Mapplex User Guide
New here? Start with Your first field project. To browse by task, open the Mapplex guides. Use this reference for detailed instructions on each screen and workflow.
Mapplex - field mapping, data collection, and geospatial reporting Geova AI in Mapplex - planning, spatial questions, and reviewable assistance within the project
Turn field observations into a result you can share
Start with a place on the map. Add the questions your team needs, collect answers and photos, then turn the work into a useful map or data handover. Mapplex brings location, forms and field evidence together so the next person can understand what was recorded and where.
Your first result: create a project → add a layer → link a form → save one observation → export and check the file. Follow Your first field project to try it.
As your work grows, use Geova Cloud for hosted collaboration, Work Schedule for assignments, and Geova AI for questions and reviewable suggestions. Availability follows your plan, role and enabled tools.
Mapplex is an offline-first geospatial operations platform for teams that need dependable field workflows. It supports solo work, small survey teams, and larger organizations that manage multiple projects, roles, and data sources from one application.
Explore what you can do
Choose the next step that makes your fieldwork easier. Check plans and access for tools that need an eligible workspace or role:
Collector phone workflow — go straight to the map, find the next job and record an observation
Geova Project Planner — shape an idea into layers and forms, review the design and confirm creation
Voice capture — describe an observation, review the proposed values, Apply, then Save
Work proposals in chat — review the intended orders and confirm an action your role allows
Worldwide coordinate choices — find the source system for CAD or SHP data and choose a suitable export
File Geodatabase (GDB) import and export through online conversion, with clear content-preservation limits
Relationships between parent assets and records such as inspections or work orders where enabled for the workspace
Attachments and galleries for photos, PDFs, and supporting field evidence
Spatial Auto-Fill from another reference layer, including the centroid behavior for line and polygon features
Lexicon Picklists for consistent values across forms and layers
For the complete capability boundaries and setup requirements, see the Capability Reference. For a practical end-to-end example, see the Municipal Asset Inspection walkthrough.
Practical walkthroughs
For the connected global example, start the four-part learning path. Follow capture → configure → deliver → exchange, and use its sample-count timeline to compare the example totals and downloads.
| If you need to… | Follow |
|---|---|
| Follow a connected setup-to-export example | Your first field project |
| Practise with global sample data | Global field walkthrough |
| Configure layers, forms, Lexicons and capture in night mode | Night-mode field setup |
| Review sync, export sample data and prepare a team handover | Review, sync and deliver |
| Turn Quick Capture off and use CAD or SHP Manager | Standard capture, CAD and SHP |
| Try filtered counts, maximum values, route summaries and an Arabic question | Questions to ask your global project |
| Check global AI answers and understand voice availability | Geova AI review and voice readiness |
| Use a short daily collection checklist | Field collector quick-start |
| Match a task to its screen and useful result | Find the right screen and tool |
| Use contextual drawing, crosshair placement, and snapping | Contextual drawing and precision controls |
| Understand workspace, project, layer, feature, and form | How the main parts fit together |
| Choose a dropdown, Lexicon, or Data Dictionary | Form setup decisions |
| Test conditional form behavior | Show Notes for a poor condition |
| Preserve a history of visits to one asset | Record repeated inspections |
| Understand a pending save and recover it | Check sync and recover saved work |
| Understand hosted limits versus Planner access | Plans and access |
| Find assigned work and confirm progress | Work schedule and My work |
| Review a proposed project before creating it | Project Planner |
| Capture and verify one phone position | Phone positioning |
Who Is This Guide For?
This guide is written for the people who set up, collect, review, and report field data:
| Role | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| Field Collector | Collect points, lines, and polygons; complete forms; attach photos; work offline |
| Supervisor / Editor | Review submissions, correct attributes, edit geometries, and export progress reports |
| GIS Analyst | Import GIS files, manage coordinate systems, classify layers, and run data queries |
| Admin / Program Manager | Manage workspaces, roles, subscriptions, devices, and team visibility |
Common Workflows
These examples show how Mapplex is typically used in the field. They are intentionally practical: each one starts with a common operational need and points to the modules that support it.
1. Storm Damage Assessment
Situation: A public works team needs to inspect damaged roads and structures in an area with limited connectivity.
The Workflow:
- Before leaving, supervisors download offline map tiles for the inspection area
- Field staff collect point and line features with photos, damage categories, and notes
- Devices exchange updates using local peer-to-peer sync when internet service is unavailable
- Back at the office, the supervisor exports a CSV or PDF map for the daily situation report
2. Municipal Asset Inspection
Situation: A municipality needs contractors to inspect streetlights without giving them permission to delete records.
The Workflow:
- The project owner invites contractors as Collectors
- The layer form records asset ID, condition, repair priority, photo, and inspection date
- Smart Logic shows repair fields only when an asset is marked as damaged
- At the end of the week, the supervisor reviews contributor activity and exports a PDF map with a legend and notes
3. Environmental Compliance Survey
Situation: A consultant needs every observation point tagged with the correct management zone.
The Workflow:
- The analyst imports zone boundaries as a spatial reference layer
- A form field is configured to auto-fill the zone name from the polygon that contains the observation
- Field staff collect observations without manually checking boundary maps
- The reviewer exports the final dataset as GeoJSON, CSV, or GeoPackage for submission
4. Planning Review
Situation: A planner needs to compare candidate sites against zoning, access, and parcel constraints.
The Workflow:
- The planner imports parcels, zoning boundaries, and road access data
- Graduated or categorical symbology highlights relevant attributes
- The dashboard query tools filter parcels by area, zone type, or other stored fields
- The team reviews candidate sites on the map and exports a report for discussion
5. Public Health Field Follow-Up
Situation: A health department needs to track follow-up visits and review case distribution over time.
The Workflow:
- Staff collect visit locations, dates, case status, and notes
- Analysts filter records by date range and status in the dashboard
- The map time slider helps review changes over the reporting period
- Summary exports support internal review while keeping source data under the team's control
Quick Features Worth Knowing
These features often save the most time once a project is already set up:
| Feature | What It Helps With | Where to Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Quick Capture | Create point records at the current GPS location with fewer taps during repetitive field collection | Map View and Capability Reference |
| Fill by voice | Describe one Quick Capture record, review proposed values and apply them before saving; available to enabled workspaces | Voice walkthrough |
| AI-Assisted SQL / Filters | Turn plain-language questions into reviewable dashboard filters or Geova AI results | Dashboard and Geova AI |
| Lexicon Picklists | Keep names, categories, and codes consistent across projects and teams | Forms & Smart Logic |
| Spatial Auto-Fill | Look up another reference layer by location and copy a matching polygon attribute into the form, such as district, parcel, or management area | Forms & Smart Logic and Data & Sync |
| Spatial Auto-Fill Diagnostics | Flag missing reference layers or properties without deleting the mapping, and keep capture available for manual entry | Forms & Smart Logic |
| Auto Geometry Fields | Store coordinates, length, area, or perimeter values from the feature geometry | Forms & Smart Logic |
| AI Field Intelligence | Review quality, completeness, conflict, intersection, and handover evidence; validated technical answers use one AI credit | Geova AI |
| Controlled AI Field Actions | Suggest one valid Lexicon/domain value, preview it, confirm it, and safely apply or undo it when permissions allow | Geova AI |
| GDB Exchange | Import or export a GDB archive through online conversion and verify the required content | Data & Sync and Capability Reference |
| Related Records & Attachments | Keep inspections, work orders, photos, PDFs, and other evidence connected to the correct parent asset | Data & Sync and Sample Project |
| Offline Field Checklist | Prepare devices, maps, roles, GPS, and sync before field deployment | Capability Reference |
When to Use Which Feature
Use this table when you are deciding how to set up a workflow:
| Need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Collect many new point records quickly | Quick Capture | Best for repeated GPS-based point collection after the active layer and form are ready |
| Place one point carefully | GPS Pin or manual coordinate entry | Better when the user needs to confirm location, wait for GPS accuracy, or enter known coordinates |
| Fill a form value from another layer by location | Spatial Auto-Fill | Copies a selected attribute from the matching reference polygon, such as district, parcel, or zone |
| Calculate coordinates, length, area, or perimeter from the feature itself | Auto Geometry field | Stores geometry-derived values without manual typing |
| Reuse the same controlled list across forms or projects | Lexicon Picklist | Keeps values consistent and easier to update than separate dropdown lists |
| Show fields only when they are relevant | Smart Logic | Keeps forms shorter and reduces irrelevant entries |
| Find records with plain language | AI-assisted SQL / filters | Drafts a reviewable filter for incomplete work, urgent repairs, missing photos, or other QA checks |
| Run spatial questions like nearest, buffer, join, or summarize by zone | Geova AI spatial analysis | Produces result tables, map previews, exports, or temporary layers for review |
| Import operational GIS data | GeoJSON, KMZ/KML, GeoPackage, CSV/Excel | Good for existing GIS files, spreadsheets, and field-ready point datasets |
| Deliver a GDB file | File Geodatabase (GDB) | Convert online and verify the required geometry, fields, and attachments; check the preservation reference |
| Keep field evidence with an asset | Attachments, Gallery, and relationships | Store photos, PDFs, and follow-up records with the feature they support |
| Import engineering or formal GIS exchange files | CAD Manager or SHP Manager | Use DXF for CAD drawings and SHP for shapefile packages from GIS teams |
| Prepare work with no reliable internet | Offline map tiles and local/P2P workflow | Download basemaps first and confirm sync or handoff method before fieldwork |
| Explain why a feature is locked | Capability Reference | Check the required plan, role, setting, network, and device support |
The Complete Guide
Follow the modules in order for a full walkthrough, or jump directly to the section you need:
| # | Module | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | Getting Started & Onboarding | Android installation, browser access, signing in (Email / Guest / Pending), multi-device limits |
| 01 | The Project Dashboard | Creating projects, hosted vs. local storage, sync status, AI SQL Query Engine |
| 02 | Layers & Symbology | Geometry types, styling, categorical/graduated classification, completion tracking, Data Dictionary |
| 03 | Map View | Contextual drawing, crosshair placement, snapping, GPS routes, temporary measurement, geometry editing, and local sketches |
| 04 | Forms & Smart Logic | 11 field types, spatial auto-fill, schema import, shared Lexicons, conditional requirements, and calculated values |
| 05 | Data & Sync | Export formats, online GDB conversion and preservation limits, file imports, spreadsheet wizard, P2P sync, reference zones |
| 06 | Geova AI Assistant | Whole-layer queries, field intelligence and AI-credit rules, evidence grades, controlled one-field actions, and reviewed exports |
| 07 | Team & Collaboration | Performance KPIs, sparkline charts, leaderboards, member roster, invite system, role management |
| 08 | Settings, Account & Workspace | Searchable settings and phone capture, device management, workspace switcher, offline maps, subscriptions & entitlements |
| 09 | Slope Profiler | Digital clinometer HUD, cross-section profiles, calibration, severity-coded readings |
| 10 | Map PDF Export | Page layout, title/notes, legend with classification expansion, print-quality generation |
| 11 | Troubleshooting & FAQ | Common issues, GPS tips, import/export debugging, AI accuracy, performance optimization |
| 12 | CAD Manager (DXF) | Import DXF files with CRS suggestions, export features as DXF, UTM zone handling, Pro feature |
| 13 | Engineering Drawing Export | Technical schematics with dimension lines, vertex labels, angles, area/perimeter summaries |
| 14 | Shp Manager (SHP) | Import/export ESRI Shapefiles with auto CRS from .prj, multi-SHP ZIP, DBF schema preview |
| 15 | Capability Reference | Feature requirements, role/plan boundaries, offline checklist, and format support |
| 16 | Sample Project: Municipal Asset Inspection | End-to-end setup, related records, attachments, field collection, QA, AI review, export, and handoff workflow |
| 17 | Glossary & Key Concepts | Plain-language definitions for Mapplex, GIS, form, CRS, sync, and AI terms |
Quick-Start Cheat Sheet
Use this table when you already know what you want to do:
| I want to... | Go here |
|---|---|
| Install Mapplex on my phone | Module 00 → Section 1 |
| Create a new map project | Module 01 → Section 1 |
| Draw a point / line / polygon | Module 03 → Section 2 |
| Download maps for offline use | Module 08 → Section 5 |
| Import a GeoJSON / KMZ file | Module 05 → Section 3 |
| Import or export a File Geodatabase | Module 05 → Sections 2-3 |
| Import a CSV spreadsheet | Module 05 → Section 3 |
| Review related records and attachments | Module 05 → Section 6 |
| Build a data collection form | Module 04 → Section 2 |
| Color-code my map by data values | Module 02 → Section 5 |
| Ask the AI a spatial question | Module 06 → Section 2 |
| Find realistic AI prompt examples | Module 06 → Section 5 |
| Export a PDF map | Module 10 |
| Import a CAD / DXF drawing | Module 12 |
| Export features as DXF | Module 12 → Section 3 |
| Generate engineering drawing pages | Module 13 |
| Import a Shapefile (.shp) | Module 14 |
| Export features as SHP | Module 14 → Section 3 |
| Invite a team member | Module 07 → Section 3 |
| Measure a distance on the map | Module 03 → Section 5 |
| Sync data between devices offline | Module 05 → Section 5 |
| Measure terrain slope | Module 09 |
| Configure map settings | Module 08 → Section 3 |
| Check what a feature requires | Module 15 |
| Prepare devices for offline fieldwork | Module 15 → Section 12 |
| Follow a complete sample project | Module 16 |
| Understand a Mapplex or GIS term | Module 17 |
Language Support
The interface offers English, Arabic, Spanish, and French. Select Settings → General → Language. Arabic text reads right to left while navigation and map controls remain in their usual positions. Names and collected values stay as entered.
Geova AI question understanding currently supports English, Arabic, and mixed English/Arabic. Interface translation does not extend that question-language support.
Last updated 11 October 2026. Available tools depend on your installed version, workspace access, role and device.