Introduction to basemap layers

A map is a container for layers. You use a map together with a map view to display layers of geographic data in 2D. Most applications contain a basemap layer to display geographic data with streets or satellite imagery, and the data is typically provided by the basemap layer service.

You can use the basemap layer service in your application to:

• Display different types of geographic data of the world for a map.
• Display default vector tile basemap styles such as streets navigation, light gray canvas, and OSM.
• Display custom basemap styles with your own colors, glyphs, and fonts.
• Display default image tile (raster) basemap layers for satellite imagery and hillshade.

How to access the basemap layer service

The data format for ArcGIS basemap layers is based on the Mapbox vector tile specification. To access vector basemap layers, you use the ol-mapbox-style library.

1. Reference the OpenLayers CSS, JS, and ol-mapbox-style libraries.
2. Select a basemap style enumeration.
3. Set the style URL and your API key.
4. Load and apply the basemap style to a map using olms.

Example

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/openlayers/openlayers.github.io@master/en/v6.15.1/css/ol.css" type="text/css" />
    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/openlayers/openlayers.github.io@master/en/v6.15.1/build/ol.js"></script>

    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/ol-mapbox-style@6.1.4/dist/olms.js"></script>

    <script>

      const map = new ol.Map({ target: "map" });

      map.setView(
        new ol.View({
          center: ol.proj.fromLonLat([-118.805, 34.027]),
          zoom: 12
        })
      );

      const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY";

      const basemapId = "ArcGIS:Streets";

      const basemapURL = "https://basemaps-api.arcgis.com/arcgis/rest/services/styles/" + basemapId + "?type=style&token=" + apiKey;

      olms(map, basemapURL);

    </script>

Tutorials

Display a map

Create and display a map with the basemap layer service.

Change the basemap layer

Switch a basemap layer in a map.