WFS, WMS, TMS layers#

NextGIS Web allows to add data from external sources using standard protocols:

Also, you can make a layer based on a PostGIS database.

WFS#

WFS allows to get data published on third-party GIS servers (arcgis, geoserver etc), apply custom styles to them and add them to Web Maps.

First you need to create a WFS connection.

WFS connection#

Click Create resource button and select WFS connection.

../../_images/ngweb_create_wfs_conn_en.png

Fig. 445. Selecting “WFS connection” resource type#

Next you can enter a custom name that will be displayed in the resource list.

../../_images/wfs_connection_name_en.png

Fig. 446. Name for WFS connection#

Also you can add Description and metadata.

On the “WFS connection” tab enter the parameters that will be used to connect to the WFS server providing the data:

  • URL

  • Username

  • Password

  • WFS version

../../_images/wfs_connection_set_en.png

Fig. 447. WFS connection settings#

If the version you selected is not supported, you’ll get an error message after clicking Create:

../../_images/wfs_connection_error_en.png

Fig. 448. Error message for incorrect WFS version#

Next you can create WFS layer resource.

WFS Layer#

WFS Layer is added using an existing WFS connection. Select the resource type in the Create resource menu.

../../_images/ngweb_create_wfs_layer_en.png

Fig. 449. Selecting “WFS layer” resource type#

In the opened window in the “WFS layer” tab select the WFS connection you created. Next select the layer and the geometry field. SRID will be added automatically.

../../_images/wfs_layer_settings_en.png

Fig. 450. WFS layer settings#

On the “Resource” tab you can set a custom name for the resource. Also you can add Description and metadata.

To add a WFS layer to a Web Map, you need to create a style for it. You can create a default QGIS style or a custom QGIS or Mapserver style using “Create resource” menu.

../../_images/wfs_layer_result_en.png

Fig. 451. Two ways to add a style to WFS layer#

WMS#

Note

Currently supported WMS versions are 1.1.1 and 1.3.0.

NextGIS Web is a WMS client. To connect a WMS layer you need to know its address and coordinate system. Make sure this SRS is added to your Web GIS.

See how to add WMS with local CRS in our video:

Watch on youtube.

WMS Connection#

To add a WMS layer you need to create a resource called WMS connection. You may create a single connection for many layers. Click Create resource button and select WMS connection.

../../_images/ngweb_create_wms_conn_en.png

Fig. 452. Selecting “WMS connection” resource type#

Enter the name of the resource that will be displayed in the administrator interface. Not to be confused with layer name in a database. “Keyname” field is optional.

../../_images/create_wms_connection_name_en.png

Fig. 453. Name for WMS connection#

Also you can add Description and metadata.

On the “WMS connection” tab enter the following WMS server connection parameters:

  • URL

  • Username

  • Password

  • Version of WMS protocol

  • Capabilities (manages GetCapabilities queries to the WMS Server)

  • Referer - optional HTTP header field required to access some services

  • Skip SSL/TLS certificate verification

URL field needs to be filled, others are used when necessary.

../../_images/create_wms_connection_url_en_2.png

Fig. 454. WMS connection tab of Create resource dialog#

After setting up all necessery parameters, click Create.

WMS layer#

Now you can add WMS layers. Open the resource group where you want to create the layer. Click Create resource button and select WMS layer.

../../_images/ngweb_create_wms_layer_en.png

Fig. 455. Selecting “WMS layer” resource type#

Enter display name that will be visible in administrator interface and in the map layer tree.

../../_images/create_wms_layer_name_en.png

Fig. 456. WMS layer name#

Tile cache settings are described in details in this section.

Switch to the “WMS layer” tab set up the following parameters:

  • WMS connection that was created earlier.

  • MIME-type from the dropdown list.

  • Select the required layers from the list by clicking the underlined names. You can select several layers.

  • Remote SRS - if the server supports serveral SRS, you can pick one from a dropdown list. SRS absent from your Web GIS are displayed in grey. Click Add to Web GIS to add the SRS and use it. More on additional SRS. You can check if this coordinate system is available for a particular layer by making a GetCapabilites request to a server and examining the response.

  • Vendor parameters - optional

../../_images/create_wms_layer_parameters_en_3.png

Fig. 457. WMS layer parameters tab. You can add the missing SRS#

../../_images/create_wms_layer_select_res_en.png

Fig. 458. Selecting WMS connection#

Vendor parameters are special query settings for additional functions. They vary depending on the WMS provider.

../../_images/create_wms_layer_vendorparam_en.png

Fig. 459. Vendor parameters of the WMS layer#

Also you can add Description and metadata.

After setting up all necessery parameters, click Create.

Warning

Identification requests to external WMS layers from Web Maps are not supported yet.

TMS#

To add data from external sources using TMS protocol, first create TMS connection.

Note

Data uploaded to NextGIS Web, can also be added to external application via TMS.

TMS connection#

To add a TMS layer, you first need to create a TMS connection. Click on Create resource button and select TMS connection (see Fig. 460.).

../../_images/ngweb_create_tms_conn_en.png

Fig. 460. Selecting TMS Connection resource type#

Enter the connection name that will be displayed in the administrator interface (see Fig. 461.).

../../_images/TMS_connection_name_en_3.png

Fig. 461. TMS Connection Resource Name#

Also you can add Description and metadata.

On the TMS connection tab you need to select the way to connect to the TMS server - custom or via NextGIS GeoServices (see Fig. 462.).

../../_images/TMS_connection_type_en_3.png

Fig. 462. Configuring TMS Connection#

In the case of a custom connection method, the user must specify the URL template, API key parameters if needed and the tile scheme used. For NextGIS GeoServices, only a custom API key is specified. After filling in all fields click Create to complete the process of creating a TMS Connection resource.

TMS layer#

TMS layer resource is created using previously created TMS Connection. Click on Create resource button and select TMS layer (see Fig. 463.).

../../_images/ngweb_create_tms_layer_en.png

Fig. 463. Selecting TMS layer resource type#

Enter the name that will be displayed in the administrator interface (see Fig. 464.).

../../_images/TMS_layer_name_en_3.png

Fig. 464. TMS layer name#

Caching provides faster rendering of Web Map layers. Tile cache settings are described in details in this section.

The main display settings are on the TMS layer tab (see Fig. 465.):

  • TMS connection - select a TMS connection resource that was created earlier;

  • The range of zoom levels for data display;

  • The extent in degrees;

  • Tile size in pixels.

../../_images/TMS_layer_settings_en_3.png

Fig. 465. TMS layer settings#

After creating a TMS layer, the user can add it to the Web Map to display. No style is needed.