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Tactical map2 min read

Node colors

Cyan, emerald, orange: each node color on the Sentinel map signals operational state. How to read them and react.

Published on April 18, 2026

Operational summary

Circular markers with an animated ring show near-real-time position. Cyan: nominal. Emerald: operator on duty (duty on) reported from the mobile app. Orange with a faster pulse: tactical alert or simulated SOS for training.

Map markers are not just dots: they are information capsules. A circle with an animated ring represents a unit and its color communicates operational state immediately. That visual convention lets you scan a fleet of hundreds of units and spot the one that needs attention without reading any text.

Deep dive

Cyan is the default color: it indicates a nominal node, reporting position and heartbeats with no events. Most of the time, ideally, the entire map is cyan. Emerald means the operator linked to the node marked duty on from the mobile app—they are formally on shift and ready for missions. That distinction is key to differentiate 'vehicle on' from 'person available to respond'.

Orange with an accelerated pulse is the most important: it indicates an active tactical alert or an in-flight SOS (including simulated SOS for training). When a unit goes orange, the operations center must act immediately: focus the map on it, open the detail panel, and trigger the response flow agreed in the SOP. The faster animation reinforces urgency even in peripheral vision.

Some organizations layer internal conventions on top of the standard colors: aliases prefixed by shift or operation type, geofences with descriptive names so log events are self-explanatory. Combining the color code with these details keeps the map legible even when it grows to dozens or hundreds of active units.

Frequently asked questions

Can I customize the colors?
The three states (nominal, duty on, alert) are fixed to keep operational consistency across customers. What you can customize are unit aliases and geofence names that appear in context.
What does it mean if the ring stops animating?
The ring reflects marker liveness: if it stops, the node is not reporting. Verify battery, LoRa coverage, and gateway status before flagging the unit as down.
How do I switch between simulation and real operation?
Simulated SOS are used in lab or training environments; the visual is the same to train the team realistically. In production, the SOS source is shown in the unit detail panel.
Can I filter by color?
Yes. The top bar lets you filter the map by state to focus on active units, those on duty, or those with alerts. Useful when the fleet is large and you need specific context.
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