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Map Style Options

Choose the base map look and which overlay layers appear.

The Map Style Options picker sets the map's underlying style and which overlay layers are drawn on top of it. The base map is a single choice — like picking a channel — while map layers can be combined freely. You can also drag rows to change the order in which layers stack.

Map style options

Overview​

The picker works in one of two modes, depending on which menu row opened it.

ModeSelectionRow indicator
Base MapOne choice onlyFilled circle = selected, empty circle = not selected
Map LayersAs many as you likeFilled checkbox = selected, empty box = not selected
ControlWhat it does
RowsEach available style or layer, listed by name.
Drag handlePress and hold a row, then drag to move it.
DoneApply your selection and close the picker.

The list of styles and layers comes from your organization, so the exact names you see depend on your agency's setup. Base map styles come from your organization's published style list; map layers are those an administrator has marked for use as a map layer.

note

On the Map and Reference Map menus, Base Map and Map Layers also expand in place with the same lists and an APPLY button. This standalone picker is what you get from track playback and from a few other map screens — and it is the only place you can drag layers into a different order.

Getting Here​

  1. Open a map — Map, Reference Map, an open saved map, or a recorded track in My Tracking.
  2. Open the map's menu (the three-dot or menu button in the top corner).
  3. Tap Base Map to choose a style, or Map Layers to choose overlay layers.

Change the Base Map​

  1. Open the menu and tap Base Map.
  2. The list shows every style available to you, with a circle at the right of each row.
  3. Tap the style you want. The filled circle moves to your choice — only one style can be selected.
  4. Tap Done (or APPLY in the in-menu version). The picker closes and the map redraws in the new style.

Your choice is saved to your account, so the same style is used everywhere in the app until you change it again.

tip

A satellite or terrain base map usually makes fire, evacuation and unit overlays far easier to read in rural areas, where a street style has very little on it to give you context.

Turn Layers On and Off​

  1. Open the menu and tap Map Layers.
  2. Each layer has a checkbox. Tap a row to tick or untick it. There is no limit on how many you can have on at once.
  3. Tap Done (or APPLY). The selected layers are drawn over the base map.

Your selected layers are saved as your defaults and reused the next time you open any map.

Change the Layer Order​

  1. Open Map Layers.
  2. Press and hold a row until it lifts, then drag it up or down the list.
  3. Release it in its new position. Your ticks move with the rows, so nothing gets unticked by reordering.
  4. Tap Done to apply.

Layers are drawn in the order shown: a layer higher in the list is drawn above the ones below it.

note

If one layer is hiding another — for example a solid fill covering a set of points — drag the covering layer lower in the list rather than switching it off.

Empty and Loading States​

  • If your organization has published no base map styles, or no layers marked for use as layers, the in-menu box shows No Item and there is nothing to apply.
  • Layer data is downloaded when you apply it, so a short loading spinner is normal the first time you switch a large layer on.
  • Map Layers needs a connection on some screens. Where it does, opening it offline shows an Internet connection not available message instead of the list.

How This Connects​

  • The style and layers you choose here are stored with your organization settings on your account, not just on this screen. They become the defaults for Map, Reference Map, every saved map, the incident Maps tab, and the track playback in My Tracking.
  • Changes are written to the device immediately and sent to the server so your other devices pick them up. If you change them while offline, the change is held locally and marked to sync, then uploaded the next time you have a connection.
  • Which layers are available at all — and which of them can be used as a Location Reference — is set by an administrator for your organization. See Coordinate Format for the reference-layer picker.
  • The layers here are overlays on the live map. They are separate from the base map tiles you can store on the device for use without a connection — see Downloaded Maps on the Reference Map.
  • Weather overlays have their own screens rather than appearing in this list. See Weather.

Troubleshooting​

If this happensWhat to do
The list is empty or says No ItemYour organization has not published any styles or layers yet, or the layers it has are not marked for use as map layers. Ask an administrator.
Map Layers shows an internet messageLayer data is fetched from the server. Reconnect and try again.
A layer is ticked but nothing is visibleIt may be drawn under another layer — drag it higher in the list. It may also have no features in the area you are looking at, so pan out and check.
The map still looks the same after choosing a styleYou may not have tapped Done or APPLY. Reopen the picker and confirm the filled circle is on the style you wanted.
Map tiles are grey after a style changeThe new style's tiles are being fetched. On a weak connection this can take a while; offline you will only see areas you have downloaded.
Your choice is back to the old one on another deviceThe change had not synced yet. Open the app on a connection and give it a moment, then check again.

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