SkyTruth Alerts

How-To Guide: Annotate the Map

Photo of pipeline explosion, Center Township, PA, taken 2 April 2019. Provided by FracTracker Alliance

Alerts Annotations

This feature requires you to register for an account.

SkyTruth Alerts comes with some basic annotation tools so you can mark up a map you want to share with others. You can add text, shapes, lines/arrows and map markers to your map.

To use the annotation tools:

Log in to SkyTruth Alerts.
Click the Annotate Map tab.
Click on any of the annotation tools to get started.
A help message will appear telling you how to use the tool.

Add/Edit Text

To add text:

Click the Text icon.
Click the place on the map where you want your text to go.
The Annotations Options window will show text options.
Type in your text, select your text size, and font and background colors. It will appear on the map at the point you selected.

To edit or move text:

select the Hand icon.
A “T” handle will appear at the top left of your text.
Click the “T” handle to open Text options in the Annotations Options window, or
Click and drag the “T” handle to move the text to a different location.

To delete the text:

select the Hand icon.
A “T” handle appears at the top left of your text.
Click the “T” handle. The text options open in the Annotations Options window.
Click the Remove this Text button.

Add/Edit a Shape (polygon, rectangle, circle)

Add a Polygon:

Click the polygon icon.
Click the map to start creating the polygon. Each additional click creates a new line. To close the polygon, click on the first point you made.
To adjust the shape or location of the polygon, hover over one of the white, circular points. It will turn grey. Click and drag the point to the new location. Undo the change by clicking the “Undo” icon next to the the point.
Select line and fill colors, choose opacity, and opt to include the area of the shape, if you wish.

Add a Rectangle or Square:

Click the rectangle icon.
Click on the map and drag the cursor to expand the rectangle to the desired size.
Click a 2nd time to complete the rectangle.
To adjust the shape or location of the rectangle, hover over one of the white, circular points. It will turn grey. Click and drag the point to the new location. Undo the change by clicking the “Undo” icon next to the the point.
Select line and fill colors, choose opacity, and opt to include the area of the shape, if you wish.

Add a Circle:

Click the Circle icon.
Click the map where the center of the circle will be.
Move your mouse away from the center to the desired size of the circle.
To adjust the shape of the circle, hover over one of the white, circular outside points. It will turn grey. Click and drag the point to the new location. To change the location, click and drag the center point. Undo the change by clicking the “Undo” icon next to the the point.
Select line and fill colors, choose opacity, and opt to include the area of the shape, if you wish.

To modify a shape:

Select the “Hand” icon.
Click on the shape you want to modify.
The shapes points will re-appear so you can edit the size or location of the shape.
Change colors, opacity, etc. in the Annotations Options window.

To remove a shape:

Select the “Hand” icon.
Click on the shape you want to modify.
Click the Remove Selected Shape button.

Add/Edit Lines or Arrows

To add an arrow or line:

Click the Add a Line icon.
Click the spot on the map where you want the line or arrow to begin.
Keep clicking to add new segments to the line.
Double click to complete the line/arrow.
By default, the line has an arrow point on it. Uncheck the Include Arrow checkbox to remove it.
Select a line color if you wish.

To modify a line or arrow:

Select the “Hand” icon.
Click on the line or arrow you want to edit.
Click and drag on a point to move it.
Adjust the color in the Annotations Options window.

To remove a line or arrow:

Select the “Hand” icon.
Click on the line or arrow you want to edit.
The Annotations Window opens.
Click the Remove Selected Shape button.

Add/Edit Place Marker

To add a place marker:

Click the Place Marker icon.
Click the map where you want the place marker to go. Or enter the latitude/longitude coordinates in the Annotations Window.
Select the type of marker pin you would like (or opt for a text label) and a color, if desired.
Add text that will show up in the popup when someone clicks on the map marker.

You can opt to draw a setback around your map marker:

Choose miles, kilometers or meters from the dropdown, then the distance.
Click the Draw button to place the setback on the map. (You can have more than one setback.)
Click the Clear button to remove it.

To edit a place marker:

select the Hand icon.
Click the map marker you want to edit.
Click and drag the icon to move it. Or adjust the lat/long coordinates in the Annotations Options window.
Edit colors, map pin styles, setbacks, etc. in the Annotations Options window.

To remove a place marker/setback:

select the Hand icon.
Click the map marker you want to edit. The Annotations window opens.
Click the remove marker button to remove just the map marker.
Click the Clear button under setbacks to remove all setbacks.