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What are Vector Tiles, and how to use them

mpboyle

I've heard about vector tiles quite a bit recently but am not sure I understand how they work, how to create them, or how to host them...so I was hoping someone could clue me in to the following questions I have below...

1) How do vector tiles differ from traditional tile caches?

2) How do you create / author vector tiles?

3) How do you update vector tiles?

4) Can vector tiles be hosted on a local ArcGIS Server?

5) Do vector tiles create a map service similar to a cached map service?

6) Are there obvious advantages / disadvantages to vector tiles over a traditional map cache?

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Accepted answers

AravindatStoryMaps

This link gives a brief idea behind what vector tiles are, what the difference is between raster tiles and vector tiles.

Share a vector tile package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

I can confirm that Vector tiles can only be published from ArcGIS Pro for now. Because its ArcGIS Pro, you can only publish vector tiles to ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS 10.4, which is federated with ArcGIS Server and has an ArcGIS Data Store.

Workflow to create vector tiles:

1. Create Vector Tile Index—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

2. Create Vector Tile Package—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

3. Share a vector tile package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

Authoring map: Author a map for vector tile creation—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

As for questions 4 & 5, I do not have an idea.

I do have an idea of how these tiles are calculated, which is what happens when you use Create Vector Tile Index. It calculates the density of the vector layer and prepares more tiles when there are more features and less tiles when there are less features surrounding an area.

That is all the information I have for now.

Regards,

Aravind

All comments

RebeccaStrauch__GISP

You may want to start with the What's new in ArcGIS Pro 1.2—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop they have a short description and a link to a tool for creating them, etc.. From what I have seen in othr threads, this isn't something that will be available in Desktop (but haven't verified).

However, I have a lot of the same questions, especially in respect to Server, so I'll be interested in seeing addition responses.

AravindatStoryMaps

This link gives a brief idea behind what vector tiles are, what the difference is between raster tiles and vector tiles.

Share a vector tile package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

Workflow to create vector tiles:

1. Create Vector Tile Index—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

2. Create Vector Tile Package—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS for Desktop

3. Share a vector tile package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

Authoring map: Author a map for vector tile creation—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS for Desktop

As for questions 4 & 5, I do not have an idea.

That is all the information I have for now.

Regards,

Aravind

mpboyle

Aravind Sivasailam,

Thanks for the reply! One other quick question I had that I forgot to mention above...

Are vector tiles similar to hosted tile layers on ArcGIS Online where a tile package is unpacked and a tile layer is created from that package, which produces a unique URL to the service hosted on AGOL? If so, suppose I wanted to update a vector tile layer and I go through the same process of uploading the tile package and unpacking it only to have a new URL created. Would I have to update any web maps / apps in order to use the newly updated vector tile layer?

This issue is the main reason we, as an organization, haven't used hosted tile layers, in that there doesn't seem to be a way to update an existing layer, only create a new one and thus have to update any web map using the previous tile layer. There doesn't seem to be a way to overwrite an existing layer in order to keep a contiguous URL.

Do you happen to know if the workflow for vector tile layers is the same as hosted tile layers in this regard?...upload package, unpack package, new URL is generated.

AravindatStoryMaps

Hi Matthew,

Sorry for the delay. So the workflow is, when you author the map document, you can prepare the vector layers on top as a Vector Tile Package (mentioning tiling format and cached scales). You then share this as a vector tile package (.vtpk) format to Portal or ArcGIS Online.

This package appears as an item, which you then publish in ArcGIS Online or Portal for ArcGIS.

Are vector tiles similar to hosted tile layers on ArcGIS Online where a tile package is unpacked and a tile layer is created from that package, which produces a unique URL to the service hosted on AGOL?

You are right. That's exactly what happens. I am not entirely sure if there's an "overwrite to existing tile package" workflow that currently exists. But I get that it could mean you would have to modify the web map, web app, etc. accordingly whenever you make changes to this vector tile in ArcGIS Pro.

I'll try to see if i can source for more information regarding this!

Thanks,

Aravind

AravindatStoryMaps

Hi Matthew,

This is the interface you get when you first share a vector tile package from ArcGIS Pro to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online.

Notice that there's a little icon on the far right that says "Update". Click on that and it asks you to browse to the ".vtpk" package file with the same name as the name used to upload initially. When you make changes to the vector layers in ArcGIS Pro for updating, save it to the same name and same location and upload this tile package back again.

Once it's finished, click on "Publish" once again. If the name of the tile package is the same, it then should create a URL with the same service for vector tiles as existed previously.

I think this is by the far the cleanest workflow to overwrite an existing vector tile service. I have not tried this yet, but I am going to.

deleted-user-RAnWn8DDSd1P

We have a multi-machine ArcGIS Server site hosting an array of services. We would like some of those services to be vector tile services. Will it ever be possible to just publish a new vector service to our own infrastructure without this seemingly arbitrary dependence on Portal?

DanDowning

I would also like to know the answer to this question.

SamPalmer

I would also like to know the answer to this question.

ManuelPerez

I agree with this sentiment. Is this requirement arbitrary or is there a specific feature of portal that makes a vector tile service work? Besides Portal making it findable within an organization, I don't see how portal adds any value here.

CrystalGoodison

I would also like to know the answer!

CraigCarpenter4

Has anyone been able to get legend support in maps / apps for Vector Tile Layers? I suspect it isnt supported as yet but I just wanted to confirm.

dougbrowning

Has anyone else had the issue where now it will not let you delete the vtpk package once it is published? I used to be able to but now it says I can not since there is a dependent layer. Even the help says you can "however once published you can delete the tile package item to further minimize credit consumption." Seems like a bug?

KellyGerrow

Hey Doug,

Check out my response in this geonet post about SD files: Re: Keep Service Definition Files?‌

The same concept applies to VTPKs. The reasoning and potential impacts of deleting and its impact on related items is is outlined in this post.

If you don't need the dependency then it is possible to delete the source data from your content without deleting your service. To do this you will need to delete more than one piece of content, so do this when you need to delete multiple items or create a web map for deleting. Navigate to your content and select more then one item, then hit delete. This will successfully delete content with a relationship to other content.

This workflow isn't ideal, but will allow you to remove the VTPK if you don't need/want to store it.

-Kelly

RobertGarrity

Hi, I received a tip the "Share a vector tile" link in the correct answer from Aravind is broken--the link should redirect here: Vector tile package—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop .

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