# Nod — Geographic Information System

> Map and measure outdoor spaces using GPS and drawing tools. (iPhone/iPad app by Robert Atherton.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nod/id1442484542 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Robert Atherton](https://appshunter.io/developer/893229237)
- Category: Productivity, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.50/5 from 2 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 11 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-08-27
- Data updated: 2026-06-25
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nod/id1442484542/reviews.md

## What is Nod?

Nod uses the GPS capability of an iOS device to make it simple to plot outdoor spaces and display this on a map or export to share with others.

It is for anybody who has a need to record a real life location on a map or compare locations on a map back to real life. This could be farmers, builders, scientists, archaeologists, systems developers or anybody with an interest in maps.

At a glance:

+ Use your position on the ground to mark areas of a map

+ Draw and create geographic data straight onto a map or satellite image

+ Import and visualise geographic data

+ Use the app to perform length and area calculations

+ Use on screen 'rulers' to quickly measure real life features

+ Tamper evident

+ Share geographic data with others in various formats

+ Optimised for touch screen devices

Nod also shows the users location in relation to the survey making it possible to make virtual boundaries and perimeters, for example to mark out a physical boundary where is is difficult or not possible to remain within line of sight of marker posts. Data can be imported in the common open source GeoJSON format.

Geographic data in the app is made up of multiple layers. Layers group together collections of features. A feature represents some real life geographical feature as a list of coordinates. Features can be line strings, polygons, points and so on. These features are then drawn onto a map. Polygons can contain inner polygons which are 'cut outs'.

Individual points in features can be adjusted with high accuracy using the app 'draw' mode. Draw mode adds a 'loupe' to make accuracy easy on a touch screen device by magnifiying the map underneath it.

The loupe also provides access to the ruler system. Rulers can be added to the map to mark out temporary measurements and angles. They are guides and are not included when data is exported.

Complex and accurate features can be created by combining multiple features and applying geometric operations such as difference, xor and others. Messy data sources can be processed and made orderly with convex and concave hull operations

The Nod file format (.nod) stores a complete hashed history of the actions taken to create it. This means it has a complete undo history but also provides confidence that the data is as the original creator intended. Exported data in file formats that do not supoport this facitilty should use other means to prove authenticity.

Data can be exported in GeoJSON, CSV, HTML, COLLADA (DAE) formats. COLLADA files can be used when generating data for scaled 3D modelling applications.

Please note:

The app only uses the device GPS system when it is in use. In addition the GPS system is manually operated in order to conserve power. The user also has control over the desired accuracy of the GPS to further reduce power consumption if necessary. When activated and on maximum accuracy the app will draw considerable power as a result of GPS updates. Care should therefore be taken to reduce energy consumption when this is an issue.

## Key features

- Plot outdoor spaces on a map
- Draw geographic data directly on maps
- Import and visualize geographic data
- Perform length and area calculations
- Share data in various formats
- High accuracy drawing with loupe tool
- Tamper-evident data history

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nod/id1442484542/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Good, but strange :)

*2022-03-13, version 1.6.3*

It took me a while to get to understand how this app worked - the info isn’t great, but I have eventually worked it out and really like it. I do wish the points were bigger, though. When they don’t have the focus they can be really difficult to see. I only use points and never areas (polygons), so this is important to me. 
When using ‘fit to layers’ it uses the screen as the area, but a lot of the area is under the control panel at the bottom, so that part of the layer - and, therefore, features - are hidden, which is a pain in the neck.
Lastly, and I find this bizarre, periods cannot be used in feature titles. I like to store the lat lons in there, too, and have to change the periods to full colons. I can’t see any reason for that. The same for other characters like uppercases, emojis and the like, which are good visual indicators.

### 5/5 — Plotting Land

*2021-04-23, version 1.6.0*

We wanted to work out the area for the plot of land we are planning on purchasing. 
We were able to lock in points remotely and have the answer to our question while sitting in our sofa, no muddy feet this time! 
This app does so many functions and I’m sure we will be using this again.

## Frequently asked questions about Nod

### What is Nod?

Nod is a mobile application designed to help users plot outdoor spaces and display them on a map. It allows for recording real-life locations, drawing geographic data, and performing measurements.

### Who is Nod for?

Nod is intended for anyone who needs to record real-life locations on a map or compare them back to reality. This includes professionals like farmers, builders, scientists, and archaeologists, as well as map enthusiasts.

### What formats can Nod export data in?

Nod supports exporting data in several common formats, including GeoJSON, CSV, HTML, and COLLADA (DAE). COLLADA files are particularly useful for generating data for 3D modeling applications.

### How does Nod ensure data accuracy?

Nod offers high accuracy for adjusting individual points in features using its 'draw' mode, which includes a 'loupe' for magnified map interaction. It also allows for combining features and applying geometric operations for complex data creation.

### Does Nod have ads?

No, Nod does not contain advertisements. It is a free application that is ad-free, allowing for an uninterrupted user experience.

### What devices is Nod compatible with?

Nod is optimized for touch screen devices and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It requires iOS and is suitable for users aged 4 and above.

### How does Nod handle data integrity?

Nod's proprietary file format (.nod) stores a complete hashed history of actions taken to create the data. This provides a full undo history and confidence that the data is as the original creator intended, offering a tamper-evident record.

### How does Nod manage GPS usage for power conservation?

Nod conserves power by using the device's GPS system only when the app is in use and by manually operating the GPS. Users can also control the desired GPS accuracy to further reduce power consumption.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6.3 — 2021-09-28

Minor compatibility update. The main highlights are:

+ Fixes and issue where sometimes points would be hidden from view unless scrolling
+ Fixes an issue where a polygon with 2 points would report its length as 0. This behaviour has been changed so that a polygon with 2 points is treated as if a line string for the purposes of determining length.

### 1.6.2 — 2021-06-24

GeoJSON Import Compatibility Update:

+ Improves compatibility when importing GeoJSON data. In addition to the usual FeatureCollections, files containing individual Features can now be imported. This makes it easier to work with other applications that export GeoJSON features as individual objects.

### 1.6.1 — 2021-06-16

Image Location Metadata Update:

This update adds the ability to access location data from within images stored in your photo library.

+ Mark points in features from image locations
+ Search document features using image location data

### 1.6.0 — 2021-04-14

Search Update:

This update concentrates on improving the ability to search for locations and features within the app. It also includes support for the Geohash encoding of geographic coordinates. Points can now be added to features manually by searching for either a coordinate directly or either a natural language search or Geohash search. All search results now include nearby features from the current document.

+ Search for a location or feature by coordinate
+ Search for a location or feature by geohash
+ Search features by title or description
+ Adds tool to show current coordinate for loupe
+ Shows search results as coordinates, geohash and natural language (if used for search)

### 1.5.0 — 2021-04-04

History Viewer Update:

This update concentrates on making the entire document history easily viewable. A new tab can be optionally enabled to allow scrubbing through all the states the document has been in. The document can be rolled back to any point in its history with one tap.

+ New Settings menu to show / hide history tab
+ New History tab with 'History Scrubber' to quickly move around the various history stages of the documents creation
+ Hidden feature selection is now persisted between document loads
+ File menu history sort order persisted when drilling into history items

## Apps similar to Nod

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [SIPERB - Mobile Softphone](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/siperb-mobile-softphone/id6553983983) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [1map mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1map-mobile/id6443671394) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [GeoCollect: GIS & Field Maps](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/geocollect-gis-and-field-maps/id6450780431) | 5.0 (3) | Free | Productivity |
| [EGNSS4CAP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/egnss4cap/id1598609236) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [cc handover](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cc-handover/id1438389950) | — | Free | Productivity |
| [Rows](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rows/id1477543853) | — | Free | Productivity |

## More apps by Robert Atherton

- [Mien](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mien/id1271223766)

All apps by Robert Atherton: https://appshunter.io/developer/893229237

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-25.*