Vector tiles are packets of geodata that are packaged in predefined, roughly square-shaped "tiles" and transmitted over the web.
They can be used to provide stylized web maps and combine the advantages of pre-rendered raster map tiles with vector map data.

Description

As with WMTS, the data is requested by the client as a set of "tiles" corresponding to square land areas with a predefined size and position.
Vector tiles contain vector representations of data across a range of scales. Unlike raster tiles, they can adapt to the resolution of your display device and are much smaller and faster to load - especially important for mobile solutions.
In addition, vector tiles allow you to create your own cartographic style without hosting or maintaining the underlying data.
The tile architecture also allows the use of standard network mechanisms for scalability such as distributed cache systems.

As a developer, you can currently test these services free of charge until 31.12.2019 and integrate the new card into your own applications. 

Change display

You can change the display using predefined configurations. You can change the display according to your wishes and needs. Currently 5 layers are made available:

Settlement / Grassed Area / Hydrology / Roads / Labels / Woodland / Territory. You have the possibility to change their color and/or size (Roads and Labels) and then export (JSON file) or share your settings (using a shortlink).

If you want to edit all layers, please use the export function and edit the corresponding JSON file with a vector style editor e.g. maputnik editor.

Further information (help.geo.admin.ch)
 

Example:
To be usable on test.map.geo.admin.ch, the JSON file exported and saved on your hard disk must then be hosted on a server accessible by a URL, an example here with the following exported file:
ch.swisstopo.leichte-basiskarte-lsd.vt_v006.json

Here the hosted file URL is:
https://cms.geo.admin.ch/www.geo.admin.ch/cms_api/gl-styles/ch.swisstopo.leichte-basiskarte-lsd.vt_v006.json

To import these vector settings to test.map.geo.admin.ch, you must adapt the URL of the viewer as follows, by adding the "&bgLayer_styleUrl=" parameter followed by the URL to your JSON style file e.g. :
https://test.map.geo.admin.ch/?lang=en&bgLayer_styleUrl=https://cms.geo.admin.ch/www.geo.admin.ch/cms_api/gl-styles/ch.swisstopo.leichte-basiskarte-lsd.vt_v006.json

License and conditions of use

• The service is published as part of a testing phase related to the future development of the geoservices published by swisstopo. swisstopo reserves the right to alter or remove the service, in full or in part, at any time.
• Openstreetmap Openmaptiles (v001)  

    ©: OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors

The service and data are to be used exclusively for test purposes only.

System status

• Uptime