A Much Needed Update for GeoSquare

GeoSquare has grown to serve over 10,000 unique visitors monthly, with most users relying on our Geo Measure tool for area and distance calculations. Over the past two weeks, we’ve been busy adding some powerful new features that our community has been requesting. Here’s what’s new.

Geo Measure - The Core Tool

Our flagship Geo Measure tool continues to be the most popular feature, allowing users to measure areas and distances on interactive maps with precision and ease.

GPX Viewer

We built a complete GPX file viewer that allows you to visualize GPS track data directly in the browser. The viewer includes:

• Full GPX parsing capabilities with support for tracks, routes, and waypoints
• Interactive map visualization with custom waypoint icons
• Route playback and exploration features
• Support for elevation data embedded in GPX files

The GPX viewer makes it easy to preview and analyze GPS tracks from hiking, cycling, or any other GPS-enabled activity without needing specialized desktop software.

Elevation Profile Visualization

One of the most requested features has been better elevation visualization. We’ve implemented comprehensive elevation support:

• Elevation Profile Charts: View detailed elevation profiles along any route or track
• Elevation vs Effort Analysis: Compare elevation gain to distance traveled
• Gradient Visualization: Color-coded elevation gradients show the steepness of terrain
• OpenTopoData Integration: We’ve set up a proxy to OpenTopoData’s elevation API for accurate worldwide elevation data

The elevation drawing now uses color gradients to indicate slope difficulty, making it easier to plan routes and understand terrain challenges at a glance.

GeoJSON Tools

We’ve significantly expanded our GeoJSON tool capabilities:

GeoJSON Saving and Export

• Save GeoJSON data directly from the browser
• Export modified geometries
• Preserve properties and metadata

Multi-Polygon Support

Enhanced rendering and manipulation of multi-polygon geometries with:

• Normalized geometry handling
• Better performance for complex shapes
• Improved visual rendering on maps

MyData - Your Personal Data Hub

We’ve introduced MyData, a centralized place where you can view and manage all your saved geospatial data. This includes:

• All saved GeoJSON files and geometries
• Elevation profiles you’ve created
• GPX tracks you’ve uploaded
• Geo Measure calculations
• Easy export and download of your data

MyData gives you complete control over your geospatial information in one convenient location.

UI Improvements

Beyond the major features, we’ve made numerous UI enhancements:

• Clickable map markers with better interactivity
• Improved search functionality
• New waypoint icons for better route visualization
• Dark mode icons for better visibility
• Responsive design updates

Technical Infrastructure

Behind the scenes, we’ve also modernized our development workflow:

• Migrated from pip to uv for faster dependency management
• Added Gunicorn to our deployment stack
• Improved static file handling
• Better form handling and validation

What’s Next?

We’re continuing to expand GeoSquare’s capabilities. Some features on the roadmap include:

• Enhanced route planning tools
• More export format options
• Collaborative mapping features
• Additional elevation data sources

Try out these new features at geosq.com and let us know what you think!