Hypermaps

A hypermap is a file composed of maps in different formats organised into overlapping layers. Each layer displays a different map depending on the zoom level applied.

In other words, as you zoom in on the map in the topmost layer, it will gradually reveal the map from the next layer, and so on. This way, depending on the zoom variation, a different map will be shown without the need to manually enable or disable maps.

Hypermaps are very useful for organising maps that cover the same geographical area according to their level of detail. When you zoom in on a map and it starts to pixelate, the next higher resolution map will automatically appear. For example, you can replace a pixelated topographic map with a higher-quality orthophoto.

Layer Organisation

A hypermap can contain as many map layers as needed. This is how a hypermap is structured:

• Hypermap (.IMP file): Concatenates the different layers and defines from which resolution each should be displayed. 
   
• Map Layer 1: A low-detail map, generally used as a reference with low resolution.
   
• Map Layer 2: A more detailed map, usually covering specific regions with good resolution.
   
• Map Layer 3: A highly detailed map, covering specific areas with high resolution.
   
• Additional map layers: Increasingly detailed layers, generally covering more specific areas.

Creating a Hypermap

To create a hypermap, you only need a minimum of 2 maps. Follow these steps to set up your own hypermap:

1 - Open all the maps you want to include in the hypermap.

2 - From the data tree, open the context menu in the "Maps" category and select "New Hypermap".

3 - Drag each of the open maps from the data tree into the newly created hypermap.

4 - Arrange the maps in the order you want them to appear: hold down the left mouse button on the map you wish to move and drag it up or down to the desired position.

Important: Lower-resolution maps are usually placed above higher-resolution ones. This way, more general maps appear first, and as you zoom in, more detailed maps are displayed.

5 - Once arranged, locate the map in the top layer (Layer 1) in the map window and zoom in on it. Continue zooming in until you reach the point where you want the second map to appear (usually when the current one starts to pixelate).

6 - When you find this zoom level, open the properties of the map you wish to hide (Layer 1) and in the option "View > Far Zoom", select "XX m/pix (Current Zoom)".

7 - From this zoom level onwards, the previous map will disappear and the next one will appear. Check that it works by zooming in further and reviewing the map resolution and scale.

8 - Repeat these steps for the rest of the maps in the hypermap, except for the final layer.

9 - Check that the entire hypermap works correctly.

10 - If everything is fine, give it a name and save it (in the data tree, open the context menu on the hypermap and select "File > Save").

Important: From now on, you will no longer need to open all maps individually – you only need to open the hypermap (*.IMP file).