New Year, new interface in Equator
The new year comes with an update to the Equator User Interface (UI) which will improve your productivity and allow you to locate our tools and features easier.
Based on your feedback
In 2023 you, our users, provided a lot of feedback. We heard you and took action! With the updated UI, your Equator experience isn’t going to be much different. The main goal still remains – to get customized topo data for your site as quickly and efficiently as possible. We rearranged and decluttered the interface to help you find features faster, customize your data easier, and focus on your mapping. Explore the new interface on your own, or read ahead for the changes!
Data Coverage at a glance
One of the questions we get the most is “does Equator have data in my area?” While we have always had coverage maps, they seemed to have gotten lost as we added more features and data. Now those maps are front and center, making it easy for you to answer the question. For each data product, you can now determine whether we have data for your area before you even create a New Site. Simply turn the “Coverage Map” toggle on and explore the map.
In the case of Parcels, you’ll even get to see a preview of the parcels in that area! Make sure you’re zoomed in close enough to see the parcels.
Selecting your data source
When you’ve discovered that Equator has data available for your site and are ready to get your data, it’s now easier to select exactly which data source you want to work with. Before customizing your data product, you’ll get to choose the data source you want to use, with helpful hints about which will be the highest quality and which will be the fastest.
Clearer Customizations
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Clearer Customizations |
The customization menu will help you get data that looks exactly how you envisioned it. Equator will now guide you through a simple step–by-step process that will output exactly what you need.
Location Search Front and Center
When you go to search for your project location, you’ll notice that the Search tab has been moved.
The location search bar is now located on the map to align with the navigation functionality. You can find where you need to be with a single click. Simply use place names, addresses or even coordinates in the search bar, then click on a result to zoom in to your location.
You’ll also notice the baselayer options next to the search – change the baselayer anytime to get a better view of your project area.
Find the layers you need
| Find the layers you need |
If there are publicly available GIS layers in your area, you can now find them in the Data menu. To improve results, you will be prompted to select or create a New Site on the map. One thing to note is this feature is still in Beta.
Clean up your workspace
The left side menu is where all of the most important information about your data is! But sometimes, you want to move it out of the way and get to your most important work. It is now easier to close and open the left side menu intuitively.
You can now focus on drawing and design when you’re ready. The design toolbar is also collapsible, so you can open it when you need it and hide it when you need to focus on your map.
Button colors have been updated to help you navigate your way through your project efficiently. We’ve added a bright blue color to our palette to make sure you can see what the next steps are on any page. For example, you’ll see the brighter New Site button, as well as the blue download button on your layers list.
