Sales Questions
How much does this cost?
Diamond Maps is sold as a subscription for $20/user/month. A "user" is a login that you can use on any device. There is no setup fee, no contract, and no minimum subscription period. We have been in business for 5 years and we have never raised a customer's price. See enterprise license question below.
Will this work on both Android and Apple phones?
Yes. Diamond Maps runs in your browser so it will run on your iPhone, iPad, Android phone, Android tablet, Windows PC, Mac, or just about any device that has an internet connection. If you need to work offline, you can do so on an Android device by downloading our
Diamond Maps Offline app.
Do you offer an enterprise license?
Yes. We offer an unlimited-use subscription that is priced based on the population of the area you serve. With it you can create logins for everyone on your team including your contractors. For small systems this price is less than the cost of two single-user subscriptions. This enterprise subscription must only be used for business related to the municipality or agency that it is assigned to.
What other software do I need?
None. We host all of your data for you on our Amazon servers and provide you with a browser-based application that allows you to view and edit your GIS data from any PC, tablet, or smart phone.
What are the data storage limits and fees
All subscriptions allow you to create an unlimited number of maps, layers, and features. And you can add an unlimited number of pictures and attachments to your data. There are no additional fees for storing and backing up your data.
What if I need help
You will love our US-based support team. Call or email them as you have questions. Premium support is included with all subscrpitions. They will not only answer your questions but they can suggest best practices and many times even show you how other customers in your same industry have addressed your exact problem. And those who prefer to teach themselves love our
video training library Do I have to buy a subscription for each computer?
No. A single-user subscription provides you with a single user name and password (ie. "login"). You can use this login on any computer, tablet, or phone but at only one location at a time. When you login at a second location it simply logs you out at the first location. Our customers typically purchase a login for each person (not computer) who will be using the system. Over half of our customers go with our enterprise license that allows them to create logins for everyone on their team for a fixed price.
Can I just buy the software rather than paying an on-going subscription?
No. Diamond Maps is a service that requires us to continually host, backup, and serve up your data to you on your mobile devices. Actually, purchased GIS software typically requires annual maintenance fees that are more than the cost of our subscription.
Can this be used as a data collector?
Yes. If you have a sub-meter GPS device linked to your phone or tablet and if you have internet connectivity in the field then you can use Diamond Maps to collect points. You can customize the schema of each layer to accommodate the various attributes you might want to record for each point.
What departments in my city can use this?
We got our start in the Rural Water industry serving mostly sewer and water systems. But we have a couple hundred cities, villages, and towns who use Diamond Maps in multiple departments to manage things like sign inventory, pavement management, code enforcement, cemeteries, event planning, sidewalk maintenance, complaint management, mowing, planning, parks, electric, gas, communications, tree inventory, and more. An enterprise subscription allows all those people to use it for one fixed-price.
How does this compare to ArcGIS?
Diamond Maps is not nearly as functional as the ArcGIS software by ESRI. If your city is big enough to have a trained GIS professional on staff, then ArcGIS is going to be your best tool. But we work with new customers in small and medium sized communities every week who have ArcGIS installed on a single computer that only one person knows how to use and he or she only uses 5% of what it is capable of. They switch to Diamond Maps because it is easier to use and therefore gets used by more of their staff. And if you later need to graduate to a more powerful product, you can export all of your data out of Diamond Maps and switch with nothing lost.
Does this require an internet connection?
The main, fully-functional browser version of DiamondMaps.com requires an internet connection at all times to use it. But we do have a less functional offline app that can be used on an Android device to collect points, edit data, and take pictures all offline and then later upload your changes to the server when you have an internet connection. For more on that see
Diamond Maps Offline.
How does this free trial work?
- You can create a free account by clicking 'Start Free Trial' on the main diamondmaps.com page
- The system will create a blank map for you and a user name and password you can use to login
- If you haven't done so already you watch the videos in our training library
- The 30 day free trial account is fully functional. Some small towns have mapped their entire system during this period.
- You can create logins for other people on your staff during the trial period
- You have full access to customer support by phone or email during this time
- You will get an automatic email telling you when there are 7 days left on your trial period
- If you decide its not for you there is no action required. You just let the free trial expire.
- At any time during or after the trial just contact us if you are interested in subscribing and we can either email you an invoice for the first year or you can signup for a monthly credit card payment
- Your free trial account becomes your permenant account so you and your team just continue using it as you did during the trial
I didn't have time to evaluate it this month. can you extend my free trial?
Yes. Just send us an email and we can set you up.
What if I later decide to go with someone else?
Because there is no contract you can quit at any time and take your data with you. We will even refund the remaining portion of your payment if you paid annually. All of the data you create or import into Diamond Maps is yours and you can freely export it at any time at the click of a button.
Is this an app that installs on my phone?
No, Diamond Maps runs in your browser. There is nothing to install. All of your data is stored and backed up in the cloud. But you can
create a button on your phone's home screen that launches it just like an app. If you need to work offline, you can do so on an Android device by downloading our
Diamond Maps Offline app.
Can I add my own ortho photos?
Yes. If your city or county has more up to date, or higher resolution, imagery than what Google Maps provides, we can use your images in place of Google's. If you go with this optional service we charge a small one-time setup fee to process and host your large files.
How often does the background photography get updated?
By default we use Google Maps aerial photography. For most parts of the United States, these photos get updated every 2 to 5 years but they do not publish a schedule of future updates. You can use Google Earth to see how often updates have traditionally happened in your area. If your county or city has more recent or better quality photos we offer the ability to use those in place of Google's. Or if you import a recent parcel layer from your county you can at least see the outlines of any new development areas.
Can we share this on the city's website?
Yes. With an enterprise subscription you can mark one or more of your maps as "Public" which indicates that no login is required. You can then add to this map any select layers that you want shared with the public. You can then place a link to this map on your company's website or facebook page.
Support Questions
When I open my map it starts out in the wrong place.
To change the starting view for a map first zoom or pan the map to the desired viewing area. Then select "Map Properties" from the map menu. Then click the "Use current view" button.
Can I control who makes changes to my map?
Yes. By default, every new user added to your account can only view the map. You must grant each user edit permission to specific layers before they can add, change, or delete features on that layer. For more about this see the
Permissions video.
I selected the arrow line style for my sewer layer but many lines point in the wrong direction.
The arrow line style represents all of your lines with an arrow pointing in the direction that the line was originally drawn. To change the direction of a line, click it on the map and then select "reverse poly" from the action menu.
I added a new user but he never got an email with his password.
Whenever you add a new user to your account, the system will computer generate a password for them and email it to them. These emails have a tendency to end up in your junk mail folder. Check there or from your account screen you can select that user and click "Resend credentials" to send them another email.
How much would you charge to map a small system with 500 connections?
We don't provide any mapping or field collection services. We just provide you with the software and coaching to do it yourself. But we do work with several engineering companies and individuals around the country who use Diamond Maps to deliver their services and can put you in touch with one of them for a quote.
Can I create more than one map?
You can create any number of maps on your account and there is no extra charge. See the
Managing Maps video for how to do that
How do I get this on my phone?
See
How to create a button on my home screen for instructions on setting Diamond Maps up on your phone.
Why can't I see the calendar button next to my date field?
If you are viewing a feature form with a date field and don't see the calendar button to the right of the field that means you don't have edit permission for that layer. See
Permissions video
How do you reconcile changes made by different people on the same layer?
You are probably asking this question because you know how difficult this can be to manage in some GIS software. But because your users are working off of a live connection to a central database, there is never a need to synchronize data. Each add, change, and delete is immediately applied to the server as they happen and shared with all other users.
What if I lose my internet connection before I get a chance to save?
There is no save button. Every time you draw a line, delete a point, or change a value, your change is immediately saved to our server.
How do I backup my data?
We backup your layers every night and maintain past versions of your layers so that you can recall them if anything goes wrong. For those that still want their own local backup, it is just a few clicks to backup all your layers to a local shapefile or Geodatabase.
How do I change the diameter for just 50ft of a pipe?
When you click on a polyline representing a pipe on the map, it highlights a length of pipe that might be just a few feet or it could be several blocks long depending on how it was drawn. The attributes that are displayed in the popup window, such as material, diameter, etc, pertain to the entire length of pipe. If you just replaced, lets say, one block of this pipe with a different size then you need to split this pipe in two so that you can apply different attributes to each part. To do this click on the pipe and then select "break poly" from the action menu. Next you will be prompted to pick the break point along the existing line. Once you are done you can now click on each part and change their attributes independant of the other.
Can I import a Geodatabase?
Yes. The import menu in Diamond Maps has options for importing and exporting ESRI Shapefiles, KML files, and CSV files. Or you can install our free Geodatabase Tools app (on a Windows computer) to import or export ESRI File Geodatabases. Read more at
Geodatabase Tools. Or watch
training video #255.
What kind of tablet do you recommend?
We have tested Diamond Maps on every imaginable tablet using various browsers and so far it works well on all of them. Most of the lower end tablets must interface with your phone to get internet access. But if you want a little more convenience in that area you can get a tablet with a built in cellular modem which allows you to get a direct internet connection anywhere that has a cell single. Since Diamond Maps stores everything on the cloud it doesn't really matter how much storage your tablet has. Tablet's with a built-in stylus are ideal because they allow you to point and click with a higher precision.
What if someone goes in and deletes everything we have done?
We backup all of your layers every night and you can recover these files yourself from any date in the past.
How do I print?
Select "Quick Print" from the map's menu to do a quick what-you-see-is-what-you-get printout. Or select the "Large Format Print" option to generate a pdf suitable for printing on paper sizes up to 36" X 48".
Can I zoom in more?
When using the mouse scroll wheel or pinch zoom technique to zoom in on the map you will reach a point where you can't zoom in any further. This limit is controlled by the resolution of the aerial photography. To override this limit and zoom in even further, use the +/- buttons on the right edge of the display.
GPS Questions
What type of GPS equipment do you recommend?
We recommend any Bluetooth sub-meter GPS/GNSS device such as the Juniper Geode, the Trimble R1, or the Eos Arrow. For specific setup instructions see our
GPS Help page.
The biggest mistake that our customers make is using an inexpensive GPS device to mark their asset locations. You will need to spend at least $2,000 to $3,000 to get a GPS/GNSS device that has an accuracy of +/- one meter or better. Ignore all the hype. If the device you are using does not clearly specify its horizontal accuracy in terms of feet or meters then it is almost always phone-grade GPS with an accuracy of +/- 10 to 20 feet.
Do I have to use a GPS to map my system.
No. While we do recommend using a good GPS, it is not required. Many of our customers simply point and click on the map to mark the locations of their valves, manholes, and fire hydrants, using trees, sidewalks and other landmarks as their visual reference points on the screen.
Video 201 describes this process. This method even records the latitude/longitude coordinates of your points. If you are working within a municipality with lots of sidewalks, and clearly marked curb, you should be able to visually estimate the location of most of your assets within about 5 feet. Proponents of this method say, "If the map can get me within 5 feet then I'll find it with my metal detector."
Can I just use my phone's GPS
No. The GPS built into your phone can be helpful to show you approximately where you are on the map display but do not use it for marking points. The GPS built into every phone and tablet uses the same technology and has an accuracy of about +/- 15 ft. That means if you are standing at a valve location and press the mark point button, it may mark your point on the other side of the road. Visually marking points on the map is more precise than this.
I'm using a Trimble R1 with my IPad but my location is off by 20ft.
When you are using a Bluetooth GPS device with our web-based software on an Android phone or tablet, you must enable the Android Mock Locations setting or apps on your phone such as ours will continue using your phone's onboard GPS instead of the higher percision device. For Apple phones and tablets this switch over is automatic. For more detailed setup instructions see our
GPS Help page.
When I turn on GPS in Diamond Maps I get error "User denied Geolocation".
This happens when your browser is not giving our web page permission to access your GPS location. It is a security issue. The solution varies depending on the type of phone or tablet and the type of browser you are using. In the Chrome browser you can control this permission by clicking the GPS button at the right end of the address bar.
What is the difference between GPS and GNSS?
GNSS is just a more generic term that collectively refers to all satellite navigation systems. This includes the United State's "GPS" system as well as systems developed by other countries.
