Accessing WMS Data - MapInfo_Pro - 2023

Once you have added a WMS server, you can retrieve map data from it. Keep in mind that the maps you are looking for may not exist for your geography. Further, the data that is provided is determined by the server.

When you retrieve map data from a WMS server, you actually create a .TAB file from the WMS layer(s) that you select. And when you create a .TAB file from WMS layer(s), you are actually creating a pointer to an XML file that keeps track of the data you selected, i.e., the server address, the selected layer(s), the styles, the format, and the projection settings. You never actually retrieve the data and save it on your computer.

Every time you add a WMS table as a layer to your map or you change the view of the map, the system generates a map request and retrieves the layer information. To do this, the .TAB file points to an XML file which retrieves the information from the WMS Server and displays it on your computer.

To access WMS data and build a .TAB file:

1. On the HOME tab, in the File group, click Open, and WMS to open the Open WMS Table dialog box.
2. Click the Move Up and the Move Down buttons to arrange the layers appropriately.
   Note: The WMS servers that display in the WMS Server list are based on a list we have compiled for you. Precisely has no control over the availability of these servers at any given time. The availability of WMS data depends upon the status of the server and the status of the maps on those servers. You can customize this list to suit your needs. To add a WMS server, see Adding a WMS Server.
3. To work with the layers from a particular server, select a WMS server from the drop-down list.

   To see the details of a particular WMS Server, including the Server URL, the Server Name, version, and usually a server supplied description, click Details.

   If you do not see the server you are looking for in the WMS Server drop-down list, click the Servers button to display the WMS Servers List.

4. When you have completed your work in the WMS Servers List, click OK to return to the Open WMS Table dialog box.
5. Review the list of available layers for the server you selected and do one of the following:
   • Double-click one or more layer(s) you want to retrieve in the WMS Layers list to move them to the right pane
   • Click each layer you want to retrieve from the server and click Add to move them to the right pane
     Note: The topmost layers display over the bottom most layers.
6. Decide how you want to use these WMS server layers and do one of the following:
   • To create a single .TAB file with several WMS layers in it, select all of the layers for that .TAB file so they display in the right pane. Then organize them in the order you want them to display using the Move Up and Move Down buttons.
   • To create individual .TAB files for the WMS server layers you want, select one layer at a time, select the appropriate Style, Format, and Projection options from their drop-down lists and save the .TAB file. Repeat this process for each layer you want to retrieve.

     Using either method, you move the layer(s) you selected to the right pane. The Style, Projection, and Image Format information associated this layer or layers change to reflect either the attributes of the single layer or the attributes that all the layers have in common. We describe the process for changing and selecting these attributes below.

     Note: To remove a layer from the list in the right pane, select the layer you want to remove and click the Remove button.
7. If there are styles associated with the layer(s) you selected, they display in the Style drop-down list. Styles indicate the visual display options available with this layer and are supplied by the web server. Initially, we display the selected layer in the server's default style. The style that displays pertains to the currently selected layer.

   To change the style of a layer, click it in the left or right pane and select the style from the Style drop-down list. The styles you select for a layer do not pertain to any other layer in the list.

   Note: You can also change these image display style attributes later. On the Layers window, right-click on the WMS layer and choose Layer Properties. In the dialog box you can change the image's translucency and transparency as well as other raster display properties available in MapInfo Pro.
8. Choose a format for the layer from the Image Format drop-down list. The options that display in this list may differ depending upon the formats the server supports and the formats we support. We support: PNG, JPEG (JPG), TIFF (GeoTIFF and TIFF) and GIF formats, in that order of priority.
9. To change the background options, specify them in the Image Background box. To make the background of your layer transparent, click the Transparent check box and select the color of the background. Click the Color button to display the list of colors.
   Note: The more color depth the image has, the more difficulty you have isolating the background for transparency purposes. If you experience problems with transparency with one image format, try another, if it is available.
10. The Coordinate Reference System Projections drop-down list displays all of the projections that the selected layers have in common. This list is disabled when the selected layers do not have any projections in common. If the Projections drop-down list is disabled, you cannot make a map request. The SRS Code is still indicated when you select the Show Projection Description instead of SRS check box.
    Note: Selecting the Show Projection Description instead of SRS check box may slow down performance.

    Select the Show Projection Description instead of SRS check box to display the projection name. If you clear this check box, the SRS codes display instead.

    Note: To enable this list, try removing layers one at a time to see if the problem is caused by layers not having projections in common.
11. To enter a name for this table, do one of the following:
    • Click the button at the end of the Table Filename field to display the Please specify a TAB filename dialog box. Select the path and type the file name in the Filename field and click OK.
    • Type the path into the Table Filename field.
    Note: There are three conditions that might prevent you from saving the .TAB file at this point. To save the .TAB file you must:

    • Select at least one valid layer from the WMS Server list.
    • Layer(s) must contain a supported projection.
    • Type a valid .TAB file name.
12. Select the view for this map in the Preferred View drop-down list to determine where the WMS table should display after you open it. Options include: Automatic, Current Mapper, New Mapper, and No View.
13. Click OK to generate the WMS map request.

Once you have saved a WMS table name, you can change its WMS layer settings using the WMS Table Properties dialog box. To access this dialog box, on the TABLE tab, in the Maintenance group, click Web Services, and WMS Table Properties. When this dialog box displays, select the layer you want to edit the settings for that layer. You can also add, remove, and reorder the WMS layers, change the projection, image formats, and background options of the layers. Remember, you can edit the display attributes for the WMS table by clicking the Style Override swatch for the layer in Layers window.