cross-posted from: https://feddit.it/post/5531459

2024: announcing the year of the OpenStreetMap vector maps | OpenStreetMap Blog

Grosse novità all’orizzonte! Quest’anno dovrebbe essere l’anno in cui su OSM.org arriverà finalmente un layer vettoriale.

  • glasgitarrewelt@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    9 months ago

    Vector tiles represent a significant advancement in how map data is processed and presented. Unlike traditional raster tiles, which are static images with pixels, vector tiles are like the ‘SVGs’ of the mapping world: you get lines and points. This stores geodata in a format that allows for dynamic styling and interactivity, enabling the user to adapt the visual appearance of the map without altering the data. If that sounds like what you’ve seen on other maps, you are right! Vector tiles have become industry standard in interactive maps that, unlike openstreetmap.org, don’t get updated often, and where you can simply recalculate your whole database occasionally.

    I still don’t understand the difference between raster tiles and vector tiles. Can someone ELI5? How does a map with vector tiles look different to a map with raster tiles?

    • utopiah
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      9 months ago

      Raster tiles are images made out of pixels, getting staircase edges or blurriness when you zoom a lot. Vector tiles are made out of lines and shapes only after to be converted to pixels, so one can infinitely zoom in and out while keeping beautiful rendering with low bandwith needed.