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How to measure something on the map
How to measure something on the map

Use the ruler tool to measure distances right on the map.

Mark Stewart avatar
Written by Mark Stewart
Updated over a week ago

When it comes to measuring distances, there are two useful tools, depending on what exactly you need:

The Ruler – for a simple A to B distance as the crow flies

The Line – for a multi-point distance, such as if travelling by road

Let's look at each:

Ruler tool

The rule tool is for measuring the direct distance between two objects, like if you're trying to work out how far the local train station is.

Step 1:
First, activate the drawing toolbar using the button in the top right, then select the Ruler tool

Step 2:

Click the first point you want to measure from/to, then click the endpoint. The measurement for the distance will automatically appear in the middle.

Step 3:

By default, the distance will be in metres. You can change this to kilometres, or switch to imperial units, by clicking on the right-hand side of the screen.

Step 4 (if needed):
To delete the line, simply click on the bin in the object specs. You'll get a warning message just to confirm (so it's harder to delete anything important).


Line tool

The line tool is designed to measure more exact, multi-point distances, like if you're plotting a route by road or need to avoid certain obstacles.

Step 1:
As above, you'll need to switch on the drawing toolbar if you haven't already, and this time select "Line".

Step 2:

Each time you click now you'll be able to add a new line, allowing you to change directions, follow roads etc.

Step 3:

Same as with the Rule, by default the distance will be in metres. Change it to kilometres or imperial by clicking on the right-hand side of the screen.
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​Step 4 (if needed):
Then if you need to delete the route, simply click on the bin in the object specs.

That's it for measuring distances.

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