Import ESRi or WMS layers via API url for data that stays up to date at all times.

Quick Links

🦒 In-App Guide

Layers

Video Guide to Styling Spatial Data in Giraffe

• Guide Contents

Many governments and companies host their data on open data servers. Take advantage of this free data by linking that layer into your Giraffe project.

Access the Server Connection Applet

There are 2 ways to open the layer upload applet:

Add layer → Create Your own → select layer type

Main menu (☰) → Layers → select layer type

Connect to the Service

1. Connect to the Server
   1. Paste the URL of the Mapserver or Featureserver or WMS service into the URL box
   2. then click “Fetch Layers”
   3. then click Next
2. Select Layer
   1. A visual preview of any of the layers contained within that URL are displayed.
   2. Select one to import.
   3. then click next
3. Layer details
   1. Name the layer
   2. add details.
4. Click “save layer” to add the layer to your project.

Find a Layer

The tricky part is finding the right API url.

Web search is your best friend - For Esri you're looking for urls that contain MapServer or FeatureServer and typically look like this NSW Cadastre one.

Speaking of NSW - that's where Giraffe was founded - so we maintain a list of our favourite layers from our home state here.