Help

Getting started

Load your first layer and make a map in under a minute.

• Launch the app
• Add a layer
• Style and edit
• Save & share

The interface

A quick tour of the DropMaps workspace — the toolbar, side panel, map controls and menu.

• The top toolbar
• The side panel
• The attribute table
• Map controls
• The menu
• Next steps

Supported file formats

Every format DropMaps can read, and how it handles them.

• Vector
• Raster
• Tiles
• DropMaps map files
• Projections

Adding & importing layers

Every way to get data onto the map — local files, URLs, blank layers, web sources and the Layer Catalog.

• Open local files
• Add from URL
• Create blank layer
• External sources
• Reuse a layer with the Layer Catalog
• Next steps

Working with layers

Add, organise, style and remove layers — every control in the Layers panel explained.

• Add a layer
• The layer row
• Reorder, group and zoom
• Reuse a layer with the Layer Catalog
• Remove a layer
• Layer details & metadata

Styling layers

Symbolise by value, add labels and configure popups using the layer style panel.

• Style
• Labels
• Popups
• Filter
• Next steps

The attribute table

View, search, edit and structure your data — rows, columns, field types, pick lists and defaults.

• Browse & search
• Edit values
• Rows
• Columns & fields
• Select by attributes
• Calculate & query

Photos & attachments

Tie photos and documents to features, browse them in a gallery, and sync them to the cloud.

• Attach media to a feature
• See attachments on the map
• Imported attachments
• Where attachments live
• Next steps

Drawing & measuring

Annotate the map, edit feature geometry and take measurements with the Draw and Measure tools.

• Draw
• Measure
• Selecting features
• Next steps

Selecting features

Pick features with the Select tools, then delete, move, copy or table them.

• Selection shapes
• Selection mode
• Act on the selection
• Next steps

Field calculator & SQL

Compute and update columns with the field calculator, and run full SQL — including spatial functions — in the SQL console.

• Field calculator
• SQL console
• Next steps

Spatial analysis

Buffer, dissolve, clip, overlay, spatial-join and more — the Functions panel explained.

• How it works
• Single-layer operations
• Two-layer operations
• Next steps

Charts

Build bar, line, pie and other charts from your layer data with the Chart Studio.

• The gallery
• Building a chart
• Save & expand
• Next steps

Basemaps & external sources

Switch the background map, add your own basemaps, and browse public web layers and ArcGIS Online.

• The Basemap tab
• External sources
• Offline packs
• Next steps

Maps & cloud sync

Manage multiple maps, back them up to the cloud, sync across devices and watch your storage.

• The Maps manager
• Local-first, always
• Cloud sync
• Storage
• Next steps

Sharing & the viewer

Publish a map as a link — public or password-protected — with a branded, read-only viewer.

• Share links
• Viewer settings
• Branding & splash
• The viewer experience
• Sharing with people & teams
• Next steps

Teams & collaboration

Create a team, invite members, share maps and layers, and transfer ownership.

• Create a team
• Invite members
• Share with the team
• Transfer ownership
• Real-time collaboration
• Next steps

Account, plans & billing

Sign in, choose a plan, manage your subscription and add storage.

• Sign in
• Plans
• Manage your subscription
• Storage add-ons
• Pending transfers & invites
• Next steps

QGIS plugin

Move maps and layers between DropMaps and QGIS — import/export .dmap files and sync your cloud account both ways.

• What it does
• Install
• Sign in for cloud sync
• Good to know
• Next steps

Tile Converter

Prepare big rasters and tile archives for DropMaps — convert GeoTIFF and MBTiles to stream-ready COG and PMTiles, locally.

• What it does
• Why convert?
• Get the Converter
• Good to know
• Next steps

Settings & preferences

The Menu — preferences, map controls, printing, address search, coordinates and installing the app.

• Preferences
• Print / Save PDF
• Address search & bookmarks
• Coordinates
• Help & installing the app
• Next steps

Coordinate systems & projections

How DropMaps handles CRS — everything works in WGS84, your original projection is recorded, and exports can reproject back to it.

• On import
• The limitation to know about
• On export
• With the QGIS plugin

Developer API

Create and manage DropMaps layers and maps programmatically over a simple REST API.

• Authentication
• Create a layer
• Layer endpoints
• Styling and labels
• Create and manage maps
• Fields (attributes)