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    Masking features in MapTiler

    Masking vector features on the map is a common cartography task. This page explains step by step how to highlight a particular country by masking others using the MapTiler Map Designer and the Countries tileset.

    Add the Satellite and Countries data sources

    Create a new empty map from your MapTiler account, and select the Satellite tileset in the data sources window. Add the Countries tileset data source the same way as Satellite.

    countries_mask_1.png

    Add the layers

    Add the satellite (Satellite data source with layer Satellite) and countries (Countries data source with layer administrative) layers.

    countries_mask_3.png

    countries_mask_4.png

    In the Style tab, it will appear as black by default, as shown below, and we are going to style it better in the next step.

    countries_mask_5.png

    Style countries with an expression

    In the countries layer, in the Data tab, set the filters iso_a2 != FR and level = 0

    countries_mask_6.png

    Set the color of the countries layer (in the Style tab) to white (#FFFFFF) and opacity to 65%. All countries except France will appear as semi-transparent white. You can, of course, select another country of interest using a different country code (use the Data tab to find out) and adjust colors as desired.

    countries_mask_7.png

    Highlight the selected country

    It is possible to highlight France a bit further using the Countries tileset again. Right-click on the countries layer and select Duplicate. Rename (right-click on, for now, countries copy) the new layer to the France border. Adjust filter to iso_a2 = FR.

    countries_mask_8.png

    In the Style tab, switch the Visualization value to Line. Set the Width to 2px and Blur to 3px.

    countries_mask_9.png

    The country name label may also be overlayed using MapTiler Planet data source and place layer with filter iso_a2 = FR.

    countries_mask_11.png

    Set up Visualization on Symbol, Fill Color on #FFFFFF and Outline Color on #000000.

    Text label masking (experimental)

    It is possible to add more labels to the map, let’s say for every French city, and to mask them according to the shape of the country. From a new symbol layer, use a filter with an within expression including the GeoJSON description of the country polygon. The latter will render labels only for points being inside that polygon, so that would mask all labels outside France in our example.

    
"filter": [
      "all",
      ["==", ["geometry-type"], "Point"],
      ["==", ["get", "class"], "city"],
      [
        "within",
        {
          "type": "Feature",
          "geometry": {
            "type": "Polygon",
            "coordinates": [[
            [x,y],
            [x,y],
            [x,y],
            .....
            ]]
          },
          "properties": {}
        }
    ]
]

    The more the GeoJSON describes a complex shape, the more the map performance decreases.

    Next steps

    Continue to Contours and mountain peaks in feet to learn how to switch contour lines and mountain peaks from meters to feet in your MapTiler map.

    MapTiler Tiles - Satellite
    MapTiler Tiles - Countries
    MapTiler Tiles - Planet
    MapTiler Countries dataset
    MapTiler Countries
    MapTiler Countries schema
    Join MapTiler Countries with your own custom data and make a choropleth map
    How to highlight specific countries on your map
    How to style a choropleth map in the Map Designer

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    Map design guides
    Masking features in MapTiler
    Masking features in MapTiler