Using the Sketch Tools in TerraFlow Data Engine

The Sketch Tools in TerraFlow Data Engine let you create professional field sketches directly on top of your collected utility data. You can draw dimension lines, add notes, mark boundaries, and annotate your map with shapes and labels — all within the Map view. 

Time needed: 10–20 minutes per sketch (depending on complexity)

Before you start:

  • You need an active TerraFlow Data Engine account with access to a project
  • Your project should already contain collected field data (points and/or lines) visible on the map
  • Open your project's Map view by clicking the Map button from the Projects page

Step 1: Open the Sketches Panel

The Sketches panel is located in the left sidebar of the Map view, alongside other panels like Address Search, Filters, Map Output, and Settings.

  1. In the Map view, locate the left sidebar panel.
  2. Click the Sketches dropdown arrow to expand the panel.

Once expanded, you'll see a + New button, an Open sketch... dropdown, and action buttons for Rename, Save as..., and Delete.

Step 2: Create or Open a Sketch

You can either create a brand-new sketch or open an existing one you've previously saved.

Creating a New Sketch

  1. Click the + New button inside the Sketches panel.
  2. In the New Sketch dialog that appears, type a name for your sketch in the Name field (for example, "5 Riviera" or "Demo Sketch").
  3. Click Save to create the sketch.

Choose a descriptive name that references the job site or address — this makes it easier to find the sketch later.

Opening an Existing Sketch

  1. Click the Open sketch... dropdown.
  2. Select the sketch you want to open from the list.
  3. The sketch will load on the map, and any previously drawn elements will appear.

Managing Sketches

  • Rename: Click the Rename button to change the name of the currently open sketch.
  • Save as...: Click the Save as... button to save a copy of the current sketch under a new name.
  • Delete: Click the red Delete button to permanently remove the current sketch. Use caution — this action cannot be undone.

Step 3: Set Up Sketch Limits

Limits define the boundary area of your sketch. Setting a limit helps you focus the sketch on a specific area of your job site and controls what appears in your printed or exported output.

  1. Expand the Limits section in the left sidebar.
  2. Click the + New button to add a new limit.
  3. The Add Limit panel will open on the right side of the screen.
  4. Toggle the Active Limit to associate all drawing elements with the limit. This is useful if you have multiple limits as it controls what drawing elements are printed with which limit.

Limit Settings

  • Located Area: Click the green checkmark to use the current located area as your boundary. Click the red trash icon to remove it.
  • Limit of Sketch: Click the green + button, then click on the map to draw a rectangular boundary around your sketch area. The boundary will appear as a highlighted green rectangle that you can resize by dragging the corner handles.
  • Lock Zoom: Toggle this on to set the zoom level for printing.
  • Name: Enter a descriptive name for the limit (e.g., "Limit 1").
  • Weight: Choose the border line thickness from the dropdown. Options include Thick and other weight values.
  • Color: Set the border color using a hex value (default is #000000 for black). Click the color swatch to choose a different color.
  • Opacity: Adjust the slider to control how transparent the limit boundary appears on the map (default is 100%).
  • Boundaries: Optionally enter specific coordinate values for precise boundary positioning.
  1. Click Save to apply the limit, or Close to cancel.

Setting a Limit of Sketch is especially useful when you need to produce a clean, focused output for a specific area of a larger project. You can also use multiple limits to produce a map series.

Step 4: Use the Drawing Tools

The Drawing Tools section is where you'll do most of your sketch work. Expand the Drawing Tools section in the left sidebar to see all available tools.

Available Drawing Tools

Dimension Line — Draws a measured line between two points on the map. The distance is automatically calculated and displayed (e.g., "1.18m", "1.28m", "1.65m"). This is ideal for showing offset distances between utilities and surface features like curb lines or utility poles.

Solid Line — Draws a continuous solid line on the map. Use this for marking boundaries, proposed routes, or other linear features.

Dashed Line — Draws a dashed line on the map. Useful for indicating approximate locations, proposed alignments, or hidden/underground features.

Box — Draws a rectangular shape on the map. Great for highlighting areas of interest, buildings, or excavation zones.

Circle — Draws a circular shape on the map. Useful for marking radius zones, valve locations, or areas of concern.

Polygon — Draws a custom multi-sided shape on the map. Click to place each vertex, then close the shape. Use this for irregular areas that don't fit a box or circle.

North Arrow — Places a north arrow indicator on your sketch. This is important for orientation when printing or sharing your sketch.

Note with Leader — Places a text label with a leader line (pointer) that connects the note to a specific feature on the map. Ideal for labeling features like "Trace Fault" and associating them with a specific point.

Note — Places a standalone text label on the map without a leader line. Use this for general annotations like address labels (e.g., "5 Riviera") or utility descriptions (e.g., "4" Plastic Gas Main").

Workflow — Adds a workflow-specific annotation to the sketch, allowing you to associate the element with a particular utility workflow.

Drawing a Dimension Line (Example)

  1. Click Dimension Line in the Drawing Tools list.
  2. Click on the map to set the start point of your line.
  3. Click again to set the end point. The measurement will appear automatically.
  4. The Add Dimension Line panel opens on the right with these settings:
    • Weight: Choose line thickness (e.g., Pencil, or heavier options).
    • Font Size: Choose the label size (e.g., Smaller).
    • Color: Set the line and label color (default #000000).
    • Rotation: Adjust the angle using the slider (default 0°).
    • Opacity: Control transparency (default 100%).
    • Label: Optionally enter a custom label to override the auto-measured value.
    • Reset label position: Click this button to snap the label back to its default position if you've moved it.
    • Limit: Assign the line to a specific limit boundary from the dropdown.
  5. Click Save to keep the dimension line, or Close to discard it.

You can click on any previously drawn element to re-open its edit panel and adjust settings.

Adding a Note or Note with Leader

  1. Click Note or Note with Leader in the Drawing Tools list.
  2. Click on the map to place the note. For a Note with Leader, you'll click twice — once for the pointer target and once for the label position.
  3. The Add Note panel opens on the right with these settings:
    • Text: Type your annotation text. As you type, an autocomplete dropdown may suggest common labels (e.g., typing "4" may suggest "4" Plastic Gas Main").
    • Font Size: Choose the text size (e.g., Smaller).
    • Color: Set the text color (default #000000).
    • Rotation: Adjust the text angle.
    • Width: Set a fixed width for the text box (default 0px for auto-width).
    • Workflow: Optionally assign the note to a specific workflow (e.g., Water, Gas, Power).
    • Limit: Assign the note to a specific limit boundary.
  4. Click Save to place the note, or Close to cancel.

The autocomplete feature for notes pulls from common utility descriptions in your project, saving you time on repetitive labeling.

Step 5: Add Stamps (Optional)

The Stamps section provides pre-made symbols and markers that you can place onto your sketch. Expand the Stamps section in the left sidebar to browse available stamp options.

  1. Expand the Stamps dropdown in the left sidebar.
  2. Select a stamp from the available options.
  3. Click on the map to place the stamp at the desired location.
  4. Adjust the stamp's properties (size, rotation, color) in the panel that appears on the right.
  5. Click Save to confirm placement.

Stamps are useful for adding standard symbols like valve markers, service boxes, or other utility-specific icons to your sketch.

Step 6: Print or Export Your Sketch

Once your sketch is complete, use the Map Output section to produce your final deliverable.

Map Output Options

Expand the Map Output section in the left sidebar to see all output options:

  • Print Map: Sends the current map view (including your sketch) to your printer.
  • Download Map Package: Generates a ZIP file containing separate map images for each workflow type (e.g., 5-riviera-all.jpg, 5-riviera-water.jpg, 5-riviera-gas.jpg).

Downloading a Map Package (Example)

  1. Click Download Map Package in the Map Output section.
  2. The Download Map Package panel opens on the right, showing your sketch name and a list of available workflow layers.
  3. Select which workflows to include in your package by clicking each one. A green checkmark will appear next to each selected workflow. Options typically include: All, Power, Water, Gas, Telecom, Sewer, Offsets, and Landbase.
  4. Click Download ZIP to generate and download the package.
  5. Click Finish when you're done.

The downloaded ZIP file will contain a separate JPG image for each selected workflow, making it easy to share workflow-specific views with different stakeholders.

Step 7: Adjust Map Settings

The Settings section at the bottom of the left sidebar lets you customize the overall map display. These settings affect how your sketch and data appear on screen and in exports.

  • Snapping Tolerance: Controls how close your cursor needs to be to an existing point or line before it "snaps" to it. Default is 0.5. Increase this if you're having trouble snapping to features.
  • Arrow Scale: Adjusts the size of directional arrows on the map. Default is 1.
  • Symbol Scale: Adjusts the size of map symbols. Default is 1.
  • Basemap: Choose the background map layer. Options include None, OpenStreetMap Carto (street map), and Esri World Imagery (satellite view). Click the swap icon to open the basemap selector.
  • Basemap (print): Choose a different basemap specifically for printed output. Set to None if you want a clean white background on printed sketches.
  • Map Output Format: Choose between jpg and png for exported map images.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I edit a sketch after saving it? Yes. Open the sketch using the Open sketch... dropdown, and all previously drawn elements will appear on the map. Click any element to select it and re-open its edit panel on the right side of the screen.

How do I delete a single element from my sketch? Click on the element you want to remove to select it. In the edit panel that appears on the right, look for the delete option. You can also use the Close button to discard unsaved changes to an element you're currently adding.

Can I move elements after placing them? Yes. Click on any drawn element to select it. You can then drag it to a new position on the map. For dimension lines, you can drag the endpoints to adjust the measurement.

What's the difference between a Note and a Note with Leader? A Note is a standalone text label placed at a specific location. A Note with Leader includes a pointer line that connects the label to a specific point on the map, making it clear exactly what the note refers to. Use Notes with Leaders when you need to label a specific feature precisely.

Can I assign sketch elements to specific workflows? Yes. When adding Notes, Notes with Leader, and certain other elements, you'll see a Workflow dropdown in the properties panel. Selecting a workflow (e.g., Water, Gas, Power) associates that element with the chosen workflow, which is useful when generating workflow-specific map packages.

What happens when I download a Map Package? The system generates a ZIP file containing separate JPG (or PNG) images for each workflow layer you selected. For example, a sketch named "5 Riviera" would produce files like 5-riviera-all.jpg, 5-riviera-water.jpg, 5-riviera-gas.jpg, and so on. This makes it easy to share workflow-specific sketches with different teams.

Can multiple users work on the same sketch? Sketches are saved to the project, so any user with access to the project can open and edit them. However, only one user should edit a sketch at a time to avoid overwriting each other's changes.

How do I change the basemap for printing? Use the Basemap (print) setting under the Settings section. You can set this independently from the on-screen basemap. Many users prefer None for a clean printed output, or Esri World Imagery for satellite context.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use Save as... to create template sketches. If you frequently create similar sketches (e.g., with the same limit boundaries and standard notes), create a base sketch once and use Save as... to duplicate it for each new job site. Then just update the specific details.

  • Set your Limit of Sketch first. Before drawing any elements, define your limit boundary. This helps you frame the work area correctly and ensures your printed output looks clean and focused.

  • Use the North Arrow on every sketch. Always add a North Arrow to your sketch, especially if you plan to print or share it. This gives anyone reading the sketch proper geographic orientation.

  • Switch to satellite view for context. When sketching, toggle the basemap to Esri World Imagery to see aerial photography behind your utility data. This helps you visually confirm feature locations. You can switch back to OpenStreetMap Carto or None for a cleaner output when printing.

  • Adjust the Snapping Tolerance for precision. If your clicks aren't lining up with existing features, increase the Snapping Tolerance in Settings. If you're accidentally snapping to the wrong features in a dense area, decrease it.

  • Use Dashed Lines for approximate locations. When marking features that are estimated or unconfirmed, use the Dashed Line tool to visually indicate uncertainty. This is a common industry convention.

  • Download individual workflow images. When downloading a Map Package, you can select individual workflows instead of All. This is useful when you only need to share the Gas or Water sketch with a specific team.

  • Assign Notes to Limits for organized output. When adding a Note or Dimension Line, use the Limit dropdown to assign it to a specific limit boundary. This keeps your sketch organized when you have multiple limits in a single project.

  • Remember to save frequently. The sketch does not auto-save. Click Save in each element's properties panel after making changes, and use the sketch management buttons in the Sketches panel to save your overall progress.

Related Articles

  • Getting Started with the TerraFlow Data Engine Map View
  • Filtering and Displaying Workflow Data on the Map
  • Exporting Data from TerraFlow Data Engine
  • Understanding Coordinate Systems in TerraFlow
  • Working with Basemaps and Map Settings

Need more help? Contact TerraFlow Support at support@terraflow.ca