Choose the dataset you want to display on your map. You can select a dataset with geographical information either from your own catalog of datasets published on your domain or from the All available data catalog.
Click on Select if you want to add all data or Filter data if you just want to add part of the data.
You can change dataset or change which part is filtered at any time. To do so, simply click on Change filter next to the layer’s title.
You can add as many datasets as you want on your map, and all of the data they contain can be displayed on that same map at the same time. This is when the whole concept of layers comes into play. In the Maps interface, because you overlay several datasets, each dataset is called a layer. This is why Maps allows you to configure your layers to make sure that you can represent many different data on the same map and still make the reading of this map easy and clear.
Keep in mind that the more datasets you add to your map, the heavier it will be and the longer it will take to load.
Edit a layer
Editing a layer (meaning, a dataset displayed on a map created with Maps) has two parts:
Display: the style, in other words, how the data is displayed on the map
Information: the information and caption that go with the dataset in order to better describe it
Edit style
Click on the Display tab. The menu with all style configurations drops down.
Choose a visualization mode and configure your layer as you like.
The style configurations entirely depend on the visualization mode you choose to apply to your layer. There are five different modes:
The style configurations displayed for each visualization mode also depend on your dataset. Depending on the dataset you added to your Maps map, you may not see all the configurations explained in this documentation.
Dots and shapes
The Dots and shapes visualization mode simply displays your data as markers (dots or icons) or as shapes. It is the most common visualization mode.
Style configuration
Description
Marker display
What your data will look like on the map
Dot: simple plain circle. Dots are recommended for high-density datasets
Icon: themed icon (available in the Opendatasoft library)
Map marker (with an optional icon): standard drop-shaped map marker, with an optional themed icon (available in the Opendatasoft library) inside
If you choose the Icon or the Map marker (with an optional icon) mode:
In the Shapes style section below the Market display section, click on the Icon menu
Choose the icon which will represent your data the best
Click on the Select icon button
Shape styles
Customize your markers and shapes
Icon: choose an icon for both the Icon and Map marker (with an optional icon) modes (see procedure above)
Size: make your dots/icons larger or smaller
Point opacity: if your markers are dots or icons - add transparency to these markers
Shape opacity: if your data are represented as shapes instead of markers (dots or icons) - increase or decrease their transparency
Line thickness: if your data are represented as lines - increase or decrease their thickness
For all the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each slider.
Color: change the color of your markers, shapes, and lines
To change the color:
Click on the color menu
Choose the color you want from the Nice colors or with the Color picker
Click on the Select color button
Shape borders
Customize the border of your markers and shapes
Borders are only available for shapes and dots. Icons, and map markers do not have borders.
Pattern: choose the pattern of the border, whether you want it to be a simple line or a dashed or dotted line
For the Pattern option, simply click on the provided menu and choose the one you want.
Thickness: make the border of your shapes thicker or thinner
Opacity: increase or decrease the transparency of the border
For the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each line.
Color: change the color of the border
To change the color:
Click on the color menu
Choose the color you want from the Nice colors or with the Color picker
Click on the Select color button
Cluster
The cluster visualization mode groups your data into clusters instead of displaying them separately and individually. Clusters are grouped according to a chosen type of calculation: linear or logarithmic.
Style configuration
Description
Cluster style
What your cluster will look like on the map
Min size: choose the size of the smallest clusters
Max size: choose the size of the biggest clusters
Opacity: increase or decrease the transparency of your clusters
For all the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each slider.
Color: change the color of the border
To change the color:
Click on the color menu
Choose the color you want from the Nice colors or with the Color picker
Click on the Select color button
Cluster border
Customize the border of your clusters
Thickness: make the border of your clusters more or less thick
Opacity: add transparency to the border
For the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each slider.
Color: change the color of the border
To change the color:
Click on the color menu
Choose the color you want from the Nice colors or with the Color picker
Click on the Select color button
Aggregation operations
Choose the base operation for your clusters
Choose, out of the available operations, which one you want your clusters to be based on. The result value will be displayed inside the cluster.
Count: how many markers are in the area
Average: the average of a selected field from the dataset
Sum: the total of a selected field from the dataset
Minimum: the minimum of a selected field from the dataset
Maximum: the maximum of a selected field from the dataset
Standard deviation: the standard deviation of a selected field from the dataset, to indicate whether the values are close to the average or not
Computing
Choose how the size of the clusters is calculated
Linear: for your values ranges to be the same size, evenly spread from the minimum to the maximum (for example, 1, 2, 3, 4)
Logarithmic: for your values to vary in size and spread from a very large spectrum (for example, 1, 10, 100)
Choropleth
The choropleth visualization mode displays data as markers (dots or icons) or as shapes. It also enhances the visualization with colors. The markers and/or shapes are colored according to a color scheme, defined by a values range based on a chosen variable. The Choropleth mode allows the creation of a thematic layer.
Style configuration
Description
Marker display
What your data will look like on the map
Dot: simple plain circle. Dots are recommended for high-density datasets
Icon: themed icon (available in the Opendatasoft library)
Map marker (with an optional icon): standard drop-shaped map marker, with an optional themed icon (available in the Opendatasoft library) inside
If you choose the Icon or the Map marker (with an optional icon) mode:
In the Shapes style section below the Market display section, click on the Icon menu
Choose the icon which will represent your data the best
Click on the Select icon button
Shape styles
Customize your dots and shapes
Icon: choose an icon for both the Icon and Map marker (with an optional icon) modes (see procedure above)
Size: make your dots/icons larger or smaller
Point opacity: if your markers are dots or icons - add transparency to these markers
Shape opacity: if your data are represented as shapes instead of markers (dots or icons) - increase or decrease their transparency
Line thickness: if your data are represented as lines - increase or decrease their thickness
For all the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each slider.
Palette: define on which field and operation your choropleth layer will be based on, and the color of your markers, shapes, or lines
Choose whether you want to base the color of your shape on the Value of a field or on the Aggregation on a field
Depending on the choice you just made for your shape’s color, choose the field which value you want to use, or decide which aggregation operation you want to apply on your chosen field
Define the Values range
Define the number of Tiers, meaning in how many categories your values range will be divided
Choose a computing mode: linear (for your values ranges to be the same size, evenly spread from the minimum to the maximum), logarithmic (for your values to vary in size and spread from a very large spectrum) or custom
Choose the colors range by clicking the colors menu and selecting your colors
Choose a gradient type (RGB, Lab, HSL or Lch), meaning a way to calculate the color gradient between the two colors you just chose
Shape borders
Customize the border of your shapes
Borders are only available for dots and shapes. Icons and map markers do not have borders.
Pattern: choose the pattern of the border, whether you want it to be a simple line or a dashed or dotted line
For the Pattern option, simply click on the provided menu and choose the one you want.
Thickness: make the border of your shapes thicker or thinner
Opacity: increase or decrease the transparency of the border
For the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each line.
Color: change the color of the border
To change the color:
Click on the color menu
Choose the color you want from the Nice colors or with the Color picker
Click on the Select color button
Color by category
The Color by category visualization mode displays data as markers (dots or icons) or as shapes. It also enhances the visualization with colors. The markers and/or shapes are colored according to a color scheme based on defined categories - which can be numerical or not, just defined by a certain word. The Color by category mode allows the creation of a categorized layer.
Style configuration
Description
Marker display
What your data will look like on the map
Dot: simple plain circle. Dots are recommended for high-density datasets
Icon: themed icon (available in the Opendatasoft library)
Map marker (with an optional icon): standard drop-shaped map marker, with an optional themed icon (available in the Opendatasoft library) inside
If you choose the Icon or the Map marker (with an optional icon) mode:
In the Shapes style section below the Market display section, click on the Icon menu
Choose the icon which will represent your data the best
Click on the Select icon button
Shape styles
Customize your dots and shapes
Icon: choose an icon for both the Icon and Map marker (with an optional icon) modes (see procedure above)
Size: make your dots/icons larger or smaller
Point opacity: if your markers are dots or icons - add transparency to these markers
Shape opacity: if your data are represented as shapes instead of markers (dots or icons) - increase or decrease their transparency
Line thickness: if your data are represented as lines - increase or decrease their thickness
For all the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each slider.
Palette: choose whether you want:
to create a Custom palette based on a field’s value
Click the Brush icon to access the custom palette interface
Choose the field you want to categories to be based on
Choose whether or not you want to enable the creation of an additional category
Choose a color for each category
Click the Apply button
or a palette Generated with colors contained in a field (in case your dataset already contains a field that provides color information: a hexadecimal color code, for example)
In that case, simply choose the right field, and the colors will automatically appear on the corresponding markers and/or dots of your map.
Shape borders
Customize the border of your markers and shapes
Borders are only available for dots and shapes. Icons and map markers do not have borders.
Pattern: choose the pattern of the border, whether you want it to be a simple line or a dashed or dotted line
For the Pattern option, simply click on the provided menu and choose the one you want.
Thickness: make the border of your shapes thicker or thinner
Opacity: increase or decrease the transparency of the border
For the options above, simply drag the dot along the slider or directly change the numbers displayed on the right of each line.
Color: change the color of the border
To change the color:
Click on the color menu
Choose the color you want from the Nice colors or with the Color picker
Click on the Select color button
Heatmap
The Heatmap visualization mode is not about markers or shapes. Instead, this mode groups data and displays them as a span of colors to show the differences of intensity of one variable but at different spots in the map.
Style configuration
Description
Aggregation operations
Choose on what operation your heatmap is based.
Choose, out of the available operations depending on your dataset, which one you want your heatmap to be based on.
Count: how many markers are in the area
Average: the average of a selected field from the dataset
Sum: the total of a selected field from the dataset
Minimum: the minimum of a selected field from the dataset
Maximum: the maximum of a selected field from the dataset
Standard deviation: the standard deviation of a selected field from the dataset, to indicate whether the values are close to the average or not
Computing
Choose how is calculated the progression of your heatmap
Linear: for your values ranges to be the same size, evenly spread from the minimum to the maximum (for example, 1, 2, 3, 4)
Logarithmic: for your values to vary in size and spread from a very large spectrum (for example, 1, 10, 100)
Colors
Choose the color palette of your heatmap
Click on the Edit palette button
Choose your five colors
Click on the Apply button
Add and edit information
Click the Information tab
Title and description
Rename your layer in the Title area to make it clearer for the map viewers
Add a Description in the provided area
If you do not add your own description, it is the default one that will be displayed.
Icon
You can add an icon to your layer, which will be displayed next to the layer’s title.
Click on the Icon drop-down menu to choose the icon that represents your layer the best
Click on the Color menu to add a color to the layer’s icon
Add and edit a caption
Captions are not mandatory. However, they are recommended because they add more information to your dataset, which means more clarity to the reading of your map.
Click on the Caption tab
If it’s not already the case, tick the Display caption for this dataset option
Captions are activated by default. If you do not want to display a caption for your dataset, simply untick the Display caption for this dataset option.
In the provided area, write a Title for your layer’s caption
Delete a layer
Click on the delete icon
Click on the red Remove dataset from the map button