Overview
AXIS Maps renders stills and animations on the server and tracks every export in the Render Queue. Stills use the same rendering pipeline as video, so a still and an animation of the same map match.
Exporting a still or an animation
- Set up the map: camera, layers, style, theme and annotations.
- Open the export dialog.
- Select the output format, aspect ratio and resolution. For animations, also select the frame rate. The values you can choose depend on the Output Formats configured for your project (see 12 Project Defaults).
- Optionally, under Additional Information, enter a description and keywords. Keywords apply to Axis Track only.
- Select Download or Export to Track. The dialog closes right away and the export appears in the Render Queue.
The Render Queue
The Render Queue button in the top navigation bar tracks all image and video exports. It shows a status indicator and the progress of active exports, and lists your most recent exports with the newest first.
From the Render Queue you can:
- Open a running or finished export to review its settings and preview. The preview is still available after you reload the page.
- Cancel a running render. You are asked to confirm, and temporary rendered files are cleaned up automatically.
- Download a finished render.
- Export a finished render to Axis Track.
- Dismiss an export from the list.
Reusing renders
When the render settings have not changed, AXIS Maps reuses the existing render instead of rendering again. You can download it or send it to Axis Track several times without waiting. Changing only the asset name, description or keywords does not trigger a new render.
Sending an identical asset (same render and same details) to Axis Track again is blocked, and a message explains why.
Output Formats
Available output formats and resolutions are defined in Project Defaults by your administrator. Common configurations include:
| Setting | Supported values |
|---|---|
| Still image formats | PNG, JPEG, WEBP |
| Animation formats | MOV (H.264), MP4 (H.264), AVI (MPEG-4), WebM (VP9), Avid DNxHD (MOV)* |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, 16:10, 4:3, 9:16 |
| Frame rate | 23.976 (Cinema NTSC), 24 (Cinema), 25 (PAL), 29.97 (NTSC), 30, 50 (PAL HFR), 59.94 (NTSC HFR), 60 |
| Resolution | HD, Full HD, 2K, 4K |
* Avid DNxHD supports only HD frame sizes (1920×1080 and 1280×720) at a limited set of frame rates and bitrates, so not every resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio listed here is available with it. For the full list of DNxHD formats, see Avid’s DNxHD documentation
Administrators can restrict the selectable values and choose a default for Aspect Ratio, Resolution, Image Format, Video Output Format and Video Framerate in Project Defaults. When a project opens, the Map Editor applies the configured defaults. If a default is missing or no longer allowed, the first enabled value is used.
Creating an animation with keyframes
An animation is a list of keyframes in the bottom panel of the Map Editor. Each keyframe is a snapshot of the camera, shown with a thumbnail. When you play the animation, the camera moves from one keyframe to the next.
- Set the map to the view you want to start from.
- In the bottom panel, switch to Animations.
- Select Add new keyframe to capture the current view.
- Move the map to the next view and add another keyframe. Repeat for each view.
- Select Play to preview the animation, and Stop to end the preview.
Export the finished animation as described in Exporting a still or an animation above.
Managing keyframes
- Drag a keyframe to change its order.
- Retake a keyframe to replace its snapshot with the current map view.
- Delete a keyframe you no longer need.
- Set the ease type for the transition (see Easing below).
Easing between keyframes
The transition between each pair of keyframes has its own easing, so you can shape each camera move separately.
| Easing | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Linear | Constant speed through the transition. |
| Ease-in | Starts slowly and speeds up. |
| Ease-out | Starts at full speed and slows toward the next keyframe. |
| Ease-in-out | Starts slowly, speeds up, then slows toward the next keyframe. |
Easing makes camera moves look smoother and more natural on air. The easing setting is saved with the animation. Linear remains available, and existing animations keep their current behavior.
When you render or export an animation:
- Edits to the active keyframe are included without first selecting another keyframe.
- Changing the base layer on one keyframe does not change the base layer of the next keyframe you select.
Attribution
AXIS Maps ensures proper attribution to all third-party data providers, libraries, and contributors in accordance with their respective licensing terms. Attribution text is automatically included in exported map images as required by data provider agreements, including OpenStreetMap.
Note: Do not crop or remove attribution text from exported images, as this may violate the terms of service of the underlying data providers.