For now we have a very simple tract plotter for free use from any computer with a web browser. It works with straight lines only. Calls must be made in the example forms given below, with periods separating degrees, minutes, and seconds; only degrees are required. Each call must be on its own line. Closure will appear as a red line. If your tract isn't plotting correctly, please click here to read the help text.

Development Blog updated 10/26/09! Read to check site status, and comment if you have a problem with the site.

• All deed calls are completely case-insensitive. N is the same as n, etc.
• All deed calls must be on their own line. Simply press your Enter or Return key to go to the next line of the input box and start a new deed call.
• All deed calls must start with a valid angle. Valid angles start with N or S, contain a number (which may be in the form xx for degrees only, xx.xx for degrees and minutes, or xx.xx.xx for degrees, minutes, and seconds; if any of these numbers is a single digit such as 5, you may write them as such or as a two-digit number with leading zero, like 05), and end with E or W. Examples of valid angles are N05E, n5e, S10.05W, S10.5W, n30.00.01w, and N30.0.1W.
• The only exception to the above rule is that for due North, East, Northwest, etc. you may now use N, E, NW, etc.
• All deed calls must contain a space after the angle, followed by a valid distance. A valid distance is simply a number followed by a unit. If no unit is given, feet are assumed. The number may have a decimal point, but it is not required. Valid units are currently feet, yards (3 feet), varas (33 1/3 inches), rods/poles (16.5 feet), chains (66 feet), and links (7.92 inches), given by f, y, v, r or p, c, and l, respectively. Examples of valid distances are 100f, 100F, 300.2y, and 560.37582937v. If your deed gives fractions in its calls, you must manually convert these fractions to decimal representations, e.g. "300 3/4 feet" should be entered as 300.75f. If your deed gives feet and inches in its calls, you must manually convert the inches to decimals of feet, e.g. "300 feet 8 inches" should be entered as 300.66f.
• If the computed closure is more than 1% of the total perimeter, the closure will be printed in red. The closure will always be drawn in red on the plot.
• Selecting the "Show labels" box will show simple labels on the deed calls. This can help you identify a problem call.
• A small box is printed at the origin of the tract (point of beginning).
• Tract Plotter rounds results based on the accuracy of the plot (using percent error of the perimeter). If the error is very large (greater than 10%), only two significant digits are shown; if the error is very small (less than 0.1%), five significant digits are shown. In the case that you want to view more significant digits (with the knowledge that your results may have artificially inflated precision), you can check the "Show Full Precision" box.
• You may enter reference calls prior to the Point of Beginning (POB). These calls will show up as blue lines on the plot and will not be included in the area or perimeter calculations. They may be used as a reference to place a tract relative to other tracts. You must preface such calls with a backtick, ` (the key directly to the left of the 1 key on standard U.S. keyboards, at the top-left under the Escape key). To see an example of a plot with reference calls, click here.