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Thematic Layers

Introduction

A thematic layer is a spatial (GIS) layer containing spatial information. Thematic layers contain information as attribute information, but can also have documents associated.

Example showing seven thematic layers in the Map view

Note: Thematic layers are treated different from Stations layers since they cannot have time series records or documents associated to the individual features of the layer.

Manage Thematic layers

The Thematic layers button in the Map Settings under Settings opens the Manage Thematic Layers dialog for managing spatial (GIS) layers to be available for display in the Map view. Thematic layers can be added or deleted, and keywords defined.

Thematic layers can be shape files of points, vectors or polygons, or raster layers.

Add a Thematic layer

To add a thematic layer click on the button in the Manage Thematic Layers dialog. It opens the Windows Explorer for browsing to the file location and select the file.

The following formats can be selected:

  • Shape files (*.shp)

  • Geo Tiff files (*.tif)

  • Dfs2 files (*.dfs2)

  • NetCDF files (*.nc)

To add a time varying raster file click on the button in the Manage Thematic Layers dialog. It opens the Import temporal raster menu window.

Click on the browse button next to the Tiff file folder to browse to and select the input raster files.

Note: Only GeoTiff files are supported and for MIKE INFO to understand the time properties on the data it is important that input files are named and organized in a consistent manner. The input raster files should be stored in a common directory and named with a common timestamp as prefix i.e.: yyyyMMddHHmm, yyMMddHHmm, yyMMddHH or yyMMdd.

Be sure to specify the correct coordination system, and select a file mask in accordance with the input file naming convention.

Under raster name, the output file name of the multi-temporal raster is specified. If input rasters are to be added to an existing multi-temporal raster the “Add to existing raster” need to be selected.

Delete a Thematic layer

To delete a Thematic layer select the layer in the Manage Thematic Layers dialog. Click on the button.

Specify a Thematic layer’s keywords

To include or exclude a keyword for a thematic layer click on the layer cell in the Keywords column in the Manage Thematic Layers dialog.

Manage Thematic Layer Associations

Additional information describing a thematic layer can be associated to the layer and displayed by clicking on the Report button in the map menu ribbon.

The Layer association button in the Map Settings opens a dialog for associating information to the layer.

Select the layer (thematic or station layer) from the drop down list.

From the Manage Layer Association dialog, knowledge products and spreadsheets can be associated. Existing associations can also be removed.

Associate a Document to a Thematic layer

Associating a document (knowledge product) to a thematic layer is a useful way to present a description of the layer (like a descriptive atlas) or as a general description of a station network layer.

Before the document can be associated, it must first be added as a knowledge product, see: Uploading Knowledge Products.

The Add button in the Manage Layer Association dialog opens an explorer to add a knowledge product, already stored in the database, to the layer. Select the Knowledge product and click OK.

Associate a spreadsheet to a Thematic layer

Use the Add spreadsheet button in the Manage Layer Association dialog to add an empty spreadsheet to the layer. Specify the name of the spreadsheet and click OK.

To populate the spreadsheet with information, click on the Report button in the Map menu, and select the spreadsheet. Information can either directly be entered into the spreadsheet or be copied and pasted from another spreadsheet (note: Copy-paste with Excel is supported).

Remove an associated item from a Thematic layer

Click on the Remove association button in the Manage Layer Association dialog to remove an association to a thematic layer.

Display a Thematic layer in the Map view

Specifying a Thematic layer that should be displayed in the Map view is done in the Appearance section of the Map menu ribbon. Click on the Layers drop down list, and select the thematic layer to be included in the Map view.

Display an associated item of a Thematic layer

After a document (knowledge product) has been associated to a Thematic layer, it can be opened from the Report button drop down list of the Map menu ribbon.

After a spreadsheet has been associated to a Thematic layer, it can be opened from the Report drop down list in the Map menu ribbon for editing and inspection.

Display a multi-temporal raster in the Map view

If a multi-temporal raster layer is selected as the active layer it can be displayed using the Animate button

Symbology of Thematic layers

The symbology of layers can be defined in the Appearance section of the Map menu.

Click on the link to open the Advanced Layers Properties dialog for defining the symbology of a layer in the Legend.

The symbology includes both the design of the layer as well as the design of the layer labelling.

Click on the layer in the legend of the dialog to modify its symbology.

Select style type

The available style types depends on the layer type:

The Style Type can be selected from the drop down list:

A common Style type for polygon layers is Value Range for which intervals and an associated colours are specified.

Click on the Layer style to unfold the property information of the layer. If Value Ranges has been selected, intervals and colours can be specified by clicking on (Collection)

Specify the individual Value Range intervals and colours.

Click OK and click Save.

Specify Layer Title

The Layer title is by default the name of the shape file. The title can be specified in the Name field.

After name change:

Export Thematic layers

Layers can be exported to kmz or shape file formats from the Export button in the Data menu ribbon.

  • Click on the layer to be exported in the Legend.

  • Click on Selected layer from the Export button to open Windows explorer.

Export layer to kmz for display in Google Earth

  • Select name, location and kmz file type.

  • Click Save.

  • Select Display attribute to appear as label in Google map.

  • Select attributes which should not be included in the kmz file.

Open Google Earth and import kmz file.

When clicking on a layer feature the attribute information is displayed.

Example: Note: If an image has been associated to the station, it will appear in the description. The image should be in .png format, and only one image can be displayed.

Export layer to Shape File

  • Select name and location of the shape file.

  • Click Save.

Countries and Basins Layers

Countries and Basin layers are special thematic layers, which are added under Settings > Maps settings. These layers are used to filter stations according to their locations within the country layer as well as basin layer. The filtering is done in the Stations drop down list in the Map menu.

Example of filtering stations according to country and basin layers. Here only stations in Tanzania is shown.

Add Countries and Basins Layers

The Countries and basins layer button in the Map Settings is used to manage (and add) specific GIS layers (shape files), which represent country borders and sub-basin boundaries.

Clicking on the Countries and basins layer button opens the Manage Country and Basin Layers dialog.

A country and a basin layer can be added, renamed and deleted.

Select the display attribute for each layer. The display attribute will be the attribute that appears in the filtering list in the Map menu ribbon.

Dialog for specifying countries and basin layers used for filtering station layer.