From 4dec9b43ae5dd1de7bd16f401c04d720ce7e98b6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Eric Fischer Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2017 13:19:42 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] Try to clarify documentation for point dropping --- README.md | 14 ++++++++------ man/tippecanoe.1 | 14 ++++++++------ 2 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 27467df..fb3ba61 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -96,13 +96,15 @@ delete the file that already exists with that name. If you aren't sure what the right maxzoom is for your data, `-zg` will guess one for you based on the density of features. -If you are mapping point features, you will often want to use `-Bg` to automatically choose -a base zoom level for dot dropping. If that doesn't work out for you, try -`-r1 --drop-fraction-as-needed` to turn off the normal dot dropping and instead -only drop features if the tiles get too big. +Tippecanoe will normally drop a fraction of point features at zooms below the maxzoom, +to keep the low-zoom tiles from getting too big. If you have a smaller data set where +all the points would fit without dropping any of them, use `-r1` to keep them all. +If you do want point dropping, but you still want the tiles to be denser than `-zg` +thinks they should be, use `-B` to set a basezoom lower than the maxzoom. -If you are mapping points or polygons, you will often want to use `--drop-densest-as-needed` -to drop some of them if necessary to make the low zoom levels work. +If some of your tiles are coming out too big in spite of the settings above, you will +often want to use `--drop-densest-as-needed` to drop whatever fraction of the features +is necessary at each zoom level to make that zoom level's tiles work. If your features have a lot of attributes, use `-y` to keep only the ones you really need. diff --git a/man/tippecanoe.1 b/man/tippecanoe.1 index 3a03518..7795414 100644 --- a/man/tippecanoe.1 +++ b/man/tippecanoe.1 @@ -93,13 +93,15 @@ delete the file that already exists with that name. If you aren't sure what the right maxzoom is for your data, \fB\fC\-zg\fR will guess one for you based on the density of features. .PP -If you are mapping point features, you will often want to use \fB\fC\-Bg\fR to automatically choose -a base zoom level for dot dropping. If that doesn't work out for you, try -\fB\fC\-r1 \-\-drop\-fraction\-as\-needed\fR to turn off the normal dot dropping and instead -only drop features if the tiles get too big. +Tippecanoe will normally drop a fraction of point features at zooms below the maxzoom, +to keep the low\-zoom tiles from getting too big. If you have a smaller data set where +all the points would fit without dropping any of them, use \fB\fC\-r1\fR to keep them all. +If you do want point dropping, but you still want the tiles to be denser than \fB\fC\-zg\fR +thinks they should be, use \fB\fC\-B\fR to set a basezoom lower than the maxzoom. .PP -If you are mapping points or polygons, you will often want to use \fB\fC\-\-drop\-densest\-as\-needed\fR -to drop some of them if necessary to make the low zoom levels work. +If some of your tiles are coming out too big in spite of the settings above, you will +often want to use \fB\fC\-\-drop\-densest\-as\-needed\fR to drop whatever fraction of the features +is necessary at each zoom level to make that zoom level's tiles work. .PP If your features have a lot of attributes, use \fB\fC\-y\fR to keep only the ones you really need. .PP