This section will cover all the necessary steps to install and set up Mapeo Desktop on your computer:
Before you start, make sure that:
Your computer battery is fully charged or you have access to a charger and electrical outlet.
Your computer is virus-free.
Mapeo Desktop is currently available in Spanish (es), English (en), Portuguese (pt) and French (fr), Thai (th), Vietnamese (vi) and Khmer (km), but it can be translated into any language using Crowdin. For more on translation, see: Translating Mapeo & default configurations.
Changing the language of Mapping Desktop is a simple step and does not affect the data collected or the categories used to create observations. Mapeo Desktop should open initially in the current language you have selected for your computer's operating system. To change the Mapeo Desktop language:
On the Top menu bar, click on View and select Change language.
Select the desired language and click on SUBMIT. You may see a white screen for a few seconds as the interface language changes.
If the language does not change automatically, restart Mapeo Desktop.
Open Mapeo Desktop.
Like most existing apps, Mapeo Desktop is in continuous development. We frequently release new versions of the application to fix technical issues or add new functionality.
When you update Mapeo Desktop, you do not lose data you have collected or synchronized using a previous version.
To update files used within Mapeo Desktop, such as configurations or background maps, follow the same steps detailed in the sections below using the new files: Importing configurations to Mapeo DesktopAdding custom background maps to Mapeo Desktop
For details on Mapeo version numbers and naming conventions, see:#mapeo-versions-information-and-naming-conventions
To view all previous versions of Mapeo Desktop, including release notes for changes made in each version, see the Mapeo Desktop Releases page on GitHub.
To start using a custom configuration, you'll need to import the new configuration file into Mapeo Desktop. For more on configurations, see Custom configurations.
Download or copy the custom configuration file (eg. example_project.mapeosettings
) onto your computer. Note which folder the file was saved in.
On the Top menu bar, click File and select Import Configuration.
In the pop-up window, navigate to the folder on the computer where you saved the configuration file (.mapeosettings
) you want to import. Click on the file, then click Open. You may see a white screen for a few seconds while the configuration changes.
To update Mapeo Desktop, follow the same steps of the installation process using a newer installation file. Before starting, ensure that the Mapeo Desktop application is not open. Then, follow the steps below for:
For sending configuration files (.mapeosettings
) between computers that have an internet connection, we recommend using email or the Telegram Desktop app, as other messaging applications have problems with this file format. You can also share a link to a Drive directory where the configuration is located.
If you have no internet connection, you can copy the file from a computer using a USB drive or send the file via Bluetooth. For more on these methods, see: Sharing files between devices.
Open Mapeo Desktop.
If you are planning to install the application on a computer that does not have an internet connection, make sure to download the installation file prior to going offline. For more details on offline installation, see #installing-offline below.
If you have an internet connection, you can download the Mapeo Desktop installation file for free from http://mapeo.app.
It is important to select and use the correct installation file for your operating system:
Go to the mapeo.app website and click on Download. A download of the installation file for your operating system should start automatically. If the download does not start automatically, or if you'd like to download installation files to use on another operating system, you can find download options at the bottom of the page.
Once you have the installation file downloaded, follow the detailed steps in the sections below to install Mapeo Desktop on the appropriate operating system for your computer:
If you don't yet have the installation file for Windows, download it.
Find the Mapeo installation file (.exe
) on your computer and double click on it to install. If you get a security message from your operating system, click on Execute anyway.\
If you don't yet have the installation file for macOS, download it.
Find the Mapeo installation file (.dmg
) on your computer and double click on it to open.
If you receive a security message that Mapeo cannot be opened, go to System Preferences, then select Security & Privacy.
If you don't have the installation file for Linux, download it.
In order to install from the .AppImage
file, you'll need to ensure that the file has permissions to run as a program. Find where the installation file was saved on your computer and right-click the file. Select Properties from the menu.
Click on the Permissions tab at the top of the Properties window, then click the checkbox to Allow this file to run as a program.
Double click the .AppImage
file and Mapeo Desktop should open automatically.
Now that you have pasted the installation file onto another computer, follow these steps to install Mapeo:
Mapeo Desktop is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux and can be downloaded for free from the Mapeo website.
Windows:.exe
macOS: .dmg
or .zip
Linux:.AppImage
Mapeo Desktop will open automatically when the installation process finishes. If not, go to your computer's desktop or Apps and click the Mapeo Desktop icon to open the application.
Drag the Mapeo icon into your Applications folder.
Once the install is complete, find Mapeo in your Applications folder and double click it to open.
On the bottom half of the window, you should see the message "Mapeo was blocked from use because it is not from an identified developer." Click on Open anyway, then on Open in the pop-up confirmation window. Mapeo Desktop will then open automatically.
If you previously downloaded or have access to an installation file, you can use it install Mapeo Desktop on other computers without an internet connection.
You can copy the installation file to another computer using a USB drive or send it via Bluetooth. This does not require an internet connection. For more on these methods, see Sharing files between devices.
By default, Mapeo Desktop in Observations mode uses a background map that shows some geographical elements such as rivers and hills, as well as some political and urban elements such as borders, cities, roads, etc. Mapeo Desktop in Territory mode offers a range of background maps including satellite imagery, OpenStreetMap, and more.
If you have a custom background map, you can add it and use it in Mapeo Desktop without affecting the data collected. (For more on creating custom background maps, see Custom background maps.)
Adding a background map to Mapeo Desktop requires some technical skills and should be done by someone comfortable copying and pasting files within the internal file system. A mistake in this process could cause irreversible undesired effects.
To add a background map to Mapeo Desktop, follow the instructions below for your operating system:
Mapeo background maps will often be shared as a compressed file(.zip)
. If your background map is a .zip
file, double click the file to unzip it.
Standard vector background maps for Mapeo will contain the file elements listed below: 3 folders and 2 files.
Raster background maps will contain different files and folders than those pictured above. Raster maps for Mapeo consist of one folder (tiles
) and one file (style.json
).
Select and copy all of the elements found inside your background map folder.
In the Windows search engine, type %APPDATA%
, and open the folder that appears with this name.
Inside the AppData folder, click on the Mapeo subfolder, then click on the styles subfolder.
If there is not already a default folder inside your styles folder, you will need to create one. To do so, right-click inside the styles folder and create a new folder named default.
Paste the background map elements you copied into the default folder.
For more on loading custom background maps into Territory mode in Mapeo Desktop, see Changing background maps in Territory mode in the Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode) section.
Mapeo background maps will often be shared as a compressed file(.zip)
. If your background map is a .zip
file, double click the file to unzip it.
A Mapeo background map consists of several folders and files that need to be copied into the file system of Mapeo Desktop. Standard vector background maps for Mapeo will contain the file elements listed below - 3 folders and 2 files.
Raster background maps will contain different files and folders than those pictured above. Raster maps for Mapeo consist of one folder (tiles
) and one file (style.json
).
Select and copy all of the elements found inside your background map folder.
Click on Finder on your computer.
In the top menu bar, click on Go, then select Go to Folder...
Type in ~/Library/Application Support/Mapeo/styles
in the address bar and click on Go.
If there is not already a default folder inside your styles folder, you will need to create one. To do so, control-click inside the styles folder and create a new folder named default.
Paste the background map elements you copied into the default folder.
For more on loading custom background maps into Territory mode in Mapeo Desktop, see Changing background maps in Territory mode in the Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode) section.
Use Ctrl + R on your keyboard to reload Mapeo or restart Mapeo Desktop to begin using the custom background map.
Use Command (⌘)-R on your keyboard to reload Mapeo or restart Mapeo Desktop to begin using the custom background map.