Distance & Bearing

The Distance & Bearing tool measures the distance between two or more points on your site. Each segment reports horizontal distance, 3D (slope) distance, bearing, gradient percentage, and elevation change — giving you a complete picture of the line you have drawn.

Activating the Tool

Open the Measurements tab in the site detail floating panel and click the Distance icon, or press D on your keyboard. The cursor changes to a crosshair, indicating the tool is active and ready for you to place points.

Drawing a Measurement

Click on the map to place points along the line you want to measure:

1. First click — places the starting point
2. Subsequent clicks — add intermediate waypoints, creating new segments
3. Double-click — places the final point and completes the measurement

As you move the mouse after placing a point, a live preview line follows the cursor showing the distance and bearing of the next segment before you commit it.

💡 Tip

For a simple two-point measurement, click the start point, then double-click the end point. For longer runs with direction changes — such as measuring along a fence line or the perimeter of a building pad — add intermediate points at each turn.

Per-Segment Results

Each segment of the measurement displays the following values:

These values are displayed both as labels on the map alongside each segment and in the results panel.

Single Segment vs Multi-Segment

Single Segment

When you measure between exactly two points, the results panel shows one clean set of values. The map displays a single line with a distance and bearing label.

Multi-Segment

When you measure across three or more points, each segment gets its own row in the results table. Below the individual segments, a Total summary row appears showing:

• Total horizontal distance — the sum of all segment horizontal distances
• Total 3D distance — the sum of all segment slope distances
• Overall elevation change — the elevation difference from the first point to the last
• Cumulative gain / loss — the total metres climbed and descended across all segments

ℹ️ Did you know?

The total horizontal distance is the sum of all segments, not the straight-line distance from start to end. If you need the direct distance, draw a single two-point measurement between the start and end positions.

Elevation Data

The elevation at each point is read from the best available source:

1. Processed DEM — if a drone survey has been processed for your site, the DEM provides centimetre-level elevation accuracy
2. World terrain — if no DEM is available, SiteView falls back to the CesiumJS world terrain dataset, which provides approximate elevations

The gradient and elevation change values are only as accurate as the elevation data source. For precise slope and grade measurements, ensure you have a processed DEM covering the area.

⚠️ Watch out!

When working outside the bounds of your processed DEM, SiteView switches to world terrain automatically. The results panel indicates which elevation source is being used for each point, so always check this if accuracy is critical.

Practical Uses

• Setting out checks — verify that distances between survey pegs match the design drawings
• Boundary measurements — measure along a property boundary or site fencing
• Road chainage — measure distance along a road centreline between key points
• Pipe runs — measure the 3D (slope) distance for pipe installations where the true length matters more than the plan distance
• Batter slopes — measure from the toe to the crest of an embankment to check the slope distance and gradient

Saving the Measurement

After completing a distance measurement, click Save to record it. Add a category, notes, and photos as needed. Saved distance measurements can be recalled from the Measurements tab and re-displayed on the map at any time.

What's Next?

• Area Measurement — measure the area enclosed by a polygon
• Gradient / Slope — a dedicated two-point slope tool with colour-coded results
• Measurement Tools Overview — return to the full list of measurement tools