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Categories sheet tasks

Add categories

  1. Open the Categories sheet.
  2. Starting at row 2, enter category names in column A.
  3. Repeat for each category.

See Categories sheet for column rules.

Set Applies values (required)

  1. In column D (Applies), set where each category is used.
  2. Ensure at least one category includes track.

Valid values: observation, track, or observation, track. Abbreviations o and t are also accepted.

  1. In column C (Fields), enter a comma-separated list of field names.
  2. Field names must match the Details sheet exactly.

Example: Name, Width, Condition

Add icons

  1. Go to https://icons.earthdefenderstoolkit.com
  2. Search for a category name (e.g., river, building).
  3. Choose an icon and color.
  4. Click Copy SVG.
  5. Paste the SVG directly into the Icon column (B).

Alternative: plain text lookup

  1. Type a simple keyword in the Icon column (e.g., river, forest).
  2. During export, the plugin searches https://icons.earthdefenderstoolkit.com.

Faster, but can return less accurate matches.

Generate icons (menu)

  1. Open CoMapeo Tools → Generate Category Icons.
  2. Choose from previewed icons.
  3. Icons are saved to Drive and the Icon column is updated with Drive URLs.

Tips:

  • Search works best with common English terms (e.g., river, building).
  • Requires an internet connection for the icon API.
  • You can edit icons afterward at https://icons.earthdefenderstoolkit.com.

Supported formats

  • Inline SVG (recommended)
  • Plain text keywords (auto lookup)
  • Drive URLs (https://drive.google.com/file/d/FILE_ID/view)
  • Cell images (paste into the cell)
  • Data URIs (data:image/svg+xml,...)
  • HTTPS URLs
  • SVG and PNG files (PNG is converted to SVG)

Troubleshooting

  • If icons fail, run linting and fix any red text in the Icon column.
  • If using Drive URLs, confirm the file is shared with “View” access.

Set category colors

  1. Select the category name cells in column A.
  2. Use the Fill color tool to assign a color per category.

Notes:

  • Category colors are based on the background color of column A.
  • There is no separate Color column.
  • Do not paste hex codes into the Applies column.
  • Choose distinct, colorblind-friendly colors when possible.
  • Bright, high-contrast colors tend to display best.