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WMS Properties

Use this dialog to set up WMS layers.

Where do I find the dialog?

Select WMS layer in the vertical list, right-click and select Properties...

About WMS Services

Gemini Terrain can connect to services that support the WMS-C protocol.

WMS services can be either standard WMS services or services with pre-generated map images (tiles). These services are described in more detail below.

You can choose whether to use the terrain model area or the screen area. If you use the terrain model area, the image will not be updated when zooming. It has the same resolution regardless of screen area. When using terrain model area, the value Max. number of pixels in raster images in the Drawing Settings dialog controls the number of pixels in the image. The image is regenerated every time you change the size of the terrain model area.

You must specify a cache folder, that is, where the program should store downloaded images. By default, the program creates a cache folder directly under the project folder. Furthermore, you must specify an expiration time for downloaded cached images. With this option, you can set an expiration time so that you always get the latest images when server content changes frequently. For example, this will be useful at construction sites where you fly over the construction site and publish new images every day.

WMS Layers with Partial Coverage

WMS layers do not need to be fully covering. It is possible to blend multiple WMS layers or WMS layers with orthophotos, so that areas not fully covered by a single WMS layer become transparent.

WMS layers with blended coverage

Setting up WMS Layers

Standard WMS Service

Procedure

  1. Right-click in the vertical list and select Create
  2. Select WMS server, enter the layer name and click Create
  3. Select URL from the dropdown list or enter it manually. You can, for example, copy URLs from various websites that offer such services
  4. Select the layers you want to include
  5. The program retrieves the coordinate system from Gemini Terrain Settings... - Project - General
  6. Change the default cache folder if desired (the program suggests a subfolder of the project folder)
  7. Click OK

Norwegian Mapping Authority Cache Service

Procedure

  1. Right-click in the vertical list and select Create
  2. Select WMS server, enter the layer name and click Create
  3. Select URL from the dropdown list or enter it manually
  4. Select the map type (layer) you want to use, for example Matrikkel_bakgrunn
  5. The program retrieves the coordinate system from Gemini Terrain Settings... - Project - General
  6. Change the default cache folder if desired (the program suggests a subfolder of the project folder)
  7. Click OK

Using WMS Layers

The program downloads data in the background. You will see a message in the status field when data is being downloaded. This may take some time the first time, but you can work normally in the meantime.

Detail Level in Raster

If you work with small terrain model areas and have activated Use terrain model area instead of screen area, the Detail level in raster under Drawing Settings may be set too high relative to the WMS service's zoom level limitation. If you experience that the WMS layer apparently does not load, try reducing the value for Detail level in raster.

Recommended Pixel Value

If you set the value for Detail level in raster artificially high, memory usage becomes very high and it becomes slow to retrieve images from WMS servers. OpenGL and LightWorks may have different tolerance for this. Based on the fact that several of the Norwegian Mapping Authority's WMS services have a maximum pixel value of 4096, we recommend using this value in Gemini Terrain as well.

WMS Services

WMS is a service where a server can send map excerpts in the form of raster files back to the user upon request, either directly in the browser, a web application, or a desktop application.

Norwegian Mapping Authority WMS Services

On the Norwegian Mapping Authority's websites, you can find more information about public WMS services. Here you can also find URLs for WMS services. In Gemini Terrain, we have included services with "Approved" status.

Norwegian Mapping Authority Cache Service

This service is based on a cache with pre-generated map images or tiles of 256x256 pixels at predefined scales (zoom levels).

More Information

You can read more about this service on the Norwegian Mapping Authority's websites. Here you can also find the URL for WMS-C: http://opencache.statkart.no/gatekeeper/gk/gk.open

Login

BAATm login was removed in version 11 of Gemini Terrain. This is due to transition to software modules that do not support the special BAAT login at Geonorge.

Customers with subscriptions to, for example, "Norge i bilder" (Norway in Images) can enter their IP address with the Norwegian Mapping Authority.

There are two alternatives:

  1. Enter temporary (time-limited) IP address.
    This is typically used when you are at different construction sites.
    For Geonorge, you can use the following procedure:

Registration of temporary IP address

Check Allowed use and click Update (change the number of minutes if desired). When the time expires, you must manually repeat this operation.

  1. Send email to the Norwegian Mapping Authority with fixed IP addresses.
    This is typically done for the office IP address.
    Use for example post@norgedigitalt.no and describe what should be added, for example: "We want to register nnn.nn.nn.nn as a fixed IP address in BAAT solution. Username is nnnn."

Registration of fixed IP address

Troubleshooting

Common Problems

  • Scale threshold: Some layers in services have scale thresholds. If you experience that a layer you have selected disappears, it may be that you are at a scale that is not supported.
  • Multiple layers fail simultaneously: If you have selected multiple layers for a service and one of them fails, all layers will fail and no data is displayed. The only way to test this is to remove the layers one by one from the application layer to find the failing layer.