Online data sources

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Online data sources

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This dialog is accessible on the Background Map tool to use online imagery content on the map view as WMS and TMS services. The Online tab contains the following controls:

 

Background Maps - Online tab

BackgroundMaps-Online

 

[  ] Enable WMS:  Allows to add your own Open Geospatial Consortium standard Web Map Service data sources for access to any data published on a WMS server. The built-in WMS client supports the WMS server served map image data in bitmap format, e.g. PNG, GIF or JPEG. WMTS data sources are also supported here.

 

Web Map Services

 

A Web Map Service (WMS) is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the Internet that are generated by a map server using data from a GIS database. The specification was developed and first published by the Open Geospatial Consortium in 1999.

 

Requests

 

WMS specifies a number of different request types, two of which are required by any WMS server:

 

GetCapabilities - returns parameters about the WMS (such as map image format and WMS version compatibility) and the available layers (map bounding box, coordinate reference systems, URI of the data and whether the layer is mostly opaque or not)

GetMap - returns a map image. Parameters include: width and height of the map, coordinate reference system, rendering style, image format

 

Request types that WMS providers may optionally support include:

 

GetFeatureInfo - if a layer is marked as 'queryable' then you can request data about a coordinate of the map image.

DescribeLayer

GetLegendGraphic - return an image of the map's legend image, giving a visual guide to map elements

 

WMS list: displays the previously defined WMS servers listed below each other. Inactive if the Enable WMS option not checked.

 

Adding a WMS layer to the map view: you can quickly add a WMS server data source to the map view as Background Map layer by selecting a WMS server list item here and then tap/click on the Add background map button.

 

Removing a WMS layer from the map view: uncheck the check box before "Enable WMS"

 

 New     -  Opens the WMS Server Management panel to define a new server

 

 Copy    -  Copies the selected WMS source as a new source (i.e.) to define a new layer set from the available data layers on the WMS Server Management panel

 

 Modify  -  Opens the WMS Server Management panel to modify the parameters of the selected WMS source

 

 Delete  -   Removes the selected WMS source from the list

 


 

[  ]  Enable TMS -  Allows to use a built-in Tile Map Service source as a background map layer

 

Tile Map Services

 

Tile Map Service or TMS, is a specification for storing and retrieving cartographic data, developed by the Open Source Geospatial Foundation. The definition generally requires a URI structure which attempts to fulfill REST principles. The TMS protocol fills a gap between the simplistic standard used by OpenStreetMap and the complexity of the Web Map Service standard, providing simple urls to tiles while also supporting alternate spatial referencing system.

 

Supported Tile Map Server sources

 

Google Maps Satellite

Google Maps Topographic

Google Maps Road

Bing Maps Satellite

Bing Maps Road

Open Street Maps

Nokia Maps Satellite

Nokia Maps Road

Nokia Maps Transit

CloudMade Maps

Open Sea Map

Open Street Maps Polska

Freemap Slovakia Road

New Zealand Topographic Maps

 

Adding a TMS layer to the map view: select a TMS server option in the drop-down list and then tap/click on the Add background map button

 

Removing a TMS layer from the map view: uncheck the check box before "Enable TMS"

 

 Cancel  - Closes the panel

 

 Add background map  - Adds the selected WMS or TMS server source to the current map view as a background map layer