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Pre-Plans: Annotation Color Palettes

Purpose Statement

This article explains how to create, update, and delete color entries in the Annotation Color Palette within the Pre-Plan module.

Standardizing annotation colors improves clarity and ensures consistency across all Pre-Plans, helping responders quickly interpret visual information during incidents.

Background Information

The Annotation Color Palette allows departments to define and reuse specific colors for annotation elements (lines, shapes, text, etc.).

Standardized color usage supports faster decision-making and improves the visual consistency of Pre-Plans.

It is strongly recommended that departments establish an SOP, SOG, or Policy to define color usage standards (e.g., red for “Do Not Enter,” blue for “Water Supply”).
 

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Tip:

BEST PRACTICE: Standardization of coloring across a departments preplans makes the information much easier for personnel to quickly reference the information that they need to make timely decisions on an incident. It is recommended that a SOP, SOG or Policy be created to standardize the Pre-Plan process. This will ensure consistency of data entry and provide a reliable and consistent Pre-Plan Program.

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Warning:

Changes to the color palette affect all users and Pre-Plans across the account.

Required Permissions

To manage the Annotation Color Palette, users must have the following permissions assigned via Admin>Roles and Permissions:

  • Pre-Pans Read--Allows User to access Pre-Plan Maps and Pre-Plan list as well as view Pre-Plans in a read only state. 
  • Pre-Plans Edit--Allows User to edit Pre-plans within the First Due System.
  • Pre-Plans Publish--Allows Users to Publish the Pre-Plans.
  • Pre-Plan Annotation Color - Create--User can add an entry in the Pre-Plan Annotation Color Palette.
  • Pre-Plan Annotation Color - Update--User can Edit an entry in the Pre-Plan Annotation Color Palette.
  • Pre-Plan Annotation Color - Delete--User can Delete an entry in the Pre-Plan Annotation Color Palette.

Video 

Step-by-Step Guide
 

Access the Annotation Color Palette

  1. Navigate to the desired Pre-Plan.
  2. Open the Edit Pre-Plan Map interface.
  3. Either:
    • Create a new annotation, or
    • Select an existing annotation for editing.
  4. Select any available Color Dropdown Menu.
  5.  The annotation color palette will appear.

Create a New Annotation Color

  1. From the color palette window, scroll to the bottom of the list.

  2.  Select Add


     

  3. Choose the desired color by using:
    • The color slider
    • The color palette selector
    • The HEX color field



       
  4. Enter a label name for the color.
     
  5. Select Save.
     
  6. The new annotation color will now appear throughout all annotation color dropdown menus.
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Tip:

As a best practice to make standardization easier, name the color palette items to represent certain features on the pre-plan, as in this case Supply Lines. Other examples could be Dangerous Access, Do Not Enter or EVAC Zone, etc.

 

Edit an Existing Annotation Color

  1. Open the annotation color palette.
  2. Locate the color to modify.

  3. Select the Pencil Icon next to the color.



     

  4. Update:
    • The color value
    • The HEX value
    • The label name
       
  5. Select Save.
     
  6. The updated color settings will immediately reflect throughout the account.

 

Delete an Annotation Color

  1. Open the annotation color palette.
     
  2. Locate the color to remove.
     
  3. Select the Trash Can Icon next to the color.
     
  4. Select Confirm to finalize deletion.
     
  5. The color will immediately be removed from the account-wide palette.

Best Practices

Do’s

  • Create an SOP/SOG that defines color usage and naming conventions.

  • Use descriptive labels that clearly indicate purpose (e.g., “Danger – Do Not Enter”).

  • Limit the number of colors to avoid confusion.

  • Review color templates periodically for relevance and accuracy.

Don’ts

  • Don’t allow unrestricted editing permissions for all users.

  • Don’t use vague or inconsistent color names.

  • Don’t change colors frequently without communicating updates to personnel.

Tips & Recommendations

  • Assign colors based on function, not appearance.

  • Use universally recognizable color meanings when possible (e.g., red for danger).

  • Test color visibility on both desktop and mobile devices.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: Why can’t I add or edit colors?
A: Check your role permissions under Admin Roles and Permissions. You may not have the required annotation color permissions.

Q: Will deleting a color remove it from existing annotations?
A: No. Existing annotations will retain their color, but the deleted color will no longer be available for new annotations.

Q: Can I share a color palette across multiple users?
A: Yes. The color palette is global and shared across all users in the account.

Q: Can I use hex codes for precise color matching?
A: Yes. You can enter a hex code directly in the color picker.

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