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Drawing Basic Shapes

An introduction to the basic drawing methods

Written by Holly Conrad Smith

Every site plan starts with geometry on the map: a parcel traced as a polygon, a building footprint as a rectangle, a road as a line, a tree as a point. Pick a tool, click on the map, and Giraffe draws the shape.

Choose a usage's shape

Draw a building, land use area, landscape area, or carpark as a rectangle or a polygon by choosing the shape in the shape picker. The shape picker appears beside the drawing toolbar as soon as you select one of these usages. Its heading reads Drawing followed by the usage name.

  1. Click the Buildings, Land Use, Landscape, or Roads and Parking tool in the drawing toolbar.

  2. Select a usage from the dropdown. Drawing starts as a rectangle.

  3. Click Polygon in the shape picker to draw an outline with any number of points, or Rectangle to switch back.

  4. Draw the shape on the map.

  • Tick Remember shape to start with that shape the next time you use the same tool. Giraffe keeps this choice until you reload the page.

  • Click Cancel to stop drawing.

Road usages always draw as a line, and tree usages always draw as a point. The shape picker doesn't appear for them.

Draw a rectangle

Press R or click the Rectangle tool to draw a 4-sided shape with 90 degree angles. Usages from the Buildings, Land Use, Landscape, and Roads and Parking tools also start drawing as a rectangle.

  1. Click on the map to place the first corner. Hold S to snap it to other geometries.

  2. Click again to set the width, or type a number to set it exactly. Hold Shift to snap this edge to the grid.

  3. Click a third time to set the length and finish, or type a number to set it exactly.

2 click method

  1. Select a rectangle-based tool, like a Building

  2. Click on the map where you want to start the rectangle

  3. Drag diagonally to define the length and width simultaneously

  4. Release to complete the rectangle

Draw a polygon

Press P or click the Polygon tool to draw a closed shape with any number of sides.

  1. Click on the map to place the first point. Hold S to snap to other geometries, and press G to turn the grid on or off.

  2. Click to place each corner. Hold Shift to lock the angle, or type a number to set that side's exact length.

  3. Close the shape by clicking your first point, double-clicking your last point, or pressing Space or Enter once you've placed at least 3 points. Crossing your own line also closes the shape.

Draw a line

Press L or click the Polyline tool to draw an open line. Road usages from the Roads and Parking tool also draw as a line.

  1. Click on the map to place the first point. Hold S to snap to other geometries, and press G to turn the grid on or off.

  2. Click to add each corner. Hold Shift to lock the angle, or type a number to set that segment's exact length.

  3. Finish by pressing Space or Enter, or by double-clicking your last point once you've placed at least 2 points.

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