FAQ

No by default. The core workflow runs locally in your browser. Geometry is only sent if you sign in and choose Save or Send to Dashboard. Loading only retrieves items you previously saved to your own account. Note: if you add external tile overlays (XYZ), your browser will request those tiles from that provider.

Draw polygons, rename/duplicate items, toggle visibility, select by click/lasso/list checkboxes, and run polygon tools like Combine (union), Subtract (draw or import/paste), Split MultiPolygons, Dissolve, Buffer (km), Simplify (meters), coordinate truncation, and holes tools (strip holes or extract holes as new geometries). You can validate and fix common issues, add overlays (GeoJSON, XYZ tiles, GeoTIFF), use local autosave drafts, and export WKT, GeoJSON, Shapefile (.zip), KML and KMZ.

Use Add and choose File or Paste. File supports WKT, GeoJSON (.geojson/.json), and zipped Shapefile (.zip). Paste supports WKT, GeoJSON Feature, GeoJSON FeatureCollection, and multiple GeoJSON objects separated by new lines. Only Polygon and MultiPolygon features are imported.

In the right sidebar (Geometries list), open a geometry row and click Edit. Drag vertices on the map, then click Save edit in the same row to commit changes. Only one geometry can be edited at a time.

Vertex editing is a live edit session. The editor locks other tools to prevent conflicting operations and corrupted geometry. Finish by clicking Save edit on the active geometry row.

Not until you finish the edit. Click Save edit first, then export.

Editing multiple geometries creates overlapping edit layers and makes it easy to accidentally corrupt shapes. The editor allows one active vertex edit session at a time. You can still select multiple geometries for tools like Combine, Buffer, Simplify, and export.

Click the geometry name in the list and type a new label. Press Enter or click outside to save. Press Escape to cancel.

Yes. Open the geometry row actions and choose Duplicate. A copy is added as a new item.

Yes. Use the visibility toggle in the geometry row actions. Hidden geometries stay in your list. Export behavior depends on whether you export all or selection-only.

Yes. Open the geometry row actions and click Zoom.

Yes. Use the Undo/Redo buttons. Shortcuts: Ctrl/Cmd + Z for Undo, and Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Z for Redo. While vertex editing is active, Undo/Redo applies to that geometry’s edit steps. After you click Save edit, Undo/Redo applies to full operations like combine, subtract, buffer, simplify, and delete.

Press Esc, or click Exit in the on-map mode toast.

Save stores your current geometry set (or your selection) to your ClearSKY account so you can reopen it later. Load retrieves your saved items from your account. Send to Dashboard saves the geometry and opens the ClearSKY Dashboard with your AOI prefilled so you can order satellite imagery. The library is for your account usage (it is not a public sharing feature).

Yes (optional). If Autosave is enabled, the editor stores rotating draft snapshots locally in your browser on this device. To restore, open Add → Autosave and pick a draft. Restoring replaces your current geometries.

Autosave is stored only in your browser storage on this device. It is not uploaded and not synced across devices. Clearing site data/browser storage removes drafts.

Autosave is suppressed while vertex editing is active to avoid saving half-finished edits. Click Save edit first, then autosave will capture the updated geometry.

Yes. Open Add → Autosave and turn it off for this device. Turning it off clears stored drafts for this browser.

No by default. The converters run in your browser (like the editor). If a tool offers sign-in features (Save/Send), data is only sent when you explicitly choose those actions.

Across the editor + converters + validators, you’ll see WKT, GeoJSON, ESRI Shapefile (.zip), KML and KMZ. Converters also support WKB/EWKB (common in PostGIS/database workflows) and CSV (for lat/lon columns or WKT columns, depending on the converter).

It’s a single page that can detect and convert between common polygon formats without you hunting for the exact tool page. It’s meant for quick conversions and sanity checks.

Yes. The validator pages spot common issues (unclosed rings, self-intersections, duplicates, holes, anti-meridian hints) and can apply conservative fixes. If errors remain (topology problems), use “Continue in Editor” to open the full editor with your geometry and repair it there.

Yes via converters. WKB/EWKB is commonly used in spatial databases (like PostGIS). Use the WKT↔WKB and GeoJSON↔WKB converter pages to convert for database workflows.

Yes via CSV converters. Typical inputs are CSV files with latitude/longitude columns, or a column containing WKT. The converter outputs GeoJSON or KML/KMZ depending on the tool.

Toggle Select mode in the left toolbar. Click a polygon to add it to the selection. You can also draw a lasso polygon to select intersecting shapes.

Use Clear selection in the left toolbar. You can also remove items from selection using the checkboxes in the geometry list.

Yes. Use the checkbox next to each geometry in the right sidebar to add or remove it from the selection.

Click Select all in the left toolbar (Select section).

Click Invert in the left toolbar (Select section).

Toggle Delete mode and click a polygon to remove it. For MultiPolygons, clicking removes the part you clicked. If there is only one part, the entire geometry is removed.

Select 2 or more shapes, then click Combine (union). The result becomes one geometry.

Combine merges multiple selected geometries into one geometry. Dissolve focuses on merging parts and internal boundaries, especially within MultiPolygons or complex shapes. Use Combine to merge separate items. Use Dissolve to clean up multiparts/internal structure.

Select one or more shapes, toggle Subtract-by-draw, then sketch the area to cut away. The drawn polygon is subtracted from the current selection.

Select shapes, click Subtract, then paste WKT/GeoJSON or upload a zipped Shapefile (.zip). The polygons are applied sequentially to subtract from your selection.

Select a MultiPolygon, then click Split. Each part becomes its own Polygon in the list.

Select shapes, click Buffer, then enter a distance in kilometers. The buffer result replaces the original shapes. Undo if needed.

Round creates a normal distance buffer around the shape. BBox expands the geometry’s axis-aligned bounding box by the given distance and keeps 90° corners.

Select shapes, click Simplify, then enter a tolerance in meters. Higher tolerance removes more vertices. Undo if you over-simplify.

Select the geometry and use the Strip holes tool. This removes interior rings and keeps only the outer boundary.

Select the geometry and use Extract holes. Holes are converted into new polygon geometries so you can export or edit them separately.

WKT, GeoJSON (.geojson/.json), multiple GeoJSON objects separated by new lines, and zipped ESRI Shapefile (.zip). The editor imports Polygon and MultiPolygon features. Non-polygon geometry types are skipped.

WKT (as a GEOMETRYCOLLECTION), GeoJSON (FeatureCollection), ESRI Shapefile (.zip), KML, and KMZ. You can export all shapes or only your selection.

Enable Export selection only in the export area, then download WKT, GeoJSON, Shapefile, KML, or KMZ for just the selected geometries.

Yes. Shapefile exports include a simple attribute like label per feature when available. Add more attributes later in a GIS if needed.

GeoJSON and Shapefile exports include a label property per feature when available. WKT export is geometry-only. KML/KMZ may include names depending on the exporter.

Often yes. On GeoJSON and Shapefile import, the editor tries to use properties like label, name, NAME, title, or id as the geometry label. Duplicate names are auto-numbered within the same import.

The editor assumes WGS84 (EPSG:4326) longitude/latitude for input and output. KML/KMZ are also WGS84. If your Shapefile uses a different CRS, reproject it to EPSG:4326 before importing.

Polygon and MultiPolygon. Points and lines are skipped on import and are not exported.

When adding geometry, a validation step can report common issues like unclosed rings, self-intersections, holes, and duplicates. You can apply fixes before importing, or proceed anyway.

Sometimes they can be repaired automatically, but it’s not guaranteed. The validators focus on safe, deterministic fixes and diagnostics. If self-intersections remain, use “Continue in Editor” and fix it interactively (edit vertices, split/cut, redraw, combine).

Use the remove/strip holes option. This removes holes and keeps only the outer boundary. If you want holes as separate polygons, use Extract holes in the editor tools after importing.

Duplicates are identical rings or parts repeated in a geometry. Removing them reduces invalid topology and lowers the chance of failures in operations like union, buffer, and export.

Closed rings are required for valid Polygons and MultiPolygons. Non-closed rings can cause errors in operations, exports, and GIS tools.

It imports the geometry as-is even if validation reports issues. Some operations may fail or produce unexpected results until you fix topology.

If the subtraction geometry fully covers a selected shape, the result is empty and the shape is removed. Use Undo to restore, or subtract a smaller area.

Yes. Use the Overlay feature to add imagery or reference layers, then draw polygons on top. This is useful for digitizing AOIs or field boundaries from a visual layer.

Open Overlay, enter a tile URL like https://server/{z}/{x}/{y}.png, then click Add tiles. Your browser will request tiles from that provider as you pan/zoom.

Yes. Overlays are for viewing/reference. Add a GeoJSON overlay to see it on the map without turning it into editable geometries.

Yes. Open Overlay and choose a .tif/.tiff. EPSG:4326 or EPSG:3857 works best. Very large rasters can be slow in the browser.

Use the opacity slider in the overlay controls.

Use Clear in the overlay controls to remove active overlays.

The basemap shows attribution (e.g., OpenStreetMap and its tile provider). If you add custom tiles, follow the provider’s attribution and usage rules.

No. Editing, converting, validating, and exporting work without an account. A ClearSKY login is only needed for Save, Load, or Send to Dashboard.

Your chosen geometry set (all or selection) is stored to your account along with the name you provide. Overlays and basemap settings are not stored.

The geometry is saved to your account and the ClearSKY Dashboard opens with your AOI prefilled so you can configure and submit an order for satellite imagery.

Not currently. The Cloud Library is tied to your account for saving/loading and sending AOIs to the Dashboard. If you want to share, export a file (GeoJSON/Shapefile/KML/KMZ) or copy WKT/GeoJSON.

Use Load to open your saved items. You can delete items there. Orders created in the Dashboard keep their own copies.

The tools run in your browser and do not upload geometry unless you explicitly choose Save or Send to Dashboard. Loading retrieves only your own saved items. If you add external overlays (XYZ tiles), your browser will fetch tiles from that provider.

Many actions keep working once the page is loaded, but overlays and map tiles typically require a network connection. Refreshing clears in-memory work, so export before you refresh.

Latest Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari are recommended. Mobile works, but desktop offers a better editing experience.

Use Simplify to reduce vertices, split very large AOIs into smaller pieces, hide heavy overlays (especially GeoTIFF), and work in smaller batches. Undo lets you experiment safely.

Buffers are computed in kilometers while working in WGS84 longitude/latitude. For survey-grade or legal precision, verify results in a GIS using an appropriate projected CRS.

Limits depend on your browser memory. Extremely large files or rasters can be slow or fail to parse/render. Split/simplify before importing and keep overlays reasonable in size.

Make sure the input is valid WKT or valid GeoJSON (Feature, FeatureCollection, or multiple JSON objects separated by new lines) and that it contains Polygon or MultiPolygon geometries.

Fix topology first. Self-intersections, duplicate rings, or invalid polygons can cause union operations to fail or produce unexpected results.

GeoTIFF overlays work best in EPSG:4326 or EPSG:3857. If your raster is in a different CRS or missing proper georeferencing, reproject it in a GIS before uploading. Very large rasters can also be slow to render.

Confirm the URL template is correct (including {z}/{x}/{y}), and that the provider allows browser requests (CORS). Also verify the tiles exist at the zoom levels you’re viewing.

Some browsers block clipboard access. Download the result as a file instead, or allow clipboard permissions for this site.

If Autosave was enabled, open Add → Autosave and restore the latest local draft (this replaces your current geometries). If autosave was off (or you cleared site data), recovery is not possible.

Open /feedback and describe what you were doing, which tool page you used, your browser, and (if possible) include a small WKT/GeoJSON example so it can be reproduced.

Some browsers block opening a new tab unless it happens directly from a click. Allow popups for this site and try again. In some cases the editor still opens but the browser shows a warning—if the editor tab opened, you can ignore it.