Map manager

The map manager is the main entry point for managing offline- and online maps.

The map manager consists of three main views:

• Active: Lists all maps visible in the main map view.
• Offline: Lists all offline maps.
• Online: Lists all online maps.

Map top toolbar options

The top toolbar options menu (three dots on the right) opens a menu with the following options:

• Settings: Opens the Map manager settings.
• Check for updates: Check for newer versions of downloaded map files (this works only for built-in free and HQ offline maps).
• Download missing files: Download missing files for all maps (this works only if the download server for each map is known).
• Help: A link to this page.

Adding maps (“+” buttons)

The offline and online views offer a “+” button on the lower right which opens a popup menu:

Offline maps:

• Add folder: Adds a new map folder.
• Download maps: Opens a dialog with a list of offline map download sources.
• Custom Mapsforge map: Opens a dialog for creating custom offline Mapsforge maps. See Custom Mapsforge Maps creation tool for details.
• Import map file: This opens a file picker for importing offline map files.
• Add Mapsforge multi-map: This option adds a new Mapsforge multi-map.
• Add Mapsforge multi-map (raster): This option adds a new raster Mapsforge multi-map.
• Special offline maps: This opens selection menu with:
  • Grid: A grid map is a special overlay map showing a grid (WGS84, UTM, etc.).
  • Offline hillshader: This option adds an offline hill-shading overlay.
  • Offline relief: This option adds an offline relief map.
  • Offline slope: This option adds an offline slope map (very useful for ski-touring and all activities in the mountains).
• Download from url: With this option you can download a map from a given url.

Online maps:

• Add folder: Adds a new map folder.
• Add online map: Opens a dialog with a list of online map providers.
• Add custom online map: This option allows you to directly enter an online server url.
• Add WMS map: This option allows you to directly add a WMS server url.
• Add WMTS map: This option allows you to directly add a WMTS server url.

Map entry popup menu

When clicking on the eye icon next to each map entry then the map is loaded or unloaded from the main map view. If “Deactivate map with eye icon” is selected in the Map manager settings then the map is only hidden but not unloaded from the map view.

Clicking on a map entry opens a popup menu. Depending on the map type the following options are available:

• Unload map: Unloads the map from the main map view.
• Reload map: Reloads the map in the main map view. This can be useful if the underlying map data has changed (for instance new elevation data, or updated online map data).
• Move map layer: Moves the map layer to another position. This function can be used to change the ordering of maps in the main map view.
• Load in current position: Loads the map in the current visible map position keeping the current position and zoom level.
• Load in default position: Loads the map in the map’s default position and zoom level.
• Load in last position: Loads the map in the last position and zoom level the map was shown in.
• Custom style: Applies a custom style (for instance a custom Mapsforge render theme) to the map. This function is only available for vector map formats.
• Info: Shows a dialog with basic map specific information, such as map name, copyright, file name, file size, and last update date.
• Properties: Opens a dialog with map specific options. Depending on the map type the following options are available:
  • General:
    • Name: The name of the map.
    • Description: A description for the map.
    • Language: The preferred language used in the map.
    • Show 3D building layer: Show 3D building when tilting the map (vector maps only).
    • Show labels: Show map labels (vector maps only).
    • Show map background: Show the map background, such as buildings, streets, and other area-type elements (vector maps only).
    • Show map symbols: Show map symbols, such as amenities, bus stations, etc. (vector maps only).
    • Copyright: The copyright for the map.
    • Copyright visible: If enabled then the copyright is eventually shown in the map.
    • Custom icon: Allows to assign a custom icon to the map entry in the list of maps.
    • Map effect: This option applies a post-processing effect, such as inverted color (night mode), gray scale, or black-and-white to map tiles (raster maps only).
    • Opacity: This option allows you to change the transparency of the map so that underlying maps are shinning through the map (raster maps only).
    • Server url: The tile server url for maps. See Online maps for details.
    • Offline relief map specific:
      • Min./Max. altitude: The altitude range used for relief color interpolation. The minimum value corresponds to the first color, the maximum value to the last color.
      • Color mode:
        • Linear: Colors are smoothly interpolated.
        • Nearest: Steps between colors are visible.
    • Grid overlay specific:
      • Coordinate format: The format how coordinates are plotted along the grid lines.
      • Projection: The projection used for the grid (WGS 84, UTM, MGRS, etc.).
      • Show grid labels: If checked then labels are shown. Else only naked grid lines are plotted.
  • Advanced:
    • Zoom limits: If checked then a range can be defined where the map is visible. If this option is not checked then Cartograph will try to view map data in all zoom levels.
    • Default zoom: The map’s default zoom level.
    • Default position: The map’s default position.
    • Bounding box: The rectangular area covered by the map.
    • Cache data: If checked then map tiles are cached for faster rendering (some raster maps only).
    • Tile cache size: The maximum number of tiles cached if cache data is enabled (raster maps only).
    • HTTP headers: HTTP header used for requesting tiles from the server. See Online maps for details.
  • Special views:
    • WMS (WMS online maps only):
      • Server url: The url to the WMS server’s capabilities definition, for instance “https://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/wms/wms?version=1.3.0&service=WMS&request=GetCapabilities”. See Online maps for details.
    • Maps (Mapsforge multi-maps only):
      • This view allows you to select the Mapsforge maps which should be included in the Mapsforge multi-map.
• Delete: Deletes the map from the map manager. The map’s file (for offline maps) is deleted if:
  1. The map file is located in the Cartograph “Offline maps” directory and
  2. The map file is not used in any other map (for instance a cloned map).
• Rename: Shows a dialog for renaming the map.
• Download altitude data: Downloads altitude data files for the area covered by the map.
• Download BRouter files: Downloads BRouter offline routing data files for the area covered by the map.
• Clone: Creates a clone of the selected map.
• Clone (Mapsforge raster): Creates a Mapsforge raster map type clone of the selected Mapsforge map.
• Move to folder: Shows a dialog for moving the map to another folder.
• Redownload/update: Downloads the underlying map file from the server. This option is only available for maps whose download server is known.

Folder entry popup menu

Press-and-holding a folder entry (or by clicking on the indicator marker) opens a popup menu:

• Delete: This deletes the map folder and all maps contained in the map folder.
• Rename: Renamed the map folder’s name.
• Move to folder: Moves the map folder to another map folder. The map folder is then the child (sub-folder) of the target map folder.
• Load: Loads all maps in the map folder into the map view.
• Unload: Unloads all maps in the map folder from the map view.
• Add Mapsforge multi-map: Creates a new Mapsforge multi-map from all Mapsforge maps contained in the folder.
• Add Mapsforge multi-map (raster): Creates a new raster Mapsforge multi-map from all Mapsforge maps contained in the folder.