Map tiles refer to a series of map tile files containing multiple scales within specified map bounds. The process of splitting map data into various formats and storage types through tiling significantly improves the access efficiency of online maps. Organized in a pyramid structure, each map tile is uniquely identified by its level, row, and column numbers. During map panning or zooming, the browser calculates required tiles based on pyramid rules, retrieves them from tile servers, and assembles them.

Figure: Schematic Diagram of Map Tiles Pyramid Structure

This chapter covers the following contents:

• Tile Types: Introduces two major tile types provided by SuperMap - raster tiles and vector tiles, along with comparative analysis between them.
• Tile Storage Formats: Describes characteristics of three different tile storage formats and provides guidance on selecting appropriate formats.
• Map Tiles Directory Structure: Explains directory structures of different tile versions supported by SuperMap to enhance understanding of tile organization.
• Best Practices for Map Tiles Production: Provides recommendations for efficient map tiles generation.