Vector Tiles Service: available services and data
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
- they are much smaller and faster to load
- they are optimized for mobile devices.
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.
Map viewer: test.map.geo.admin.ch
Test version of the viewer with Vector Tiles: Link
Examples overlay with thematic maps
- Accidents with personal injury (FEDRO)
- Thermal networks (SFOE)
- Accessibility by PT (FOT)
- Nighttime road traffic noise (FOEN)
- Invasive alien plants - map of the potential area Prunus laurocerasus (FOEN)
- Tick bite model (FOPH)
All other +850 data sets in test.map.geo.admin.ch are available for overlaying
Interactivity: switch application language
Modify the portrayal
You can change the representation of an existing Vector Tile dataset yourself according to your wishes and needs and make it available on a platform you use on the Internet. Please note that only members of the federal administration have worldwide coverage with OpenMapTiles data for self-hosted map applications.
Switzerland and Lichtenstein are freely available, as well as the corresponding style file.
- Open the «official» style file (file JSON) with a web based vector style editor, e.g. maputnik Editor or maptiler Editor
- Adapt the style according to your needs
- Export your custom style in a JSON file and host it on a Web server: the file should be accessible via an URL.
Using your custom style:
- In test.map.geo.admin.ch: you need to modify the URL of the viewer as follows: add the parameter «&bgLayer_styleUrl=» followed by the URL of your custom style, e.g.
https://test.map.geo.admin.ch/?lang=de&bgLayer_styleUrl=https://cms.geo.admin.ch/www.geo.admin.ch/cms_api/gl-styles/lbm_v1.0.0_simplified_grey.json - Or in your own application
Available geodata
The Vector Tiles service provides the following datasets:
| Dataset | Description |
|---|---|
Light Base Map | The map combines different data sets of the federal government (ch.swisstopo.leichte-basiskarte.vt). It corresponds to the swisstopo product: Light Base Map / Schema
|
| Dataset | Description |
|---|---|
Imagery Base Map | The Imagery Base Map is a combination of up-to-date aerial photographs and cartographic elements. It corresponds to the swisstopo product Imagery Base Map / Schema
|
| Dataset | Description |
|---|---|
All vector tiles products | The use of the vectortiles.geo.admin.ch service with the light base map map / Imagery Base Map (consisting of org.openstreetmap-openmaptiles.vt, org.openmaptiles-contours.vt, org.openmaptiles-relief.vt ch.swisstopo.leichte-basiskarte.vt / ch.swisstopo.leichte-basiskarte-imagery.vt) is only permitted for administrative units of the Federal Administration in accordance with Annex 1 of the Government and Administration Organization Ordinance. The data for the area outside of Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein will be obtained through the third-party provider openmaptiles.org by the Federal Administration for the period 1.1.2021-31.12..2022.
|
System status