Style Layers

MGLStyleLayer is an abstract base class for style layers. A style layer manages the layout and appearance of content at a specific z-index in a style. An MGLStyle object consists of one or more MGLStyleLayer objects.

Each style layer defined by the style JSON file is represented at runtime by an MGLStyleLayer object, which you can use to refine the map’s appearance. You can also add and remove style layers dynamically.

Do not create instances of this class directly, and do not create your own subclasses of this class. Instead, create instances of MGLBackgroundStyleLayer and the concrete subclasses of MGLForegroundStyleLayer.

MGLForegroundStyleLayer is an abstract superclass for style layers whose content is defined by an MGLSource object.

Do not create instances of this class directly, and do not create your own subclasses of this class. Instead, create instances of MGLRasterStyleLayer and the concrete subclasses of MGLVectorStyleLayer.

An MGLBackgroundStyleLayer is a style layer that covers the entire map. Use a background style layer to configure a color or pattern to show below all other map content. If the style’s other layers use the Mapbox Streets source, the background style layer is responsible for drawing land, whereas the oceans and other bodies of water are drawn by MGLFillStyleLayer objects.

A background style layer is typically the bottommost layer in a style, because it covers the entire map and can occlude any layers below it. You can therefore access it by getting the last item in the MGLStyle.layers array.

If the background style layer is transparent or omitted from the style, any portion of the map view that does not show another style layer is transparent.

An MGLRasterStyleLayer is a style layer that renders raster tiles on the map.

Use a raster style layer to configure the color parameters of raster tiles loaded by an MGLRasterSource object. For example, you could use a raster style layer to render Mapbox Satellite imagery, a raster tile set uploaded to Mapbox Studio, or a raster map authored in TileMill, the classic Mapbox Editor, or Mapbox Studio Classic.

You can access an existing raster style layer using the -[MGLStyle layerWithIdentifier:] method if you know its identifier; otherwise, find it using the MGLStyle.layers property. You can also create a new raster style layer and add it to the style using a method such as -[MGLStyle addLayer:].

Example

let layer = MGLRasterStyleLayer(identifier: clouds, source: source)
layer.rasterOpacity = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 0.5)
mapView.style?.addLayer(layer)

MGLVectorStyleLayer is an abstract superclass for style layers whose content is defined by an MGLShapeSource or MGLVectorSource object.

Do not create instances of this class directly, and do not create your own subclasses of this class. Instead, create instances of the following concrete subclasses: MGLCircleStyleLayer, MGLFillStyleLayer, MGLLineStyleLayer, and MGLSymbolStyleLayer.

An MGLCircleStyleLayer is a style layer that renders one or more filled circles on the map.

Use a circle style layer to configure the visual appearance of point or point collection features in vector tiles loaded by an MGLVectorSource object or MGLPointAnnotation, MGLPointFeature, MGLPointCollection, or MGLPointCollectionFeature instances in an MGLShapeSource object.

A circle style layer renders circles whose radii are measured in screen units. To display circles on the map whose radii correspond to real-world distances, use many-sided regular polygons and configure their appearance using an MGLFillStyleLayer object.

You can access an existing circle style layer using the -[MGLStyle layerWithIdentifier:] method if you know its identifier; otherwise, find it using the MGLStyle.layers property. You can also create a new circle style layer and add it to the style using a method such as -[MGLStyle addLayer:].

Example

let layer = MGLCircleStyleLayer(identifier: circles, source: population)
layer.sourceLayerIdentifier = population
layer.circleColor = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: .green)
layer.circleRadius = MGLStyleValue(interpolationBase: 1.75, stops: [
    12: MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 2),
    22: MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 180)
])
layer.circleOpacity = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 0.7)
layer.predicate = NSPredicate(format: %K == %@, marital-status, married)
mapView.style?.addLayer(layer)

An MGLFillStyleLayer is a style layer that renders one or more filled (and optionally stroked) polygons on the map.

Use a fill style layer to configure the visual appearance of polygon or multipolygon features in vector tiles loaded by an MGLVectorSource object or MGLPolygon, MGLPolygonFeature, MGLMultiPolygon, or MGLMultiPolygonFeature instances in an MGLShapeSource object.

You can access an existing fill style layer using the -[MGLStyle layerWithIdentifier:] method if you know its identifier; otherwise, find it using the MGLStyle.layers property. You can also create a new fill style layer and add it to the style using a method such as -[MGLStyle addLayer:].

Example

let layer = MGLFillStyleLayer(identifier: parks, source: parks)
layer.sourceLayerIdentifier = parks
layer.fillColor = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: .green)
layer.predicate = NSPredicate(format: type == %@, national-park)
mapView.style?.addLayer(layer)

An MGLLineStyleLayer is a style layer that renders one or more stroked polylines on the map.

Use a line style layer to configure the visual appearance of polyline or multipolyline features in vector tiles loaded by an MGLVectorSource object or MGLPolyline, MGLPolylineFeature, MGLMultiPolyline, or MGLMultiPolylineFeature instances in an MGLShapeSource object.

You can access an existing line style layer using the -[MGLStyle layerWithIdentifier:] method if you know its identifier; otherwise, find it using the MGLStyle.layers property. You can also create a new line style layer and add it to the style using a method such as -[MGLStyle addLayer:].

Example

let layer = MGLLineStyleLayer(identifier: trails-path, source: trails)
layer.sourceLayerIdentifier = trails
layer.lineWidth = MGLStyleValue(interpolationBase: 1.5, stops: [
    14: MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 2),
    18: MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 20),
])
layer.lineColor = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: .brown)
layer.lineCap = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: NSValue(mglLineCap: .round))
layer.predicate = NSPredicate(format: %K == %@, trail-type, mountain-biking)
mapView.style?.addLayer(layer)

An MGLSymbolStyleLayer is a style layer that renders icon and text labels at points or along lines on the map.

Use a symbol style layer to configure the visual appearance of labels for features in vector tiles loaded by an MGLVectorSource object or MGLShape or MGLFeature instances in an MGLShapeSource object.

You can access an existing symbol style layer using the -[MGLStyle layerWithIdentifier:] method if you know its identifier; otherwise, find it using the MGLStyle.layers property. You can also create a new symbol style layer and add it to the style using a method such as -[MGLStyle addLayer:].

Example

let layer = MGLSymbolStyleLayer(identifier: coffeeshops, source: pois)
layer.sourceLayerIdentifier = pois
layer.iconImageName = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: coffee)
layer.iconScale = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: 0.5)
layer.text = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: {name})
layer.textTranslation = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: NSValue(cgVector: CGVector(dx: 10, dy: 0)))
layer.textJustification = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: NSValue(mglTextJustification: .left))
layer.textAnchor = MGLStyleValue(rawValue: NSValue(mglTextAnchor: .left))
layer.predicate = NSPredicate(format: %K == %@, venue-type, coffee)
mapView.style?.addLayer(layer)