Product
Things you can do in Globe today, and a few tools that are still being added.
Beta version
Currently, a beta version of Globe is available by invitation. It lets you try Globe and gives us an opportunity to gather valuable feedback. The following is a list of features and tools that are available or coming soon.
Map Dashboard
Dashboard lets you create or edit an existing map that you own or that is shared with you. It keeps an inventory of your maps. You can search them, arrange them, rename them, and mark them as favorites.
Maps and layers
Add layers, set your map extent, set individual layers' visibility, arrange layers in the table of contents, create and manage layer groups, and more. Save your map and come back to it later.
Vector style tool
Style points, lines, and polygons in the app with single or category-based styles. Set stroke-fill color, set gradients for points, and save your style presets. Although it cannot replace powerful styling tools found in desktop GIS such as QGIS and ArcGIS, Globe's style tool alone may be good enough for many simple map-building tasks.
Attribute table
Inspect and work with the table behind a vector layer, next to the map. The table updates as you zoom or pan, always showing records for features in extent. Search, order, or download table records.
Filters
Filters let you narrow what you see on the map and in the table.
Charts
Build simple bar and pie charts from vector layer attributes in the bottom panel—counts or sums by category, next to the map.
GIS operations
Basic spatial tools in the app (buffer, intersect, and similar). Coming soon.
Download
Download vector layers as GeoJSON (WGS 84) when you need a copy on your own machine. GeoJSON is an open-standard data-interchange format.
Style to SLD
Export the vector style you applied in Globe as SLD for GeoServer — single or category styles, with a zip bundle when symbol files are required.
OGC layers
Add WMS, WMTS, WFS, and related services from your GeoServer to your map. The data loader lets you load OGC layers from your GeoServer and from other servers. GeoJSON and Shapefile uploads are also supported for the map session.
Basemaps
Use the basemaps that come with the app (Esri basemaps). You can also connect API keys you already pay for with the bring-your-own-key option. To use your own API key, Globe currently supports Mapbox, MapTiler, Google, and Azure basemaps.
Accounts & sharing
Your maps stay with your account. You invite people who should open them. Choose the tools you want to give access to when you share your map.
Open foundations
Globe is built so you can use open-source software for the two important servers in GIS: the database and the GIS server.
OpenLayers
The map in the browser is OpenLayers. That is the client Globe is built on. Globe uses ol-ext, an OpenLayers extension, and various other open-source libraries that will be included on an open-source attribution page before the full version is released.
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL is Globe's database of choice. With the PostGIS extension, you can store and process real-world spatial data. You can store prepared spatial data in PostgreSQL and publish it to GeoServer.
GeoServer
GeoServer is Globe's GIS server of choice. Publish and serve layers from PostgreSQL, GeoJSON, and even GeoPackage with a GeoServer extension.
OGC
WMS, WMTS, WFS, and related OGC services can be added, including ones that are not served by GeoServer.
Access today is by invitation. See Implementation if you want to try the app. For a stack-focused overview, see map builder for PostGIS and GeoServer. For bringing FGDB / GeoJSON into that stack and HTTPS options for GeoServer, see Working with your data.