Hello

MeshMonitor currently displays MeshCore nodes on the map using a generic node icon. While this works well for small deployments, it becomes difficult to quickly identify the role of each node in larger networks.

MeshCore supports several node types and functions, including:

• Companion
• Repeater
• RoomServer
• Observer

When operating regional or multi-site deployments with dozens or hundreds of nodes, operators need to visually distinguish infrastructure nodes from end-user nodes. Currently, all nodes appear similar on the map, making network analysis, troubleshooting, and infrastructure management more difficult.

Describe the solution you'd like

Add support for role-based node icons and map filtering by node type.

Role-based icons

Display a different icon (or icon overlay) depending on the MeshCore node role:

• Companion → dedicated icon
• Repeater → dedicated icon
• RoomServer → dedicated icon
• Observer → dedicated icon
• Standard node → default icon

The icon should remain easily distinguishable at different zoom levels and should be compatible with both light and dark map themes.

Map filtering

Add a filter panel allowing users to selectively display or hide node categories:

☑ Companion

☑ Repeater

☑ RoomServer

☑ Observer

☑ Standard Nodes

This would allow operators to quickly focus on specific infrastructure elements.

Example use cases

• Display only Repeaters to verify backbone coverage.
• Display only RoomServers to validate service availability.
• Display only Companion nodes when troubleshooting gateways.
• Hide end-user nodes to reduce map clutter.

Describe alternatives you've considered

Current workarounds include:

• Clicking individual nodes to inspect their details.
• Using naming conventions to identify node roles.
• Maintaining external documentation of infrastructure nodes.

These approaches become increasingly difficult as network size grows and do not provide an immediate visual overview of the infrastructure.

Additional context

This feature would be particularly useful for:

• Regional MeshCore deployments.
• Community-operated mesh networks.
• Emergency communications infrastructure.
• Operators managing multiple relay sites.

The feature could be implemented using either:

• Distinct icons per role.
• Colored icon overlays.
• Custom marker symbols.

A future enhancement could allow users to define custom icons or colors for specific node types or tags.

The combination of role-specific icons and map filtering would greatly improve situational awareness and infrastructure management within MeshMonitor.