or any loaded 3D tileset layers listed there.
- Click Reset to remove the clipping plane and restore the full view.
Clipping planes require 3D mode. The tool is unavailable in 2D or Columbus view.
The clipping plane recentres automatically when you fly to a new location. If the position slider seems off, it is relative to your current camera centre — fly closer to the area you want to inspect.
Globe Translucency
The Globe Translucency tool makes the terrain surface semi-transparent so you can see underground infrastructure, subsurface geology, or anything positioned below grade. It works independently of the Clipping Plane and can be used at the same time.
- Select Globe Translucency in the View section — it highlights blue.
- Use the Opacity slider to set how transparent the globe surface becomes. At 0% the terrain is invisible; at 100% it is fully opaque (the default).
- Set the slider back to 100% or click Reset to restore the opaque terrain.
Globe Translucency requires 3D mode. It has no effect in 2D or Columbus view.
Combine Globe Translucency with a Clipping Plane to create an underground cross-section view — use the clipping plane to cut along one axis and translucency to fade the remaining terrain so buried objects are clearly visible.
Viewshed Analysis
The Viewshed tool shows which parts of the terrain are visible from a chosen observer point. Visible areas appear in green, blocked areas in red, and partially visible areas in yellow.
Open the Tools panel and select Viewshed to activate it.
Viewshed is also available in the Geoprocessing panel under the Spatial Analysis tab. Both run the same analysis.
How to run a viewshed
- Select Viewshed in the Tools panel — it highlights blue. The cursor changes to a crosshair and a banner prompts you to click the map.
- Click on the terrain to place the observer point — a preview marker appears and the cursor returns to normal.
- Configure the settings (see below).
- Click Run to start the computation.
- A progress bar shows the current stage and percentage.
- Results appear as a colour-coded overlay. The panel shows a summary of visible cells, blocked cells, and total cells analysed.
- If you change any setting after a run, the results are marked as stale. Click Re-run to update them.
- Click Reposition to pick a new observer point. If results exist, you will be asked to confirm since repositioning clears the current results.
- Press Escape or toggle the tool off to clear the overlay and deactivate the tool.
Viewshed settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Observer height (m) | Height above the terrain surface at the observer point. Simulates a person, building rooftop, or tower. |
| Radius (m) | How far the analysis extends from the observer. Larger values take longer. |
| Resolution | Low, Medium (default), or High. Higher resolution gives finer detail. |
| Include buildings | When enabled, the analysis also considers building occlusion. Only available in 3D mode. |
Viewshed results
After the analysis completes, the panel shows:
- Visible — number of cells visible from the observer (green)
- Blocked — number of cells occluded (red)
- Cells — total cells analysed
Click Export and choose GeoJSON or CSV to download the results. Click Save as layer to add the result as a GeoJSON layer in the project.
By default, viewshed analysis considers terrain only. Enable Include buildings (3D mode only) to also factor in building occlusion.
Shadow Accumulation Analysis
The Shadow tool estimates solar exposure across a defined area over a time range. The result is a colour-coded overlay — green cells receive more sun, red cells spend more time in shadow.
Open the Tools panel and select Shadow to activate it.
Shadow analysis is also available in the Geoprocessing panel under the Spatial Analysis tab.
How to run a shadow analysis
- Select Shadow in the Tools panel. The cursor changes to a crosshair and a banner prompts you to click the map.
- Click on the terrain to place the analysis centre — a preview marker appears and the cursor returns to normal.
- Configure the settings (see below).
- Click Run to start the computation.
- A progress bar shows the current stage and percentage.
- Results appear as a colour-coded overlay. The panel shows average, minimum, and maximum shadow hours.
- If you change any setting after a run, the results are marked as stale. Click Re-run to update them.
- Click Reposition to pick a new centre point. If results exist, you will be asked to confirm since repositioning clears the current results.
- Press Escape or toggle the tool off to clear the overlay.
Shadow analysis settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Grid size (m) | Physical size of each grid cell. Smaller values give a finer result. |
| Grid cells | Number of cells along each side of the analysis grid. |
| Step (minutes) | Time interval between sun position samples. Smaller steps improve accuracy. |
| Start date / End date | Date range over which to accumulate solar exposure. |
| Day start / Day end (UTC) | Hours of the day to include. Adjust for your local time zone offset from UTC. |
| GPU acceleration | Uses the shadow map shader for significantly faster computation. Requires shadows to be enabled in the viewer and 3D mode. Falls back to CPU ray-casting automatically when unavailable. |
Shadow analysis results
After the analysis completes, the panel shows:
- Average — average shadow hours across all cells
- Min — shadow hours for the least shaded cell
- Max — shadow hours for the most shaded cell
Click Export and choose GeoJSON or CSV to download the results. Click Save as layer to add the result as a GeoJSON layer in the project.
The total iteration count is capped at 500,000 to prevent the browser from freezing. The count is: grid cells squared × days × time steps per day. If your settings exceed the cap, reduce grid resolution, increase step interval, or shorten the date range.
Study hours are interpreted in UTC to match the viewer timeline. Adjust day start and day end values to account for your local time zone offset if needed.
Parametric Buildings
The Parametric Building tool lets you draw a polygon footprint on the map and instantly extrude it into a configurable 3D building. Use it to model proposed structures, test massing options, or represent planned buildings in a scenario before detailed design is available.
Parametric buildings are saved as regular GeoJSON layers. They are captured in scenario snapshots, so you can have different building configurations in different scenarios and compare them side by side.
Creating a parametric building
- In the Tools panel, click Add Parametric Building under the Draw section.
- Click on the map to draw the building footprint — each click adds a vertex to the polygon.
- Double-click to close the polygon and finish the footprint.
- The Parametric Building configuration panel appears.
- Adjust the building parameters (see Configuration options below).
- Click Create Building to save the building as a new layer in the project.
Click Cancel at any time to discard the footprint without saving.
Draw the footprint at the correct geographic location — the building will be extruded vertically from exactly where you draw it. Use the Snap tool to align vertices to existing layer boundaries if needed.
Configuration options
The configuration panel appears immediately after you finish drawing the footprint and updates the 3D preview live as you adjust values.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | An optional name displayed at the building centroid on the map. |
| Floors | Number of floors (1–200). Use the slider or type a value directly. |
| Floor height | Height of each floor in metres (minimum 0.5 m, default 3.0 m). |
| Color | Fill colour of the extruded building. |
| Opacity | How transparent the building fill is (0% = fully transparent, 100% = solid). |
The panel also shows three computed metrics that update automatically:
| Metric | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Total height | Floor count × floor height, in metres. |
| Footprint area | Area of the polygon you drew, in m². |
| Gross floor area | Footprint area × floor count, in m². |
Setback and non-flat roof types (gabled, hipped) are planned for a future release. Roof type is currently fixed as flat.
Editing a building after placement
To change a building's parameters after it has been saved:
- Open the Layers panel from the left toolbar.
- Find the parametric building layer and click Edit Building (the pencil icon or layer options menu).
- The Parametric Building configuration panel reopens with the current settings.
- Adjust any values — the 3D preview updates live.
- Click Update Building to apply the changes.
Changes take effect immediately in the current scenario.
Using the GeoAI agent
The GeoAI agent can place parametric buildings from a chat prompt using coordinates or a footprint you describe. See GeoAI — Place a parametric building for examples.