Latest in Foreca Weather API: Vector Map Layers
An easy way to make nice looking map animations without hiccups.
Foreca now offers a new version of weather maps for multipurpose usage. The Vector Map API gives data in vector polygon format in contrast to raster files (png). This format is even easier to customise according to your wishes and special needs.
Have a look at Vector Maps in action at www.foreca.com
The advantages compared to traditional raster image maps are:- No blurry images. The contour boundaries are nice and sharp on all zoom levels. You can make map layers work very smoothly for zooming and panning the map as well as the time animations.
- More flexibility for your own look and feel. It is possible to customise map layer colors on the client side without changes in the backend of Map API. The design is in your hands. This also decreases the tech work on Foreca side and potential setup costs.
- Deeper data. It is possible to create interactions with vector elements. For example if you touch the element it can open further information related to it e.g. rain intensity value mm/h.
- More weather information. It is possible to add weather icons on map animations on polygon areas e.g. water droplets or snow flakes coming down to show precipitation type.
Vector Map API that serves the front end responses with tiles that are in binary protobuffer format (.pbf) which is supported for example by OpenLayers and Mapbox front end libraries.
It is possible to configure Map API to combine several timesteps into one pbf file. This means that the application makes less calls to the API and the animation works more smoothly since each time step is not requested separately.
Interested to find out more? Foreca sales team will be happy to give more information.