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Overlays

Overlays are vector shapes drawn on the tactical map to define areas, boundaries, routes, and points of interest. They provide visual context for missions, operational planning, and event management. Overlays are stored as GeoJSON and can be shared with TAK clients.

Overlay Types

The tactical map supports four overlay shape types:

Type Description Use Cases
Polygon A closed shape with three or more vertices Mission areas, geofences, team zones, restricted areas
Line A series of connected waypoints Routes, phase lines, boundaries
Circle A center point with a defined radius Objective capture zones, blast radii, communication ranges
Marker A single point on the map Points of interest, rally points, landmarks

Creating an Overlay

Overlays are created from the tactical map view or the Admin Overlays page.

Overlay Fields

Field Type Required Description
Name Text Yes Display name for the overlay
Type Select Yes Polygon, Line, Circle, or Marker
Color Color Picker Yes Stroke and fill color
Opacity Slider No Fill opacity (0–100%, default 30%)
Stroke Width Number No Border line width in pixels (default 2)
Event Select No Associate with a specific event
Description Text No Notes or purpose of the overlay

Drawing Shapes

After selecting the overlay type, the map enters drawing mode:

Shape Drawing Method
Polygon Click to place vertices, double-click to close the shape
Line Click to place waypoints, double-click to finish
Circle Click to set the center, drag to set the radius
Marker Click to place a single point

The editor displays coordinates and measurements as you draw — area for polygons, distance for lines, and radius for circles.

Editing an Overlay

Click an existing overlay on the map to select it, then click Edit to modify it.

Action How
Move vertices Drag individual vertices to reshape the overlay
Add vertices Click midpoints between existing vertices
Delete vertices Right-click a vertex to remove it
Reposition Drag the entire shape to move it

Changes preview on the map in real time. Click Save to persist or Cancel to discard.

Display on the Tactical Map

Visible overlays render on the tactical map for all users with map access. Overlays appear in the middle rendering layer — above the base map tiles but below CoT markers and objective indicators.

Rendering Order

Layer Position
Base map tiles Bottom
Overlays Middle
Objective markers Above overlays
CoT markers Top

Visibility Toggle

Toggle overlay visibility from the overlay list panel on the map. Hidden overlays are stored in the database but not rendered on the map. Admins and organizers can show or hide overlays without deleting them.

GeoJSON Support

Overlays are stored internally as GeoJSON, the standard format for encoding geographic data structures. This enables:

  • Export — Download overlays as .geojson files for use in other GIS tools
  • Import — Upload GeoJSON files to create overlays from external sources
  • TAK sync — Convert overlays to CoT drawing objects for TAK client display

GeoJSON Structure

Each overlay maps to a GeoJSON Feature:

{
  "type": "Feature",
  "geometry": {
    "type": "Polygon",
    "coordinates": [
      [
        [-77.0364, 38.8951],
        [-77.0364, 38.8981],
        [-77.0334, 38.8981],
        [-77.0334, 38.8951],
        [-77.0364, 38.8951]
      ]
    ]
  },
  "properties": {
    "name": "AO North",
    "color": "#ff6b35",
    "opacity": 0.3,
    "strokeWidth": 2
  }
}

Bulk Export

Select multiple overlays and click Export to download them as a GeoJSON FeatureCollection. This is useful for archiving event overlays or sharing them with external mapping tools.

Pushing Overlays to TAK Clients

Overlays can be shared with TAK clients (ATAK, iTAK, WinTAK) as CoT drawing objects:

  1. Select an overlay on the map
  2. Click Push to TAK
  3. Select the target groups to receive the overlay

TAK clients render the overlay on their map view, keeping field participants aligned with the operational picture defined by organizers.