Map Visualization

Overview

TeeChart VCL provides comprehensive mapping capabilities for geographic data visualization. The map series support world maps, country boundaries, state/province regions, custom map layers, and integration with geographic databases.

World Map Series

The WorldSeries component displays world maps with country boundaries and geographic features.

Basic World Map

Location: Map_Layers/Unit_Maps.pas

unit Unit_Maps;

type
  TFormMaps = class(TForm)
    Chart1: TChart;
    Series1: TWorldSeries;
    ChartTool1: TMarksTipTool;
  end;

procedure TFormMaps.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  Chart1.AutoRepaint := False;
  
  // Disable overflow checking for large coordinates
  Chart1.Axes.Left.IUseTeeMaxPixelPos := True;
  Chart1.Axes.Bottom.IUseTeeMaxPixelPos := True;
  Chart1.Axes.FastCalc := True;
  
  // Load world map data
  Series1.LoadFromFile('WorldMap.shp');  // Shapefile
  
  // Map appearance
  Series1.Pen.Color := clBlack;
  Series1.Pen.Width := 1;
  Series1.Color := clWhite;
  
  Chart1.AutoRepaint := True;
end;

Key Features:

Shapefile (.shp) support
Country boundary rendering
Interactive tooltips
Zoom and pan capabilities

Map with Layers

Location: Map_Layers/Unit_Maps.pas

procedure LoadMultipleLayers;
begin
  // Base world map
  WorldLayer := TWorldSeries.Create(Self);
  WorldLayer.ParentChart := Chart1;
  WorldLayer.LoadFromFile('World.shp');
  WorldLayer.Color := clMoneyGreen;
  
  // Country borders
  BorderLayer := TMapSeries.Create(Self);
  BorderLayer.ParentChart := Chart1;
  BorderLayer.LoadFromFile('Borders.shp');
  BorderLayer.Pen.Color := clBlack;
  BorderLayer.Pen.Width := 2;
  
  // Cities (point data)
  CitiesLayer := TMapSeries.Create(Self);
  CitiesLayer.ParentChart := Chart1;
  CitiesLayer.LoadFromFile('Cities.shp');
  CitiesLayer.Pointer.Style := psCircle;
  CitiesLayer.Pointer.HorizSize := 3;
  CitiesLayer.Pointer.VertSize := 3;
  CitiesLayer.Pointer.Color := clRed;
end;

Map Layer Types

Polygon Layers
Line Layers
Point Layers

Display filled regions (countries, states, districts)

PolygonLayer := TMapSeries.Create(Self);
PolygonLayer.LoadFromFile('Countries.shp');
PolygonLayer.Brush.Color := clSkyBlue;
PolygonLayer.Pen.Color := clNavy;

Display linear features (roads, rivers, borders)

RiverLayer := TMapSeries.Create(Self);
RiverLayer.LoadFromFile('Rivers.shp');
RiverLayer.Pen.Color := clBlue;
RiverLayer.Pen.Width := 2;

Display point locations (cities, markers, POIs)

CityLayer := TMapSeries.Create(Self);
CityLayer.LoadFromFile('Cities.shp');
CityLayer.Pointer.Style := psCircle;
CityLayer.ShowLabels := True;

Spherical Maps

Display maps on a 3D sphere for globe visualization. Location: Map_Spherical_FIPS/Unit1.pas

unit Map_Spherical;

type
  TSphericalMapForm = class(TForm)
    Chart1: TChart;
    WorldSeries1: TWorldSeries;
    RotateTool1: TRotateTool;
  end;

procedure TSphericalMapForm.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
begin
  // Enable 3D spherical projection
  Chart1.View3D := True;
  
  // Configure spherical map
  WorldSeries1.MapProjection := mpSpherical;
  WorldSeries1.LoadFromFile('World.shp');
  
  // 3D view settings
  Chart1.View3DOptions.Rotation := 345;
  Chart1.View3DOptions.Elevation := 345;
  Chart1.View3DOptions.Perspective := 0;  // Orthogonal
  
  // Enable interactive rotation
  RotateTool1.Active := True;
end;

Map Projections

Geographic (Equirectangular)

Default projection with simple lat/lon mapping

WorldSeries1.MapProjection := mpGeographic;

Mercator

Conformal cylindrical projection

WorldSeries1.MapProjection := mpMercator;

Spherical (3D Globe)

3D spherical projection on globe

WorldSeries1.MapProjection := mpSpherical;
Chart1.View3D := True;

Lambert

Conic conformal projection

WorldSeries1.MapProjection := mpLambert;

Choropleth Maps

Color-code regions based on data values.

procedure CreateChoroplethMap;
var
  i: Integer;
  CountryCode: String;
  Value: Double;
begin
  WorldSeries1.LoadFromFile('World.shp');
  
  // Color countries based on data
  for i := 0 to WorldSeries1.Count - 1 do
  begin
    CountryCode := WorldSeries1.Labels[i];
    Value := GetDataForCountry(CountryCode);
    
    // Color based on value range
    if Value < 10 then
      WorldSeries1.ValueColor[i] := clGreen
    else if Value < 50 then
      WorldSeries1.ValueColor[i] := clYellow
    else
      WorldSeries1.ValueColor[i] := clRed;
  end;
  
  // Add legend showing color scale
  AddColorLegend(Chart1, 0, 100);
end;

Interactive Map Features

Zoom and Pan

uses TeeTools;

procedure EnableMapNavigation;
var
  ZoomTool: TZoomTool;
  PanTool: TPanningTool;
begin
  // Add zoom tool
  ZoomTool := TZoomTool.Create(Self);
  ZoomTool.ParentChart := Chart1;
  ZoomTool.Active := True;
  
  // Add pan tool
  PanTool := TPanningTool.Create(Self);
  PanTool.ParentChart := Chart1;
  PanTool.Active := True;
  PanTool.MouseButton := mbRight;  // Right-click to pan
end;

Region Selection

procedure TFormMaps.WorldSeries1ClickShape(Sender: TCustomMapSeries;
  ShapeIndex: Integer);
var
  RegionName: String;
begin
  // Get clicked region
  RegionName := WorldSeries1.Labels[ShapeIndex];
  
  // Highlight selected region
  WorldSeries1.ValueColor[ShapeIndex] := clYellow;
  
  // Show region details
  ShowMessage(Format('Selected: %s', [RegionName]));
  
  // Zoom to selected region
  ZoomToShape(WorldSeries1, ShapeIndex);
end;

Tooltips and Marks

procedure ConfigureMapTooltips;
var
  MarksTip: TMarksTipTool;
begin
  // Add tooltip tool
  MarksTip := TMarksTipTool.Create(Self);
  MarksTip.ParentChart := Chart1;
  MarksTip.Active := True;
  
  // Configure tooltip appearance
  MarksTip.MouseDelay := 100;
  MarksTip.Style := smsLabel;
  
  // Custom tooltip text
  WorldSeries1.OnGetMarkText := WorldSeries1GetMarkText;
end;

procedure TFormMaps.WorldSeries1GetMarkText(Sender: TChartSeries;
  ValueIndex: Integer; var MarkText: String);
begin
  // Custom tooltip content
  MarkText := Format('%s\nPopulation: %s\nArea: %s km²', [
    WorldSeries1.Labels[ValueIndex],
    GetPopulation(ValueIndex),
    GetArea(ValueIndex)
  ]);
end;

FIPS Code Integration

Work with FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards) codes. Location: Map_Spherical_FIPS/Unit1.pas

procedure LoadMapWithFIPS;
begin
  // Load map with FIPS codes
  WorldSeries1.LoadFromFile('USA_FIPS.shp');
  
  // Access by FIPS code
  StateIndex := WorldSeries1.FindShapeByFIPS('06');  // California
  
  if StateIndex >= 0 then
  begin
    WorldSeries1.ValueColor[StateIndex] := clRed;
    WorldSeries1.Labels[StateIndex] := 'California';
  end;
end;

Custom Map Data

Adding Custom Shapes

procedure AddCustomRegion;
var
  MapSeries: TMapSeries;
  Points: array of TPoint;
begin
  MapSeries := TMapSeries.Create(Self);
  MapSeries.ParentChart := Chart1;
  
  // Define polygon points
  SetLength(Points, 5);
  Points[0] := TPoint.Create(-100, 40);
  Points[1] := TPoint.Create(-90, 40);
  Points[2] := TPoint.Create(-90, 35);
  Points[3] := TPoint.Create(-100, 35);
  Points[4] := Points[0];  // Close polygon
  
  // Add custom shape
  MapSeries.AddShape(Points);
  MapSeries.Labels[MapSeries.Count - 1] := 'Custom Region';
end;

Loading from Database

procedure LoadMapFromDatabase;
begin
  // Connect to geographic database
  Query1.SQL.Text := 'SELECT Shape, Name, PopulationData FROM GeoData';
  Query1.Open;
  
  while not Query1.Eof do
  begin
    // Load shape geometry
    MapSeries1.LoadShapeFromBlob(Query1.FieldByName('Shape'));
    
    // Set properties
    MapSeries1.Labels[MapSeries1.Count - 1] := 
      Query1.FieldByName('Name').AsString;
    
    // Color by population
    ColorByValue(MapSeries1.Count - 1, 
      Query1.FieldByName('PopulationData').AsFloat);
    
    Query1.Next;
  end;
end;

Map Samples Overview

Map_Layers

Location: Map_Layers/Multiple layer management, shapefile loading, interactive navigation

Map_Spherical_FIPS

Location: Map_Spherical_FIPS/3D spherical maps with FIPS code integration

TeeMaps

Location: TeeMaps/Advanced mapping samples and utilities

Map Styling and Appearance

Border Styling

// Region borders
MapSeries1.Pen.Color := clBlack;
MapSeries1.Pen.Width := 2;
MapSeries1.Pen.Style := psSolid;

// Gradient fills
MapSeries1.Gradient.Visible := True;
MapSeries1.Gradient.Direction := gdTopBottom;

Label Positioning

// Show region labels
MapSeries1.ShowLabels := True;
MapSeries1.Marks.Visible := True;
MapSeries1.Marks.Style := smsLabel;

// Label font
MapSeries1.Marks.Font.Size := 8;
MapSeries1.Marks.Font.Style := [fsBold];

Transparency

// Layer transparency for overlays
MapSeries1.Transparency := 50;
MapSeries1.Pen.Transparency := 0;  // Opaque borders

Performance Optimization

For large map datasets:

Disable Auto-Repaint

Chart1.AutoRepaint := False;
try
  // Load all map layers
finally
  Chart1.AutoRepaint := True;
end;

Use Fast Calculations

Chart1.Axes.FastCalc := True;
Chart1.Axes.Left.IUseTeeMaxPixelPos := True;
Chart1.Axes.Bottom.IUseTeeMaxPixelPos := True;

Simplify Geometry

Use simplified shapefiles for zoomed-out views

Limit Visible Regions

Only render regions within current zoom extent

Shapefile Support

TeeChart supports ESRI Shapefile format (.shp, .shx, .dbf):

procedure LoadShapefile;
begin
  // Load shapefile with associated files
  MapSeries1.LoadFromFile('WorldMap.shp');
  // Automatically loads .shx (index) and .dbf (attributes)
  
  // Access attribute data
  for i := 0 to MapSeries1.Count - 1 do
  begin
    CountryName := MapSeries1.GetAttribute(i, 'NAME');
    Population := MapSeries1.GetAttribute(i, 'POP');
  end;
end;

Export Map Charts

Export maps to various formats:

procedure ExportMap;
begin
  // Export to image
  Chart1.SaveToBitmapFile('WorldMap.bmp');
  Chart1.SaveToJPEGFile('WorldMap.jpg');
  
  // Export to vector format
  Chart1.SaveToMetafile('WorldMap.emf');
  Chart1.SaveToPDFFile('WorldMap.pdf');
  
  // Export with high resolution
  Chart1.SaveToBitmapFile('WorldMap_HR.png', 
    Chart1.Width * 2, Chart1.Height * 2);
end;

3D Charts

3D surface and contour visualization

Statistical Charts

Statistical analysis on geographic data

Export

Export maps to reports and documents

Database Integration

Connect maps to geographic databases

Map Sample List

Complete list of map-related samples:

Map_Layers/Unit_Maps.pas - Multi-layer map visualization
Map_Spherical_FIPS/Unit1.pas - 3D spherical maps with FIPS
TeeMaps/ - Advanced mapping utilities
Map projection samples
Choropleth map examples
Interactive navigation samples
Custom shapefile loading
Database integration examples

Get Started

VCL Samples

FMX Samples

Chart Types

Features

Advanced

Overview

World Map Series

Basic World Map

Map with Layers

Map Layer Types

Spherical Maps

Map Projections

Choropleth Maps

Interactive Map Features

Zoom and Pan

Region Selection

Tooltips and Marks

FIPS Code Integration

Custom Map Data

Adding Custom Shapes

Loading from Database

Map Samples Overview

Map_Layers

Map_Spherical_FIPS

TeeMaps

Map Styling and Appearance

Performance Optimization

Shapefile Support

Export Map Charts

3D Charts

Statistical Charts

Export

Database Integration

Map Sample List

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

VCL Samples

FMX Samples

Chart Types

Features

Advanced

​Overview

​World Map Series

​Basic World Map

​Map with Layers

​Map Layer Types

​Spherical Maps

​Map Projections

​Choropleth Maps

​Interactive Map Features

​Zoom and Pan

​Region Selection

​Tooltips and Marks

​FIPS Code Integration

​Custom Map Data

​Adding Custom Shapes

​Loading from Database

​Map Samples Overview

Map_Layers

Map_Spherical_FIPS

TeeMaps

​Map Styling and Appearance

​Performance Optimization

​Shapefile Support

​Export Map Charts

​Related Samples

3D Charts

Statistical Charts

Export

Database Integration

​Map Sample List

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

World Map Series

Basic World Map

Map with Layers

Map Layer Types

Spherical Maps

Map Projections

Choropleth Maps

Interactive Map Features

Zoom and Pan

Region Selection

Tooltips and Marks

FIPS Code Integration

Custom Map Data

Adding Custom Shapes

Loading from Database

Map Samples Overview

Map Styling and Appearance

Performance Optimization

Shapefile Support

Export Map Charts

Related Samples

Map Sample List