Feature Classes in EarthRanger organize geographic elements such as points, lines, and polygons into structured groups based on real-world entities like roads, rivers, or park boundaries. Grouping similar features (for example, all roads or all water sources) under Feature Classes allows for precise control over how those features appear on the map including adjustments to icons, fill and stroke colors, opacity, and line widths.
This configuration ensures visual consistency across your maps, supports operational clarity, and enhances readability in the Map Window.
💡 Note: Unlike Feature Groups (used for internal logic like analyzers), Feature Classes directly control what users see under Map Layers in the EarthRanger interface.
Configure Map Styling for a Feature Class
Follow these steps to configure or update the presentation of map features in EarthRanger:
To configure how specific feature icons appear, follow these steps:
- Log in to EarthRanger AdminGo to:
https://<yourorganization>.pamdas.org/admin - Navigate to Feature Classes
From the Admin home page, go to:
Home > Map Layers > Feature Classes - Select a Feature Class
Click the name of the Feature Class you want to configure (for example, Rivers, Poaching Zones, Ranger Post, etc).
You’ll see a section labeled Presentation, which controls how this Feature Class appears on the map.
Customize Presentation Settings
EarthRanger uses a JSON-based configuration for styling. Each geometry type supports different properties.
To assist configuration, buttons are provided to apply a default template for Points, Lines, or Polygons.
You can use these as a base and modify their values as needed.
For Polygons (e.g., Zones, Lakes)
Use the following properties to define how polygons display on the map:
| Property | Description | Example |
"fill" |
Sets the interior color of the polygon using a hex code.Find hex color codes here. | "fill": "#f4d442" |
"stroke" |
Defines the border color of the polygon. | "stroke": "#000000" |
"fill-opacity" |
Controls how transparent the interior color is (0 = invisible, 1 = solid). | "fill-opacity": 0.3 |
"stroke-opacity" |
Controls border transparency. | "stroke-opacity": 0.7 |
"stroke-width" |
Defines the border thickness in pixels. | "stroke-width": 1 |
Example:
For Lines (e.g., Roads, Rivers)
- Line features share most properties with polygons but only use stroke attributes:
| Property | Description | Example |
"stroke" |
Line color (hex code). | "stroke": "#0080ff" |
"stroke-width" |
Line thickness in pixels. | "stroke-width": 2 |
"stroke-opacity" |
Transparency of the line color. | "stroke-opacity": 0.7 |
Example:
{
"stroke": "#0080ff",
"stroke-width": 2,
"stroke-opacity": 0.7
}Recommendation: Keep line widths under 3 px for optimal rendering speed and visual balance. Avoid using the same color for multiple overlapping line types.
For points, the following settings are customizable:
- Point features can use a simple colored circle (default) or a custom SVG icon.
| Property | Description | Example |
"image" |
URL or relative path to an SVG icon file. Must match the exact filename from the list of available icons shown below. | "image": "/static/ranger_post_black.svg" |
"width" |
Icon width in pixels. | "width": 20 |
"height" |
Icon height in pixels. | "height": 20 |
Important:
- Only SVG icons are supported. PNG or JPG files will not render correctly.
- Ensure the path and filename exactly match one from the Currently Available Feature Icons list.
Ensure that all geospatial features are correctly imported into the EarthRanger system before attempting to configure a Feature Class. You must have appropriate permissions in the EarthRanger Admin portal.
Currently Available feature icons on EarthRanger:
Save Your Changes
After editing the JSON configuration:
- Click Save to apply changes.
- Open the Map Layers > Features panel in EarthRanger Interface to verify that the styling updates are visible.
- Refresh the page if necessary.
Up Next: Configure Feature Groups for Analyzer Logic in EarthRanger Admin