Using the Map Editor

The Editor at a Glance

The editor is a scaled, top-down plan of one level of your warehouse. Everything you place has real dimensions in millimetres, shown in metres, so distances on the map are distances a picker would walk.

• Header: the map name (click to rename), the level selector and Manage levels, Undo and Redo, the save indicator, Search code or SKU, the Measure tool, zoom controls, the 2D / 3D toggle and View options.

• Left sidebar: the Build, Locations and Layers tabs. Hover the sidebar's edge for a grip and a Collapse sidebar chevron; drag the edge to resize it.

• Canvas: the plan itself, with rulers marked in metres along the top and left.

• Properties panel: on the right, showing the settings of whatever is selected. It has a resize edge too.

Placing Components

The Build tab lists the component library under Components, followed by the Building, Areas and Points tools.

1. Drag a row from the library onto the canvas, or click the row and then click where you want it on the plan.

2. Hold Shift while clicking to place several copies one after another.

3. A banner at the top of the Build tab shows the active tool, for example Placing Pallet racking, with a Done button. Press Esc or click Done to stop placing and return to selecting.

Doors are the exception: choose Door, then click on a wall. The door snaps into the wall automatically.

If there is no room where you click, the component is not placed and a message explains why, for example that there is no clear spot beside the existing racking. Racks taller than the clear height to the floor above are refused with a Rack too tall notice.

Selecting

• Click a rack to select its whole linked run. Double-click to select just that one rack.

• Shift-click adds a run to the selection, or removes one that is already selected.

• Drag on empty floor to draw a selection box around several items. Hold Shift to keep what you already had.

• Click empty floor, or press Esc, to clear the selection.

Items on a hidden or locked layer are skipped by the selection box, which is how you select racking that sits inside a zone without picking up the zone. See Levels, Layers & Floor Plan Underlays.

Moving & Snapping

Drag a selection to move it. As you drag, the editor snaps to the grid, to ruler guides and to the edges of nearby components, and shows the gap to each neighbour in metres so you can leave an exact aisle width.

• Racking runs: racks placed flush against each other link into a run automatically and move as one. Unlink run on the floating toolbar separates them again.

• Extending a run: select a run and use the + buttons at either end (Add another rack to the run) to add a matching bay.

• No overlaps: if you drop something on top of another solid item it is pushed to the nearest clear spot. If there is none, the drop is refused with No clear spot nearby.

• Doors stay attached to walls. Drag a door along its wall to reposition it.

• Nudging: the arrow keys move the selection one grid step; hold Shift for ten steps.

Rotating & Resizing

• Rotate: press R or click Rotate 90° on the floating toolbar. Racks, workstations, stairs and lifts rotate; a multi-selection rotates about its centre.

• Resize: a selected rack, bench, stair, lift, pillar, area or storage block shows eight handles. Drag a handle to resize with a live size label; the size snaps to the grid. Walls show a handle at each end instead.

• Exact sizes: type the Width, Depth and Height in millimetres in the Properties panel when you need a precise figure.

The Floating Toolbar

A small toolbar appears above any selection. It offers:

• Duplicate (⌘D): copies the selection directly below the originals, with rack codes incremented.

• Rotate 90° (R).

• Lock in place / Unlock position: a locked item cannot be dragged or resized until unlocked.

• Unlink run: shown when a linked run is selected.

• Delete: also on the Delete or Backspace key. A toast confirms how many items were deleted and offers Undo.

• Edit with AI: type a plain-English instruction for the selection. See Quick Edits by Typing below.

Arranging Several Items

With two or more items selected, the Properties panel gains an Arrange section:

• Align left edges, Align right edges, Align top edges, Align bottom edges.

• Distribute horizontally (even gaps) and Distribute vertically (even gaps), for three or more items.

• Close gaps: butts the selection flush together, removing the gaps and linking racks into a run.

The same panel has Shared properties for changing a field on every selected unit at once. See Racking, Shelves & Components.

Undo, Redo & Autosave

• Undo is ⌘Z (Ctrl+Z on Windows) and Redo is ⇧⌘Z. Every edit is undoable, including AI edits, layer changes and bulk changes.

• The map saves itself about a second after each change. The header indicator reads Saved, Saving…, Unsaved or Save failed. A failed save retries automatically, and the browser warns you before you leave with unsaved changes.

• Click the save indicator to open Version history and restore an earlier autosave. See Managing Your Maps.

Zooming, Panning & Measuring

• Scroll to pan; hold ⌘ or Ctrl while scrolling to zoom towards the cursor. Hold Space and drag to pan with the mouse.

• The header has Zoom out, the current percentage, Zoom in and Fit to view.

• Ruler guides: drag down from the top ruler or right from the left ruler to drop an alignment guide. Guides snap components as you move them. Double-click a guide, or drag it back onto its ruler, to remove it.

• Measure: press M or click the ruler icon. Move the cursor to read live distances, click two points for a distance between them, and click a third time to start again. Enter or Esc leaves the tool. The last measurement is also used when calibrating a floor plan underlay.

Quick Edits by Typing

Select something and click Edit with AI on the floating toolbar or in the Properties header. Type an instruction and press Send. The change is previewed on the map; click Accept to apply it or Discard to drop it. Accepted edits can be undone like any other.

The instructions understood today are about size, shelves, type and naming:

• "add 2 shelves of 800mm" or "remove the shelves"

• "make these 3m tall", "set width to 2.7 m"

• "convert to drive-in racking" (also two-deep, selective or shelving)

• "recode these racks A1, A2, …"

• "rename this to Goods In"

If an instruction is not understood you are offered a short list of phrasings to try instead.

Keyboard Shortcuts

The full list is under the header menu at Keyboard shortcuts. On Windows, use Ctrl where ⌘ is shown.

Best Practices

Build the Shell First

Get the footprint, external doors and any internal walls right before placing racking. Snapping and routing both key off the walls, and moving a wall later means moving everything near it.

Work in Runs

Place one bay, set its shelves and dimensions in the Properties panel, then use the run + buttons or Shift-click to repeat it. A run moves and rotates as one, which is far quicker than nudging individual bays.

Leave Real Aisle Widths

Watch the gap labels while you drag and leave the width your trucks actually need. The routing tools treat the plan literally: an aisle drawn too narrow is an aisle nobody can walk down.

FAQ

I clicked one rack and the whole row moved. Why?

Racks placed flush link into a run and are selected together. Double-click to select a single rack, or use Unlink run on the floating toolbar to split the run permanently.

Can I edit in the 3D view?

No. The 3D view is for looking, walking and checking stock. Switch back to 2D to make changes; your position and zoom are kept.

Something will not drop where I want it.

Solid items cannot overlap. Make space first, or check the Layers tab in case the item you are dropping onto is on a locked layer.

If the editor behaves unexpectedly, note the map name and what you were doing and contact Helm support; every change is versioned, so nothing is lost.