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NIMBO Hillshade

Add depth and dimension to your basemaps with the Nimbo Global Hillshade layer. Derived from our high-precision Nimbo Terrain data, this pre-calculated layer provides a visually stunning representation of the world’s relief, optimized for both aesthetic appeal and topographic clarity.

nimbo_hillshade.png

Overview

Section titled “Overview”

The Global Hillshade layer is a raster tile service providing a greyscale representation of the terrain’s surface. Unlike standard, on-the-fly generated hillshades, our layer is pre-processed using advanced cartographic techniques to ensure consistent lighting, maximized contrast, and artifact-free tile edges.

It is designed to be used as an overlay (with transparency/multiply blend modes) on top of satellite imagery or vector maps to highlight topography.

Key Features

Section titled “Key Features”
  • Source Data: Based on Nimbo Terrain (RGB encoded DEM).
  • Zoom Levels: Available from Zoom 0 to Zoom 10.
  • Format: Highly compressed, quality-optimized WebP.
  • Adaptive Lighting: Sun altitude and azimuth are tuned per zoom level to maintain readability from global views to local valleys.
  • Seamless Edges: Processed with edge-reflection padding to eliminate grid artifacts common in standard tile generation.

Technical Specifications

Section titled “Technical Specifications”
FeatureDescription
Coordinate SystemWeb Mercator (EPSG:3857)
Tile Size256x256 px
FormatWebP (Grayscale)
CoverageGlobal
ResolutionPre-calculated up to Zoom 10 (approx. 150m/pixel at equator)
Endpointhttps://prod-data.nimbo.earth/tiles/hillshade/{z}/{x}/{y}.webp?kermap_token=<YOUR_TOKEN>

Note: For zoom levels higher than 10, we recommend falling back to client-side hillshading using the Nimbo Terrain RGB tiles to ensure maximum detail at street level.

Integration Guide

Section titled “Integration Guide”

The Hillshade layer is best utilized with a “Multiply” raster-opacity blending mode. This allows the shadows to darken the underlying map (satellite or vector) while keeping the highlights transparent, creating a natural 3D effect.

MapLibre GL JS / Mapbox GL JS

Section titled “MapLibre GL JS / Mapbox GL JS”

Here is how to add the source and layer to your map style:

map.on('load', () => {
  // 1. Add the Hillshade Source
  map.addSource('nimbo-hillshade-source', {
    'type': 'raster',
    'tiles': [
      'https://prod-data.nimbo.earth/tiles/hillshade/{z}/{x}/{y}.webp?kermap_token=<YOUR_TOKEN>'
    ],
    'tileSize': 256,
    'maxzoom': 10
  });


  // 2. Add the Layer with "multiply" blending
  map.addLayer({
    'id': 'nimbo-hillshade-layer',
    'type': 'raster',
    'source': 'nimbo-hillshade-source',
    'paint': {
      'raster-opacity': 0.6,       // Adjust intensity (0.0 - 1.0)
      'raster-fade-duration': 0
    }
    // Note: MapLibre does not support 'raster-blend-mode': 'multiply' natively
    // in the style spec yet, but standard opacity often suffices.
    // For advanced blending, CSS composition filters on the canvas container
    // or specific map renderers may be required.
  }, 'your-label-layer-id'); // Insert below labels
});

Leaflet

Section titled “Leaflet”
L.tileLayer('https://prod-data.nimbo.earth/tiles/hillshade/{z}/{x}/{y}.webp?kermap_token=<YOUR_TOKEN>', {
    maxZoom: 10,
    attribution: '&copy; <a href="https://nimbo.earth">Nimbo</a>',
    opacity: 0.5 // Adjust based on base layer brightness
}).addTo(map);

Desktop GIS

Section titled “Desktop GIS”

Want to use Nimbo Hillshade for your cartographic projects in QGIS or ArcGIS?

comparison_nimbo_basemap_vs_hillshade_overlay.png

Visual comparison: Nimbo Basemap without (left) and with (right) the Nimbo Hillshade layer applied.

Methodology & Processing

Section titled “Methodology & Processing”

Why use the Nimbo Global Hillshade instead of generating it yourself? We have applied a robust processing pipeline designed to solve common GIS visualization issues.

1. Adaptive Sun Control

Section titled “1. Adaptive Sun Control”

Standard hillshades often look too dark when zoomed out or too flat when zoomed in. We utilize a Zoom-Dependent Parameter tuning (Z-Curve).

  • Low Zooms (0-4): High vertical exaggeration and steeper sun angles to highlight major mountain ranges.
  • High Zooms (5-10): Reduced exaggeration and “S-Curve” contrast adjustments to preserve subtle terrain details without over-saturation.

2. Visual Enhancement

Section titled “2. Visual Enhancement”

Before generating the shade, the elevation data undergoes a slight Gaussian blur (to reduce noise) and Sharpening (to enhance ridges), followed by a non-linear S-Curve contrast pass. This results in a “cartographic grade” image that pops off the screen compared to linear renderings.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”