Skip to main content

Marking Areas

An area is a closed polygon, a shape that marks a zone, sector, boundary, or region on the map. Use it to define a search grid, an exclusion zone, a staging area, or any region your team needs to be aware of.

How to mark an area​

  1. Tap the Command Grid button on the map

  2. Select Draw Area

  3. Drawing mode activates

  4. Tap on the map to place your first corner point

  5. Keep tapping to add more corners around the perimeter of your zone

    • Undo, removes the last placed point
    • Use Current Location, adds a point at your current GPS position
    • The toolbar shows a live area measurement as you draw

  6. When you've outlined the shape, tap Finish (requires at least 3 points)

    • The area automatically closes, the last point connects back to the first

  7. Name and style the area:

    • Label, name the zone (e.g., "Search Sector A", "Exclusion Zone", "Parking")
    • Color, the area fills with a semi-transparent version of the color you choose
    • Description (optional)

  8. Tap Create

The area appears on everyone's map immediately.

Area appearance​

Areas are displayed as filled polygons with a semi-transparent color overlay and a solid border. The label appears at the centroid of the shape.

Area details panel​

Tap anywhere inside the area polygon or on its border to open the details panel. The panel shows:

  • Area label, color, and description
  • Total area measurement (hectares or m²)
  • Creator name and creation time

From the panel you can:

  • Navigate, opens your maps app pointed at the area's center
  • Edit, update label, color, or description; tap Save to sync changes
  • Copy Coordinates, copies the center point's lat/lng
  • Share Link, copies a direct link to this area (online groups only)
  • Delete, removes the area from the group

Deleting an area​

  1. Tap the area to open its details
  2. Tap Delete
  3. Confirm

Geofencing​

Any area can be turned into a geofence that notifies the group when members enter or exit. Enable the Alert Zone toggle in the Create or Edit sheet and choose whether to alert on entry, exit, or both.

See Geofencing → for full details.

note

In Radio groups, area boundaries with more than 200 points are automatically simplified before transmission. For detailed shapes, aim to keep the point count under 200.

Tips​

  • For complex shapes, place points slowly and deliberately, each tap adds a corner
  • For large areas, zoom out first so the entire zone is visible before you start placing points
  • Use contrasting colors for overlapping areas so they're visually distinct