Freehand Draw — Shape Any Area on the Map

Distance Map’s Freehand Draw lets you trace any shape on the map with your finger and instantly see its area and perimeter. Irregular fields, crooked property lines, garden beds, roof outlines — if you can see it on the map, you can measure it.

How to Draw and Measure

1. Open Distance Map and switch to area mode
2. Enable Freehand Draw
3. Trace the outline of the area you want to measure with your finger
4. Lift your finger — the shape closes automatically
5. See area and perimeter update instantly

You can refine the shape afterwards by dragging individual points or drawing new sections.

When Freehand Draw Wins Over Tapping Points

Dropping pins is perfect for straight edges, but many real-world shapes are irregular. Freehand Draw is faster and more natural when you’re measuring:

• Curved boundaries — rivers, coastlines, winding fence lines
• Complex property plots — odd-shaped gardens, L-shaped land, cul-de-sacs
• Roof outlines — gables, dormers and extensions
• Agricultural fields that don’t follow a grid
• Natural features — ponds, paddocks, woodland edges
• Sports fields and pitches with curved corners

Units and Accuracy

Freehand Draw works with every unit Distance Map supports:

• Square meters / square feet — buildings, gardens
• Acres / hectares — land, farming
• Square kilometers / square miles — large parcels

Area is calculated using geodesic formulas on the WGS84 ellipsoid, so it stays accurate even over large regions where the Earth’s curvature matters.

Tips for Accurate Freehand Drawing

• Zoom in first — more detail means more accurate tracing
• Use satellite view for property lines and natural features
• Use street view when tracing buildings or roads
• Draw slowly around tight corners for best precision
• Tap-and-drag to refine after the initial draw — move individual points as needed

Combine with Drop Pins

Freehand Draw and tap-to-drop pins work together. Use freehand for curved sections and add precise pins at corners. You can also convert a freehand shape into editable points for fine-tuning.

Save, Share and Export

Every shape you draw can be saved to your measurements, shared with a link, or exported as GPX. Recipients see your drawing on an interactive map.

Try Freehand Draw

Freehand Draw is part of the Distance Map iOS app. Download it to start measuring irregular shapes.

Get Distance Tool

Download Distance Tool for iOS and start measuring in seconds.