How can we help you?
Search our knowledge base for guides, tutorials, and common questions.
New step-by-step guides
Screenshots from the Studio at every step.
Studio Interface Overview: A Tour of the Editor
5 min read
Set Camera Speed and Easing Between Slides
5 min read
Globe vs Flat Map, Atmosphere, and Labels
5 min read
How to Manage Elements in the Studio
5 min read
How to Build a Map Animation with the AI Director
5 min read
How to Add Orbit, Sweep and Overhead Camera Moves
4 min read
Getting Started
Learn the basics of Mapimator and create your first animation project.
Animations & Motion
Master camera paths, route drawing, and smooth transitions.
Map Styles & Layers
Customize your map themes, highlight countries, and manage the elements on your map.
- How to Highlight Countries and Regions on an Animated Map
- How to Change the Map Style in Mapimator
- Globe vs Flat Map, Atmosphere, and Labels
- How to Manage Elements in the Studio
- How to Draw Arrows on an Animated Map
- How to Animate Territory Conquest on a Map
- How to Overlay a Scanned, Historical, or Fantasy Map on the Globe
Working with Data
Import markers, GeoJSON, GPX tracks, and other geographic data into your scenes.
Export & Formats
Understand render settings, quality options, and licensing.
Account & Billing
Manage or cancel your subscription, invite team seats, and find invoices.
Common Questions
Quick answers to the most frequent inquiries.
How do I remove the watermark?
Upgrade to a Pro or Agency plan to export videos without the watermark. Free plan exports always include a small mapimator.com watermark in the corner. You can upgrade from the Pricing page, or from the Export Video dialog by choosing a Pro option, and it takes effect on your next export.
What video formats can I export?
Open Export Video in the header and pick an Aspect ratio: Mobile (9:16) for Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, Web (16:9) for YouTube and presentations, or Square (1:1) for feeds. Then choose a File type (MP4 or GIF), a Resolution and a Frame Rate (30 or 60 FPS). Free accounts get 1 export a month at 480P and 30 FPS with a watermark; Pro unlocks 720P, 1080P, 4K and 60 FPS. GIFs are limited to 1080P and 30 FPS.
Why does my export have gray or blurry areas?
Gray tiles usually mean the prewarming phase was cut short — typically because of a slow internet connection. Try exporting again on a stable connection. If the issue persists, switching to a lighter map style like Classic or Light requires far fewer tiles to load and will resolve most tile-loading problems.
How long does rendering take?
Rendering runs in your browser, so the time depends on animation length, map style, your computer and your connection (map tiles are fetched live). Short clips can finish in well under a minute; long satellite animations take longer. The export screen shows live progress: Prewarming Map first, then Rendering Frames, and you can cancel at any point.
Can I use Mapimator for commercial YouTube videos?
Yes. Pro and Agency plans include commercial use: monetized YouTube videos and Shorts, social media, sponsored content, client work, and branded content. You keep using videos you exported while subscribed even after you cancel. Free plan exports are for personal, non-commercial use only.
Do I need an Enterprise license for TV or broadcast?
Only for TV and broadcast use, such as a network or newsroom airing Mapimator videos on television. Everything online, including a monetized YouTube channel, is covered by Pro and Agency. For TV licensing, contact us through the form at mapimator.com/contact.
Does Mapimator support 3D buildings and terrain?
Yes. For mountains and valleys, open the map controls (the style thumbnail at the bottom left of the map) and click 3D Terrain under View: the ground gets real height on every map style, and pins, routes and vehicles sit on it. Then drag the Tilt slider on the left of the map (or right-drag or Ctrl-drag on the map) to pitch the camera. For buildings, use the Streets style and zoom in to street level: it draws 3D buildings when tilted (the other styles don't have buildings). You can also add 3D models, such as vehicles and landmarks, from the 3D button in the toolbar. Tilt is saved with each slide, and 3D Terrain is saved with the project.
Can I draw a route that follows real roads?
Yes. Add a Route from the toolbar and set its travel mode to Car (Moto, Bike and Walk also follow real paths). A new route picks Drive or Flight for you from the distance once it has a destination, and choosing a mode yourself overrides that. Mapimator fetches real road geometry from the OSRM routing engine, and dragging either handle to a new spot re-routes it. For remote areas, use Direct (straight line) or Air (flight arc) instead. Read the full guide: How to Draw a Driving Route on an Animated Map.
How do I highlight a specific country or US state?
Click Region in the toolbar, type a country, continent or group in the Highlight regions window and press Enter. Tick several countries to highlight them together, or merge them into one shape. Draw an area lets you outline your own region. With Pro you can also choose Click on map: hover a country and it tints purple with its name, click it and choose Country Level in the Add Region menu. Zoom in past about zoom 4 and the same click selects states and provinces instead.
Can I add my own logo or image to the map?
Yes. Click the Image tool in the toolbar (Image or GIF in its menu) and upload a picture from your computer. It is placed at the current map center, anchored to that coordinate, and you can resize and reposition it afterwards. Large images are scaled down to 2048px. Animated GIFs up to 4 MB stay animated; bigger GIFs become still images. To lay a whole scanned, historical or fantasy map over the globe instead, choose Map overlay in the same menu (Pro). See the guides: Add Text, Images and Animated GIFs to Your Map, and How to Overlay a Scanned, Historical, or Fantasy Map on the Globe.
How do I import my own paths or boundaries?
GeoJSON, KML and GPX files can all be uploaded. For a path, add a Route, set its travel mode to File and upload the file. For a boundary, use a Region's upload option. For many points at once, Import pins from a file, in the arrow menu next to Pin, takes GeoJSON points or a CSV and turns them into pins. You can also drag a file onto the Studio window and choose what to do with it. File uploads are a Pro feature.
Can I import a GPX file from Strava, Garmin, or Komoot?
Yes. Export the .gpx file from your app, then either choose Animate a GPX track on the start panel (it builds the whole animation, stops included) or add a Route, set its travel mode to File and upload the file. The importer reads recorded tracks, planned routes and waypoint exports, and also accepts KML and GeoJSON. Very long tracks are simplified to 2,000 points. Track import requires a Pro plan.
What is 'Retake Slide' and when should I use it?
Retake Slide overwrites a slide's stored camera position with wherever the map is right now. Move the map to the angle, zoom and tilt you want, then open the slide's three-dot menu and click Retake Slide (use current camera), or press the blue Update Slide button that appears at the bottom of the map after you move the camera. Use it to re-frame a shot without creating a new slide.
How do I change the speed of the camera movement?
Between two slide cards there is a Duration box: type how many seconds the camera takes to travel from one slide to the next (0.1 to 20). To change how the move accelerates, click the small easing pill under the Duration box, which reads Smooth to begin with, and pick Smooth, Linear, Late brake or Elastic. See the guide: Set Camera Speed and Easing.
The Studio is slow — how do I speed it up?
Switch to a lightweight map style like Light or Dark while editing, since Satellite loads far more imagery. Switch back to Satellite when you are ready to export. The Playback Quality menu in the bottom bar (Full, 1/2 or 1/4) lowers the resolution of the preview while you edit. Closing other browser tabs also helps, especially on machines with limited RAM.
Can I change the map style during a video?
Yes. Open a slide card's three-dot menu and choose Map style from here. When the video reaches that slide the new map dissolves in over the old one. The Map Type panel at the bottom left of the map sets the style for the whole project, or for the slide you are on if it already has a switch. Satellite also has optional place names and country borders under Labels.
Can I start from a template instead of an empty map?
Yes. A new project shows a row of templates at the bottom of the map, and See all opens the full Templates gallery with 32 ready-made videos plus guided ones such as Flight and Road trip. Pick one, answer the question about your places, and the Studio builds your own editable copy. In an existing project, open the sparkles menu in the header and choose Templates. A guided template warns that it replaces the slides and elements on your map, and you can undo it. See the guide: How to Start a Map Video from a Template.
Does Mapimator have free map tools?
Yes. The free tools at mapimator.com/tools include Map Chart Maker, True Size Map, Animated Route GIF, Visited Countries Map, Blank Map Generator, Sea Route Calculator, City Roads, Radius Map, Distance Calculator, GPX Viewer, Flight Path Mapper and Coordinates Converter. Several can hand your map to the Studio so you can animate it. See the guide: How to Turn a Free Map Tool into an Animated Video in the Studio.
What does the free plan include?
Up to 3 saved projects, 1 export a month at 480P and 30 FPS with a small mapimator.com watermark, 3 one-time AI Director runs, basic templates and basic map styles. Pro ($12 a month or $99 a year) has unlimited projects, 100 exports a month, 50 AI Director credits a month, up to 4K at 60 FPS, no watermark and premium templates. Agency ($29 a month or $290 a year) adds 5 seats and a shared workspace with 300 exports and 150 credits a month pooled. See the Pricing page for the full comparison.
How do I cancel my subscription or ask for a refund?
Open your Account page (avatar menu in the Studio header, then Account), click Cancel subscription and confirm. Your plan stays active until the end of the billing period you have paid for, then the account moves to Free and your projects stay saved. A refund may be available if you cancel within 14 days of your first charge; email billing@mapimator.com within 7 days of cancelling. See the Refund Policy for the conditions.
Can multiple people share one Mapimator account?
Don't share login credentials — the Agency plan is designed for multi-user access. It includes 5 seats: invite teammates from your account page and each member gets their own login under your shared subscription, with pooled export limits and AI credits. See the guide: How to Invite Your Team or Video Editor.
How do I invite my video editor or a teammate?
On the Agency plan, open your account page and create your team, then type your teammate's email and click Invite — a private link is copied to your clipboard. Send it to them; they sign in with their own Google account and click Join team. They immediately see all the workspace's projects. Links are single-use and expire after 14 days.
What can team members see and do?
Everyone on a team works in one shared workspace: all members can open and edit every project in it, and exports and AI Director credits are pooled from the owner's Agency allowance (300 exports and 150 credits per month). Only a project's creator can delete it, and only the team owner can invite or remove members.
Why is a country border or region shown incorrectly?
Map data is sourced from OpenStreetMap and MapLibre, which reflect internationally recognized borders. Disputed territories or recent changes may not always be up to date. If you notice a specific error, contact our support team and we will investigate.
Is there an AI tool to generate animations automatically?
Yes. On a new project, type into the AI Director bar at the bottom of the map; on an existing one, open the sparkles menu in the header and choose AI Director. Describe your animation in plain language (for example, a road trip from Oslo to Bergen) and press Enter. You can also paste a voiceover script with timestamps such as 00:12, and the changes land on those moments. The AI builds the slides, pins, routes and highlighted regions, framed for the video shape you have selected, and you can edit all of it afterwards. Each generation uses one credit: free accounts get 3 one-time credits to try it, Pro includes 50 a month and Agency 150. Attaching a GPS track to a prompt needs Pro. See the guide: How to Build a Map Animation with the AI Director.
Still need help?
Our support squad is ready to help you with anything related to your map animations.