1.2. Recommended mapping order

Below you'll find recommendations regarding what items to draw and in what order (the “cartographer's check list”).

The mapping process includes:

  1. Select an item to map. Map items include areas, buildings, roads, rivers, and so forth. Some items must not be drawn on the map (for more information, see Section 3.1.4. Forbidden locations).
  2. Drawing your map item.
  3. Adding map item attributes: assigning values to attributes (i.e. characteristics) of map items. For example, the type of roadway, name of a locality, or height of a building.

  4. Saving your map item.

Here is an approximate list of what items can be drawn on Yandex Map Editor (and in what order) within the borders of a given locality:

1.2.1. Initial rendering

These main items are drawn on the map:

  1. Borders of localities.

    Borders must be drawn as accurately as possible:

    For more information, see Section 3.2. Administrative divisions.

  2. Road networks.

    The best approach is to draw roadways in order of their significance, from expressways down to alleys or driveways between buildings.

    When drawing roads, pay attention to how the road network is connected so that different types of roads connect together to form a unified network:

    For more information, see Section 3.3. Roads.

  3. Railways.

    Main railway lines:

    For more information, see Section 3.12. Transport: railways.

  4. Multistory building.

    Residential, public, industrial buildings:

    For more information, see Section 3.4. Buildings.

  5. Low-rise buildings:

    For more information, see Section 3.4. Buildings.

  6. Hydrography: linear and polygonal items.

    Waterways, from major rivers to streams, channels, and reservoirs. You must draw coastlines in as much detail as possible; try not to round them off:

    For more information, see Section 3.10. Hydrography

  7. Large areas of vegetation.

    Forests, parks, squares.

    If the territory of such an area includes items that belong to another category, they are drawn not as internal polygons (see 2.7.2. Rules for using internal polygons), but as separate polygons, like a lake in a forest:

    For more information, see Section 3.9. Vegetation.

1.2.2. Detailed rendering

apos;t fit into the list of main items. These items can and should be drawn so that the map is as informative and detailed as possible:

  1. Tram rails and secondary railways:

  2. Transport.

    Railway stations, ports, airports (both the buildings themselves and the related territory):

    For more information, see sections:

  3. Public transport stops.

    Draw stops on different sides of the road as separate items:

    For more information, see Section 3.14. Transport: ground.

  4. Organizations within buildings.

    Draw organizations within buildings as places classified under the “Locations” category. Different icons are used to represent various organizations. The organization's placemark will appear in the center of the icon.

    Put the placemark at the entrance to the organization (if it has a separate entrance), or at its approximate location (for example, if you are mapping a store inside a shopping complex).

    In either case, the placemark (and, likewise, the icon center) should be placed inside the polygon that represents the building (the following placemark indicates that the map item is a shopping center):

    For more information, see 3.6. Locations

  5. Small commercial and industrial facilities and structures (sheds, transformer substations, boiler houses, etc.).

    When drawing and assigning attributes to such items, observe the restrictions on specifying item characteristics (see Section 3.1.4. Forbidden locations):

  6. Garages.

    Draw as “Structure, building site” map items classified under the “Buildings” category.

    For more information, see Section 3.4.2. Rules for adding attributes to buildings.

    Garage territories (see Section 3.7. Territories) are outlined as an “Industrial zone” polygon if it is a named garage-construction co-op or a large garage area, regardless of whether it has an official name.

    In other cases, garage territories are not marked. Don't draw free-standing garages (such as individual “shells”).

  7. Parking.

    Draw as “Parking” map items classified under the “Road infrastructure” category.

    For more information, see Section 3.8.2. Parking. Rules for drawing and adding attributes..

  8. Pedestrian paths and crosswalks, bike paths.

    Draw bike paths, pedestrian paths, bridges, stairs, and crossings.

    For more information, see Section 3.3.1.6. Drawing rules for sidewalks, pedestrian paths, and bike paths.

  9. Lawns and small areas of vegetation.

    Draw sections of vegetation using polygons:

    For more information, see Section 3.9. Vegetation.

  10. Small hydrographic items.

    Use “Hydrography” placemarks (under the “Hydrography point” category) to draw springs, wells, water pumps, and fountains.

    For more information, see Section 3.10. Hydrography.

  11. Borders of city areas: borders of administrative areas, subdistricts, blocks.

    For more information, see Section 3.2. Administrative divisions.

  12. Road infrastructure: road structures including squares, bridges (including pedestrian ones), underground and aboveground pedestrian crosswalks and tunnels. Road infrastructure also includes parking, video cameras and traffic lights. Draw as map items classified under the “Road infrastructure” category.

    For more information, see Section 3.8. Road infrastructure.

  13. Territories including buildings and structures (and the complexes they are part of), which are designated according to their use. For example, the territories of educational institutions (academic buildings, dormitories), beaches, etc.

    Industrial zones can cover large territories that are completely occupied by industrial buildings, or cover the territories of individual enterprises.

    For more information, see Section 3.7. Territories.

  14. Draw Attractions (monuments, viewpoints) and courtyard infrastructure (playgrounds, dog parks, dumpsters, etc.) as places classified under the “Locations” category.

    For more information, see 3.6. Locations.

  15. Territories of organizations.

    Draw the territories of hospitals, schools, and sports complexes using individual polygons and label them as independent map items.

    For more information, see Section 3.7. Territories.

1.2.3. Actualization

Refers to the process of adding new map items or redrawing/"re-attributing" existing ones in response to changes that have taken place:

  1. Map items related to road networks or infrastructure that are under construction or were recently built: roads, interchanges, bridges, tunnels, underground and aboveground crosswalks.

    See 3.3. Roads and 3.8. Road infrastructure.

  2. New buildings: buildings that are already commissioned or under construction.

    See 3.4. Buildings.

  3. Demolished or destroyed buildings and structures.

    If there is a building on the satellite image, but it no longer exists in reality, set the value of the “Condition” attribute as “Demolished”.

    See 3.4. Buildings.

  4. Organizations that have changed: new buildings opened, existing ones changed, the business moved to a new location (for stores, malls, cinemas, pharmacies, etc.).

    See 3.6. Locations.

  5. Transport networks that have changed: new routes or transport stops were added or stops were removed from a route.

    See sections:

  6. Streets that were re-named (note that the addresses of those residential buildings and organizations will also change in this case).

    See sections:

  7. Administrative division borders change. For example, if new territories are added to a city, part of a city's territory splits off, district borders change, etc.

    See 3.2. Administrative divisions.