MapStore Release 2020.02.01

Dear Reader,

We are pleased to announce the release 2020.02.01 of MapStore, our flagship Open Source WebGIS product. The full list of changes for this release can be found  in the GitHub Project. This blog highlights the most interesting ones.

Important changes for this release

This release focuses mostly and bug fixes (concerning in particular GeoStory and Application Contexts) but it includes also some a few small enhancements as follows:

• Default theme for overlay contents in stories: it is now possible set up a default theme also for overlay contents in stories like columns of immersive sections
• Export Tool for app context wizard: the export tool has been also included in the application context wizard step #2
• Identify mode persisted when map saved: the identify mode is now persisted when the map is saved
• Share a story section: it is now possible to share a specific section of a story directly
• Empty cover for stories: a new section type has been included to allow the possibility to add an empty cover for stories
• Define a filter for a layer in contexts wizard: the filter layer tool has been included also in the step #2 of application context wizard
• Hardening: laarge number of bug fixes have been provided, the complete list is available here

Default theme for overlay contents in stories

The story setting panel has been improved to allow configuring a default theme for overlay contents, like columns components available in immersive sections. With this enhancement additional configuration properties are now available for overlay contents (background, text and shodow).

Story settings panel

Export Tool for app context wizard

The export tool is now available also an option inside the application context wizard so that you can export a map configuration from an existing context.

Export tool in application context wizard step #2

Identify mode persisted when map is saved

In the version 2020.02.00 we released a new interesting feature that provides an additional mode for the identify tool. The floating identify tool can be activated from the map settings and allows to visualize the layers information using a popup instead of having these in the usual side panel. The first implementation did not allow to persist the setting of this mode when saving the map, now this is possible.

Map settings – Floating identify mode

Floating identify popup

Share a story section

A further enhancement has been provided to the share tool for stories. From MapStore 2020.02.01 each section has its own URL so that it can be shared directly. An advanced option is now available to generate the URL of the current section of a story the user wants to share.

Sharing of a story section

Empty cover for stories

A Banner section has been included in GeoStory so that the story editor can include empty covers in his story. In the previous version of MapStore, only the Title section was available.

Banner section

Define a filter for a layer in contexts wizard

The Layer Filter tool, usually available in TOC toolbar,  is now available also inside the application context wizard step #2. This means that the context editor can now filter layers published in a context when the context is created or edited.

Layer filter tool in application context wizard step #2

Ongoing and future work

For the next releases we are working on the following (in sparse order) functionalities:

• Improvements of the Style Editor  to  improve the user experience when editing styles in MapStore (available in 2020.03.00)

Style Editor – Improved UI

• Improvements on the MapStore SDK to simplify the life of developers creating downstream projects like the GeoNode integration
• Enhancements for the Annotations and Identify tools to improve the user experience with a new user interface and additional capabilities (available in 2020.03.00)

New Annotation tool

New Identify panel

If you want to play with the current release, you can access the live demo here and login with username demo and password 123demoUser.

If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you develop a WebGIS using MapStore or help you achieve your needs related to GeoServer, GeoNode and GeoNetwork through our Enterprise Support Services and Subscription Services  please contact us!

The GeoSolutions team,