Tile Pyramid
A tile pyramid is a hierarchical collection of map tiles organized across multiple zoom levels, where each level contains progressively more tiles at higher resolution. This multi-resolution structure enables smooth zooming and efficient data delivery in web mapping applications.
Overview A tile pyramid (also called a tile matrix set) is the complete set of pre-generated map tiles organized into a hierarchy of zoom levels, forming a pyramid structure where higher zoom levels contain exponentially more tiles covering progressively smaller geographic areas at greater detail. This architecture is the foundation of modern web mapping, enabling seamless zoom transitions and efficient data delivery.
Pyramid Structure
At the base of the pyramid (zoom levelZoom LevelA zoom level is a discrete scale step in a web mapping tile system that determines the amount of geographic detail di... 0), a single tile represents the entire mapped area. Each subsequent zoom level subdivides every tile into four child tiles, doubling the linear resolution. A typical web mapWeb MapA web map is an interactive map delivered through a web browser, allowing users to pan, zoom, toggle layers, and quer... pyramid with 20 zoom levels contains over one trillion tiles at the highest level. The total storage and generation cost of a tile pyramid depends on the geographic extent, maximum zoom level, and tile format. Tile pyramids can be pre-generated (baked) for static data or rendered on demand with caching for dynamic content.
Generation and Optimization
Tile pyramid generation involves rendering source data at each zoom levelZoom LevelA zoom level is a discrete scale step in a web mapping tile system that determines the amount of geographic detail di... according to appropriate cartographic rules, including scale-dependent feature selection, generalizationGeneralizationGeneralization is the process of simplifying geographic features and reducing detail in spatial data to create maps a..., and symbologySymbologySymbology in GIS defines how geographic features are visually represented on maps through colors, shapes, sizes, and .... Optimization strategies include generating tiles only for areas containing data (sparse pyramids), using efficient image compression, implementing cache hierarchies, and employing tile seeding for high-traffic areas. Cloud object storage services like Amazon S3 provide cost-effective hosting for large tile pyramids.
Standards
The OGC Tile Matrix Set standard and the TileJSON specification define formal schemas for describing tile pyramid structures. The MBTilesMBTilesMBTiles is an open specification for storing tiled map data in a single SQLite database file. It provides a portable,... format packages tile pyramids into SQLite databases for portable distribution. WMTS (Web MapWeb MapA web map is an interactive map delivered through a web browser, allowing users to pan, zoom, toggle layers, and quer... Tile Service) provides a standardized protocol for requesting tiles from compliant servers.
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