Mapeo Support Materials
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  • Introduction
  • Overview
    • About Mapeo
      • Mapeo tools
      • Peer-to-peer & Mapeo sync
      • How Mapeo is being used
    • Is Mapeo right for me?
    • FAQs
  • Quick start guide
    • Getting started
    • Mapeo Mobile
    • Mapeo Desktop
  • Complete Reference guide
    • Welcome – Introduction
    • 🗒️Essentials for a successful Mapeo project
      • Planning a Mapeo project
        • What is the project goal?
        • What outputs do you want?
        • What information to collect?
          • Data types within Mapeo
        • Who should be involved and how?
        • What are the parameters?
      • Security & risk assessment
      • Creating user protocols
    • ✔️Will Mapeo work out-of-the-box for me?
      • Default configuration
      • Default background map
    • ⚙️Customization options
      • Translating Mapeo & default configurations
      • Custom configurations
        • Creating custom configurations
          • Planning configuration & data structure
            • Categories
            • Icons
            • Details fields
          • Coding configuration
            • Adding icon files
              • Creating and exporting SVG files using Adobe Illustrator
              • Creating and exporting SVG files using Inkscape
            • Creating details fields
            • Creating categories
            • Defining geometry defaults
            • Adding a project key
            • Adding project name and version
            • Building configuration file
              • Via the command line
              • Using GitHub Actions
          • Testing and iterating
      • Custom background maps
        • Creating custom background maps
          • Generating map files in .mbtiles format for the experimental Background Maps feature
    • 📱Mapeo Mobile installation & setup
      • Installing Mapeo Mobile
      • Choosing Mapeo Mobile settings
      • Experiments: Turning on experimental features
        • Directional Arrow
        • P2P (peer-to-peer) App Updates
        • Background Maps
        • Security
          • App Passcode
          • Obscure Passcode
      • Importing configurations into Mapeo Mobile
      • Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Mobile
      • Updating Mapeo Mobile
    • 📱Mapeo Mobile use
      • Activating GPS and viewing current location
      • Creating observations
      • Viewing observations
      • Editing and deleting observations
      • Sharing data externally
      • Syncing data via Wi-Fi
    • 💻Mapeo Desktop installation & setup
      • Installing Mapeo Desktop
      • Choosing Mapeo Desktop language
      • Importing configurations to Mapeo Desktop
      • Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Desktop
      • Updating Mapeo Desktop
    • 💻Mapeo Desktop use
      • Mapeo Desktop for managing Mapeo Mobile data (Observations mode)
        • Synchronizing data
          • Synchronizing via Wi-Fi
          • Synchronizing with a file
        • Viewing observations
        • Editing and deleting observations
        • Exporting data & sharing externally
      • Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode)
        • Navigating around the map
        • Creating and editing territory data
        • Changing background maps in Territory mode
        • Importing and using external geospatial data
        • Exporting and syncing data
      • Synchronizing data with Mapeo Desktop
    • 💡Mapeo trainings
      • Defining goals and format
      • Structuring a training
        • Best practices for planning a training
        • Structuring the agenda, content and activities
          • Suggestions for the different sections of a training event
          • Tips and suggested activities for training key features of Mapeo
          • Materials and resources available for the training event
      • Preparing equipment and supplies for a training
        • Recommended equipment and supplies
        • Tech preparation before doing in-person training
    • 🔧Troubleshooting
      • I can't start Mapeo
      • Mapeo closes automatically
      • I have problems with the GPS in Mapeo
        • GPS is not activated in Mapeo
        • My GPS signal is very weak
      • I have problems with the camera in Mapeo
        • I get a black screen when using the camera
      • I want to update Mapeo Mobile permissions
      • I have sync issues
        • I want to connect to Wi-Fi
        • I want to create local Wi-Fi networks
          • With a portable router
          • With a smartphone
        • The device I want to sync with does not show up on my Synchronize screen
        • I get an error when I try to sync with another device
        • I can't sync with the sync file
        • The person I want to sync with has deleted valuable data
      • Sharing files between devices
      • Saving and printing Mapeo reference materials
      • How do I back up Mapeo Desktop data?
    • Glossary & quick reference sheets
      • Glossary of Mapeo related terms
      • Overview of Mapeo Desktop Territory mode screen
  • For developers
    • Mapeo architecture overview
    • Mapeo repositories
    • Localization
  • Support
  • Additional references
  • Digital Democracy website
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On this page
  • Windows computer
  • Locate and copy the contents of the Mapeo background map package
  • Paste the copied elements into the Mapeo/styles/default folder
  • Reload Mapeo Desktop
  • macOS computer
  • Locate and copy the contents of the Mapeo background map package
  • Navigate to the Mapeo/styles folder
  • Paste the copied elements into the Mapeo/styles/default folder
  • Restart Mapeo Desktop
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  1. Complete Reference guide
  2. Mapeo Desktop installation & setup

Adding custom background maps to Mapeo Desktop

PreviousImporting configurations to Mapeo DesktopNextUpdating Mapeo Desktop

Last updated 3 years ago

By default, Mapeo Desktop in Observations mode uses a that shows some geographical elements such as rivers and hills, as well as some political and urban elements such as borders, cities, roads, etc. Mapeo Desktop in Territory mode offers a range of background maps including satellite imagery, OpenStreetMap, and more.

If you have a , you can add it and use it in Mapeo Desktop without affecting the data collected. (For more on creating custom background maps, see Custom background maps.)

Adding a background map to Mapeo Desktop requires some technical skills and should be done by someone comfortable copying and pasting files within the internal file system. A mistake in this process could cause irreversible undesired effects.

To add a background map to Mapeo Desktop, follow the instructions below for your operating system:

Windows computer

Locate and copy the contents of the Mapeo background map package

Mapeo background maps will often be shared as a compressed file(.zip). If your background map is a .zip file, double click the file to unzip it.

Standard vector background maps for Mapeo will contain the file elements listed below: 3 folders and 2 files.

Raster background maps will contain different files and folders than those pictured above. Raster maps for Mapeo consist of one folder (tiles) and one file (style.json).

Select and copy all of the elements found inside your background map folder.

Paste the copied elements into the Mapeo/styles/default folder

  1. In the Windows search engine, type %APPDATA% , and open the folder that appears with this name.

  2. Inside the AppData folder, click on the Mapeo subfolder, then click on the styles subfolder.

  3. If there is not already a default folder inside your styles folder, you will need to create one. To do so, right-click inside the styles folder and create a new folder named default.

  4. Paste the background map elements you copied into the default folder.

Reload Mapeo Desktop

For more on loading custom background maps into Territory mode in Mapeo Desktop, see Changing background maps in Territory mode in the Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode) section.

macOS computer

Locate and copy the contents of the Mapeo background map package

Mapeo background maps will often be shared as a compressed file(.zip). If your background map is a .zip file, double click the file to unzip it.

A Mapeo background map consists of several folders and files that need to be copied into the file system of Mapeo Desktop. Standard vector background maps for Mapeo will contain the file elements listed below - 3 folders and 2 files.

Raster background maps will contain different files and folders than those pictured above. Raster maps for Mapeo consist of one folder (tiles) and one file (style.json).

Select and copy all of the elements found inside your background map folder.

Navigate to the Mapeo/styles folder

  1. Click on Finder on your computer.

  2. In the top menu bar, click on Go, then select Go to Folder...

  3. Type in ~/Library/Application Support/Mapeo/styles in the address bar and click on Go.

Paste the copied elements into the Mapeo/styles/default folder

If there is not already a default folder inside your styles folder, you will need to create one. To do so, control-click inside the styles folder and create a new folder named default.

Paste the background map elements you copied into the default folder.

Restart Mapeo Desktop

For more on loading custom background maps into Territory mode in Mapeo Desktop, see Changing background maps in Territory mode in the Mapeo Desktop for creating territory data (Territory mode) section.

Use Ctrl + R on your keyboard to reload Mapeo or restart Mapeo Desktop to begin using the custom background map.

Use Command (⌘)-R on your keyboard to reload Mapeo or restart Mapeo Desktop to begin using the custom background map.

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background map
custom background map
Windows computer
macOS computer