Quick Measurement
The Quick Measurement tool lets you measure distances, bearings, areas, and perimeters directly on the map without creating any permanent features. It supports two modes - Line for distance and bearing, and Polygon for area and perimeter.
Starting a Measurement
Tap the Measurement button on the map screen to start a measurement session. The button is located on the right side of the map.
When a session starts, the info bar at the bottom of the screen will display Insert vertex - prompting you to add your first point.
If the measurement button is not visible, you can enable it in Settings > General > Show Measurement Button.
Measurement Modes
The Quick Measurement tool has two modes:
| Mode | Measures | Info bar display |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Distance + Bearing | L: 123.45 m and Bearing: 45.2° |
| Polygon | Area + Perimeter | A: 5.67 ha and P: 234.56 m |
Switching between Line and Polygon
Long press the measurement button to switch between Line and Polygon mode. The button icon changes to reflect the current mode:
- Line mode - tape measure icon
- Polygon mode - polygon icon
You can only switch modes when a measurement session is not active. Stop the current session first, long press to switch mode, then start a new session.
Adding Vertices
Once the session is started, tap the map to add measurement points (vertices). Each new vertex extends the measurement geometry and the info bar updates in real time.
You can also use the auxiliary buttons that appear during an active session:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Add Vertex | Adds a point at the current map centre |
| Back | Removes the last added vertex |
| Delete | Removes the currently selected vertex |
Tap an existing vertex to select it, then drag it to adjust the measurement geometry.
Line Measurement
In Line mode, each vertex you add extends a polyline. The info bar displays:
- L (Length) - the total distance of the line in your selected distance unit
- Bearing - the direction of the last segment in degrees
Polygon Measurement
In Polygon mode, vertices form a closed polygon. The info bar displays:
- A (Area) - the total area of the polygon in your selected area unit
- P (Perimeter) - the total perimeter in your selected distance unit
Intermediate Distance Labels
You can optionally display distance labels at the midpoint of each segment. This shows the length of individual segments directly on the map.
Enable this option in Settings > General > Intermediate Distance.
Unit Settings
Measurement values are displayed using the units configured in Settings > Units & Coordinates. You can choose separate units for distance and area.
Distance Units
| Unit | Label |
|---|---|
| Meters | m |
| Kilometers | km |
| Feet | ft |
| Yards | yd |
| Miles | mi |
| Nautical Miles | nmi |
| Sazhens | saz |
Area Units
| Unit | Label |
|---|---|
| Square meters | m2 |
| Hectares | ha |
| Ares | a |
| Square kilometers | km2 |
| Square miles | mi2 |
| Acres | ac |
| Square feet | ft2 |
| Square nautical miles | nmi2 |
| Square sazhens | saz2 |
| Chinese Mu | mu |
The default units are Meters for distance and Hectares for area. Change them in Settings > Units & Coordinates to match your preferred system.
Stopping a Measurement
Tap the Measurement button again to stop the session. This clears all vertices and measurement lines from the map. The measurement data is not saved - it is only intended for quick on-the-fly calculations.
Related Topics
- Map Screen - Overview of all map controls
- Main Menu - Access settings and other modules
- Manage Layers - Create permanent feature layers for survey data