The Site Map Editor lets you draw and survey a megalithic site on a simple top-down map. You can place stones, group them into structures, mark chamber entrances, record GPS or RTK survey points, set the map’s real-world scale, add a background aerial photo or plan, and attach photos to individual stones. It works on a phone or tablet in the field and on a desktop in the office.
You open the editor from a site’s page. If you can’t add or change anything, the map has been opened in view-only mode.
The screen at a glance
- Top bar — the back arrow (returns to the site’s text editor), the site name and location, and a counter showing how many stones are on the map.
- Toolbar — the row of buttons you work with: Preset, Stone, Colour, Material, Measure, More, Help. On a phone these show icons only; on a desktop they show icons with labels.
- The map — drag to move around, pinch or use the mouse wheel to zoom.
- Status bar (bottom) — shows what’s happening and any messages.
Tapping a tool turns it on (it highlights). Tap it again to turn it off. Panels slide in from the top or bottom and can be closed with their close button, by pressing Esc, or by tapping outside them.
Adding and editing stones
Set your defaults first (Preset ▦)
Before adding stones, tap Preset and choose:
- a Structure the new stones belong to (none, a mound, or a numbered chamber), and
- a Function (unknown, passage, entrance, orthostat, cap, or passage cap).
Every stone you add afterwards inherits these settings, so set them to match whatever you’re about to lay out. Your choices are remembered on your device.
Add a stone (Stone +)
Tap Stone, then tap the map wherever a stone sits — each tap drops a new stone. When you’re finished, tap Stone again to turn it off (with it off, tapping the map just selects existing stones instead of adding new ones).
Change a stone
Tap any stone to open its details panel at the bottom. From there you can:
- change its Structure and Function (saved as soon as you change them),
- tap Edit shape to show handles for resizing and rotating the stone,
- open Photos to view or add pictures of it,
- Delete it (you’ll be asked to confirm).
Colour a stone (Colour ●)
Tap Colour, pick a colour from the strip that slides down, then tap each stone of that colour. Pick a different colour to keep going, tap the same colour again to deselect, or tap Colour to close the strip.
Set a stone’s material (Material ◆)
Works just like Colour: tap Material, choose a rock type (granite, sandstone, gneiss, and so on) plus how certain you are, then tap the stones it applies to.
Measuring and surveying (Measure ↔)
Tap Measure to reveal five sub-modes as chips beneath the toolbar.
Ruler — set the map’s scale
Tap two points on the map (A then B), then tap the line between them. A panel asks for the real distance between the points (and, optionally, the real compass bearing). Enter the distance and tap Apply — the whole map is rescaled to match. You can tick store this ruler to keep it on the map for reference.
Entrance — mark a chamber entrance
Tap inside a chamber’s outline to place its entrance. A marker with a yellow handle appears; drag the handle outward, or type a bearing, to point the entrance in the right direction, then save.
GPS — record a point with the device
Tap GPS, then Capture to drop a marker at your phone or tablet’s current location.
RTK — record a high-accuracy point
Tap RTK, then Capture to drop a marker using your connected RTK survey receiver (set this up first under More → Set RTK server URL).
Tagging survey points: in GPS or RTK mode you can pick a label M1–M4 before capturing. After each capture the label steps forward automatically (M1 → M2 → M3 → M4), so you can walk to your four fixed survey points and capture them one after another without fiddling with settings.
Using two survey points as a ruler: capture M1 and M2 in RTK mode, then switch to Ruler and tap each of those markers — the map takes its scale and direction straight from those precise fixes.
Select — line the map up with two markers
Tap Select, then tap the marker you want at the map’s origin, then the marker that sets the direction. The map re-aligns to match.
Checking a marker: tap any marker to see its latitude/longitude, accuracy, elevation and source (phone, RTK, imported, or placed by hand). You can rename or delete it here.
More tools (More ⋯)
GPS & RTK
- Set GPS origin — pin the map’s zero point to where you’re standing. Stand on the spot you want as the origin and tap.
- Check GPS source — read your current location and its accuracy.
- Set RTK server URL — enter the address of your RTK base station.
- Ping RTK server — check the receiver is connected and giving a fix.
Markers
- Import markers from JSON — load a set of survey points from a file.
Field session
Use this to keep a log while surveying on site, which later helps match up photos you took on a separate camera:
- Your name — enter it once on your device.
- Start field mode — a red FIELD badge appears in the top bar.
- As you work, each stone you open is quietly logged.
- Stop field mode when you leave the site.
Background map
- Upload background map — place an aerial photo, a plan drawing, or an SVG beneath the map to trace or align against (this replaces any existing one).
- Resize / position background — move it (right-drag), scale it with the + / − buttons, and adjust its transparency, then tap Finish.
- Remove background — delete it.
Photos
Open a stone and choose Photos to manage its pictures:
- Take — use the device camera.
- Gallery — pick one or more existing images.
- Add an optional short note (for example, “south face, midday light”).
- Tap a thumbnail to view it full-screen; use the small × on a thumbnail to remove it.
Photos upload while you’re online.
Tips
- The map uses metres, with north pointing up.
- Set your scale (Ruler) and GPS origin early — everything you place afterwards depends on them.
- A green message means success; a red message means something went wrong — check the status bar at the bottom for details.
- Tap Help (?) at any time for a quick on-screen reminder.