How to configure a custom base map for NavVis IVION

  • Updated on Mar 4, 2025
  • Published on Dec 12, 2024
  • 1 minute(s) read
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Introduction

Please note that IVION only accepts custom base map URLs that follow the Tile Map URL format. A Tile Map URL is a specific URL structure used to serve map tiles—small square images that, when combined, create a complete map. This method is widely used in web mapping applications to efficiently render large maps by dividing them into smaller, more manageable pieces. These tiles are typically loaded dynamically as you pan and zoom within the map.

Key Components of a Tile Map URL

A Tile Map URL includes placeholders for three variables:

  1. Zoom level ({z}): Represents the zoom level of the map, with higher values providing more detail.

  2. X-coordinate ({x}): Specifies the horizontal position of the tile in a grid for the given zoom level.

  3. Y-coordinate ({y}): Specifies the vertical position of the tile in a grid for the given zoom level.

A typical Tile Map URL would look similar to this:

https://server.example.com/tiles/{z}/{x}/{y}.png

When you interact with the map, the application dynamically replaces these placeholders with actual values (e.g., zoom level 10, x-coordinate 512, y-coordinate 1024) to request the specific tile image for that location and zoom level.

Common Tile Servers

  • OpenStreetMap: https://tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png

  • Google Maps (Satellite Imagery): https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=y&x=${x}&y=${y}&z=${z}

  • ESRI World Imagery: https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}

Procedure

Customize the IVION base maps using a Tile Map URL

To use a Tile Map URL in applications like IVION, ensure that the server hosting the tiles supports this URL structure and provides tiles in a compatible format. As a next step head into the settings (Global Admin or Site Admin permissions are needed) and change the settings according to your needs:

  1. Change the base map for the main NavVis IVION Instance dashboard

  2. Change the base map on a specific IVION site

Finally ensure that the "attribution" field is updated appropriately when configuring your custom base map. This is necessary to comply with copyright and licensing requirements associated with your chosen map provider. Proper attribution helps meet legal obligations and respects the terms of use set by the map provider.

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