2.4. Create and edit map items

  1. Create a map item
  2. Edit a map item
Attention.

When you create and edit map items, you must comply with the technical restrictions.

Create a map item

To create a new item on the map:

  1. Adjust the scale of the satellite image until the item you want to map is clearly distinguishable.

    There are several ways to change the scale.

    If the chosen scale isn't suitable for drawing your map item, the following message appears:

    In this case, increase the map scale (until the message disappears).

  2. Click .

    The “New item category” menu opens:

    The majority of categories include several types of map items. In this case, when you click buttons in the “New item category” menu, an additional menu will open and you can select your item type there.

    For example, when you select the “Hydrography” category, an additional menu opens that includes the “Body of water”, “Area of river bed” and “Hydrography point” types:

    In the upper part of the menu, there is a field where you can quickly search for item types.

    Start entering the item's name to see the suggestions of item types and categories:

  3. Choose your place type.

    When you click the button, the attribute panel for the item opens and your cursor turns into a drawing tool:

  4. Draw the item on the map and enter values for its attributes (characteristics) in the attribute panel:
    1. Draw map item. There are three types of Yandex Map Editor items (as with any other type of map):

      • Places. These map items display as placemarks (icons). Every type of item has its own icon.

        For example, air transport items are represented by these icons:

        • — airports
        • — airfields
        • — airport terminals
        • — helicopter pads

        Drawing techniques for places are described in the Drawing places section.

      • Linear items. These items display on the map as lines. Every type of item has its own type of line. For example, metro lines are pink, railways are black-and-white dotted lines:

        Linear features are often too long to render on the map at once. This is why they are usually drawn sequentially:

        • During the first stage, individual sections of a linear item are drawn. For example, these could be sections of a motorway or metro lines.

          Drawing techniques for these types of linear items are described in the Drawing linear items section.

        • During the second stage (adding attributes), the sections of the linear item are united. Sections of road are united into one road, sections of a metro line are united into a single metro line, etc.

          You can edit linear items that are created this way: add new sections to the item if necessary or exclude sections created earlier from it.

          Editing techniques for such composite linear items are described in Section 2.6.2. Composite linear items.

      • Polygonal items. These items display on the map as polygons (i.e. they encompass a particular area). Every type of map item has its own type of outline and area encompassed by it. For example, reservoirs are represented by blue polygons, vegetation (forests, parks, etc.) — by green ones:

        Techniques for working with polygonal items are given in Section 2.7. Polygonal items.

    2. Adding map item attributes. Techniques for adding attributes are described in Section 2.10.1. Adding map item attributes..

      Item names for various item types are assigned uniformly. See Section 2.10.1.2. Techniques for naming items.

      Attributes for various item types are described in Section 3. Global mapping rules.

  5. Not all items are "drawn" on the map: some are compiled during editing or added as attributes of existing items. These types of items include:
    1. Composite linear items (motorways, railways, rivers, etc.) made up of separate sections. These are created during the process of editing sections of linear items and only later edited as individual items. For more information, see Section 2.6.2. Composite linear items.
    2. Intersections (connections) — these are points that unite linear items (such as sections of road). Created automatically. For more information, see Section 2.9. Intersections..

      Line intersections are items that are exclusively connected to items of a single type: motorways or other transport lines. If a motorway intersects a metro line (or in other similar cases), then an “intersection” item is not formed.

    3. Road signs are not entered as drawings, but as attributes (characteristics) of the road intersection. Creating and editing techniques are described in Section 3.3.4. Road conditions.
    4. Speed cameras are not entered as drawings, but as attributes (characteristics) of road intersections. Creating and editing techniques are described in Section 3.8.3. Speed cameras.
    5. Traffic lights are not entered as drawings, but as attributes (characteristics) of road intersections. Creating and editing techniques are described in Section 3.8.4. Traffic lights.
  6. After the item is created, you must save your changes using one of these methods:
    1. Click (or use the combination Ctrl + S).

      The item and attribute panel will switch to viewing mode.

      You will see the Add menu, where you can create another item of the same or a different type (for example, after you create an “Industrial zone” type item, you can create another “Industrial zone” or something different, like a “Building” or “Industry”):

    2. Press Shift and (or the combination Shift + Ctrl + A).

      The item will be saved, it will no longer be highlighted on the map, and the attribute panel will close. The item creation mode simultaneously activates; this is similar to the previous one (the attribute panel opens and the cursor switches to item drawing mode).

Edit a map item

To edit an item that was created earlier on the map:

  1. Select the item on the map. When you do this, the item will light up and the attribute panel will open (in viewing mode):

    Note.

    In the editing panel for each map item, there is a Show item on map button:

    When you click it (or use the Ctrl + P shortcut), the item will be highlighted and the map will center around it.

  2. Click Edit on the panel (or use Ctrl + E).

    The item and attribute panel will switch to editing mode:

  3. Edit an item: change its shape on the map and/or change the value of one or more attributes.
    Attention.

    Don't use editing tools to create new items by dragging existing ones to the appropriate location and changing their size or attributes (thereby “turning” demolished buildings into new ones, former construction sites into parking, etc.)

    1. Techniques for editing item shapes of various types are described in these sections:
    2. You can make changes to attributes in the attribute panel for the map item. For more information about working with panel fields, see Section 2.10.1. Adding map item attributes.. For attribute values for specific item types, see Section 3.1. General rules.
    3. For techniques for editing composite linear objects (roads, railways, and so forth) consisting of separate sections, see 2.6.2. Composite linear items.
    4. Techniques for creating and editing traffic conditions are described in Section 3.3.4. Road conditions.
  4. Click to save an edited map item.
  5. If necessary, you can also undo edits to map items or report an item to the moderator.