Adding Azure Map Tiles base maps to the archive

Introduction

Keeping Culture base map layers can be configured to use Azure Map Tiles service.

The following tile sets are supported:

• Road tiles – global image tiles based on vector topographical data with detailed road coverage, building footprints and points of interest.
• Satellite tiles ­– high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery that’s available worldwide and continually updated.

Azure Map Tiles is an external service separate from Keeping Culture. It is a ‘pay for what you use’ service that requires an Azure account for your organisation to access the service and to pay for its usage.

Pricing for the Azure Map Tiles – base map and imagery tiles ­– is available here.

Registering for an Azure Maps subscription key

To use Azure’s mapping services with your archive, you will need to create an Azure subscription, create an Azure Maps account and generate a subscription key for Azure Maps API. It is recommended that you follow the Create an Azure Maps account section in Azure’s documentation to get started.

Once you have a subscription key, proceed to the Adding a base map layer using an Azure Maps subscription key section in this document.

Adding a base map layer using an Azure Maps subscription key

The following instructions use Azure’s Shared Key Authentication. You will require a (Primary Key) subscription key to complete these steps.

1. In a new browser window, login to the archive using the Super Administrator account.
2. In the main menu, click the ‘Base layers’ link under the Mapping heading in the Administration tab.
3. With the Base layers page open, select ‘New base layer’ from the ‘Actions’ cog menu in the top right of the page.
4. Choose ‘Azure Tile Maps’ as the mapping service provider, then click ‘Continue’.
5. Depending on which map tile set you’re adding, enter the following properties:
   
   For Road tiles:
   – Label: Enter ‘Azure Roads’.
   – Type: Select ‘Standard roads map’.
   – Azure Maps Key: [copy-and-paste the primary key from your account]
   
   For Satellite tiles:
   – Label: Enter ‘Azure Satellite’.
   – Type: Select ‘Satellite imagery’.
   – Azure Maps Key: [copy-and-paste the primary key from your account]

6. Click ‘Continue’ and then ‘Done’.
   
   Your new base layer should now be listed on the Base layers page. If you want to use one of the new base layers as the default layer within the archive, reorder the layer to the top of the list.