Area Selection
Before you can draw a hole, Parkdly needs to know where on Earth your course is. Selecting an area sets the map bounds the course editor will work with -- the satellite imagery and background terrain all come from this step.
Choose an area that comfortably contains your whole course with some margin around the edges. You can adjust it later, but starting with the right area saves the hassle of re-anchoring holes if the course grows beyond the initial bounds.
Finding your course location
When you open area selection for the first time, a dialog prompts you to locate your course. You can:
- Search by city, address, or place name
- Use my current location to jump straight to where you are
- Browse the map manually by closing the dialog
If you have other courses in the same project, their locations are shown as markers on the map for quick reference.
Selecting the area
A selection frame is shown in the center of the map. Pan and zoom the map until your course fits inside the frame.
- Keep the area as tight as possible -- a smaller selection gives better satellite detail
- The area dimensions are shown at the bottom of the frame (e.g. "500 m x 334 m")
- The Satellite detail indicator shows the expected image quality -- green is best, orange means the area may be too large for sharp detail
- If the area is too small or too large, a warning appears at the top of the frame
When the frame covers your course, click Select area.
What happens after you select
Parkdly downloads two things:
- Satellite image -- the aerial photo that forms the base of your canvas
- Terrain elements -- roads, buildings, forests, water, paths, and other features imported from OpenStreetMap
This may take a moment depending on the size and density of the area. A loading dialog keeps you updated while the download is in progress.
Once complete, you are taken to the Canvas where you can start designing your course.
Tip: All background elements can be edited directly in Parkdly. If terrain data is missing or outdated at the source, you can update it on OpenStreetMap and reselect the area to pull in the changes. Parkdly uses a weekly snapshot of OpenStreetMap, so wait about a week after editing before reselecting — until the next snapshot is cut, reselecting will show the same data.
Reselecting the area
You can reselect the area at any time from the course navigation. This replaces the satellite image and terrain elements but keeps your holes, objects, and other course data intact.