PlotwiseGIS Help Center

1Project Management

The Project Management module allows you to preserve your plotting progress, switch between different survey tasks, and maintain your workspace database.

Name assignment

Click inside the Enter project name text field and type a unique identifier for your current plotting session.

Commit to database

Click the Save Project button to store the selected tie points, parcel boundaries, and associated technical descriptions.

Project selection

Click the Select Project dropdown menu to view a list of all your previously saved sessions.

Restore session

Click the Load Project button to populate the map canvas, reference tie points, and data tables with the saved project's information.

Purge data

Select a saved session from the dropdown and click the Delete Project button to permanently remove the project file and its associated spatial data from your database.

2Tie-Point Reference Configuration

Before plotting any parcel boundaries, you must establish a spatial anchor by selecting or creating a survey tie point. This ensures all subsequent metes-and-bounds data are accurately positioned on the global map.

Locating Reference Tie Points via Dropdowns

Country selection

Click the Country dropdown to filter reference points by the target nation.

Province/State filtering

Select the specific Province/States to narrow down the regional geodetic database.

City localization

Choose the City where the parcel or survey plan is located.

Tie point anchor

Open the Tie Pt dropdown to select the official recorded benchmark or monument for your survey area.

Apply benchmark

Click the Fill Tie Point button to load the coordinates of the chosen benchmark into the plotting canvas.

Managing Custom Tie Points

Add custom tie

Click Add Custom Tie if the required official benchmark is missing from the database to manually input known latitude/longitude or local grid coordinates.

Modify selected tie

Click Edit Selected Tie to adjust or update the positional coordinates of an existing custom reference point.

3Plotting Boundaries from Bearings

The Plot Boundary from Bearings module allows you to generate precise parcel polygons on the map by modifying a pre-populated list of survey line segments.

Modifying the Technical Description Table

Default Values

When initialized, the table displays a pre-configured closed square loop consisting of five rows with the following default values:

Line segment labeling

Click inside the pre-populated Label fields to change or fine-tune the identifiers for each line.

Bearing entry

Click directly into the Bearing fields to replace the default directional values with your specific survey angles using standard quadrant format.

Distance and measurement

Click the Distance fields to update the line lengths, and use the Unit dropdown to select your required measurement scale.

Adjusting Table Rows

Inserting rows

Click the + Add Segment button to generate an additional default row at the bottom of the table. There is no limit to the number of segments you can add, allowing you to plot highly complex, multi-sided parcel boundaries.

Removing rows

Click the blue X action icon at the far right of any row to delete that specific segment entirely from the calculation list.

Executing and Managing Changes

Tie point validation

Confirm that your anchor point is loaded in the Start at Tie Point indicator before proceeding.

Execute geometry generation

Click the Plot Boundary button to compile your edited values and render the final boundary polygon onto the map canvas.

Step history controls

Use the Undo button to revert your last field edit or row change, or the Redo button to reapply it.

4Map Canvas and Annotation Tools

The Map Canvas provides an interactive space to visualize your plots, navigate geographic coordinates, and add custom annotations directly over the map layer.

Map navigation

Click and drag anywhere on the canvas to move and pan across the map area.

Zoom controls

Use the + and - overlay buttons on the top left of the map to adjust the zoom level.

Coordinate localization

Input specific coordinates into the Latitude and Longitude text fields, then click Locate Point to instantly center the map on that exact geographic position.

Fullscreen mode

Click the brackets icon on the top right of the canvas to toggle the map view to full screen.

Add custom overlays

Use the + Add Text, Add Line, Add Polygon, or Add Marker buttons to place custom vectors and markers onto the active map layer.

Interactive deletion

To remove an annotation, simply double-click directly on any text, line, or polygon element on the map canvas to delete it instantly.

Text removal shortcut

Click the Delete Text utility button in the top menu bar to scrub text layers.

Canvas purge

Click the Clear Layers button to permanently remove all custom lines, shapes, and annotations from the active view.

Map background style

Use the Map Background dropdown menu to switch your base layer visualization (e.g., selecting Plain or alternative map styles).

Offline optimization

Click the Cache Tiles for Offline button to save local map imagery to your device, ensuring functionality when working without an internet connection.

5Data Import and Export

The Data Import and Export module provides interoperability with external GIS software, allowing you to load existing geometries or extract your finalized parcel data for reporting and legal submissions.

Import GeoJSON

Click the Choose File button next to Import GeoJSON to select and upload a single .geojson file from your local storage to overlay on the canvas.

Import Shapefile

Click the Choose Files button next to Import Shapefile to upload your parcel boundaries. Because a Shapefile relies on multiple component files, ensure you select all mandatory extensions (such as .shp, .shx, and .dbf) together during selection.

Export GeoJSON

Click the Export GeoJSON button to download the active canvas geometry as a lightweight, web-ready spatial vector file.

Export Shapefile

Click the Export Shapefile button to generate a structured compressed archive package compatible with desktop GIS suites.

Export KML

Click the Export KML button to convert and download your plot data into a format ready for visualization on Google Earth.

Export PDF

Click the Export PDF button to compile your map view, plot boundaries, and corresponding technical description tables into a printable map report.

6Adjusting Plotted Boundaries on the Overlay Map

If a generated boundary needs to be repositioned or fine-tuned to match physical features on the map background, you can convert the raw vectors into an interactive, draggable layer by exporting and re-importing the data.

Step 1: Stage the Spatial Geometry

Export GeoJSON

Click the Export GeoJSON button to download your current plotted boundary data onto your local storage.

Canvas purge

Click the Clear Layers button to completely reset the map canvas and clear out the active vector lines.

Step 2: Activate the Draggable Layer

Re-import the file

Click the Choose File button next to Import GeoJSON and select the .geojson file you just downloaded.

Reposition the plot

Once re-imported, the geometry becomes an active overlay. Click directly on the shape and drag it across the canvas to shift its position.

Pinpoint the boundary

Align the boundary layout manually to visually match the satellite imagery or underlying base map features to establish the exact location.