APEX Plat

Getting Started

System Requirements

• Modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
• Internet connection for authentication and cloud storage features

Launching the Application

Open the application in your web browser. You'll see the main canvas area with toolbars on both sides.

User Interface Overview

The interface consists of several main areas:

Header

• APEX Plat - Application title and home link
• Project Name - Displays the current project name
• Theme Toggle - Switch between light and dark modes (sun/moon icon)
• User Menu - Access to Settings, Reports, Projects, and Sign In/Out

Left Sidebar

Contains collapsible sections for:

• General - Display settings and view controls
• Data - Import/export functionality (DXF, KML, CSV)
• Draw - Drawing tools (points, lines, polygons, arcs, leaders, text)
• Measure - Measurement and annotation tools
• Description - Legal description generation

Right Sidebar

• Layers - Layer management panel with visibility and frozen controls
• Styles - Text, leader, polygon, and label style configuration

Canvas Area

• Main drawing area with toolbar at the top
• Space tabs at bottom (Model and Layout tabs for paper space)
• Coordinate display at bottom of left sidebar
• Status display showing current tool state
• Projection display showing coordinate reference system
• Server status indicator

Authentication & Projects

Signing In

APEX Plat offers multiple authentication methods:

Password Sign In

1. Click the Sign In button in the header
2. Select Password tab
3. Enter your email address and password
4. Click Sign In

Magic Link (Passwordless)

1. Click the Sign In button in the header
2. Select Magic Link tab
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your email for a magic link
5. Click the link to authenticate

Sign Up

1. Click the Sign In button in the header
2. Select Sign Up tab
3. Enter your email address and create a password
4. Click Sign Up

Password Reset

1. Click the Sign In button in the header
2. Select Password Reset tab
3. Enter your email address
4. Check your email for a password reset link
5. Follow the link to create a new password

Managing Projects

After signing in:

• Click Projects in the user menu to view existing projects or create new ones
• Create New Project - Start a fresh project with optional name and coordinate system
• Search Projects - Find existing projects by name or date
• Open Project - Load a selected project

Coordinate Systems

When creating a new project, you can choose:

• Local Grid (No Projection) - Simple coordinate system for local projects
• State Plane Coordinate System - Select state and zone for georeferenced drawings (required for KML export)

Canvas Navigation

Toolbar Buttons

Located at the top of the canvas:

Mouse Controls

• Scroll Wheel - Zoom in/out
• Click and Drag (with Pan tool) - Move around the canvas
• Ctrl+Drag (with Selection tool) - Pan while in selection mode
• Click (with Selection tool) - Select elements
• Double-click - Finish polyline/polygon, or edit viewport in layout space

Keyboard Shortcuts

Drawing Tools

Draw Point

Creates a single point marker on the canvas.

1. Select Draw Point from the Draw section
2. Click on the canvas to place the point

Draw Line (Polyline)

Creates connected line segments.

1. Select Draw Line from the Draw section (or press L)
2. Click to place each vertex
3. Double-click to finish the line
4. Hold Shift while clicking to snap to common angles (0°, 45°, 90°, etc.)

Draw Polygon

Creates closed polygon shapes.

1. Select Draw Polygon from the Draw section
2. Click to place each vertex
3. Double-click to close and finish the polygon
4. Hold Shift while clicking to snap to common angles

Draw Arc

Creates curved line segments.

1. Select Draw Arc from the Draw section
2. Click to place the start point
3. Click to place the end point
4. Move the mouse to define the arc curve and click to set

Draw Leader

Creates annotation lines with arrows or endpoint markers.

1. Select Draw Leader from the Draw section
2. Click to place each vertex of the leader line
3. Double-click to finish
4. Configure leader appearance in the Styles panel (Leader Styles tab)

Insert Text

Adds text labels and annotations to the drawing.

1. Select Insert Text from the Draw section (or press T)
2. Click on the canvas to place the text insertion point
3. Type your text content
4. Configure text appearance in the Styles panel (Text Styles tab)

Group and Ungroup

Combine or separate multiple elements.

• Group - Select multiple elements, then click the Group button or press Ctrl+G
• Ungroup - Select a grouped element, then click the Ungroup button or press Ctrl+Shift+G

Measurement Tools

APEX Plat provides both manual and automated measurement tools for dimensions, angles, and bearings.

Manual Measurement Tools

Dimensions

Manually measure distance between two points or elements.

1. Select Dimensions from the Measure section
2. Click on the first point or element
3. Click on the second point or element
4. The distance is displayed in feet

Angles

Manually measure the angle between two lines.

1. Select Angles from the Measure section
2. Click on the first line
3. Click on the second line
4. The angle measurement is displayed at the intersection

Bearing

Manually label a polygon edge with its bearing.

1. Select Bearing from the Measure section
2. Click on a polygon edge to label
3. The bearing is displayed on the selected edge

Distance

Manually label a polygon edge with its distance.

1. Select Distance from the Measure section
2. Click on a polygon edge to label
3. The distance is displayed on the selected edge

Line Crossing

Measures how far a line travels inside a polygon.

1. Select Line Crossing from the Measure section
2. Draw or select a closed polygon
3. Draw a line that crosses through the polygon
4. Click the crossing line
5. Click any line in the polygon
6. The measurement shows the distance (in feet) the line travels inside the polygon

Automated Measurement Tools

Auto Bear & Dist

Automatically labels all edges of a polygon with both bearing and distance.

1. Select Auto Bear & Dist from the Measure section
2. Click on a polygon
3. All edges are automatically labeled with bearing and distance

Auto Angles

Automatically adds angle measurements to all corners of selected polygons.

1. Select Auto Angles from the Measure section
2. Click on a polygon
3. All interior angles are automatically calculated and displayed

Auto Bearings

Automatically populates bearings for all edges of a polygon.

1. Select Auto Bearings from the Measure section
2. Click on a polygon
3. All edge bearings are automatically calculated and displayed

Auto Distances

Automatically labels all edges of a polygon with distance measurements.

1. Select Auto Distances from the Measure section
2. Click on a polygon
3. All edge lengths are automatically calculated and displayed

Traverse Closure

Analyze the precision and closure error of closed polygon traverses, with options to adjust coordinates using industry-standard methods.

Running a Closure Analysis

1. Select Traverse Closure from the Measure section
2. Click on a closed polygon to analyze
3. The analysis results appear in a modal window

Understanding the Results

The analysis provides the following measurements:

• Total Distance - The sum of all course lengths around the traverse
• Linear Error of Closure - The distance between the calculated end point and start point
• Precision Ratio - The ratio of linear error to total traverse length (e.g., 1:15,000)

Course Details

For each course (segment) in the traverse, the analysis shows:

• Bearing - Direction of the course
• Distance - Length of the course
• Latitude - North/South component (Δy)
• Departure - East/West component (Δx)

Tolerance Standards

The tool compares your closure against common survey standards:

Adjustment Methods

If closure error exists, you can apply adjustments to correct the traverse:

• Compass Rule - Distributes error proportionally based on each course's distance relative to the total traverse length. Best for traverses where angles and distances are measured with similar precision.
• Transit Rule - Distributes error proportionally based on each course's latitude and departure values. Best when distance measurements are more precise than angle measurements.

Tips

• A higher precision ratio (e.g., 1:15,000) indicates better closure than a lower one (e.g., 1:3,000)
• If closure is perfect (zero error), the result displays as "1:PERFECT"
• For polygons with arc segments, the tool uses chord endpoints for calculations

Styles Management

The Styles panel on the right sidebar allows you to create and manage custom formatting for various element types. The panel has four tabs for different style categories.

Text Styles

Create custom text formatting presets for consistent labeling and annotations.

• Font Settings - Choose font family, size, and weight
• Color - Set text color
• Alignment - Configure text alignment (left, center, right)
• Apply Styles - Select text elements and apply saved styles

Leader Styles

Configure the appearance of annotation leader lines.

• Arrow Styles - Choose endpoint marker types (arrows, dots, none)
• Line Thickness - Set leader line width
• Spread Options
  • Centered - Text centered on leader line
  • Distributed - Text evenly distributed along leader
  • Ends - Text at leader endpoints

Polygon Styles

Customize polygon fill patterns, borders, and transparency.

Fill Patterns

• Solid - Solid color fill
• Hatch - Diagonal line pattern (configurable angle and spacing)
• Cross-hatch - Crossed diagonal lines
• Dot - Dot pattern fill
• Grid - Grid pattern fill
• Brick - Brick pattern fill

Configuration Options

• Hatch Angle - Rotation angle for hatch patterns
• Hatch Spacing - Distance between hatch lines
• Border/Stroke Settings - Line color, width, and style
• Transparency - Opacity/transparency controls

Label Styles

Customize the appearance of bearing and distance labels on polygon edges.

• Bear & Dist Formatting - Font, size, and color for edge labels
• Label Position - Placement relative to edge
• Number Format - Decimal places and units display

Layouts & Viewports

APEX Plat features a professional model/paper space system for creating printable sheets with multiple views of your drawing.

Model vs. Layout Space

Understanding the two workspace types:

• Model Space - The main drawing area where you create and edit geometry at full scale. Accessed via the Model tab at the bottom of the canvas.
• Layout Space - Paper space for composing sheets with viewports, title blocks, and annotations. Accessed via Layout1, Layout2, etc. tabs.

Typical Workflow

1. Draw geometry in Model Space
2. Switch to a Layout tab
3. Configure paper size and orientation
4. Create viewports to show model space content
5. Add title blocks and annotations
6. Print or export to PDF

Layout Management

Creating and Managing Layouts

• Add Layout - Click the + button next to layout tabs to create a new layout
• Rename Layout - Right-click on a layout tab and select rename
• Duplicate Layout - Copy a layout with all its viewports and settings
• Delete Layout - Remove unwanted layout pages

Layout Properties

Configure paper settings in the Layout Properties panel:

• Paper Size
  • Standard: Letter, Legal, Tabloid
  • ANSI: A, B, C, D, E
  • Arch: A, B, C, D, E
  • Custom: Specify custom dimensions
• Orientation - Landscape or Portrait
• Margins - Top, Right, Bottom, Left margins in inches

Working with Viewports

Creating Viewports

1. Switch to a Layout tab
2. Click Create Viewport in the layout toolbar
3. Click and drag to define the viewport rectangle on the paper
4. The viewport displays a view into model space

Viewport Scale

Set the display scale for each viewport:

• Common scales: 1:2, 1:4, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200, etc.
• Select a viewport and choose scale from the dropdown
• Scale determines how model space content fits in the viewport

Editing Viewports

• Double-click a viewport to activate it and pan/zoom the model space view
• Lock Viewport - Prevent accidental pan/zoom changes
• Unlock Viewport - Allow editing of the view
• Fit to Viewport - Auto-scale the view to fit the viewport bounds

Layer Visibility per Viewport

Control which layers are visible in each viewport independently:

1. Double-click to activate a viewport
2. Use the Layers panel to freeze/thaw layers for that viewport
3. Layer visibility can differ between viewports

Title Blocks

Add professional title blocks to layouts:

1. Click Insert Title Block in the layout toolbar
2. Configure title block information in the dialog
3. Click on the layout to place the title block

Output Options

Print Layout

1. Switch to the layout you want to print
2. Click Print Layout in the layout toolbar
3. Configure printer settings in the print dialog
4. Click Print

Export to PDF

1. Switch to the layout you want to export
2. Click Export to PDF in the layout toolbar
3. Choose save location and filename
4. The layout is saved as a PDF file

Layers Management

The Layers panel on the right sidebar provides full control over drawing layers.

Layer Toolbar

• Select All Checkbox - Select/deselect all layers at once
• Visibility Toggle (eye icon) - Toggle all layers visible/hidden
• Frozen Toggle (snowflake icon) - Toggle all layers frozen/unfrozen
• New Layer (+) - Create a new layer
• Delete Selected (trash) - Delete selected layers

Layer Controls

Each layer has individual controls:

• Checkbox - Select the layer for bulk operations
• Visibility (eye icon) - Show/hide the layer contents
• Frozen (snowflake icon) - Lock/unlock the layer for editing
• Layer Name - Click to rename the layer

Layer Properties

Imported DXF files include layer information:

• Layer name
• Color
• Line type
• Frozen state
• Visibility state

Tips

• Organize complex drawings by creating separate layers for boundaries, annotations, measurements, etc.
• Freeze layers you're not editing to prevent accidental modifications
• Hide layers temporarily to reduce visual clutter while working
• In layout space, layer visibility can be controlled per viewport

Legal Description

Generate legal property descriptions from polygon data.

Configure Description

1. Click Legal Description in the Description section
2. Fill in property information:
   • State
   • Grant
   • Original Grant Acreage
   • Abstract No.
   • City
   • Conveyed to
   • Deed
3. Click Select Polygon to choose the property boundary

Insert Legal Description

After configuration:

1. Click where you want the top-left corner of the text box
2. Click where you want the bottom-right corner
3. The legal description includes:
   • Preamble - Property identification
   • POB - Point of Beginning
   • Calls - Boundary descriptions with bearings and distances
   • Closure - Return to point of beginning

Data Import/Export

Import DXF

Import CAD drawings from DXF files.

1. Click Import DXF in the Data section
2. Select a .dxf file from your computer
3. Configure import options if prompted
4. The drawing elements and layers are imported

Export DXF

Export your drawing to a DXF file.

1. Click Export DXF in the Data section
2. A DXF file is downloaded with your drawing

Import KML

Import geographic data from KML files.

1. Click Import KML in the Data section
2. Select a .kml file from your computer
3. The geographic features are imported and converted to the current coordinate system

Export KML

Export your drawing to KML format for use in mapping applications.

1. Ensure your project uses a State Plane coordinate system (required for KML export)
2. Click Export KML in the Data section
3. A KML file is downloaded with your drawing data

Note: KML export requires a State Plane projection. Local Grid projects cannot be exported to KML.

Import Points

Import point data from CSV files.

1. Click Import Points in the Data section
2. Select a CSV file with point coordinates
3. Preview the data before importing
4. Map columns to point attributes (Number, Northing, Easting, Elevation, Description)

Paste Data

Manually enter or paste survey point data.

1. Click Paste Data in the Data section
2. Enter point data in the format:

Point_Number, Northing, Easting, Elevation, Description

Example:

1, 1000.50, 2000.75, 100.25, Corner
2, 1001.25, 2001.50, 100.30, Iron Pin
3, 1002.00, 2002.25, 100.35, Monument

3. Click Import to add the points

Settings & Preferences

Access settings by clicking your user menu in the header and selecting Settings.

Profile Settings

Manage your account information:

• Display Name - Your name displayed in the application
• Email Address - Your account email (verification required for changes)
• Account Information - View account creation date and status

Appearance

Customize the application's visual theme:

• Light Theme - Bright, high-contrast interface
• Dark Theme - Low-light friendly dark interface
• Theme preference is saved across sessions
• Quick toggle available in header (sun/moon icon)

Privacy & Analytics

Control data collection and usage tracking:

• Anonymous Usage Analytics - Toggle on/off
  • When enabled, tracks feature usage patterns
  • Records session duration and frequency
  • No personal information collected
  • Helps improve the application
• Opt-In/Opt-Out - Control participation at any time

What Data is Tracked

When analytics are enabled, the following anonymous data is collected:

• Feature usage (which tools and functions you use)
• Session duration (how long you use the application)
• Project counts (number of projects created)
• Import/export operations

No personal information, drawing content, or project data is ever collected.

Reports & Analytics

Access reports by clicking your user menu in the header and selecting Reports.

Overview Tab

View summary statistics about your account and usage:

Account Statistics

• Member Since - Your account creation date
• Total Projects - Number of projects you've created
• Total Polygons - Number of polygons drawn across all projects
• Legal Descriptions Generated - Count of legal descriptions created

Recent Activity

View a chronological list of your recent actions in the application.

Projects Summary

Overview of all your projects with creation dates and last modified times.

Analytics Tab

Detailed usage analytics with charts and visualizations:

KPI Cards

Key performance indicators at a glance:

• Total Sessions - Number of times you've used the application
• Average Duration - Average session length
• Active Days - Number of days you've used the application
• Total Events - Total number of tracked actions

Visualizations

• Sessions Over Time - Line chart showing usage trends
• Workflow Funnel - Bar chart showing feature usage distribution
• Event Timeline - Detailed chronological list of all tracked events

Filters

Customize what data is displayed:

• Date Range
  • Last 7 days
  • Last 30 days
  • Last 90 days
  • All Time
• Event Type
  • All Events
  • Sessions
  • Projects
  • Drawing
  • Imports
  • Exports

Export

Download your analytics data as a CSV file for further analysis in spreadsheet applications.

Note: Analytics must be enabled in Settings to collect and display this data.

Display Settings

Grid Toggle

• Check Show Grid in the General section to display a coordinate grid
• Uncheck to hide the grid

Show Endpoints

• Check Show Endpoints to display vertex and endpoint markers
• Helpful for precise selection and editing

Reset View

• Click Reset View to return to the default zoom and pan position

Clear Canvas

• Click Clear Canvas to remove all elements from the drawing
• Warning: This action cannot be undone

Theme

• Click the sun/moon icon in the header to toggle between light and dark themes
• Theme preference can also be changed in Settings

Status Indicators

Coordinate Display

Shows the current cursor position (X, Y coordinates) on the canvas.

Status Display

Shows the current tool state and any relevant messages.

Projection Display

Shows the current coordinate reference system (CRS):

• Local Grid - Simple local coordinate system
• State Plane - Displays EPSG code and zone name

Layout Display

Shows the currently active space:

• Model - Working in model space
• Layout Name - Working in a specific layout

Server Status

Indicates connection to the geometry calculation server:

• Green - Server Connected
• Red - Server Disconnected (local calculations used)

Tips and Best Practices

1. Save Frequently - Use the Save button regularly to preserve your work
2. Use Layers - Organize your drawing with layers for easier management
3. Draw in Model Space - Create all geometry in model space, then use layouts for plotting
4. Lock Viewports - Lock viewports in layouts after setting scale to prevent accidental changes
5. Zoom to Extents - After importing, use Zoom Extents to see all content
6. Check Projections - Ensure your coordinate system matches your data source
7. Use Auto Tools - Save time with automated measurement tools instead of labeling edges manually
8. Create Styles - Define text and polygon styles for consistent formatting
9. Double-click to Finish - Remember to double-click to complete polylines and polygons
10. Enable Analytics - Track your usage patterns to understand your workflow

Troubleshooting

Attribution

APEX Plat uses icons from the Noun Project (CC BY 3.0):

• Select by PixelX
• Select by Knockout Prezo
• Undo/Redo by Mohamed Mb
• Hand by Marie Van den Broeck
• Trash by kumakamu
• Grab by HDM
• Zoom by Fina Uswania
• Not Visible by yus
• Cursor by Adam Schraff