Free 4dots Software Imagemapper — Download & Quick Guide

Create Clickable Images Fast with Free 4dots Software ImagemapperImage maps let you make parts of an image clickable — useful for interactive infographics, product photos, diagrams, maps, and clickable mockups. If you want a fast, free, and straightforward way to build image maps, Free 4dots Software Imagemapper is a practical choice. This article walks through what the tool offers, how to use it effectively, tips for accessibility and SEO, and alternatives if you need more advanced features.

What is 4dots Imagemapper?

4dots Imagemapper is a free Windows application that helps you create HTML image maps visually. Instead of calculating coordinates by hand, you draw shapes directly on your images (rectangles, circles, polygons) and assign links, tooltips, and target behaviors. The program then generates the HTML (and optionally a clickable image with image map) you can embed in a web page.

Key features at a glance:

• Visual drawing of hotspots (rectangles, circles, polygons)
• Assignable URLs and target attributes for each hotspot
• Optional tooltips and alt text for accessibility
• Exportable HTML code ready to paste into pages
• Simple, lightweight, and free

Installing and launching

1. Download the free installer from the official 4dots website and run it.
2. Install like any Windows program (choose install folder, create shortcuts).
3. Launch the Imagemapper app from your Start menu.

The interface is minimal: a canvas for your image, a toolbar with shape tools, and a properties pane for editing hotspot attributes.

Step-by-step: Create a clickable image in under 5 minutes

1. Open your image:

   • Click File > Open and choose a JPG/PNG/GIF.

2. Select a hotspot shape:

   • Choose Rectangle, Circle, or Polygon from the toolbar depending on the area you want to make clickable.

3. Draw hotspots:

   • Click and drag for rectangles/circles. For polygons, click each corner point, then double-click to finish.
   • Move/resize points to refine the clickable area.

4. Assign actions:

   • With a hotspot selected, enter the destination URL in the properties pane.
   • Set target behavior: same tab (_self) or new tab/window (_blank).
   • Add tooltip text (shows on hover) and alt text (important for accessibility).

5. Repeat for additional hotspots:

   • Create separate links for different products, regions of a map, or sections of a diagram.

6. Preview:

   • Use the Preview button (if available) or export the HTML and open it in a browser to test interactions.

7. Export HTML:

   • Click Export or Save HTML to produce the and
     

Example of generated HTML (typical output):

<img src="myimage.jpg" usemap="#imagemap1" alt="Clickable product layout"> <map name="imagemap1">   <area shape="rect" coords="34,44,270,350" href="https://example.com/product1" alt="Product 1" target="_blank">   <area shape="circle" coords="400,200,50" href="https://example.com/product2" alt="Product 2" target="_self">   <area shape="poly" coords="500,120,560,140,540,200,480,190" href="https://example.com/product3" alt="Product 3" target="_blank"> </map> 

Best practices for usability and accessibility

• Always provide meaningful alt text for each
  so screen readers can describe the hotspot.
• Use descriptive link destinations rather than “Click here” — e.g., “View product details for Red Jacket.”
• Ensure hotspots are large enough to be tapped on touch devices (aim for at least ~44×44 CSS pixels).
• Test keyboard accessibility: image maps can be navigated by keyboard when properly coded with focusable links or alternate elements.
• Consider a visible fallback: provide a textual list of links under the image for users who can’t interact with the image map.

SEO considerations

• Image maps themselves don’t directly boost rankings, but the linked pages and anchor context matter.
• Include relevant surrounding text and captions near the image to give search engines context.
• Ensure each area has unique, relevant alt text — search engines can use this for understanding the linked content.

Use cases and examples

• E-commerce: Clickable product photos let users jump to product pages from a composite image or catalog.
• Interactive infographics: Link segments of a chart or map to deeper explanations, sources, or filtered pages.
• Real estate floorplans: Make rooms clickable to show photos, descriptions, or virtual tours.
• Educational diagrams: Label parts of an anatomy image or mechanical diagram with links to lessons.

Limitations of 4dots Imagemapper

• Desktop-only (Windows) — no web or Mac version.
• Basic styling: image maps are pure HTML areas; advanced hover effects or animations require extra CSS/JS work.
• Not ideal for very responsive layouts out of the box; coordinates are pixel-based, so you may need additional scripts to make image maps responsive across different screen sizes.

Making image maps responsive

To keep the hotspots aligned when the image scales, use a small responsive image-map script or convert hotspots to absolutely positioned elements over a responsive container. Example approach:

• Use a JS library like imageMapResizer (tiny, MIT-licensed) to auto-scale coords when the image size changes.
• Or recreate hotspots with positioned anchor elements and percentage-based positioning for full CSS control.

Alternatives to consider

Quick troubleshooting

• Hotspots not aligned after resizing image: use a responsive map resizer script or recreate hotspots after resizing.
• Tooltip text not showing: some browsers ignore area title; provide visible labels or accessible descriptions as a fallback.
• URLs opening in same tab unexpectedly: ensure target=“_blank” is set and test in multiple browsers.

Conclusion

Free 4dots Software Imagemapper is an efficient, no-cost solution for quickly creating clickable images when you need straightforward image maps without coding. It’s ideal for rapid prototyping, e-commerce visuals, and interactive diagrams. For fully responsive or highly animated cases, pair it with a small JS library or use CSS/JS overlays to gain more control.