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Drawing polygon geometry

Create custom shapes around obstacles, standing water and ditches for safer field operations.

The Polygon tool is the most versatile drawing tool in Mission Control, allowing you to create custom shapes for field geometry, irregular obstacles, and no-work zones. Unlike the Circle tool which creates perfect circles, the Polygon tool lets you place individual points to trace any shape you need.

When to Use the Polygon Tool

The Polygon Tool is your go-to choice for most geometry creation tasks:

Best Use Cases

  • Irregular Obstacles: Buildings, barns, equipment sheds, irregular tree lines
  • Non-Traversable Holes: Rocky areas, ditches, culverts, fence posts, power poles
  • Traversable Holes: Drainage swales, low spots, transits (areas vehicles can cross if needed)

When to Use a Different Tool

  • Circular Obstacles: Use the Circle tool for ponds, grain bins, or other round features (faster)
  • Transit Paths: Use the Line tool for routes between fields
  • Single Points: Use the Point of Interest tool for waypoints or end points

 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open the Drawing Tools
  • Navigate to your field in Mission Control (web-only)
  • Select the "geometry" tab
  • Click the "Add Geometry" button or the "+" button on the map
  • The "Add Geometry" modal will appear with tool options

2. Select the Polygon Tool

  • From the modal, click "Polygon"
  • The modal will close and you'll enter polygon drawing mode
  • Your cursor will change to indicate drawing mode is active

3. Draw the Polygon

  • Click once on the map at your starting point (e.g., field entrance, building corner)
  • Move the cursor to the next corner of your shape
  • Click again to place the second vertex
  • Continue clicking to place vertices at each corner or direction change
  • Complete the polygon by double-clicking at the final point or pressing "Enter"

Tips for accurate placement:
  • Use satellite imagery to trace actual boundaries or obstacles
  • Zoom in for precise vertex placement at corners
  • Place vertices at every corner or direction change
  • Add fewer vertices on straight sections
  • The shape automatically closes between your last point and first point

4. Name and Configure the Geometry

After completing the polygon, a popover will appear:
  1. Name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "North Field", "Machine Shed", "East Ditch")

  2. Geometry Type: Select the appropriate type:

    1. Boundary - Field outer perimeter
    2. Non-Traversable Hole - Obstacles vehicles must avoid
    3. Traversable Hole - Areas vehicles can cross if needed
    4. Geofence - Safe area to navigate
  3. Click "Save" to create the geometry

5. Verify on Map

  • The polygon geometry will now appear on your field map
  • It will be marked as a user-created geometry
  • For boundaries: Coverage planning will use this as the work area
  • For non-traversable holes: Vehicles will plan paths that avoid this area



Editing Existing Polygons

To modify a polygon after creation:
  • Click the geometry on the map
  • Select "Edit" from the popover
  • You can:
    • Drag waypoints to reposition them
    • Click on a line segment to add a new waypoint
    • Select a waypoint and press Delete to remove it
    • Adjust the entire route as needed
  • Click "Save" to apply changes or "Cancel" to discard
 

Troubleshooting

Polygon Edges are Jagged or Imprecise

Symptom: The polygon doesn't follow the shape you wanted

Solution:
  • Zoom in closer when placing vertices for better precision
  • Use Edit mode to adjust individual vertices after saving
  • Add more vertices at curves and corners
  • Remove unnecessary vertices on straight sections

Polygon Not Appearing in Coverage Planner

Symptom: Created boundary but coverage planner doesn't use it

Solution:
  • Verify the geometry type is set to "Boundary"
  • Check that the boundary is associated with the correct field
  • Ensure the boundary is not archived or hidden
  • Try refreshing the coverage planner page

Can't Complete with Double-Click

Symptom: Double-clicking adds extra vertices instead of finishing

Solution:
  • Click twice very rapidly (within 300ms)
  • Use alternative: single-click last point, then press Enter key
  • Or add last vertex with single-click, then click "Save" button manually

Vertices Not Snapping to Intended Location

Symptom: Click one spot, vertex appears somewhere else

Solution:
  • Disable "Snap to Geometry" if available in drawing panel
  • Zoom in much closer for more precise placement
  • Edit the polygon after saving and drag vertices to correct positions
  • Check for nearby geometries that might cause snapping behavior