Raster Layer Styling
Customize how your raster layers appear on the map using the Layer Styles panel. Control visualization types, band selection, color mapping, and data ranges to effectively display your raster data.
How to Style Raster Layers
Access Styling Panel
- Right-click on a raster layer in the layers panel
- Select “Layer Styles” from the context menu
- Styling panel opens with all raster customization options
Available Styling Sections
General Section
- Type: Choose visualization method (Single channel, RGB channels, Hillshade)
- Band Selection: Select which bands to display
- Range: Set data range for each band
Raster Section
- Color: Choose color map or palette
- Opacity: Adjust layer transparency (0-100%)
- Position: Control layer stacking order
- Resample: Select resampling method for zoom levels
Legend Section
- Contents: Set value range displayed in legend
- Caption: Add descriptive text for the layer
Popups Section
- Show: Configure when popup information appears
Info Section
- File type: Shows raster format (e.g., Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF)
- File name: Display file name
- CRS: Show coordinate reference system
Visualization Types
Single Channel
- Display one band at a time
- Choose band: Select b1, b2, b3, etc.
- Set range: Adjust min/max values for the selected band
- Apply color map: Use different color schemes
RGB Channels
- Display three bands as red, green, and blue
- Band Red: Select which band appears as red
- Band Green: Select which band appears as green
- Band Blue: Select which band appears as blue
- Individual ranges: Set min/max for each color channel
Composite Band (NDVI, etc.)
- Mathematical combinations of bands
- NDVI: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
- Other indices: EVI, NDBI, and more
- Custom formulas: Create your own band combinations
Band Range Adjustment
Adjust Min/Max Values
- Select a band in the General section
- View histogram showing data distribution
- Drag sliders to set new min/max values
- See real-time updates on the map
Range Options
- Window: Adjust range based on current map view
- Entire Layer: Use full data range across the entire dataset
- Manual: Set custom min/max values
Histogram Display
- Data distribution: See how values are spread
- Peak identification: Find concentration of values
- Outlier detection: Identify extreme values
Color Map Selection
Available Color Maps
Basic
- None: Grayscale gradient (black to white)
- Simple: Basic color schemes
Perceptually Uniform
- Blues: Blue gradient for water, elevation
- Greens: Green gradient for vegetation
- Oranges: Orange gradient for temperature
- Purples: Purple gradient for specialized data
- Reds: Red gradient for intensity, heat
Specialized
- Rainbow: Full spectrum for complex data
- Viridis: Colorblind-friendly gradient
- Plasma: High-contrast gradient
- Inferno: Dark-to-light gradient
Color Map Application
- Single channel mode: Apply to individual bands
- Real-time preview: See changes immediately
- Data-appropriate: Choose based on data type and purpose
Auto-Save Feature
All styling changes are automatically saved for future sessions:- Settings persist when you close and reopen the map
- No manual saving required
- Consistent appearance across sessions
- Team collaboration benefits from saved settings
Best Practices
Choose Appropriate Visualization
- Single channel: For individual band analysis
- RGB: For natural color or false color composites
- Composite: For derived indices and calculations
Set Optimal Ranges
- Use histogram to understand data distribution
- Avoid extreme values that hide important patterns
- Consider data type when setting ranges
Select Suitable Color Maps
- Grayscale: For general data visualization
- Sequential colors: For continuous data (elevation, temperature)
- Diverging colors: For data with meaningful center point
- Colorblind-friendly: For accessibility
Next Steps
- Add More Raster Layers: Combine multiple raster datasets
- Create Composites: Build custom band combinations
- Publish Your Map: Share your styled raster layers