Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the canvas gives you a persistent heads-up display of the most important design context: active tool, selection measurements, cursor position, and quick-access controls.
The status bar runs across the full width of the bottom of the canvas. It shows real-time feedback about the current tool, selected entities, cursor position, and canvas state.
From left to right, the status bar contains the following elements. Not all elements are visible at all times — some appear only when relevant (e.g. terrain info only shows when terrain is active, the plant placement badge only appears when plant placement mode is active).
Left section — save indicator and page switcher
Save indicator (leftmost) — a small dot that indicates unsaved changes:
- No dot — the project is saved and up to date
- Orange dot — there are unsaved changes. The project auto-saves periodically, but the dot persists until the auto-save completes.
Page indicator — shows the current page and total page count (e.g. "Page 2 of 5"). Click the page indicator to open the Page Switcher popover, which lists all pages and lets you click to jump to any page. Equivalent to the Pages panel but accessible without opening a panel.
Center-left section — tool status and hints
Plant placement badge — a small pill badge that appears when plant placement mode is active (a plant species has been selected for placement). Shows the plant's common name. Click the badge to deactivate plant placement mode.
Tool status — the name of the currently active tool (e.g. "Select", "Line", "Bezier", "Rectangle"). When no tool is active (select mode, nothing hovered), shows "Select".
Tool hint text — a short contextual instruction for the current tool state (e.g. "Click to place first point", "Click to add node", "Click to finish path"). The hint updates in real time as the tool state changes. This is especially useful for multi-step tools like path drawing.
The tool hint text in the status bar always tells you what the next action should be. If you are ever unsure what to do next with a tool, look at the hint — it guides each step of multi-click operations.
Center section — selection count and measurements
Selection count — when one or more entities are selected, shows the count (e.g. "3 objects selected"). If nothing is selected, this area is empty.
Measurements panel — when one or more entities are selected, shows computed geometric measurements for the selection:
- Length — the total path length (for path/line entities) or perimeter
- Area — the surface area (for closed area entities: paving, planting areas, lawns)
- Both measurements shown simultaneously if applicable
Measurements in the status bar are displayed in the project's unit system (metric or imperial). They update in real time as you resize or reshape selected entities.
For entities where area is not meaningful (e.g. an individual plant), only length or count is shown.
The status bar measurements update live as you resize entities — use this for quick length/area checking without opening the measurements panel. Select a paving entity and watch the area update as you drag its edges.
Center-right section — cursor position and terrain info
Cursor position — shows the current cursor X and Y position in project coordinates (meters or feet from the project origin), updated in real time as the cursor moves across the canvas. Format: X: 12.4 m, Y: 8.7 m.
Terrain info — when terrain is active in the project and the cursor is over the terrain surface, shows:
- Elevation — the terrain elevation at the cursor position (e.g. "El: 2.3 m")
- Slope — the terrain slope at the cursor position (e.g. "Slope: 8%")
Terrain info is only shown when a terrain entity exists in the project and is visible. It disappears when the cursor moves off the terrain area.
The terrain elevation and slope readout in the status bar is useful for real-time site navigation — move the cursor across the terrain and watch the elevation and slope update to get an immediate feel for the site topography.
Right section — controls and quick-access icons
The right end of the status bar contains quick-access icon buttons:
- Snap settings toggle — click to open the Snap Settings popover. Toggle individual snap types on/off: Grid, Entity edges, Alignment guides, Midpoints, Intersections. The icon shows a magnet; it is highlighted when any snapping is active.
- Visibility toggles — quick toggle buttons for common visibility settings: entity labels, grid, guides.
- Layers shortcut — click to open the Layers panel.
- Calculations panel — click to open the inline measurements/calculations panel for the current selection.
- Input Help button (?) — click to open the Input Help popover showing all keyboard shortcuts, mouse gestures, and trackpad gestures for the current workspace.
- Zoom level dropdown — shows the current canvas zoom level (e.g. "100%", "50%", "200%"). Click to enter a specific zoom level or choose from a preset list.
The ? button at the far right of the status bar is the fastest way to access the full Input Help reference without knowing the shortcut. New users should click it often — it answers "what can I do here?" for any workspace.
Terrain readout — check elevation and slope under the cursor
When a terrain entity exists in the project, the status bar shows two additional readouts as the cursor moves over the terrain surface: Elevation (height at the cursor position, for example "Elevation: 2.3 m") and Slope (gradient at that point, shown as a percentage such as "Slope: 8%").
These readouts disappear when the cursor moves off the terrain footprint or when no terrain entity is present. Use them to quickly assess site gradients when positioning drainage elements, retaining walls, or sloped walkways without switching to the Terrain workspace.
Zoom level — set an exact canvas scale
The zoom level control at the far right of the status bar shows the current canvas zoom as a percentage (for example "100%"). Click it to open a dropdown where you can choose from preset zoom levels — 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, 300%, or 400% — or type a custom percentage and press Enter to jump to any zoom level precisely.
Alternatively, use the Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons flanking the zoom label for single-step incremental zooming.
The status bar is always visible and never requires a panel to be open. It is deliberately minimal in height — one row — so it occupies almost no canvas space while providing live design feedback throughout every stage of a project.
Use the status bar measurements as a live quality-check during resizing: select a lawn entity and drag its boundary handles while watching the area readout update in real time. This avoids the need to open the Inspector or place a separate dimension object just to confirm a target size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide the status bar?
No. The status bar is a fixed part of the canvas interface and cannot be hidden. Its single-row height is intentionally minimal to preserve canvas space while keeping essential feedback always available.
Why do the cursor coordinates seem offset from the expected location?
Cursor coordinates are measured from the project origin, which is configured in Project Settings. If the origin has been repositioned — for example, to align with a survey benchmark — all displayed coordinates shift accordingly. Open Project Settings and check the origin location to confirm the reference point.
The save dot turned orange. Is my work lost?
No. An orange dot means the app is offline or encountered a connectivity error, but all edits since the last successful save are queued locally. As soon as connectivity is restored the app automatically re-syncs. You can continue working normally while offline; the dot will turn yellow (saving) and then green once the sync completes.
Why is the terrain elevation readout not visible?
The elevation and slope readout only appears when the project contains a terrain entity and the cursor is positioned over the terrain footprint. If neither condition is met the readout is hidden. Switch to the Terrain workspace to add terrain to the project if needed.
The area measurement shows for one paving shape but not another — why?
Area is only computed and displayed for closed area entities such as paving, lawns, planting areas, and ponds. Open path entities (lines, polylines, arcs) display length instead. If the shape you drew was accidentally created as an open path rather than a closed area, check the entity type in the Inspector and re-draw as a closed shape if needed.