Adding HERE Raster Tiles to ArcGIS Online as a Basemap

How do you add a HERE Raster Tile Layer as a basemap in your ESRI ArcGIS Online organization?

Many people are accustomed to working with ESRI software and if you're a HERE customer, you may want to also use HERE basemaps to support your projects.

This tutorial will walk through:

1. How to set up a HERE basemap in your ArcGIS Online organization using the HERE Raster Tile API
2. How to change HERE basemap styles and save them for future use
3. How to add HERE basemaps to your ArcGIS Online basemap catalog

Let's get to it!

How to set up a HERE basemap in your ArcGIS Online Organization

Whether you have a personal account on www.arcgis.com or your company manages one, the process for setting up a HERE basemap remains the same. There are several ways to do this, but in this tutorial, I’ll guide you through the workflow I used to set up basemaps for the HERE Technologies ArcGIS Online account.

You will be working with this URL structure:

        https://maps.hereapi.com/v3/base/mc/{level}/{col}/{row}/png?apiKey={APIKEY}
  

The URL dynamically loads raster tiles based on the zoom level and the specific row and column of the map grid, authenticated via the API key.

1. {level}: This represents the zoom level of the map tile. The zoom level controls how much detail is visible on the map.
2. {col}: This parameter stands for the column index of the tile. The map is divided into a grid, and each tile has a unique column number that corresponds to its horizontal position on the grid.
3. {row}: This represents the row index of the tile in the grid. Like col, this is used to determine the vertical position of the tile in the overall map.
4. png: This specifies the image format of the map tile. In this case, the tiles are returned in PNG format, a common format for web map tiles.
5. apiKey={APIKEY}: This is your API key, which is required to authenticate and authorize your access to HERE Maps services. You will replace {APIKEY} with your actual API key provided by HERE.

As an example we will be using this end point/URL:

        https://maps.hereapi.com/v3/base/mc/{level}/{col}/{row}/png?apiKey=EBo2B7qtav5msOzeu3
  

The {level}/{col}/{row}/png part of the URL will remain unchanged; the only thing you'll need is a valid API key to add to the URL string.

I recommend constructing the URL string in a text editor (such as Notepad) before pasting it into the ArcGIS Online interface, as the web interface may clear input fields when additional values are pasted.

1. Open ArcGIS Online and select "Map Tab"

2. Select "Add layer from URL"

3. Add your Connection URL in the URL section & enable "Use as basemap"

4. Click Next and add a Title and Attribution to your Layer

5. Add the layer to a map

6. In the Navigation Panel Select Save As and name your map for reference:

How to change HERE basemap styles and save them for future use

HERE offers a variety of basemap styles that you can explore and customize to suit your project needs. You can find a list of available styles and detailed instructions in the HERE Raster Tile API Developer Guide. 

For those transitioning from an earlier version, the HERE Raster Tile API - Migration Guide will introduce you to the differences between V2 and V3 of the Raster Tile API. This guide also explains how to construct URLs correctly, ensuring you can leverage the full capabilities of the API. To modify the basemap style, you will need to adjust the URL. Make sure the URL always includes {level}/{col}/{row} to ensure proper tile loading in ArcGIS Online. 

For example, the following URL with fixed values:

        https://maps.hereapi.com/v3/base/mc/13/4347/2917/png?style=explore.night&apiKey={API_KEY}&size=512
  

Should be translated into a dynamic URL format like this:

        https://maps.hereapi.com/v3/base/mc/{level}/{col}/{row}/png?apiKey=EBo2B7qtav5msOzeu3&size=512&style=explore.night
  

In simple terms, 13/4347/2917 is replaced with  {level}/{col}/{row} and style=explore.night added to the request parameters. This specifies that you are using the Night style for the basemap and it allows you to customize the appearance of the basemap. You can replace explore.night with other available styles as per your project requirements.

Here is a list of styles I have added to my Basemap Catalog:

How to add HERE basemaps to your ArcGIS Online basemap catalog

Once you have configured your HERE basemaps and are satisfied with the setup, you can add them to your ArcGIS Online basemap catalog for future use. This process ensures that the basemaps are readily available not only for your ArcGIS Online projects but also in tools like ArcGIS Pro, Insights, and others, keeping them accessible in the list of available basemaps.

To assist you in this process, follow the tutorial shared by Bern Szukalski: Custom Basemap Gallery in ArcGIS Online.

Thank you for following along, and happy integration!