[PYTHON] Display vector tiles nicely with the official MapTiler QGIS plugin
https://www.maptiler.com/news/2020/06/say-hello-to-the-new-qgis-plugin/
Introduction
QGIS 3.14, due out in late June, has a feature called native support for vector tiles. In fact, the developer build 3.13 has already been released and you can try out its features. This development was done by Lutra Consulting in the UK, and our QGIS official sponsor also supported in the form of crowdfunding.
With the release of QGIS 3.14, we are collaborating with our business partner MapTiler in Switzerland, and the map distribution service [MapTiler Cloud](MapTiler Cloud) developed by the company. We have developed a plugin to use https://www.maptiler.com/cloud/) on QGIS. This article introduces the outline of the plug-in and its functions and usage.
Plugin introduction
https://github.com/maptiler/qgis-maptiler-plugin This plugin is open source and is actively adding features, reporting bugs, and fixing it. We have developed the core part of the plug-in, and both companies have cooperated to implement the vector tile styling, which is the main function, and we are still improving it from time to time.
https://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/qgis-maptiler-plugin/ It is already listed in the QGIS plugin repository and can be downloaded seamlessly in your QGIS (some features are limited in versions prior to the vector tile feature implementation).
Overview
--QGIS 3.x series plug-in (Some functions are limited below ver3.14) --We have confirmed the operation on 3.4 or later. --You can map the styles provided by MapTiler Cloud and any style.json. ――It supports vector tile styling </ b>, which is not supported natively. --You can use the geocoding function to search for a location by keywords such as place names.
screenshot
- All maps are styled with vector tiles.
JP MIERUNE Streets + Geocoding API
JP MIERUNE Gray
JP MIERUNE Dark
Toner
Satellite
Introduction
Installation
- Download and install from the QGIS plugin repository.
- Restart the QGIS application </ b> to complete the installation. When complete, the MapTiler icon will be added to your browser.
API key registration
To display the map of MapTiler Cloud and use the GeoCoding API, you need an API key that can be obtained by acquiring a MapTiler account. Register and obtain the key as follows.
- On this screen, you can change the setting that gives priority to vector tiles.
Function introduction and usage
Map display
MapTiler Cloud Official Style
In addition to the styles provided in the tree by default, you can display all the styles officially provided by MapTiler. Let's display JP MIERUNE Streets here.
- Add style to the tree
- Add a layer to your project
- For QGIS 3.14 and below, only "Add as Raster" is valid.
Any style.json or tiles.json
It supports not only MapTiler Cloud styles but also arbitrary style.json and tiles.json loading. This time I made Geospatial Information Authority of Japan vector tile road and OSM raster overlapped style.json I will try to display.
Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, © ️OpenStreetMap contributors
Geocoding API
You can search for a location by keyword using the MapTiler Geocoding API. After installing the plugin, you should see a toolbar added to QGIS that says "MapTiler Geocoding API". If not, it will be redisplayed as shown in the image.
* Click Map Tiler in the "Panel" menu to check
Perform geocoding
Enter a keyword on the toolbar and press the enter key to search. The results will be listed, so click on the item you want to know the location of and the map will automatically move to the area of that item.
At the end
There are still issues, but I think this plugin that can geocode with QGIS and display vector tiles in style is very convenient even though it is a miso in the foreground, so please use it (in that case, register a MapTiler account as well). !).
Personally, it was from this spring that our company came to be called our company, and the first project assigned was this plug-in development. was. I'm definitely lucky to be involved in the development of open source in my work, and I feel that it was a great experience as a committer.
As I realized during development, it is not easy to express Mapbox Style on QGIS, and there is still room for improvement when compared with raster images, for example. In addition, there may be unknown defects due to conditions such as OS and version. Again, this plugin is open source, so anyone can get the source code and commit modifications and improvements. In open source, not only development but also issue reporting is an important contribution and welcomed (currently development is progressing on an issue basis, so bug reports etc. can be found in the Repository. Please contact the issue of / maptiler / qgis-maptiler-plugin)).