Background image files

Map backgrounds provide context for your data. Use the Layer manager to add background image files to the map.

If the controller is connected to the Internet, you can use an online map provided by a web map service (WMS), instead of adding your own background images. Alternatively, you can request geographical features over the Internet using a web feature service (WFS) and then save the data as a file so that you can use it in the field without an Internet connection. For more information, see To manage web map & web feature services (WMS or WFS).

To add background image files to the map

To display a background image in the map, tap in the map toolbar to open the Layer manager and select the Map files tab. Tap the file once to make it visible. A single check mark indicates this file is visible in the map. Tap the file again if you want to hide the image from the map. To add files from a different location to the project folder, tap Browse.

Supported background image files

Background image files that you add to the project must have an associated world file to appear in the map. The following image file types and associated world files are supported:

Image files	World files
GeoTIFF	N/A
TIFF (.tif)	.wld .tfw
Bitmap (.bmp)	.wld .bpw .bmpw
JPG	.wld .jgw .jpgw jpegw
PNG (.png)	.wld .pgw .pngw

TIFF files are generally much more efficient in their use of program memory than other background image formats such as BMP, JPG or PNG. This makes it possible to load TIFF files with file sizes of 100 MB or more, while using only a few MB of program memory. However, if the TIFF file is one large tile then this means the entire file will be loaded into the program memory which will affect controller performance.