JMARS Release 5.6.3: Smarter Coordinates, Better Shape Tools, and a More Helpful User Interface

We’ve rolled out a major set of improvements that make working with shapes, coordinates, and measurements more accurate, flexible, and intuitive. This update enhances both data import/export workflows and on-screen productivity tools across the Shape Layer and the broader user interface.

New Coordinate & Shape Handling Improvements in JMARS

We’ve added powerful upgrades to make working with shapes, CSVs, and SHP files smoother and more flexible:

Coordinate formats now match your preferences

The Feature Table will display longitude/latitude values in whatever coordinate format you choose. JMARS handles the internal details for you.

More control when exporting CSV and SHP files

When exporting shapes to CSV or SHP, you can now choose:

• How longitude values are expressed (East-leading or West-leading)

• Whether to use 0–360 or –180 to 180 ranges

• Whether coordinates are ocentric or ographic

• How to export geometry for shapes

These export options are independent of your in-app coordinate preferences—so you can work one way in JMARS and export another.

(Note: SHP files always use East-leading longitude per ESRI standards, but you can still choose the range and ocentric/ographic setting.)

Smarter imports for CSV and SHP files

When importing CSVs, you can now tell JMARS:

• Whether the file uses East or West leading longitude

• Whether latitude values are ocentric or ographic

JMARS automatically handles 0–360 vs –180–180, so you don’t need to specify it.

For SHP imports, you’ll choose between ocentric and ographic latitude—East-leading longitude is assumed since SHP files always use it.

Better support for circles and ellipses

During import (CSV or SHP), you can specify if the file contains circles or ellipses.
This helps JMARS properly prepare the shapes for editing.
If JMARS needs clarification, it will prompt you to select which fields to use.

Find these options in File Chooser dialog when working with files in Custom Shape layer.

UI Improvements & Expanded Measurement Tools

1) Richer measurement readouts

Distance and geometry tools now report:

• Azimuth

• Total length for polylines and open streams

• Perimeter for polygons, rectangles, ellipses, closed streams, and 5-point ellipses

2) Real-time circle information

While drawing circles, JMARS now displays:

• Center coordinates

• Radius  

• This makes precise placement fast and intuitive.

3) Real-time rectangle metrics

When drawing rectangles, you’ll now see:

• Starting coordinate

• Width

• Height

4) Multi-selection with CTRL+Click

In the Custom Shape Layer, you can now CTRL+click to select multiple shapes directly in the main view, with full two-way sync to the Feature Table.

5) Multiple CTRL+drag selection windows

You can draw more than one selection box while holding CTRL, allowing flexible, multi-region shape selection.

6) Better validation & clearer notifications

Latitude/longitude entry and Place bookmarking now have improved validation and user-friendly alerts to help avoid invalid inputs.