Layer Documentation and Build Instructions

[tyrauber]

Protomaps is great. The idea of compiling all the map data, at any zoom, into one file is awesome. Being able to switch map styles by loading different sources and different themes is compelling. The chief issue is standardizing the layer structure.

Right now, the easiest way to build pmtiles from OSM data, is to download a .pbf, convert it to a .mbtiles file with tilemaker and the default layer, schema, and then use go-pmtils to convert that to a .pmtiles. Unfortunately, this approach is not compatible with protomaps-themes.

The following schema, config-openmaptiles.json, process-openmaptiles.lua with tilemaker builds mbtiles from osm.pbf that can be converted to pmtiles.

tilemaker --input osm.pbf \
--output osm.mbtiles \
--config config-openmaptiles.json \
--process process-openmaptiles.lua
pmtiles convert osm.mbtiles osm.pmtiles

Bases on this comment here, it seems that protomaps-themes layer structure is not compatible with openmaptiles layer structere.

This raises the question: If the goal is standardization, why not embrace the OpenMapTiles?

If this schema functionality doesn't meet the functional requirements of Protomaps, what are those requirements?

And more importantly, what are the build instructions for created protomap-theme compatible pmtiles?

[allesan]

This is the problem that I have. How can I fix this?

[bdon]

Hi, The licensing goals for Protomaps are different than OpenMapTiles. The interoperability between tilesets and renderer styles is subject to copyright assertions by the OpenMapTiles project as described here: https://github.com/openmaptiles/openmaptiles#license

For Protomaps a primary goal is to be able to modularize the style and deliver it as an open source NPM package under a standard BSD license, as well as pick-and-choose subsets of style layers instead of a one-size-fits all map style. Thus the organization of layers and tags is currently under a CC0 public domain license: http://github.com/protomaps/protomaps-themes

[tyrauber]

hi @bdon, thank you for pointing out the license issues regarding OpenMapTiles and your goal to to develop a design system that is BSD. That is admirable and appreciated.

I think this gets to the next point though- Build Instructions. If one wanted to build pmtiles that are compatible with the protomaps-themes, or develop a new theme that is compatible with the layer structure, how would one do that.

Details about the layer structure, and better yet, tilemaker configs to produce compatible mtiles, would be very helpful. Unless I am missing something the layer schema or build instructions for protomaps-themes has not been specified?

Thank you again for all your hard work. This is fantastic.

[bdon]

Hi, see issue #18 for tracking the open source implementation of the basemap tileset creation.

[forgotPassword]

@bdon Great project(s), Thank you!

+1 for having official documentation of current available features/layers. Eg is there a building number layer?

[bdon]

We definitely will have an official, authoritative documentation of the layers and tags in the medium-term future.

There isn't an address layer right now - this may be something toggleable because it inflates the tile sizes dramatically.

In the meanwhile the best source for the layer/tag structure is in the docs, we've been synthesizing the new structure based on a merging of these open source efforts:

• https://protomaps.com/docs/frontends/basemap-layers
• https://tilezen.readthedocs.io/en/latest/layers/

[kkarikos]

There isn't an address layer right now - this may be something toggleable because it inflates the tile sizes dramatically.

I found here while trying to debug if house numbers were somewhere available. I am not seeing what you say here tracked as an issue right now. It would be great to have them available! :)