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      How to add a basemap - PIX4Dreact

      IN THIS ARTICLE

      Basemaps in PIX4Dreact
      Change a basemap in PIX4Dreact
      Use a custom basemap in PIX4Dreact
      Supported arguments for a custom basemap in PIX4Dreact
      To create a locally hosted tile web map service of an orthomosaic using python and QGIS
      To add a custom Mapbox layer

       

      Basemaps in PIX4Dreact

      Basemaps serve as a reference and background map on which projects are overlaid. PIX4Dreact provides several options for these maps. The Standard base map option is a full global base map with either Street or Satellite content provided by Maptiler. A custom base map option is available to display customized content utilizing a tiled web map service. This service can be hosted locally or online.

      We will officially drop support for the previous base map provider, Mapbox, on July 1, 2025.

      • Licenses with valid Support & Upgrades, please update to the latest PIX4Dreact version: Download Software
      • Licenses with expired Support & Upgrades license:

      Change a basemap in a PIX4Dreact project

      1. Open a project in PIX4Dreact.
      2. Click on Select basemap globe.jpg.
      3. Select Custom, Satellite, Street, or None.

      To add a custom basemap in PIX4Dreact

      To add a custom basemap provider:

      1. In the Dashboard screen, click SETTINGS settings.jpg.
      2. In the APP SETTINGS section, click Basemap.
      3. Select Your custom basemap.
      4. Type or paste the URL for the map service.
      5. Create a new project in PIX4Dreact.
      6. Click on Select basemap globe.jpg.
      7. Click on Custom.

      Supported arguments for a custom basemap in PIX4Dreact

      Note: The URL must have this format: http://tiles.example.com/path/{z}/{y}/{x}. For more information: Tiled web map.

      The table below describes the arguments supported on PIX4Dreact:

      Arguments
      Description

      {x}

      X position of tile

      {y} or {-y}
      Y position of the tile, starting at the top/north. Use {-y} if the origin is at the bottom/south (TMS).
      {z}
      Zoom
      {r}
      Scale value. Can be used to add "@2x" to the URL to load retina tiles
      {q}
      Quadtree
      {bbox4326}
      {bbox4326_latlon}
      {bbox4326_lonlat}
      {bbox3857}
      Bounding box coordinates for WMS Urls. If ‘latlon’ or ‘lonlat’ are not provided then order is determined by version, where < 1.3 uses lonlat
      {s}
      Subdomains a,b,c.

      To create a locally hosted tile web map service of an orthomosaic using python and QGIS

      1. Create a local server using python:
        • Create a dedicated folder on the windows machine (e.g. “Local_Basemap”).
        • Open a windows console and navigate to the folder “Local_Basemap”.
        • Execute the following command: "C:\Program Files\QGIS 3.16\apps\Python37\python" -m http.server (check that the path to where python is installed is correct).
        • The console will show the following message: Serving HTTP on 0.0.0.0 port 8000 (http://0.0.0.0:8000/) ... The URL of the local server will be http://localhost:8000/
      2. Generate XYZ tiles from the orthomosaic that you want to use.
        • Open QGIS and load the orthomosaic.
        • Click Processing> Toolbox> Raster tools>Generate XYZ tiles (Directory)
        • Fill in the following parameters as follows:
          • Extent: the orthomosaic.
          • Zoom level range: it depends on the ortho size, but 12-19 should be ok for all cases.
          • Tile format: JPG.
          • Output directory: save into the folder “Local_Basemap”.
          • Output html: give a name and save it in the “Local_Basemap” folder (to test if the tiles were created correctly).
      3. Open PIX4Dreact and add the following URL http://localhost:8000/{z}/{x}/{y}.jpg in the custom basemap section,