Load a WMS-Layer

WMS stands for Web Map Service. WMS produces maps of spatially referenced data dynamically from geographic information. These maps are rendered in a pictorial format for example PNG, GIF or JPEG. The operations can be done using a standard web browser which submitt requests in form of a URL. The OGC WMS specification standardizes the way in which maps are requested by clients and the way that servers describe their data holdings.

Clients

A growing number of clients supporting WMS or WFS standards.

• ArcGIS
• Quantum GIS
• UDIG
• OpenLayes - pure javascript library for displying map data in most web browsers

Requests

There are differnt types of requests, but only two are required by any wms server:

• GetCapabilities - returns parameters about the WMS and the available layers
• GetMap - with parameters provided, returns a map image

Add WMS layer

If you want to integrate a WMS-Layer to QGIS 3 follow these steps:

1. Open Data Source Manager
2. Click WMS/WMTS .
3. Layers --> New. Type a name for the new WMS connection e.g. BKG DTK250 (Digitale Topographische Karte 1:250,000, Bundesamt für Kartographie and Geodäsie, Frankfurt).
4. Type the URL : http://sg.geodatenzentrum.de/wms_dtk250

1. Click OK
2. Click Connect
3. Now a list of all downloadable layers appears.
4. Mark one of the layers and click Add

Add Google Maps layers

1. Open Data Source Manager
2. To add the Google Maps map service in QGIS 3 simply, go to XYZ Tiles in the Browser panel.
3. Right-click on XYZ Tiles and choose XYZ Connections New.
4. Enter the name for the WMS Service fo example: Google Satellite
5. Copy and paste the URL: https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=s&hl=en&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}
6. Adjust the maximum zoom level 19, confirm with OK.
7. To view inside QGIS go to the Browser panel. Unfold the XYZ Tiles and double-click or drag the XYZ Tile service to the Layers panel.
8. Configure additional WMS connections in the same manner using the URLs of this table:

WMS Name	URL
Google Satellite	https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=s&hl=en&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}
Google Streets	https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=m&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}
Google Terrain	https://mt1.google.com/vt/lyrs=p&x={x}&y={y}&z={z}
OpenStreetMap Mapnick	http://tile.openstreetmap.org/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
OSM Cycle Map	http://tile.thunderforest.com/cycle/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
OSM Black and White	http://tiles.wmflabs.org/bw-mapnik/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
Bing Maps	http://ecn.t3.tiles.virtualearth.net/tiles/a{q}.jpeg?g=1
ESRI Streets	https://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Street_Map/MapServer/tile/{z}/{y}/{x}
Carto Positron	https://cartodb-basemaps-a.global.ssl.fastly.net/light_all/{z}/{x}/{y}.png
Stamen Terrain	http://a.tile.stamen.com/terrain/{z}/{x}/{y}.png

Add Digital Ortho Photos (DOP) of Lower Saxony

Since 2022 digital otho photos in Lower Saxony are published as open geodata under the License „Datenlizenz Deutschland – Namensnennung – Version 2.0“. They can be directly downloaded or used as WMS in QGIS.

1. Open Data Source Manager
2. Click WMS/WMTS .
3. Layers --> New. Type a name for the new WMS connection e.g. NDS DOP (Digitales Orthophoto (DOP) Niedersachsen).
4. Type the URL : https://www.geobasisdaten.niedersachsen.de/doorman/noauth/wms_ni_dop?&request=getCapabilities&service=WMS

1. Click OK
2. Click Connect
3. Now a list of all downloadable layers appears.
4. Mark one of the layers and click Add

Related articles

• OpenStreet Map layer