article Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps in Qlik Sense Documents

Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Giuseppe_Panella — Fri, 03 May 2019 15:48:47 GMT

This video shows you how to add a background layer in a Qlik Sense map. Starting from Qlik Sense April 2019 release, it is now possible to set a default map background for all new map charts. Enabling further customization of backgrounds, now users can choose to set their own predefined background instead of using the Qlik standard background.

This feature provides better support for handling geographic considerations such as disputed regions with politically sensitive boundaries.

You can use the qvf attached to try out this and the other Qlik Sense feautures included in Qlik Sense April 2019 release.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

tom-tom — Wed, 08 May 2019 11:14:15 GMT

I have a question concerning this feature:

How can I use an offline image file instead of an image URL for the background layer?

Thanks!

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Fri, 10 May 2019 09:01:48 GMT

One way would be to use a Base64 data URI as the URL string.

https://www.base64-image.de/

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Radu — Fri, 10 May 2019 09:05:10 GMT

Hi,

@tom-tom : You can use a IIS started locally and load the image via local url: http://localhost/qsimages/image.jpg

@Giuseppe_Panella : Thanks for the tutorial, very useful at this very early stage of releasing of this functionality in the QS road-map. I have though one question: How can one set the Bubble size, e.g. the "Size by" parameter on the Size & shape menu for a dimension in order to size the bubble diameter according to the dimension value? Also, scaling the size according to the image is important. I edited the load script and added a new column called "size" that I would like to use in the dimension Size by field but after reload the points on the map appeared as dots only, not anymore as bubbles. See below the script.

Thanks,

Radu

pts:
load * inline [
id,x,y,size
jp,1818,389,10
pn,1098,1089,100
jl,830,1085,50
ph,824,977,70
aj,688,1085,49
jo,593,1081,45
pw,454,1082,34
ay,1323,1088,200
rm,1461,1084,45
ts,1550,1086,67
sk,1714,753,90
ak,1815,755,76
jj,1815,612,84
kp,1818,525,3
];
bounds:
load * inline [
bid,by,bx
topleft,692,0
bottomright,0,1363
];

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

mnfjcasey — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 14:03:43 GMT

Two questions:

How does one find the coordinates of the corners of the map?
What characteristics must the online image file have (I have tried a public URL and a shared file from my own cloud storage without success)?

Thank you.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 19:32:23 GMT

1. In order align the map with the background map, you must enter coordinates of the corners in the chosen coordinate system, normally GPS coordinates. If it is plain image without any map background, the coordinates is the width and height in pixels.

2. It must a direct file access, not any html image viewer that some cloud storages use.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

beverleyosaze — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 11:00:14 GMT

Hi @Patric_Nordstrom , Giuseppe_Panella

Thank you for the tutorial and for your comments.

A few points to clarify please..

1. I am currently having an issue displaying the full image, it appears to be cutting off part of the base layer image despite using the width and height in pixels as the co-ordinates. (shown below). The image is being loaded via Base64 data URI. Are you able to advise how to rectify this please and identify the correct corner co-ordinates for the image to be displayed?

2. How can I identify the co-ordinates on the image to correctly plot the point layer locations?

3. The image also appears to be tiling. When scrolling across it's showing duplicate parts of the floor plan. Is there a way to turn of the "repeat background image" functionality of the map object?

Any insights you're able to provide into the above will be helpful.

Thanks.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 09:14:31 GMT

1. Add another point layer, bounds, with two points with max x,y and min x,y of the image. The layer can be hidden by setting the opacity to none.

2. Use an image editor, normally shows the x and y position of the mouse in the window. Note that most image editor have origo in top left while the map has origo in bottom left. So Y=Image height - Y.

3. Shouldnt happen, make sure Format is set to "Image".

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

beverleyosaze — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:39:33 GMT

@Patric_Nordstrom Thanks for your reply.

1. This unfortunately has not worked for me. Could you advise if I am using the map settings correctly based on the following please?

- The image in pixels 705 (width) x 595 (height).

- Locations on the floor plan are in pixels so for example one point is: x =252 and y = 435

- I am currently using 'undefined degrees' as the projection

How would I correctly plot this on the floor plan base layer, what would be the values to use for the top left and bottom right corners. Is there a way to calculate this based on each points x,y co-ordinates?

3. Format is already set to image but the tiling effect is still present.

Thanks for your help

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 12:45:41 GMT

@beverleyosaze

Please use undefined meters, that more suitable for pixel based reference system than degrees.

There are several ways to a bounds layer, one easy way is to load a table, in your case, put this in the loads script. After make a point layer bid as dimensions, bx and by as location x and y

bounds:

load * inline [

bid,bx,by

bottomleft, 0, 0

topright, 705, 595

];

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

beverleyosaze — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 16:42:45 GMT

@Patric_Nordstrom Is there a way to use the map base layer to plot points if you don't have the height and width of the image held in data?

Could this for instance be calculated or the map base layer configured to just fill the given map object?

Thanks.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 17:19:10 GMT

Sure, that's doable. Add a line layer, dimension =1, location: "line geometry" and expr:

='[[[0,0],[705,595]]]'

Set color opacity none to hide and move to back.

Thanks,

Patric

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

beverleyosaze — Mon, 10 Feb 2020 10:06:31 GMT

@Patric_Nordstrom I should have been a bit clearer. I have hundreds of different floor plans but the image height and width data is not available as this is not stored in any of the systems.

I do have the locations of the various points that need to be plotted in the point layer as pixel (top and left) co-ordinates.

Is there a way to work around this to still display the image correctly with the right size in the base layer without the image height and width?

Thanks.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 10:15:30 GMT

@beverleyosaze In order for images be scaled and placed correctly, it's mandatory to set image width height and position.

In case with hundreds of images I would write a script in powershell to extract the dimensions and the image name and save to csv file.

And then load in to Sense, and dynamically set the image url and bounds with expressions, for details see the example app here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0v1oxirox4w2h7k/ImageLibrary.qvf?dl=0

Thanks,

Patric

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

beverleyosaze — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 19:14:55 GMT

Thank you @Patric_Nordstrom for your help. We've decided to go down the route of extracting the height and width data from the images prior to encoding in Base64.

I've noticed that in NPrinting though the object only accepts typed numerical values for height and width and fields can't be used.

Do you know how to work around this in NPrinting please to ensure the actual height and width are used?

Using the 'Fit' option parts of the map image are still being cropped.

Many thanks.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:18:46 GMT

@beverleyosaze

Do you know how to work around this in NPrinting please to ensure the actual height and width are used?

Not an NPrinting expert but I presume the print service needs to have all extent fixed by time of print. What type of report are you building?

Thanks,
Patric

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

beverleyosaze — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 10:21:35 GMT

@Patric_Nordstrom It is a power point report.

The report object only allows you to set one height and width as opposed to using the different height and width from data for each different image.

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

JonnyPoole — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 19:36:03 GMT

This is a little tricky . There is good flexibility of image size settings when importing images into an excel template. But with powerpoint there is less options. Probably because a powerpoint slide has a lot more real estate limitations then an excel sheet

https://help.qlik.com/en-US/nprinting/February2020/Content/NPrinting/ReportsDevelopment/Image-Dimension-Management.htm

Do you have an app to share ? With ppt , we can configure qlik sense to render a chart to a certain size ('data displayed height' and ' ...Data Displayed width' … which is like changing the object size in the qlik app to see more or less data based on the responsive design. With excel you can do a max height / max width which scrapes out all or less of the displayed imaged with the new sizing and then stretches/fits that into the ppt slide. But with ppt is more limited. If we can get display data width/heigh to an aspect ratio works for all the images, that can be placed as an object in ppt with the SAME amount of pixels for rendering .

if you have a test sample to share (template and app) please feel free

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

ozioz — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 07:16:17 GMT

Hi,

I have question about a size limit of background image. Can I load for example scan of mapshhet, file of size 100 MB?

Thanks in advance

Re: Adding a background layer in Qlik Sense maps

Patric_Nordstrom — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:53:54 GMT

@ozioz 100 MB is way to big to have users download for every session.

Consider tiling and also resampling. Christof Schwarz shows one way to do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWlmNm95n8

Thanks,

Patric