Set the scale
Measure a photo
- Measure two spans at the site, preferably running in roughly perpendicular directions. Record their lengths in inches.
- Load the photo and open Scale.
- Move the endpoints of measurement line A to the same two places you measured for the first span.
- Enter that length in Span A.
- Position line B over the second measured span and enter its length in Span B.
- Choose Use both (recommended).
Match the measurement lines to the tape positions. Do not stretch them to make the gallon result match an expectation.
Use A only or Use B only when you have one measured span. A second span gives the app information about scale in the other direction. An oblique photograph still has limitations; review the photo guidance linked from the Photo tab.
Explore an existing photo trace
Edit an illustrative aerial photo trace and inspect its pond geometry in Studio.
Read the transcript
Pond Tools. Plan your pond before you dig. Explore an editable photo trace in Pond Tools. This example uses an AI-generated image and an illustrative scale. Drag a waterline point to adjust the outline. Undo restores the previous outline. The shallow shelf is a separate editable contour. Change the shelf depth from 18 inches to 12 inches. The app recalculates estimated volume from the shape and depths. Open the depth profile to review the layers. Open Studio to inspect the same pond geometry in 3D. Studio surroundings are separate from the garden in the photo. Use known distances and measured depths for your own pond. PondTools.com
The recording starts with an imported, completed trace. It shows a waterline point edit, Undo, a shelf-depth change and the same pond in Studio. To begin with your own photo, use the measurement steps above before drawing its contours.
The aerial garden image is AI-generated. Its scale and underwater contours are illustrative. A photo does not establish the pond's depths; use measurements from the site. Studio interprets the drawn pond geometry without reconstructing the garden in the image.
Plan over satellite imagery
Select satellite imagery, draw pond layers and inspect the same design in Studio.
Read the transcript
Pond Tools. Plan your pond before you dig. Choose From satellite to start a separate pond project. Search for the location. This example uses Laurelhurst Park in Portland. Frame the site, then choose Use this photo. The imagery supplies the initial map scale. Clear the example outlines. Choose Circle and drag to place a hypothetical pond on the open lawn. Draw the shelf and floor inside the rim. Set their depths. Here, the shelf is twelve inches and the floor is twenty-four. Check dimensions on site. Open Studio View to inspect the same pond. It models your drawn geometry; it does not rebuild the park. Return to the plan to refine your design.
Choose From satellite when starting a project. Search for the location, frame the site and choose Use this photo. The imagery supplies the initial map scale. Check dimensions on site before relying on the design's quantities.
The video places a hypothetical pond on open lawn at Laurelhurst Park in Portland. It clears the example outlines, draws the rim, shelf and floor, sets depths, then opens Studio. This is a demonstration location, not a construction proposal for the park.
Size a design on a blank canvas
Draw the outline, select its layer and open Shape and measurements. Set Width (ft) and Length (ft), then choose Apply dimensions.
Apply to determines whether this changes the selected layer or all unlocked layers. Check that setting before applying a change.
Scale, dimensions and zoom
| Control | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Scale measurements | How the traced photo relates to physical measurements |
| Apply dimensions | The physical size of the selected outlines |
| Zoom or Fit | How much of the plan you see |
| Distance rulers | A saved measurement on the plan, without recalibrating it |
Changing grid units to centimeters changes the snapping controls. Other fields retain the units printed beside them.
Check an unexpected volume
Check the assigned A and B values, the positions of their endpoints, and the layer depths. Make sure you are viewing the intended saved project. If switching views changes the volume without an edit, keep a project export and report the steps; do not compensate by changing a correct measurement.