The following functionality is only available in NetSpot for Mac.
If you do not have a map of your space, you can easily draw one right in the NetSpot application. (Please note that this is a basic drawing program for creating simple maps. It does not have AutoCAD-type capabilities, nor do we plan on adding them in the future. If you need more sophisticated maps, please use a specialized program.)
Use the following steps to draw your map:
1) Draw a rough sketch of your space on a piece of paper and take measurements with a tape measure. Be sure to mark the location of each computer station.
2) Open the NetSpot application and click “Start a New Survey.” Or, if you already have a project started, click Survey > Zone > Add Zone from the top menu bar. Enter a name for your Project and/or Zone.
3) Choose “Draw It” from the map options, and enter the overall length and width of the space at the bottom of the screen, then click Continue.
4) Go to the menu bar and select Survey > Save to save your project. Remember to save your project every few minutes. If you are a PRO user, your project will be auto-saved.
6) Use the tools at the top of the window to draw your map.
Drawing tips:
- Straight Lines: To draw a perfectly straight vertical, 45-degree, or horizontal line, hold down the Shift key while drawing the line. Click the mouse once to start drawing and then click again to stop. Don’t release the Shift key until after the second click. You can also use the Shift key to click on an existing point and draw a new straight line from it.
- Zoom: To zoom in or out as you draw, go to the View menu and select Zoom In or Zoom Out, or use pinch-zooming with two fingers
- Connecting Points: Use the Option key to easily connect to existing points in your drawing when using any tool.
- Selecting Objects: While holding down the Command (⌘) key, you can select objects and move them. To change the thickness of a line, select the line, and then (while still pressing the Command key) select a line thickness from the tool bar above the map.
- Deleting Objects: To delete an object, hold down the Command (⌘) key, click on the object to select it and then (while still pressing the Command key), press the Delete key.
- Editing Objects: You cannot resize an object once it is drawn. Instead, delete the object and redraw it.
- Pencil Tool: Use the Pencil tool to draw “free form” lines where you do not need straight edges. Click once to start drawing, click a second time to stop.
- Line Tool: Use the Line tool to draw straight lines. Click once to start drawing, click a second time to stop.
- Polyline Tool: Use the Polyline Tool to draw a shape using straight lines. Click once to start drawing, and click again each time you wish to add another corner to your shape. Double-click to stop drawing, or press the ESC key.
- Rectangle Tool: Use the Rectangle tool to draw a square or rectangle. Hold down the Shift key to draw a perfect square. Click once to start drawing, click a second time to stop.
- Circle Tool: Use the Circle tool to draw a circle. Click once to start drawing, click a second time to stop.
- Curved Line Tool: Use the Curved Line tool to draw curved lines. Click the start and end points of the line, then click a third time to mark the apex of the curve.
- Text Tool: Use the Text tool to add labels and/or measurements to your map. Click once to create a text box, type your text, and then click again (or press the Enter key) when done. To change the size of the font, click once to create a text box and then select a font size from the tool bar above the map, before you start typing. Text can’t be edited after it is created — you must delete and retype it.
7) When you are finished with your map, click the Export button on the top-right of the tool bar to save a copy of it (this saves the map alone, not the whole project).
8) Click Continue in the lower-right corner.
9) Be sure to click Survey > Save to save your project, if you haven’t done so already.
10) Proceed to “How do I start my survey?”.