Layer styling is essential for making your maps lively and informative. It turns your data into something that's both beautiful and understandable.
Atlas provides different styling options depending on whether you're working with vector or raster data.
Zoom Visibility
Control the zoom range where a layer is visible. Set the minimum zoom level where the layer appears and the maximum zoom level where it disappears.
Useful for:
- Showing aggregated data at low zoom, detailed data at high zoom
- Displaying different administrative boundary levels
- Optimizing map performance
Vector Styling
Vector layers (points, lines, polygons) offer the full range of styling options.
Fill
Apply colors and patterns to polygon interiors. Choose a fixed color or color based on a field value to create thematic maps.
Outline
Define boundary styles for polygons and lines. Customize color, width, and opacity.
Radius
Adjust the size of point features. Set a fixed radius or scale points based on a numeric field to create proportional symbol maps.
Height
Add a third dimension to polygons for 3D visualizations. Set a fixed height or use a field value to extrude features.
Explore 3D visualization by clicking the 3D map button in the map controls.
Labels
Add text labels to features using field values. Configure:
- Font size and color
- Text anchor position
- Alignment and placement
Color Options
For Fill and Outline colors:
- Fixed color - Apply a single color to all features
- Color based on - Assign colors from a field, creating categorical or graduated symbology
Opacity
Set transparency from 0% (fully transparent) to 100% (fully opaque) for fill and outline styles.
Raster Styling
Raster layers (GeoTIFFs, DEMs, imagery) have specialized visualization options.
Visualization Type
Choose how raster data is displayed:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Image | Display the raster as-is with original colors |
| Color Range | Apply a color ramp based on pixel values |
Image Visualization
Displays the raster using its native colors. Best for:
- Aerial and satellite imagery
- Pre-styled raster files
- RGB composite images
Settings:
- Opacity - Adjust layer transparency (0-100%)
- Background value - Set which pixel value to treat as transparent/no data
Color Range Visualization
Apply a color gradient based on pixel values. Ideal for:
- Elevation data (DEMs)
- Climate and weather data
- Continuous numeric rasters
Settings:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Opacity | Layer transparency (0-100%) |
| Background value | Pixel value to treat as no data |
| Steps | Classification method (Quantize, etc.) |
| Colormap | Color gradient to apply to values |
| Color range | Min/max values for the color scale |
| Exclude values outside color range | Hide pixels outside the specified range |
Advanced Raster Settings
Fine-tune raster appearance:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Contrast | Adjust difference between light and dark areas |
| Saturation | Control color intensity |
| Brightness | Lighten or darken the overall image |
Best Practices
Vector Data
- Use color based on fields to reveal patterns in your data
- Keep labels readable with appropriate font sizes and contrasting colors
- Use height sparingly—3D works best for specific visualization goals
Raster Data
- Choose Image for imagery, Color Range for numeric data
- Adjust the color range to highlight the values that matter
- Use background value to remove no-data pixels from display
- Fine-tune with contrast and brightness for clearer visualization