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Glossary

Quick reference of MapBoot terminology.

Core Terms

Map
The top-level container for your entire facility. Contains all groups, layers, and geometry.
Group
A collection of layers, typically representing a building. Can also be a Transit group for outdoor areas.
Layer
A single floor or level within a group. Where you draw geometry.
Blueprint
Background floorplan image used as a tracing reference.

Geometry Terms

Point
A single vertex in space. Can be part of a line (graphics or routes), an access point, or a location marker.
Line
Connection between two points. Exists on either the graphics layer (walls) or routes layer (pathfinding network).
Polygon
Closed shape formed by connected lines. Used for surfaces.
Orphan Point
A point that's not connected to any lines. Automatically becomes a location marker. Can only be created on the routes layer - orphan points on the graphics layer are automatically deleted.
Shared Point
A point that connects multiple lines. Critical for routing connectivity.
Access Point
A point marked with a key icon that serves as an entrance to a location.

Layer Terms

Graphics Layer
The layer containing visual elements (walls and surfaces). Purely visual, does not affect routing.
Routes Layer
The layer containing the pathfinding network. Defines where people can walk, completely independent from graphics.

Routing Terms

Routing Network / Routes Network
The system of connected lines and points on the routes layer that defines walkable paths.
Pathfinding
The algorithm that calculates routes between locations using the routes network.
Connection Count
Number of lines meeting at a point. Shown in Debug mode.
Graph Distance
The calculated distance along the routing network (not straight-line distance).
Transition
A link between floors or buildings, enabling multi-level routing.
Twin / Twinning
Linking two access points across different layers to create a transition.

Style Terms

Style
Visual appearance and routing behavior applied to geometry.
Line Style / Wall Style
Styles for walls found in the toolbar (right side). Only available on Graphics sub-layer. - Thick — For outer/perimeter walls (visual only) - Thin — For inner/interior walls (visual only) - Routes sub-layer has no styles — Routes are functional pathfinding lines, not visual
Polygon Style / Surface Style
Styles for surfaces found in the toolbar (right side): - Base — Base floor surface covering the whole floor area - Public — For accessible/searchable areas (rooms visitors can enter) - Private — For restricted/non-public areas (staff only, storage)

Location Terms

Location
A searchable, navigable place on your map (room, service, point of interest).
Location Marker
The point where a location's label appears.
Access Point
Entry/exit point for a location. Used by routing to reach locations.
Surface
Polygon(s) that highlight when a location is selected.
Metadata
Keywords and information for search and discovery.

Multi-Level Terms

Floor
See Layer (used interchangeably).
Building
See Group (used interchangeably for regular-type groups).
Transit Group
A group with type "Transit", used for outdoor/connecting areas.
Outdoor Path
Routing network in a Transit group that connects buildings.
Transition Point
Route point that's twinned to another floor or building. Often a location access point (e.g., elevator, stairs), but can be any point on the routes network.
Dashed Arrow
Visual indicator showing a transition connection between layers.

Editor Terms

Map Tree
Left panel showing hierarchical structure of map, groups, and layers.
Properties Panel
Right panel showing editable fields for the selected item.
Viewport
Central canvas where you draw and view geometry.
Toolbar
Top bar with tools and actions (draw, select, debug, save, publish).
Debug Mode
View that shows connection counts and diagnostic information.
Preview Mode
Simulates the public viewer within the editor.

Actions

Save
Stores changes in the editor. Does not make changes public.
Publish
Makes saved changes visible in the public viewer.
Pick
Selection mode for choosing points (used for access points, surfaces, twins).
Twin
Link two access points across different layers to create a transition.
Snap
Automatically align points to grid or existing geometry.

Measurement Terms

Reference Unit
Base measurement unit for the map (meters or feet).
Background Scale
Factor that adjusts blueprint size to match real-world dimensions.
Grid Size
Spacing of the editor grid lines.

Collaboration Terms

Owner
The user who created the map. Has full edit and publish permissions.
Collaborator
A user invited to edit specific layers of the map.
Assigned Floor/Layer
A layer that a collaborator has permission to edit.
Collaboration Map
A map that appears in the collaborator's account (not owned by them).

Viewer Terms

Viewer
The public interactive map interface that end-users see.
Embed
Including the viewer on a website using JavaScript code.
Map ID
Unique identifier for your map, used when embedding.
Allowed Domains
Whitelist of domains permitted to embed your map.
CORS
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing - security mechanism for web resources.

Technical Terms

Vector
Geometry defined by points and lines (scalable without quality loss).
Raster
Bitmap image (like blueprint backgrounds).
CDN
Content Delivery Network - where the viewer JavaScript is hosted.
XY Coordinates
Position on the 2D map grid (horizontal and vertical).
Node
Another term for point (especially in routing context).
Segment
Another term for line.
Topology
The connectivity structure of the routing network.

Status Terms

Published
Current live version visible in the public viewer.
Saved
Changes stored in editor but not yet published.
DEV Tag
Marker on groups/layers to keep them private during development.
Active Layer
The currently selected layer in the editor (visible in viewport).
Primary Selection
When multi-selecting, the last-selected item (fully editable).

Common Abbreviations

POI
Point of Interest
A→B
Routing from location A to location B
Cmd/Ctrl
Command key (Mac) or Control key (Windows/Linux)
XY
Horizontal and vertical coordinates
2D
Two-dimensional
UI
User Interface
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets (for styling embedded maps)
JS
JavaScript
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language

Symbol Meanings

✓ / ✅
Completed, correct, or recommended
✗ / ❌
Incorrect or not recommended
⚠️
Warning or important note
🔑 / Key Icon
Access point
↔
Two-way connection or transition
→
One-way direction
⇒
Implies or results in
Dashed Line with Arrows
Transition between layers
Indoor Mapping
Creating digital maps of interior spaces.
Wayfinding
Helping people navigate from one place to another.
Turn-by-Turn Directions
Step-by-step navigation instructions.
Spatial Data
Information with a geographic or positional component.
Graph Theory
Mathematical study of networks (used for routing algorithms).

Not MapBoot Features

These are not currently part of MapBoot:

  • ❌ Real-time positioning / GPS indoors
  • ❌ Live tracking of people or assets
  • ❌ 3D visualization
  • ❌ Augmented reality (AR)
  • ❌ Version control / rollback
  • ❌ Export to other formats (CAD, GeoJSON, etc.)

(Check with support for roadmap and feature requests)

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