Adding text, images, and shapes to your maps

2026-03-24Last updated

You can add text, images, and shapes to your maps to indicate points of interest or to represent entities using something other than the standard look. These map objects can also function as map links.

Before you begin

Create the map where you want to add your graphical objects.

What you should know

You can assign custom graphical objects to entities that are normally represented by polygons, such as areas, intrusion detection areas, and zones. You can also assign custom graphical objects to alarms.

Procedure

  1. From the Configuration desktop homepage, open the Map designer task.
  2. Select a recent map or click Browse all maps to open an existing map.
  3. In the toolbar, click one of the following tools to insert a graphical object:
    Draw rectangle
    Click and drag to draw a rectangle. Drag a handle to change its size. You cannot change a rectangle into a different type of polygon.
    Draw polygon
    Click once for each endpoint, and click the first endpoint to close the polygon. Use Shift+click to add or remove a point between two points. Double-click a point to complete the polygon without closing it.
    Draw ellipse
    Click and drag to draw an ellipse. Drag a handle to change its size.
    Insert image
    Opens a browser for you to select an image file, and click to place it on the map.
    Insert text
    Click to place a text box on the map. Double-click the text box to enter the text. Use the widgets to adjust the appearance of the text.
  4. (Optional) In the Physical widget, select Block field of view and use the object to block camera FOVs on the map.
    Note:
    The Block field of view option is not available for ellipses.
  5. (Optional) Click Unassigned in the Identity widget to assign an entity to your map object.
    Map objects inherit their identity from the entity they represent. You do not need to assign an entity if you are only using the map object to indicate a point of interest. Only map objects assigned to an entity have a name.
    Note:
    Assigning an area with floors to a graphical object automatically creates links to those floors. Adding any links manually overrides the automatic links.
  6. (Optional) Click Unassigned in the Links widget to make the map object a map link.
    If you add multiple links to the map object, the operator must click three times to get to a link. The first click displays the entity that identifies the map object. The second click displays the choices of links. The third click selects a link.
  7. In the Map designer toolbar, click Save ().