Skip to main content

Working with Areas

Areas define the geographic locations where you want satellite imagery and associated products. This guide covers creating, organizing and managing areas in Albatross.

Understanding Areas​

An area in Albatross represents:

  • A geographic location of interest
  • Either a point (specific coordinates) or polygon (boundary region)
  • The target location for imagery products/deliverables

Areas are:

  • Owned by a specific team
  • Displayed on the workspace overview map
  • Optionally organized into area groups
  • Referenced when creating order deliverables

Creating Areas​

Prerequisites​

To create areas, you need:

  • A Team member with "Can manage team areas" permission
  • Or workspace-level "Can manage all workspace team areas" permission

Creating an Area​

  1. Navigate to Overview in the sidebar
  2. Click Add Area
  3. Define the area geometry:
    • Draw on map - Use the drawing tools to create a polygon
    • Upload AOIs - Drag and drop or browse for your AOIs
  4. Fill in the area details:
    • Name - A descriptive name for the area
    • Area Group (optional) - Assign to an existing group
  5. Click Save to add your AOI to the platform

Drawing Areas on the Map​

When using the map drawing tools:

  1. Click to add polygon vertices
  2. Continue clicking to define the boundary
  3. Double-click or click the first point to complete the polygon
  4. Adjust vertices by dragging them if needed
tip

For complex areas, zoom in on the map and enable the imagery layer first to draw more precisely.

Creating Point Areas​

For specific locations rather than regions:

  1. Click Add Area
  2. Select Point as the area tool
  3. Click on the map to place the point
  4. Name the area and save

Area Groups​

Area groups help organize related areas for easier management.

Understanding Area Groups​

Area groups:

  • Can contain multiple areas
  • Have a name, description and color
  • Are displayed on the map with their assigned color
  • Help filter and find areas quickly

Creating an Area Group​

  1. Navigate to Overview look to the Areas panel
  2. Click Add Group
  3. Fill in the details:
    • Name - A descriptive name (e.g "Jan 2026 Captures" or "Engineering Projects Monthly")
    • Description (optional) - Additional context about the group
    • Color - Choose a color for map visualization
  4. Click Create

Assigning Areas to Groups​

When creating or editing an area:

  1. Open the area editor
  2. Find the Area Group field
  3. Select a group from the dropdown
  4. Save the area

You can also batch-assign areas to groups:

  1. Select multiple areas on the map or in the list
  2. Choose Assign to Group
  3. Select the target group
  4. Confirm the assignment

Editing an Area Group​

  1. Find the area group in the Overview sidebar or map legend
  2. Click the edit option
  3. Update the name, description or color
  4. Save changes

Deleting an Area Group​

  1. Find the area group
  2. Click the delete option
  3. Confirm deletion
info

Deleting a group does not delete the areas in it. Areas become ungrouped.

Editing Areas​

Editing Area Details​

  1. Find the area on the map or in the area list
  2. Click on the area to open its details
  3. Click the Rename Icon
  4. Update the details:
    • Name
    • Area group assignment (Dropdown)
  5. Save changes

Editing Area Geometry​

If you need to change an area's boundary:

  1. Select the area
  2. Click the Edit Geometry Pencil
  3. Modify the polygon vertices on the map
  4. Save the updated geometry
warning

Changing area geometry may affect existing deliverables that reference this area. Review active orders before making changes.

Viewing Areas​

Map View​

The Overview page displays all team areas on an interactive map:

  • Pan and zoom - Navigate to find areas
  • Click an area - View area details and zoom to it
  • Area colors - Areas are colored by their group and deliverable status
  • Boundaries - Polygon areas show their boundaries

Filtering Areas​

Filter the map view by:

  • Area group - Show only areas in specific groups
  • Search - Find areas by name or group

Area Information​

Click on an area to see:

  • Area name
  • Area group (if assigned)
  • Size (for polygon areas)
  • Coordinates
  • Related deliverables

Deleting Areas​

To delete an area:

  1. Select the area
  2. Click Delete Icon
  3. Confirm the deletion
warning

Deleting an area removes it permanently. Ensure no active orders reference this area before deletion.

Best Practices​

Naming Conventions​

  • Use descriptive, consistent names
  • Include location identifiers (region, site name)
  • Consider including coordinates in names for point areas

Organisation​

  • Create area groups before creating many areas
  • Group by project, region or other logical criteria
  • Use colors that contrast well on the map

Planning​

  • Define all areas before creating orders
  • Review area boundaries for accuracy
  • Update areas if project boundaries change

Import and Export​

Importing Areas​

If you have areas of interest in GIS formats:

  1. Upload your data in supported formats (GeoJSON, Shapefile,KMZ etc.)
  2. Areas can be bulk imported to your team

Exporting Area Data​

To export your area (including your edits):

  1. Select the area you want to export
  2. Click Download
  3. It will download as GeoJSON

Troubleshooting Areas​

Can't Create Areas​

  • Verify you have "Can manage team areas" permission
  • Ensure you've selected a team
  • Check that the area geometry is valid (Albatross will prompt you)

Areas Not Showing on Map​

  • Zoom out to see all areas
  • Check area group filters
  • Refresh the page

Invalid Geometry Error​

  • Ensure polygon boundaries don't self-intersect or overlap
  • No 'donuts' or holes in your polygon
  • Try redrawing or uploading the area

Can't Edit Area​

  • Verify you have edit permissions
  • Check if the area is referenced by active orders/deliverable
  • Some areas may be locked by your team administrators