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WMS & Custom Raster Layers

Overview

Beyond the built-in basemaps, Soarvo supports custom raster tile sources (WMS and ZXY) as project-wide background layers. These appear in the Maps folder of the Layers Panel for every location in the project. Only Administrators and Project Managers can add these layers.

ℹ️ Quickest method: Open the Background Layer picker (click Background maps inside the Layers panel) and click Add WMS at the top of the dialog. The dialog walks you through entering your WMS endpoint without writing JSON.

Using the Create Layer File Tool

The easiest method is the built-in Create Layer File tool:

  1. From the home screen, click ⋮ on a location card.
  2. Select Create Layer File…
  3. Follow the prompts to configure your tile source.

Manual File Format

Custom layers are uploaded as .mapjson or .wms files containing valid JSON.

ZXY Tile Source

{"service_type": "ZXY_TEMPLATE",
 "url_template": "https://your-tile-provider.com/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?key=YOUR_KEY"
}

For TMS format (Y origin south), use {reverseY} instead of {y}.

WMS Tile Source

{"service_type": "WMS_TEMPLATE",
 "url_template": "https://your-wms-server.com/service?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.3.0&REQUEST=GetMap&LAYERS=YourLayer&CRS=EPSG:3857&BBOX={westProjected},{southProjected},{eastProjected},{northProjected}&WIDTH=256&HEIGHT=256"
}

Optional Parameters (all types)

 "tile_width": 256,
 "tile_height": 256,
 "bounds": { "west": -10, "south": 49, "east": 2, "north": 61 }
💡 Tip: For WMS sources, paste your WMS GetCapabilities URL into an AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) along with this template to auto-generate the correct JSON.
⚠️ Note: Only EPSG:3857 (Web Mercator) projections are currently tested and supported.

Uploading and Activating the Layer

  1. In a location's Map Window, click Upload Files.
  2. Upload the .mapjson or .wms file.
  3. Wait a couple of minutes, then refresh the page.
  4. The layer appears in the Maps folder in the Layers Panel.

Pre-built WMS Libraries

Soarvo provides downloadable WMS config files for open data sources including Ordnance Survey 1919 Historical Data, Ordnance Survey Mastermap Variations, and ESRI Open WMS Datasets. Download from the Libraries section of the Knowledge Base.

What's Next?