Tutorials

MapDesk is a native macOS app for managing contacts and deals on a map. You can sync with Apple Contacts, geocode addresses, plan driving routes, and track opportunities in a pipeline. This guide summarizes the main areas of the app.

 

1. Main window layout

The window is split into a left sidebar and a main area. Use the segmented control at the top of the main area to switch between Map and Pipeline. The sidebar title changes to match (Contacts on the map workspace, Deals on the pipeline workspace).

 

2. Contacts sidebar (Map workspace)

• Under Show records, choose All contacts, Companies, On map, or (if enabled in Settings) individual tags.

• Use Search to filter by name, email, phone, or company. Use the sort control to order contacts by name or recently updated.

• Select a contact or company to focus it on the map and in inspectors. A small map-pin icon appears when a contact has coordinates.

• Tap the info (info.circle) button on a row to open the Contact Inspector window for that record without using the toolbar.

• Toolbar: New contact creates a blank contact; Delete removes the selected contact or company (with confirmation).

 

3. Map workspace

• Contacts with successful geocodes appear as pins. You can cluster pins when zoomed out (Settings).

• Use the map’s Map display menu for map type, traffic, scale, compass, clustering, and Save current view as a named preset.

• Saved map views can be renamed or deleted in Settings.

• In the contact inspector (Information), set pin color and pin icon, and use Geocode address after entering a postal address.

 

4. Contact Inspector window

Open it from the info button on a contact row. The inspector uses a segmented control: Information (person, company, address, map pin, route stop), Events (activity history), Deals, Tags, and Notes. Edits save automatically after a short delay. You can include the contact in the Route planner from the Route section.

 

5. Routes

From the menu, choose Routes > Plan Route… (Command + Shift + R). Reorder stops, then Build route. A summary appears in the sheet and the path draws on the map. Use Open in Maps to hand off to Apple Maps. Clear stops from the planner when you are done.

 

6. Pipeline workspace

• The chart shows deal counts by stage. The table lists all deals; click a row to select it.

• Column headers are sortable. Use the info button at the end of a row to open the Deal Inspector for that deal.

• Toolbar: New deal, Assign contact (selected deal), Delete deal (with confirmation). Context menus on a row offer assign, delete, and clear contact.

 

7. Deal Inspector window

Edit title, stage, value, currency, win probability, and expected close date. Assign a contact from the sheet, or delete the deal. The same deal fields appear when you edit a deal from a contact’s Deals tab (sheet).

 

8. Apple Contacts

In Settings, you can enable Automatically sync with Apple Contacts. You can also run Contacts > Sync with Apple Contacts (Command + Shift + S) at any time. Optional Write CRM changes back to Apple Contacts is off by default for safety.

 

9. Settings

Open with Command + ,. Adjust map appearance, route line color and width, saved map views, sidebar tag filters, and contacts behavior as described above.

 

10. New contact shortcut

Use Command + Shift + N from the menu (File) to create a new contact.