@artyom
Raster tiles: A map image is ‘cut up’ into little squares: one set of image tiles per combination of style, language etc. This is replicated at all the required scales.
Vector tiles: The map data that would be required to display all the styles for that square is extracted from the database, simplified and stuck in an intermediate format. One set of tiles can support multiple styles, languages and angles that would be impractical with rasters.
The article links to an explanatory page in the very first paragraph after the lede.
Vector tiles serve up maps as vectors: points, lines and polygons. They store geographic data (like what makes up OpenStreetMap) in a format that allows for dynamic styling and interactivity. For users, vector tiles will mean a new, modern-looking map style with seamless zoom on openstreetmap.org, the map can be updated more quickly when data changes, and it should perform better for users.
What’s the distinction you’re drawing here? I don’t know the implementation details, but my understanding is that it’s fundamentally exactly the same thing: the map is rendered by the browser/client using lines and polygons, rather than loading pre-rendered tiled images.
So just no one is going to explain WTF “Vector Tiles” are?
They can be used to trimex a quantum position in space-time.
@artyom
Raster tiles: A map image is ‘cut up’ into little squares: one set of image tiles per combination of style, language etc. This is replicated at all the required scales.
Vector tiles: The map data that would be required to display all the styles for that square is extracted from the database, simplified and stuck in an intermediate format. One set of tiles can support multiple styles, languages and angles that would be impractical with rasters.
@openstreetmap
Cool, thanks
The article links to an explanatory page in the very first paragraph after the lede.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_graphics
Vector graphics are not the same thing as vector tiles.
What’s the distinction you’re drawing here? I don’t know the implementation details, but my understanding is that it’s fundamentally exactly the same thing: the map is rendered by the browser/client using lines and polygons, rather than loading pre-rendered tiled images.
@egrets
I think vector tiles normally have a degree of style independence that normal vector graphic don’t?
I think with e.g. SVG the colours, text positioning and font etc. would all be specified when the file was created.
@openstreetmap