16.2. NextGIS Android SDK

16.2.1. Intro

NextGIS Android SDK is a set of libraries used to support work with geodata in mobile applications for Android OS. The SDK includes:

The nextgis_datastore library is written in С++11 and based on GDAL. The library supports the following functionality:

  • create, modify and delete geodata (raster and vector)

  • edit vector geodata (modify geometry and attributes)

  • geodata management (copy, move, various formats import/export, etc.)

  • geodata rendering as maps using OpenGL/OpenGL ES

  • utility functions (network requests, oAuth2, json)

  • nextgis.com/NextGIS Web integration (under development)

The library has С API and bindings to android java/kotlin programming languages using jni.

android_maplib library is written on Kotlin and acts as easy wrapper around C API nextgis_datastore.

16.2.2. Install

To use SDK the Android Studio required. You need to add SDK to your project.

16.2.3. Add to project

To add NextGIS Mobile SDK to your project follow these steps:

  1. Launch Android Studio.

  2. Open you application build.gradle file.

  3. Make sure that the parameter minSdkVersion has API level 14 or higher.

  4. Add following line to dependency block:

dependencies {
  implementation 'com.nextgis.maplib:maplib:3.0.+'
}

16.2.4. Add map

You need to add map into your application:

  1. As soon as possible initialize the library:

    override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
        setContentView(R.layout.activity_main)
    
        API.init(this@MainActivity)
    }
    
  2. Add MapView into the application layout:

    <com.nextgis.maplib.MapView
         android:id="@+id/mapView"
         android:layout_width="wrap_content"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content"
         app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintLeft_toLeftOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintRight_toRightOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
    
  3. Create or open map document file:

    val map = API.getMap("main")
    
  4. Link map with view and enable rendering (rendering is frozen by default):

    val mapView = findViewById<MapView>(R.id.mapView)
    if(mapView != null) {
        mapView.setMap(map)
    }
    mapView.freeze = false
    

16.2.5. Create feature class

To create feature class in datastore follow these steps:

  1. Get or create datastore. You can select any name for a datastore (i.e., store).

    val dataStore = API.getStore("store")
    
  2. Create feature class in a datastore with needed definitions.

    val options = mapOf(
      "CREATE_OVERVIEWS" to "ON",
      "ZOOM_LEVELS" to "2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14"
    )
    
    val fields = listOf(
      Field("long", "long", Field.Type.REAL),
      Field("lat", "lat", Field.Type.REAL),
      Field("datetime", "datetime", Field.Type.DATE, "CURRENT_TIMESTAMP"),
      Field("name", "name", Field.Type.STRING)
    )
    
    val pointsFC = dataStore.createFeatureClass("points", Geometry.Type.POINT, fields, options)
    
  3. Load spatial data to the feature class.

    // create coordinates list
    data class PtCoord(val name: String, val x: Double, val y: Double)
    val coordinates = listOf(
      PtCoord("Moscow", 37.616667, 55.75),
      PtCoord("London", -0.1275, 51.507222),
      PtCoord("Washington", -77.016389, 38.904722),
      PtCoord("Beijing", 116.383333, 39.916667)
    )
    
    // Project from EPSG:4326 to EPSG:3857
    val coordTransform = CoordinateTransformation.new(4326, 3857)
    
    for(coordinate in coordinates) {
      val feature = pointsFC.createFeature()
      if(feature != null) {
        val geom = feature.createGeometry() as? GeoPoint
        if(geom != null) {
          val point = Point(coordinate.x, coordinate.y)
          val transformPoint = coordTransform.transform(point)
          geom.setCoordinates(transformPoint)
          feature.geometry = geom
          feature.setField(0, coordinate.x)
          feature.setField(1, coordinate.y)
          feature.setField(3, coordinate.name)
          pointsFC.insertFeature(feature)
        }
      }
    }
    

16.2.6. Load feature class to datastore

To load feature class from GIS file format to datastore follow these steps:

  1. Get or create datastore. You can select any name for a datastore (i.e., store).

    val dataStore = API.getStore("store")
    
  2. From catalog get a feature class object if GIS file format and copy it to the datastore.

    val tmpDir = API.getTmpDirectory()
    val testGeojsonObj = tmpDir?.child("test.geojson")
    val copyOptions = mapOf(
      "CREATE_OVERVIEWS" to "ON",
      "NEW_NAME" to "trees"
    )
    
    val createResult = testGeojsonObj?.copy(Object.Type.FC_GPKG, store!!, true, copyOptions) ?: false
    val treesFC = Object.forceChildToFeatureClass(store?.child("trees")!!)
    

16.2.7. Create raster

To create raster set following settings:

  • raster extent

  • name

  • XYZ source URL

  • minimum and maximum zoom levels

  • raster spatial reference in EPSG code

    val bbox = Envelope(-20037508.34, 20037508.34, -20037508.34, 20037508.34)
    val baseMap = dataDir.createTMS("osm.wconn", "http://tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png",
                  3857, 0, 18, bbox, bbox, 14)
    

16.2.8. Add layer to a map with style

To add new layer to the map you need:

  1. Add vector layer to a map

    val pointsLayer = map.addLayer("Points", pointsFC)
    
  2. Set style name

    pointsLayer.styleName = "pointsLayer"
    
  3. Setup style

    val style = pointsLayer.style
    style.setString("color", colorToHexString(Color.rgb(0, 190,120)))
    style.setDouble("size", 8.0)
    style.setInteger("type", 6) // Star symbol
    
  4. Apply modified style to the layer

    pointsLayer.style = style
    

16.2.9. SDK API References

The section is in progress

16.2.10. Demo projects

See demo projects at this page.