---
# System prepended metadata

title: Map Service Guide
tags: [R4MP]

---

# Map Service Guide

## Feature Layers

These live on ArcGIS Servers.

Production: https://maps-cartes.ec.gc.ca/ArcGIS/rest/services/
Danbo's Server: https://section917.canadacentral.cloudapp.azure.com/arcgis/rest/services/

You find one by going into anything that has `(MapServer)`. This is usually the case.

E.g. the test data folder is all of that type:  https://section917.canadacentral.cloudapp.azure.com/arcgis/rest/services/TestData

Go into the service, and you will see a tree of layers. E.g. https://section917.canadacentral.cloudapp.azure.com/arcgis/rest/services/TestData/EcoAction/MapServer

A feature layer needs to be a leaf of the tree, and a "Feature Layer". So in the above, `en` and `fr` (indexes `0` and `5`) can't be used, they are "Group Layer"s. Other 

The URL you feed to the wizard has the number on the end. E.g. https://section917.canadacentral.cloudapp.azure.com/arcgis/rest/services/TestData/EcoAction/MapServer/6

Sample 15 is the fastest way to get a couple of feature layers without having to go through the wizard.

## Map Image Layers

Almost the same as Feature Layers. But instead of drilling down to a leaf, you provide the entire service. The wizard will then let you select one or more items in the tree of layers for that service.

E.g. (notice no number on the end, otherwise same)

https://section917.canadacentral.cloudapp.azure.com/arcgis/rest/services/TestData/EcoAction/MapServer/

Sample 16 is the fastest way to get a couple of MILs without having to go through the wizard.

## WFS (OGC Web Feature Service)

These behave real similar to Feature Layers but come from a different source. Sort of arcane to derive the URL so best is to ask on the QA chat when you need one. Here is one that you can drop in the wizard.

https://api.weather.gc.ca//collections/ahccd-trends/items?measurement_type__type_mesure=total_precip&period__periode=Ann&offset=0&limit=150&province__province=ab

Sample 1 can get you one without the wizard (the layer is called `WFSLayer` in the legend).

## WMS (OGC Web Map Service)

Same as WFS, but these are analogous to Map Image Layer.

https://geo.weather.gc.ca/geomet-climate?SERVICE=WMS&VERSION=1.3.0

Note these services expose piles of layers, so can be a bit slow and the tree picker in the wizard is large.

Also worth noting that anything added through the wizard may have ugly or broken identify details when clicking them. The services are unruly and not standardized so usually requires configuration to pretty up the results. 

Sample 25 can get you one without the wizard, and it has the identify result configured nicely.

## Tile Layer

Work similar to MILs, but are tiles, no data. They need to match the basemap, wizard will bark at you if its wrong.

ESRI Tiles (Mercator): https://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services
NrCan Tiles (Lambert): https://geoappext.nrcan.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/BaseMaps
Overlay Tiles (Lambert): https://maps-cartes.ec.gc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/Overlays

Most of these look like basemaps but you can toggle them and reorder them to see they are floating above the base.

They don't do much so are typically just in basemaps (which are in every sample).

## Imagery Layer

These are fairly rare. They just provide images, most of our stuff wants data as well.

https://agriculture.canada.ca/atlas/rest/services/servicesimage/utilisation_des_terres_30m_2020/ImageServer

Sample 24 will load one from config, it's the "Agriculture" layer and is the colourful swath across southern Canada.