The Vector Tile Style Editor lets you remove, splice, and restyle vector basemap content to your heart’s content. Sometimes my heart isn’t content until I’ve added a little bit of a texture pattern to a basemap. Like the cute little dappled sunlit water pattern here…
Here’s how you can tell an AI just who you wish it to be and ask it for just what you need. In this case, what we need is a handsome repeating image that tiles well and adds visual interest to an ArcGIS basemap. Ready?
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0:00 Illuminating introduction.
0:08 Editing a basemap in the Vector Tile Style Editor.
0:59 Conjuring a repeating texture graphic with the AI of your choice.
1:46 Resizing the pattern image to something computers like best.
2:13 Applying the pattern to a basemap layer. It’s too easy.
2:50 Some examples of use in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online.
3:18 Can you make a Vincent van Gogh themed basemap? (also chickens)
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There’s nothing stopping you from whipping up all manner of gloriously touchable basemaps using patterns and the Vector Tile Style Editor! If you’d like to skip ahead and just try out my dappled ocean texture in one of your maps, you can find it over here.
Or go full-impressionist, like this Vincent van Gogh inspired vector basemap.
Jeepers, why stop with a water texture? Here’s a water-and-sand beachy version of the world with some terrain baked into it and labels to taste!
So give the VTSE a spin and whip up all manner of textured basemap layers for your next ArcGIS map.
Love, John