How to load maps to desktop GIS

Loading a map in desktop GIS software is simple. If you go in the administration menu on Maps and click one of the maps, you will see on the new page a map and few generated links. Use the link in the Web map service section. If you have the Free or Vector plan, you need to use a different method to load the map (read below).

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ArcGIS

A Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) delivers pre-generated georeferenced map images. A WMTS service may contain one or more styles, dimensions, or tiling schemes to specify how the WMTS layer is to be displayed.

  1. On the Insert tab, in the Project group, click Connections > Server > New WMTS Server.
    The Add WMTS Server Connection dialog box appears.
  2. Type the URL of the WMTS server site you want to connect to in the Server URL text box. 
    The URL varies depending on the site configuration.
  3. Specify the version number of the server, if applicable.
  4. If the WMTS server you are connecting to has additional capabilities, expand the Custom request parameters section and type the custom request parameters specific to this WMTS server as a parameter list. ArcGIS Pro cannot validate these additional parameters.
  5. Type your user name and password, if appropriate. To save the user name and password information to Wind Credential Manager or as a connection file, check the Save Username/Password check box.
  6. Click OK.

A WMTS connection file (.wmts) is created and saved in the project’s home folder. An item referencing this connection file is added to the project, and the connection appears in the Catalog pane and the catalog view.

Right-click the WMTS service in the Catalog pane to add the service to the current map or a new map. Expand the WMTS connection in the Catalog pane to access its layers. You can right-click a layer to add it to the current map or a new map. You can also add the layer by dragging it to the map view or the Contents pane.

QGIS

WMS/WMTS

In QGIS, click on Add WMS/WMTS Layer… in the left menu (shortcut Ctrl + Shift + W) or from the context menu select Layer -> Add Layer -> Add WMS/WMTS Layer….

In the new window, click New, write any Name, and paste the generated link into the URL bar.
Now click on Connect, you will get to the list of available layers. Select one and click on Add.
If you want to change the layer, open the Add WMS/WMTS Layer… window again, select your layer from the drop-down menu a click on Connect.

ProTip: To improve the look of any WMS/WMTS in QGIS, just right-click on the layer in the Layers panel, select Properties, and in Styles set the Resampling method for out to Average.

XYZ Tiles

Connecting XYZ Tiles to QGIS is similar to the process of connecting a WMTS layer. Just follow these steps:

  1. Right-click the XYZ tiles in the left menu.
  2. Select New Connection…
  3. Fill in the name and URL of your new XYZ tile connection. Set up the min and max zoom levels for the visibility of your tiles. Hit OK to save.
  4. Connect to your new XYZ tile layer in the left menu and use the XYZ tile layer in the main window.

MapTiler QGIS plugin

MapTiler QGIS plugin is probably the easiest way of using MapTiler maps with QGIS. Simply install the plugin according to this guide. After that, you can also browse additional content related to MapTiler QGIS plugin or try out the workflow for maps printing.

Other GIS software

There is a similar process for MapInfo, gvSIG, GRASS GIS, uDig, and other GIS software. If you are interested in how-to open maps in any of these, search for How-to open WMTS in my-favourite-GIS.