Sandbox Map Instructions

Welcome to the Sandbox Map! This guide walks you through how to load, interact with, and manage units on the map using a pre-formatted Excel file.

Introduction

This tool allows you to import a pre-formatted Order of Battle (OOB) Excel file, visualize units (chits) on a map, and use various editing and management features to build scenario wargames or training simulations.

Typical Workflow

1. Format your data in Excel using the required and optional columns.
2. Import your data into the map using the Import tool.
3. Select how to display affiliations, icons, colors, and other attributes.
4. Position, group, and organize your chits and any drawn graphics.
5. Save your session to a .great file for reuse or collaboration.
6. Reload your session by opening a previously saved .great file from your computer or server.
7. You can load multiple .great files to federate work across different users and combine results.

Importing an OOB File

Need an example? Use the downloadable Excel file available in the Help menu to get started, or download it here.

1. Click the File Actions dropdown in the top toolbar, then select Load from File.
2. Select your Excel, CSV, or .great file with required data columns:
   • Latitude and Longitude (decimal degrees)
   • Icon Code using SIDC format – generate here: SIDC Generator
3. Recommended columns for better functionality:
   • Country Code – Units are grouped into layers by country.
   • Domain – Specify operational domain (Land Unit, Air, Sea Surface, Sea Subsurface, Space, Cyberspace).
   • Echelon – Unit size (Squad, Platoon, Company, Battalion/Squadron, Brigade, Division, etc.).
   • Equipment – Specific equipment type (e.g., "Leopard 2A6", "F-16", "Type-212A").
   • Function Code – Descriptive unit type (e.g., "Armor", "Air Defense", "Sustainment", "Fixed Wing"). This is important for range ring colors (see below).
   • Sandbox Color – Units can be colored using valid color names (e.g., "red", "blue", "cornflowerblue", "honeydew") or hex codes. Refer to SVG Colors.
   • Affiliation – Values: F (Friendly), H (Hostile), N (Neutral) - affects unit frame shape.
   • Status – Present, Anticipated, or other status indicators.
   • Team – Team assignment for filtering and organization.
   • Assignment – Command assignment (e.g., EUCOM, CENTCOM, CYBERCOM, SPACECOM).
   • Training – Training level (1-4, with 4 being highest).
   • Effects Radius (nm) – Operational range in nautical miles. When set, displays range rings around units:
     • RED rings: Air Defense/IADS units (Function Code: "Air Defense" or unit name contains "SAM")
     • GREEN rings: Logistics units (Function Code: "Sustainment")
     • GREY rings: Other units with effects radius
4. Check appropriate boxes (e.g., affiliation) during import to activate visualization settings.
5. Use Jitter to slightly separate overlapping units for clarity. Jitter can be adjusted at import time to help declutter dense locations.
6. Any column you select during import will be added as an attribute visible in the popup window or data table.
7. Ensure all column headers are correctly mapped to avoid display errors.

Adding Units Manually

You can add individual units directly on the map without importing a file:

1. Click the Add Unit button in the top toolbar.
2. Fill in the unit information in the Add Unit modal:
   • Unit Name (required)
   • Country Code (required)
   • Domain (required) - Choose from Land Unit, Air, Sea Surface, Sea Subsurface, Space, or Cyberspace
   • Echelon (required) - Unit size/organization level
   • Equipment - Specific equipment or vehicle type
   • Function Code - Descriptive unit type (e.g., "Armor", "Air Defense", "Sustainment"). Important for range ring colors.
   • Training, Assignment, Team, Color, Effects Radius, Affiliation, Status
3. Quick Select Presets: Use one of 14 pre-configured unit templates to quickly populate the form:
   • Land Units: Armor Brigade, Mechanized Infantry Brigade, Motorized Infantry Brigade, Artillery Brigade, Air Defense Brigade (with RED range ring), SOF Brigade
   • Air Units: Fighter Squadron, Attack Helo Squadron
   • Naval Units: Frigate, Submarine
   • Support Units: HQ Division, Logistics Division (with GREEN range ring)
   • Cyber & Space: Cyber Mission Squadron, Space Squadron
4. Icon Generation: Icons can be auto-generated from your inputs or you can manually enter a custom SIDC code.
5. Icon Preview: See a real-time preview of your unit icon with the selected color before placing it on the map.
6. Click Add Unit, then click anywhere on the map to place the unit at that location.
7. The icon preview in the modal now correctly displays the sandbox color you've selected.

Editing Units

Edit existing units by clicking on them and selecting Edit:

• Click on any unit marker to open its popup.
• Click the Edit Unit button.
• Modify any field including position, equipment, domain, echelon, colors, or function code.
• The icon preview updates in real-time as you make changes.
• Click Save Changes to apply your edits.
• Note: The icon on the map will now match the preview exactly, including the correct function code and colors.

Duplicating Units

Quickly create copies of existing units:

• Click on a unit marker to open its popup.
• Click the Duplicate button.
• A copy of the unit will be created slightly offset from the original (approximately 0.1 degrees).
• The duplicate unit has "(Copy)" appended to its name and receives a new unique ID.
• All other attributes (equipment, domain, function code, colors, etc.) are preserved.

Map Controls & Interactions

Zoom: Use your mouse scroll wheel or the "+" and "−" buttons on the map.

Edit Layers: Modify existing layers on the map.

Drag Layers: Move layers around the map.

Cut Layers: Split layers into smaller sections.

Remove Layers: Delete layers from the map.

Rotate Layers: Rotate layers to adjust their orientation.

Draw Rectangle: Add rectangular shapes to the map.

Draw Polygons: Add polygonal shapes to the map.

Draw Circle: Add circular shapes to the map.

Draw Circle Marker: Add circular markers to the map.

Draw Text: Add text annotations to the map.

Draw Polyline: Add lines to the map.

Color Picker: Choose colors for layers or objects.

Tactical Icon: Choose and place tactical icons on the map.

Unit Data Table

Below the map, you can expand a table showing all loaded units. This table includes columns imported from Excel and can be used to sort, search, or inspect unit data.

Toolbar Features

• File Actions: Load files (CSV/Excel/.great), Load from UUID, Browse UUID History, Export to CSV, Save .Great File with UUID (if logged in).
• Options: Modify map style, behavior, and display settings.
• Reset: Reset marker moves or marker rotation angles to original positions.
• Selection: Select All, Deselect All, or Invert Selection for bulk operations.
• Visibility: Filter which units are displayed based on country, domain, team, or unit type.
• Add Unit: Manually add individual units to the map with quick select presets.
• Select Markers By: Use the filter dropdown to select units by country, domain, team, or unit type for bulk operations.
• Army Tact. Gix: Download tactical graphics for use in other applications.
• Help: Opens documentation and support resources.
• Hotkeys: View keyboard shortcuts for faster workflow.
• Search: Find units by name, coordinates, or attributes - press Enter to cycle through results.
• New Features: View the latest updates and feature additions.
• Instructions: Access this comprehensive guide.

Advanced Features

• Visibility Tool: Use this to hide or reveal groups of units based on filters such as Country, Domain, Team, or Unit Type.
  • Show All: Display all units on the map.
  • Hide All: Hide all units on the map.
  • By Country: Filter units by their country of origin.
  • By Domain: Filter units by their operational domain (Land Unit, Air, Sea Surface, Sea Subsurface, Space, Cyberspace).
  • By Team: Filter units by team assignment (Red, Blue, Green, etc.).
  • By Unit Type: Filter units by their specific type based on function code.
  • Use the Show Selected or Hide Selected buttons to apply visibility settings to specific groups.
• Select Markers By Tool: The funnel icon dropdown allows you to select groups of markers based on:
  • Country (automatically populated from loaded units)
  • Domain (Land Unit, Air, Sea Surface, Sea Subsurface, Space, Cyberspace)
  • Team (Red, Blue, etc.)
  • Unit Type (based on function codes)
  • Select one or more checkboxes to highlight matching units on the map
• Marker Selection Tool: Click-and-drag to lasso select multiple units; use filter tools to adjust the group.
• Drawing Tools: Add polygons, lines, circles, text annotations, or tactical symbols to the map.
• Effects Rings: Show the operational radius or range of selected units based on the Effects Radius field.
• Adjust Icon Size: Increase or decrease marker size via the Options menu or individual unit popup.
• Custom Marker Colors: Change unit colors using the Sandbox Color field - supports color names and hex codes.
• Color Picker: Use built-in color picker to fine-tune shapes or drawn objects.
• Function Code Integration: Optionally specify 6-digit function codes for precise SIDC generation and accurate military symbols.
• Real-time Icon Preview: See how your unit will appear on the map before adding or saving changes.
• Mobile-Friendly Navigation: Touch-optimized interface with collapsible menus and large touch targets for mobile devices.

Map Style Switching

• Satellite: Real-world imagery.
• Topographic: Elevation and terrain lines.
• OpenStreetMap: Clean and fast-loading vector map.
• Additional tile styles may be available depending on configuration.

Map Tile Options

Choose from a variety of map tile styles to customize your view:

Layer Management

• Create Layers: Manually group units using the layer panel.
• Auto-Group: Country or Color-based groupings on import.
• Show/Hide: Toggle entire layers on or off for clarity.
• Delete Layer: Remove a layer without deleting its units (use the trash icon).

Additional layer options include:

• Railroads: Display or hide railroad networks on the map.
• WorldBorders: Show or hide country borders for better context.
• CableMap: Visualize undersea cables on the map.
• WorldLabels: Enable or disable labels for countries, cities, or regions.
• Pipeline-EU: Show or hide pipelines in the European region.

You can also adjust Line Thickness and Font Size for better visibility using the provided controls.

Search Function

Use the search bar to find and highlight markers:

• You can search by city name, unit name, or coordinate (e.g., "London" or "51.5074, -0.1278").
• Search by: Unit name, SIDC, Affiliation, Country, or Description.
• Use quotes for exact matches (e.g., "1st Brigade").
• Use partial terms to match multiple units (e.g., "infantry").
• Press Enter repeatedly to cycle through results.

Troubleshooting

• Units in the wrong location: Double-check coordinate formatting in Excel (should be decimal degrees).
• Units stacked: Enable jitter during import to separate overlapping units.
• No units showing: Confirm required columns (Latitude, Longitude, Icon/SIDC) are present and correctly mapped.
• Color doesn't show correctly: Use valid SVG color names (e.g., "cornflowerblue", "honeydew") or hex values (e.g., "#FF0000"). Color Reference
• Icon doesn't match preview: Make sure you've saved your changes after editing. The icon generation now correctly uses function codes.
• Modal appears behind navbar: This has been fixed - modals now have proper z-index (12500) to appear above the navbar (12000).
• Popup stays open after deleting unit: This has been fixed - popups now automatically close when a unit is deleted.
• Select Markers By dropdown is empty: Load units first, then the dropdown will automatically populate with available filters.
• Mobile navigation issues: Use the hamburger menu (☰) to access all navigation options on smaller screens. All touch targets are optimized for mobile devices.

Saving & Sharing

• Use Save .Great File in the File Actions menu to generate a .great file with your current map state.
• If you're logged in, the file is automatically saved to the server with a UUID (unique identifier) for version tracking.
• If you're not logged in, the file is saved locally to your computer only.
• Send .great files to collaborators or reload them using Load from File.
• Use Load from UUID to retrieve previously saved sessions from the server.
• Browse your UUID history using Browse UUID History to manage all your saved sessions.
• You can load multiple .great files to combine work from different users or sessions.
• Export to CSV at any time to create a spreadsheet of all current units with their attributes.

Quick Reference

Reminder: Save frequently, especially when making bulk changes or drawing overlays. Export your .great file regularly for backup or sharing. All icon previews now accurately reflect the final appearance including function codes and colors.