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How to use the map canvas export tool

Kayley Greenland avatar
Written by Kayley Greenland
Updated over a week ago

Available on: All Plans

The Map Canvas Export feature lets you generate high-quality, printable maps directly from your Birdi workspace.

Users can:

  • Create professional, ready-to-share PDFs in seconds.

  • Export exactly what they see on the map — orthophotos, vectors, measurements, annotations, DEMs, contours, stockpile volumes, site layers, and more.

  • Replace manual drawing, screenshots, and desktop GIS tools.

  • Use exports for compliance, collaboration, planning, safety, and reporting.

  • Standardise documentation across teams, projects, and industries.

This tool is great for team members in any industry:

  1. Construction & Infrastructure – Progress reporting, roof/area measurements, site planning, WHS maps, logistics and access planning.

  2. Mining & Resources – Stockpile volume reporting, pit/haul road mapping, operational planning, environmental monitoring.

  3. Agriculture & Land Management – Paddock mapping, infrastructure planning, crop and vegetation monitoring, land-use planning.

  4. Local Government & Urban Planning – Development assessments, asset audits, road and drainage documentation, compliance reporting.

  5. Utilities & Power Networks – Asset inspections, vegetation encroachment mapping, maintenance documentation, network planning.

  6. Emergency Management – Flood/fire impact maps, evacuation plans, incident response overlays.

1. Open the Export Tool

  1. Navigate to your map view.

  2. Click the New Export button on the top toolbar.

This will open the export settings panel.

2. Configure Your Export Settings

You’ll be able to set up the layout and output format for your export:

Page Size

  • Choose between A4 or A3

  • Select Landscape or Portrait orientation

Format

  • PDF – best for reports and printing

  • PNG – ideal for quick sharing or digital use

Resolution

  • Adjust the export resolution to balance file size and image clarity

Report Name

Give your export a clear and descriptive name. This will help identify it later in your layers list.

Map Elements

Enhance your export with helpful map references:

  • Map Legend: Automatically generated from visible layers on your map

  • Scale Bar: Displays the map’s scale

  • North Arrow: Indicates map orientation

3. Select the Export Area

A cropping box will appear on the map to show the area that will be exported.

You can:

  • Pan or zoom the map as usual to position the box

  • Adjust the map to focus on the exact region you want to export

You can focus on a small area of the map or the whole map.

We recommend switching to landscape in the paper size for a full map export.

You can also zoom to select a detailed area of interest for the report.

4. Generate the Export

When ready:

  1. You can preview the report before any selecting export

  1. Click Export

  2. The system will process your export

  3. Once complete, your new export will appear in your Layers Tree

  4. From there, you can view, download, or share your exported file.

Example reports:

Below are a couple of export examples for the A4 and A3 portrait or landscape formats.

💡 Tips

  • Only visible layers are included in the export—toggle visibility before exporting.

  • Use PDF for high-quality reports or print outputs, and PNG for quick visual sharing.

  • Keep your legend clean by hiding unnecessary layers and renaming your layers as needed.

  • Want it branded with your logo? Ensure you have one uploaded under your workspace customisation settings

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