Using Google Maps to geographically delineate areas   The following instructions will allow you to geographically delineate areas in the landscape using Google Maps and share them with others.  This is done by drawing a “polygon” (an enclosed shape) around an area of interest.  

NOTES:  Google maps have recently migrated to a “new” interface, this guide has been developed for the “new” Google Maps.  The functionality of developing, saving and sharing polygon shapes is the same though the precise steps differ in places.  Users of mobile devices may also experience differences in the look and feel of the application.     Google Maps will work best using the Mozilla Firefox web browser. There are known issues if you attempt to use Internet Explorer V8.  Mozilla Firefox can be downloaded from here http://www.mozilla.org/en‐US/firefox/new/  This guide was developed for internal Departmental use and is provided here as an aid and for advice only. The Department of the Environment takes no responsibility for any errors or omissions in this document or in the data that is generated from this advice.   Please rely on your own investigations to answer any further questions you may have.  Google maps provides help and tutorials accessible through the map interface and at this web site ‐ https://support.google.com/maps/?hl=en#topic=3032023  

 1.  Start Google maps and sign in  Use a web‐browser to open https://maps.google.com.au/ 

 

 

 

 

                  Sign in 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

If you don’t have an account, you will need to make one 

 

 

 

 

Sign in 

               

                                Or 

 

         Create account 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                Tip:   

If you are creating a new Google Maps 

account, you don’t need a gmail account; you 

can use your existing email address  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3

 

 

After signing in, click on “My custom maps”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then click on “create”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

If you click on the text “Untitled Map”, it will open a box that will allow you to name and describe your map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s handy to use a descriptive title, and always useful to enter a brief description for the map

 

 

 

 

 

Type in the Title Type in a Description  

 

 

Save 

 

Tip: You can always go back and change the title or description by clicking on the map title again 

5

Click on “Untitled layer” and name the layer you are about to create 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can zoom in on your area of interest by scrolling your mouse wheel, or using these buttons  

You can shift the image side to side, or up and down by clicking and holding down the left mouse 

button while on the image, and sliding the mouse  

Navigate to your area of interest by shifting and zooming on the image 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

Zoom in as close as you can to your area of interest so your mapping has the highest accuracy

It is very useful for orientation to add satellite images to the view

Click on the down arrow symbol next to “base map” and from the pop out box, chose this icon

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tip: Some of the other base maps may have  useful information  such as contours  

  

You can switch back to the map background or other types by selecting other options

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       Tip: Boxes can be dismissed by         Clicking on the cross in the  

                      top right  

 

7

To create your area of interest, you need to use the mapping tools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     Tip: If you place your mouse over       a tool it will tell you the function 

 

 

 

 

 

To delineate your area, you need to start drawing a line around it, and to complete a “polygon” shape, you need to make your last point on top of your first point

 

 

When you click on the “Draw a line” tool your mouse will turn into a cross symbol

 

Place your cross at a place where you want to start drawing and click the left mouse button to make your first point.

 

 

Continue placing points around your area of interest until you get back to the starting point and make sure you make your last point on top of the first one – if you do this successfully, a pop out box will automatically appear, recognising that you have created a polygon, and give you an opportunity to name and describe it.

 

8

Name your first polygon, its often useful to give a brief description, then save

 

 

 

   Tip: Zoom into your area as close  

   as possible in to create the most        

   accurate shape 

 

 

 

This pop up box indicates that you 

have successfully created a “polygon” 

shape  

Your completed polygon sits below 

 

 

If you make a mistake you can use these tools - “trash can” will delete your polygon, the pencil symbol allows you to edit the name and description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tip:  You can delete your layer 

and edit text by clicking on the name 

 

9

You can add as many polygons to your map layer as you like by repeating the steps

You can create a new “Layer” (group of polygons) if you need to by clicking on “Add layer”

Tip: If you have more than one layer, the ticked box tells you which layer you are editing

Layer 1 

Polygons 

 

Layer 2 

 

 

10

 

You can delete the whole map, create a new one, and other functions by clicking on the folder symbol, it will open a list of choices  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can allow anyone you chose access to your map by sharing it, through the “share” button

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11

After pressing “Share” you can see a link for your data that is used to share it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you click in the “Link to share” box it will turn blue, enabling you to copy this link by using the right mouse button

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can paste this link in an email to someone, or in any document, such as a grant application form

 

 

12

Before others can see the data, you must change the access permissions. You have these options when you click on the “Change....” text

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your options to change the sharing settings are shown here. If you allow “anyone with the link” you can send that link to anyone and they can access your data.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Press save to accept the settings.

These pages have described how to create simple areas “polygons” and how to share them.  The Google 

maps tools allow many other functions and help for these can be sourced from their online help pages 

or other internet forums.