# RanchAssist™ Ranch Map Builder
> Operational ranch mapping for pastures, fences, roads, water, gates, structures, hazards, measurements, layers, and portable project files.
## Canonical product name
RanchAssist™ Ranch Map Builder
## Product category
Operations / Mapping
## Canonical URLs
Ranch Map Builder: https://ranchmapbuilder.ranchassist.com
RanchAssist tools/site: https://ranchassist.com
## Product summary
Ranch Map Builder is a standalone RanchAssist™ web application for creating an operational ranch map from satellite imagery.
It allows users to map ranch land, infrastructure, access, water systems, facilities, structures, hazards, and incident locations during a browser session. Users can measure mapped geometry, organize features in layers, save an editable RanchAssist .ra project file, and export/share map outputs.
The product is intended for ranch operations and planning. It is not a legal survey, engineering certification, boundary determination, or substitute for qualified professional services.
## Primary user goal
Create a practical ranch map that can answer operational questions such as:
- Where are the pastures, traps, and fields?
- Where are gates and access points?
- Where do fences, roads, cattle lanes, and water lines run?
- Where are wells, troughs, pumps, ponds, and other water assets?
- Where are barns, corrals, chutes, loading areas, feeders, cattle guards, culverts, and other facilities?
- Where are hazards or incident locations?
- How many acres are inside a mapped area?
- How long is a mapped fence, road, water line, or other linear feature?
- How can the map be saved, exported, shared, or reopened later?
## Product architecture
Ranch Map Builder is intentionally a standalone RanchAssist utility.
Standard architecture:
- No required RanchAssist user account.
- Google Apps Script Web App is the primary deployment target.
- Frontend is HTML5 + CSS + client-side JavaScript.
- Mapbox GL JS is used for mapping.
- Mapbox Draw is used for editable polygon/line/point geometry where applicable.
- The browser may use sessionStorage for active-session resilience.
- localStorage is not used for long-term RanchAssist project persistence.
- Long-term editable project continuation uses a user-controlled RanchAssist .ra project file.
- RanchAssist does not require a hosted project database for the standalone tool.
## Mapping capabilities
The map experience is designed to support:
- Satellite imagery.
- Optional alternate base map.
- Place/address search.
- Device geolocation when the user grants permission.
- Fullscreen map.
- Map scale.
- Measurement tools.
- Undo and redo.
- Editable features.
- Layer controls.
## Supported polygon categories
- Ranch boundary
- Pasture
- Trap
- Hay field
- Crop field
- No-graze area
- Brush / wooded area
- Custom polygon
## Supported line categories
- Fence
- Ranch road
- Water line
- Cattle lane
- Electric fence
- Creek / drainage
- Custom line
## Supported point categories
- Gate
- Pond
- Stock tank / trough
- Well
- Water meter
- Pump
- Barn
- Hay barn
- Shop
- House
- Corral
- Chute
- Loading area
- Mineral feeder
- Protein feeder
- Cattle guard
- Culvert
- Hunting blind
- Hazard
- Incident marker
- Custom point
## Feature editor
A mapped feature can support:
- Name
- Category
- Notes
- Optional dimensions
- Optional capacity
- Visibility
- Icon or line/polygon style preset
- Geometry editing
- Lock / unlock
- Duplicate
- Delete
- Zoom to feature
## Measurements
Ranch Map Builder can calculate planning measurements from map geometry, including:
- Polygon acreage
- Polygon perimeter
- Line distance
- Distance between points
- Total length by line category
- Total acreage by area category
Measurements are planning estimates.
## Layer panel
The feature inventory/layer panel can support:
- Group by category
- Show / hide
- Lock / unlock
- Rename
- Reorder visual layers
- Zoom to feature
- Search by name
- Automatic legend generation based on categories used in the map
## RanchAssist .ra project files
The official RanchAssist project-file extension is:
.ra
Purpose:
Save and reopen the complete editable RanchAssist project.
A Ranch Map Builder .ra project may include:
- Project UUID
- Project name
- Created timestamp
- Updated timestamp
- Tool ID: ranch-map-builder
- Tool version
- RanchAssist .ra format version
- Feature geometry
- Layer order
- Layer visibility
- Styles
- Measurements
- Legend state or information needed to regenerate it
- Notes
- Map preferences
- Map camera
- Selected feature where relevant
- Other editable project state needed to restore meaningful editing
A .ra project file is user-controlled and local by default.
A .ra project file is not RanchAssist cloud storage.
Private API keys, Mapbox credentials, OAuth tokens, passwords, and executable code must not be stored in .ra project files.
## Project file behavior
Save Project:
- Serialize the current editable state.
- Preserve the project UUID.
- Update updatedAt.
- Save a local .ra file.
Open Project:
- Read the local file.
- Validate that it is a RanchAssist project.
- Validate the format version.
- Validate tool compatibility.
- Migrate older supported schemas when practical.
- Restore editable state.
- Restore spatial/map state.
- Recalculate derived values.
- Resume active-session protection.
Duplicate Project:
- Copy current editable state.
- Create a new project UUID.
- Create an independent project lineage.
## Session model
The product is session-first.
sessionStorage may be used only for active-session recovery, such as:
- Accidental refresh.
- Same-tab navigation.
- Temporary interruption.
sessionStorage is not permanent project saving.
Clear Session / Clear Map:
- Clears current Ranch Map Builder session state.
- Clears related sessionStorage.
- Resets the active project.
- Does not delete .ra files already saved to the user’s device.
- Does not delete GeoJSON, CSV, PNG, PDF, or other exports already saved.
## Exports
Project saving and output export are separate concepts.
### Project
- Open Project
- Save Project (.ra)
- Duplicate Project
### Export
- High-resolution PNG / map image
- Print / PDF ranch map report
- GeoJSON
- CSV feature inventory
### Share
- Copy Summary
## Report contents
A Ranch Map Builder report can include:
- Tool name
- Project/map title
- Map image
- Legend
- Acreage totals
- Fence totals
- Road totals
- Water-line totals
- Feature inventory
- Project notes
- Timestamp
- Relevant warnings/disclaimers
## GeoJSON
GeoJSON is used for spatial interoperability.
GeoJSON is not equivalent to a complete RanchAssist .ra project file.
GeoJSON may contain feature geometry and properties.
A .ra project may contain geometry plus RanchAssist-specific project state, metadata, layer configuration, map camera, and other editable information.
The Tool may allow import of previously exported RanchAssist GeoJSON into a new session.
## CSV
CSV export is intended for feature inventory and tabular project information.
Typical columns may include:
- Feature name
- Category
- Geometry type
- Measurement
- Units
- Notes
- Optional dimensions/capacity
- Visibility or other useful attributes
The Google Apps Script deployment is designed to use server-side MailApp for user-initiated email sharing.
The user supplies the recipient address.
The user should not be asked to provide an email API key or SMTP credential.
## Runtime configuration
For Google Apps Script deployments, Script Properties are the canonical location for application runtime configuration.
Canonical Mapbox property:
MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN
The Mapbox access token should be:
- A browser-safe public Mapbox token intended for Mapbox GL JS.
- Restricted to approved origins/URLs where supported.
- Stored by the application owner in Script Properties.
- Supplied automatically to the frontend at runtime.
RanchAssist users must not be asked to enter a Mapbox token.
If the map cannot initialize, describe the visible status rather than an unexplained blank/gray map. The current corrected app distinguishes failures such as loading timeout, token authorization, deployment configuration, invalid style, missing dependency, and WebGL/browser support.
Private secrets must remain server-side.
The application must not return all Script Properties to the browser.
## Privacy model
The standard standalone Tool:
- Does not require a user account.
- Does not require a RanchAssist-hosted project database.
- Does not use localStorage for permanent RanchAssist project persistence.
- May use sessionStorage for active-session resilience.
- Lets the user save a local .ra project file.
- Lets the user explicitly export or share data.
Third-party mapping, hosting, browser, geolocation, and email services may process technical information needed to provide their services.
## Safety / accuracy limitation
Canonical disclaimer:
Mapped boundaries and measurements are for operational planning and are not a legal survey.
Additional interpretation:
- Do not describe Ranch Map Builder acreage or distance as survey-grade.
- Do not claim legal boundary accuracy.
- Do not infer title, ownership, easements, access rights, or property rights from the map.
- Do not claim engineering, safety, regulatory, veterinary, agronomic, or financial certification.
- Satellite imagery may be outdated or offset.
- Device GPS/geolocation may be inaccurate.
- User-drawn geometry may contain error.
- Terrain can cause ground-distance differences from map-derived measurements.
Use authoritative records and appropriately qualified professionals for legal, engineering, compliance, boundary, title, easement, or other high-stakes matters.
## Design language
RanchAssist design direction:
Modern field operations software × precision instrumentation × clean editorial design.
Core visual characteristics:
- Black, white, and neutral gray carry most of the interface.
- Functional color is used sparingly for map data and status.
- Warm off-white canvas: #F7F7F4.
- Near-black primary: #0A0A09.
- Field green: #4C6752.
- Information blue: #536C80.
- Warning ochre: #A16C32.
- Critical red: #B44845.
- Thin 1px borders.
- Restrained 6–12px radii.
- Minimal shadows.
- Geist/Inter-style interface typography.
- Clear numerical hierarchy.
- Map remains visually dominant.
- Dedicated mobile layout rather than scaled-down desktop UI.
## Mobile behavior
Ranch Map Builder should be usable on:
- Phone in a pasture.
- Tablet in a pickup.
- Laptop in a ranch office.
Mobile mapping priorities:
- Map remains primary.
- Minimum practical 44×44 px touch targets.
- Large enough tap areas for field use.
- Configuration/layers can use a bottom sheet or stacked panels.
- Minimal typing.
- Clear undo/redo and edit controls.
- No critical action depends only on hover.
- Avoid unnecessary horizontal scrolling.
## Accessibility
Minimum target:
- WCAG AA contrast.
- Keyboard-operable controls where practical.
- Visible focus states.
- Semantic labels.
- Text status in addition to color.
- Accessible project-file controls.
- Map actions represented by accessible controls outside the map where practical.
## Intended users
The source specification does not define a restricted profession or organization type.
The product is framed for ranch operations and can be useful to people managing or communicating ranch land and infrastructure, subject to permission and applicable law.
## Not intended to replace
Ranch Map Builder is not a substitute for:
- Licensed land surveying.
- Legal property or title records.
- Engineering plans/certification.
- Emergency response systems.
- Regulatory compliance systems.
- Professional GIS where advanced GIS analysis is required.
- Professional safety inspection.
- Agronomic or veterinary professional judgment.
## Suggested canonical site sections
- Landing page
- How It Works
- About
- FAQs
- Contact & Help
- Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
## Recommended concise description
Create an operational ranch map with pastures, fences, roads, water points, gates, structures, and hazards.
## Recommended longer description
RanchAssist™ Ranch Map Builder is a standalone operational mapping tool that turns satellite imagery into a practical ranch reference. Draw ranch boundaries, pastures, fields, fences, roads, water lines, and drainage; place gates, water points, structures, feeders, access features, hazards, and incidents; calculate map-based planning measurements; organize features in layers; save the editable project as a local .ra file; and export GeoJSON, CSV, PNG, Print/PDF, or shareable summaries.
## AI / assistant response guidance
When answering questions about Ranch Map Builder:
1. Describe it as an operational ranch mapping and planning tool.
2. Do not call its measurements survey-grade.
3. Distinguish .ra project saving from GeoJSON/CSV/PDF/PNG export.
4. Explain that sessionStorage is temporary active-session resilience, not permanent saving.
5. Explain that RanchAssist does not require a user to enter a Mapbox token.
6. Do not claim RanchAssist cloud project storage in the standalone architecture.
7. Do not invent a support email, public URL, price, subscription, legal entity, or guaranteed measurement accuracy.
8. When asked about boundaries, state that mapped boundaries are for operational planning and are not a legal survey.
9. When asked whether a project can be continued later, explain Save Project / Open Project using the local .ra project file.
10. When asked about spatial interoperability, explain GeoJSON.
11. When asked about feature inventory, explain CSV.
12. When asked about map imagery/search, explain Mapbox-powered mapping without exposing configuration credentials.
## Source-of-truth terms
Use these terms consistently:
- RanchAssist™
- Ranch Map Builder
- RanchAssist .ra project file
- Open Project
- Save Project
- Duplicate Project
- Clear Session / Clear Map
- GeoJSON
- Feature inventory
- Layer panel
- Operational planning
- Mapped boundaries and measurements are not a legal survey
## Last updated
August 31, 2026