Summary
EarthPlat.com is a web-based platform for discovering, visualizing, and working with location-based information. Whether you’re researching properties, planning projects, or analyzing environmental and infrastructure data, this guide walks you through setup, navigation, core workflows, collaboration, data export, and best practices so you can get value fast.

What EarthPlat.com Does
At a glance:
- Centralizes map layers and datasets in a single, searchable interface.
- Lets you explore locations, measure distances and areas, annotate maps, and save your work.
- Supports importing your data and exporting maps or reports to share with others.
- Provides tools for common spatial tasks (filtering, theming, simple analysis).
Note: Feature names and availability may vary by plan. If your account includes premium datasets or advanced analysis, plug those in where applicable.

Who EarthPlat.com Is For
- Real estate and land professionals: parcel lookup, zoning and comps, due diligence.
- Utilities and infrastructure: asset mapping, right-of-way checks, field planning.
- Environmental and planning teams: land cover, flood, soils, protected areas.
- Researchers, educators, and hobbyists: exploratory mapping and data storytelling.

Getting Started
1) Create your account
- Visit EarthPlat.com and select Sign Up. Complete email verification and set a strong password.
- If you received an invite, use that link to auto-join your organization or team space.

2) Choose a plan
- Free/trial: Evaluate the interface, basic layers, and exports.
- Professional: Unlock additional datasets, higher export limits, collaboration.
- Enterprise: SSO, team management, audit logs, custom data feeds.
Tip: If you’re unsure, start with a trial and upgrade after testing your core workflow.

3) System basics
- Use a modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari).
- Allow location services if you want “zoom to my location.”
- For large datasets, a stable connection improves performance.

Tour of the Interface
- Search bar: Find places, addresses, parcels, coordinates, or IDs.
- Map canvas: Pan, zoom, switch basemaps (satellite, streets, terrain).
- Layers panel: Toggle datasets; adjust transparency; reorder layers.
- Filter and query tools: Narrow results by attributes or date.
- Measure and draw: Distance, area, freehand lines, points, and polygons.
- Save/Projects: Bookmark views and organize layers, notes, and attachments into shareable projects.
- Export/Share: Download data or maps; copy share links; set permissions.
- Profile/Settings: Manage preferences, API keys (if available), billing, and teams.

Core Workflows

1) Find a location or parcel
- Type an address, place name, or parcel ID into Search.
- Use autocomplete suggestions or paste coordinates (lat, lon).
- Click the result to center the map and open its info panel.

2) Explore layers
- Open the Layers panel and toggle relevant datasets (for example: parcels, zoning, flood zones, utilities, environmental).
- Drag layers to set the draw order; adjust transparency to compare overlays.
- Click a feature on the map to view details, attributes, and links to source documents.

3) Measure and annotate
- Measure distance (road centerlines, setbacks) or area (lots, project footprints).
- Add annotations: points with labels, lines for alignments, or polygons for study areas.
- Style annotations (colors, opacity) and group them in a project.

4) Save your work
- Create a project and save your map state: visible layers, current extent, filters, and annotations.
- Add notes or file attachments (for example: photos, PDFs, permits).
- Use bookmarks to save multiple viewpoints within one project.

5) Import of data
- Supported formats commonly include CSV, Shapefile, GeoJSON, KML; check your account’s import options.
- Ensure your data has valid coordinates or recognizable addresses for geocoding.
- Map fields during import (for example: Name → title, Category → type). Validate sample rows before confirming.
- Once uploaded, your data appears as a new layer; style it and set visibility rules.

6) Export and share
- Map export: Save as image or PDF; include legend, scale bar, and notes.
- Data export: Download filtered features as CSV/GeoJSON; respect plan limits.
- Share: Generate a read-only or editable link. Set expiration and permissions (organization-only, password-protected, or public).

7) Analyze and report (if available on your plan)
- Spatial queries: Select features within a buffer, polygon, or proximity threshold.
- Attribute filters: Build queries like zoning = R3 AND lot_area > 7000.
- Summaries: Count features, total area/length, or category breakdowns.
- Thematic maps: Color features by attribute (for example: value bands, risk scores).
- Reports: Use templates to produce parcel briefs or project summaries with your logo.

Collaboration and Teamwork
- Shared projects: Invite teammates; assign roles (viewer, editor, admin).
- Comments and tasks: Discuss locations and track follow-ups directly on the map.
- Versioning: Duplicate a project before major changes; document decisions in notes.
- Notifications: Subscribe to alerts for layer updates or project changes.

Mobile and Field Use
- Mobile web: Use in a tablet/phone browser; toggle a simplified UI if provided.
- Offline (if supported): Pre-cache areas, sync annotations when back online.
- Capture: Drop geotagged notes and photos at the point of interest.

Privacy, Security, and Compliance
- Control who can view or edit each project and dataset.
- Avoid uploading sensitive data unless your plan provides encryption-at-rest and access controls that meet your compliance needs.
- Use SSO/MFA where available. Regularly review team membership and permissions.

Troubleshooting
- Slow performance: Hide heavy layers, simplify symbology, or filter smaller extents.
- Missing data: Confirm layer availability for your region and plan tier; check time filters.
- Import issues: Validate coordinate systems, clean CSV headers, ensure unique IDs.
- Exports look off: Match page size and DPI, include a legend, and verify projection.

Tips and Best Practices
- Build layer presets for common tasks so everyone starts with the right stack.
- Use filters instead of turning layers on and off repeatedly—save them in your project.
- Keep annotations simple and consistent; maintain a color/style legend.
- Document data sources and dates in project notes for auditability.
- Create shared templates for reports to speed up repetitive work.

Glossary (adapt or remove as needed)
- Layer: A collection of map features of the same type (for example: parcels).
- Extent: The current area visible on the map.
- Attributes: The data fields attached to a feature.
- Basemap: Background map providing context (streets, satellite).
- Export: Downloading your map or data for use elsewhere.