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mapx data in QGIS

mapx data in QGIS

Goal: Use mapx orthophoto, elevation models and vector data as layers in QGIS, without a download. You need a free token (Access and limits); append ?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN to every layer URL. Use a secret token (mx_sk_…) on your own computer: a public token only works for its allowed origins, and QGIS is not a website.

Prerequisites: QGIS 3.x (3.32 or newer for direct PMTiles).

Orthophoto as an XYZ layer

  1. In the Browser panel, right-click XYZ Tiles, New Connection.

  2. Name mapx Orthophoto, URL:

    https://tiles.mapx.at/v1/tiles/orthophoto/{z}/{x}/{y}.webp?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN

  3. Min. Zoom Level 5, Max. Zoom Level 18, Tile Resolution 512 (Mapbox style, 512 px). Leave Referer and Authentication empty; the token in the URL is enough.

  4. Save with OK and load the connection into the map by double-click.

The project CRS can be anything, QGIS reprojects the Web Mercator tiles.

DTM and DSM

The elevation tiles are Terrain-RGB: the elevation is stored in the colour channels. Use the same kind of connection with the URL

https://tiles.mapx.at/v1/tiles/terrain-rgb/{z}/{x}/{y}.webp?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN

(max. zoom 16; use dsm instead of terrain-rgb for the surface model). The layer first shows the encoded colour. Get the elevation in the Raster Calculator from the three bands:

-10000 + ("Layer@1" * 65536 + "Layer@2" * 256 + "Layer@3") * 0.1

(replace Layer with the name of your layer). The result is the elevation in metres; from it you can derive slope, aspect and hillshade.

Vector tiles

  1. Browser panel, right-click Vector Tiles, New Generic Connection.

  2. Name mapx Basemap, URL:

    https://tiles.mapx.at/v1/tiles/streets/{z}/{x}/{y}.pbf?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN

  3. Enter Min. Zoom Level 0, Max. Zoom Level 16, OK.

  4. Drag the connection into the map. QGIS first shows a default style; change the look in the layer style editor or with your own style.

The same procedure works for contours (max 16, min 10), cadastre (zoom 16) and orthophoto-flight-blocks (zoom 6 to 17). All tilesets: Tiles.

PMTiles directly (QGIS 3.32 and newer)

Vector tilesets can also be opened directly as a PMTiles file from QGIS 3.32, locally or over HTTP. The file name with its cut-off date is on each product page under key figures.

  1. Browser panel, right-click Vector Tiles, New Generic Connection.
  2. Set the Service type to PMTiles (or pick a local file) and enter the file as URL: https://tiles.mapx.at/<file>.pmtiles?access_token=YOUR_TOKEN.
  3. Save with OK and load it into the map. QGIS reads only the required tiles via HTTP range.

Imagery and elevation tiles (orthophoto, DTM, DSM) are added through the XYZ connection above.

If your QGIS version does not offer the PMTiles service type, use the vector tile connection above; it delivers the same tiles.

Next steps

Elevation profile along a lineSelf-host PMTiles