Adding a WMS layer

The Web Map Service (WMS) is a standard protocol for serving map images that a map server generates using data from a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. You can add a WMS layer to a map chart visualization to provide specialized context.

Prerequisites

To add a WMS layer, you must have a URL to a valid WMS 1.1.1 (or earlier) service that uses WGS84 coordinate reference system (EPSG:3857 or EPSG: 4326).
Tip: Many WMS resources are available on the internet. The article WMS sources for Spotfire on the TIBCO Spotfire Community site lists many links to sites that contain WMS resources, both free and paid. (The TIBCO Community site is free to use; however, users must register an account to gain access to the information.)

Procedure

  1. Right-click the map chart visualization, and from the menu, click Properties.
    The Properties popover is displayed, with the Map chart popover showing the current layers, in their layer order, top to bottom.
  2. Click Add new layer at the bottom of the Map chart list.
    A list of the layer options is displayed.
  3. From the list, select WMS layer.
    The WMS layer is added to the top of the Map chart list, the Properties list for the layer is displayed, and the layer with its default settings is added as the top layer of the map chart.
    Note: An error icon (error icon) is displayed in the title area. (A WMS layer is not valid until a URL to a valid service is supplied. See Configuring a WMS layer and sublayer for more information.)
  4. Required: Provide the URL to a valid service.
    The URL must link to a valid XML structure and a server that supports WMS 1.1.1 or earlier service, and which uses WGS84 coordinate reference system (EPSG:3857 or EPSG: 4326).
    • If you supply a link to a server that supports only WMS 1.3.0 or later, an error is displayed in the title area.
    • Most WMS maps are designed for specific regions or countries. If you provide a URL that contains a map structure for another country or region, Spotfire Business Author displays an error.
    If the specified WMS service requires login, select the check box Use login credentials, then specify username and password, and click Log in.
    When a valid URL to a supported server version is supplied, the error icon in the title bar is no longer displayed.
  5. Optional: Drag and drop the layer to a new position on the list.
  6. Review properties for the map chart to refine the display.
    See Configuring a WMS layer and sublayer for detailed guidance and an example.
    Tip: You can reuse the settings of an already existing layer. Select Duplicate layer in the Properties popover to duplicate either the selected layer in the same map chart, or to add a copy of a layer from another map chart in the analysis. See Duplicating a layer for detailed instructions.