Do you have an upcoming deadline for publishing, breaking news to report or a spontaneous meeting with your client? In cases like these, every minute counts. Well, it is time for the ultimate mapping race!
We always take feedback from our clients to heart and will never stop updating or improving our tool. Today, we will explain the improvements we made on our elements list. Speed up your mapping process with our newly reorganized data!
No extra data slowing you down
We got rid of less popular layers, including boundaries of minor administrative divisions and topographical names. During customization, all removed layers can still be added, however, they are not available for the new standard map styles.
Remaining layers were combined into new thematic groups. For example, residential, industrial, educational, and other land use areas were merged into a “built-up” layer. The extensive list of road names was reduced to two layers: “road name full” and “road name abbreviation”. The new “suburb” layer united labels for quarters and neighborhoods.
Additionally, groups that had a low number of layers were excluded, while their layers were redistributed into other groups. For example, rail lines were shifted to the layer with roads.
Summing up, all these steps reduced the amount of elements by 40% and brought down the number of single layers from a whopping 326 to a slim 134.
Say goodbye to confusion, navigate easily with the element list
We eliminated mysterious names and kept everything as clear and simple as possible. For example, road number layers now have more descriptive names.
Furthermore, we are no longer alternating between “label” and “name” to make sure it is clear there is no difference between the two. Now, it is quicker than ever to onboard your new teammates and familiarize them with the interface.
Finally, no more duplicate titles!
The regrouping of the original data removed most of the identical names. All water layers were reduced to just two: “water line” and “water body” depending on geometry type.
Some layers with similar names were supplemented with explanations. For example, you can choose to display simplified roads up to zoom level 10 and all roads for zoom levels 10–22. No worries about mixing them up anymore!
How did we do this?
We optimized the technical side of work with data. Even though it is invisible to users, we hope you will notice its result – maps remain rich in detail despite the reduced elements list.
We enhanced the efficiency of code expressions by combining layers with similar items, but different stylings. We made the elements dynamic, some of them have colors, width, lines and transparency that change depending on the zoom level. Now, as you zoom in and out, these elements will switch smoothly without you even noticing.
Go ahead and try out the new elements list. We look forward to your new mapping records!
