Feature Styles

In YSLD, a Feature Style is a block of styling Rules. The Feature Style is applied to a single feature type and drawn in an off-screen buffer.

../../../_images/feature-style.svg

The feature style element

The purpose of a Feature Style is to specify drawing order. The buffer for the first Feature Style will be drawn first, while buffer for the second Feature Style will be processed after that, etc. When drawing is complete the buffers will composed into the final drawn map.

A Feature Style is a top-level element in a YSLD style.

Consider the following hierarchy:

  • Feature Style 1

    • Rule 1a

    • Rule 1b

  • Feature Style 2

    • Rule 2a

    • Rule 2b

    • Rule 2c

In this case, the rules contained inside Feature Style 1 will be processed and their symbolizers drawn first. After Rule 1a and 1b are processed, the renderer will move on to Feature Style 2, where Rule 2a, 2b, and 2c will then be processed and their symbolizers drawn.

../../../_images/feature-style-order.svg

Feature style order

Drawing order

The order of feature styles is significant, and also the order of rules inside feature styles is significant.

Rules inside a feature style are all applied to each feature at once. After all of the rules in a feature style have been applied to each feature, the next feature style will start again, applying rules to each feature.

The off-screen buffer for each feature style is merged together during composition. These buffers are merged in the order defined by the feature styles. In this way, using multiple feature styles is a way of specifying z-order.

Consider the same hierarchy as above. Given a layer that contains three features, the rules will be applied as follows:

Feature style 1 will draw an off-screen buffer:

  1. Rule 1a is applied to the first feature, followed by rule 1b

  2. Rule 1a is applied to the second feature, followed by rule 1b

  3. Rule 1a is applied to the third feature, followed by rule 1b

../../../_images/draw-order-buffer1.svg

Feature style 1 buffer

Feature style 2 will draw an off-screen buffer:

  1. Rule 2a is applied to the first feature, followed by rule 2b and then rule 2c

  2. Rule 2a is applied to the second feature, followed by rule 2b and then rule 2c

  3. Rule 2a is applied to the third feature, followed by rule 2b and then rule 2c

../../../_images/draw-order-buffer2.svg

Feature style 2 buffer

This final map is produced by composition:

  1. The buffer for feature style 1 is drawn

  2. The buffer for feature style 2 is drawn

  3. Any labeling is drawn on top

../../../_images/draw-order-map.svg

Composition of both feature styles

If you need a rule to apply on top of other rules, use a second feature style. A useful case for this is for lines representing bridges or overpasses. In order to ensure that the bridge lines always display on “top” of other lines (which in a display that includes, they would need to be applied using a second feature style.)

Syntax

The following is the basic syntax of a feature style. Note that the contents of the block are not all expanded here.

feature-styles:
- name: <text>
  title: <text>
  abstract: <text>
  transform:
    ...
  rules:
  - ...
  x-ruleEvaluation: <text>
  x-composite: <text>
  x-composite-base: <boolean>

where:

Property

Required?

Description

Default value

name

No

Internal reference to the feature style. It is recommended that the value be lower case and contain no spaces.

Blank

title

No

Human-readable name of the feature style. Exposed as a name for the group of rules contained in the feature style.

Blank

abstract

No

Longer description of the feature style.

Blank

transform

No

Rendering transformation information.

N/A

rules

Yes

List of styling rules.

N/A

The following properties are equivalent to SLD “vendor options”.

Property

Required?

Description

Default value

x-ruleEvaluation

No

When equals to first - stops rule evaluation after the first match. Can make the rendering more efficient by reducing the number of rules that need to be traversed by features, as well as simplyfing the rule filters.

all

x-composite

No

Allows for both alpha compositing and color blending options between buffers. There are many options; see below.

N/A

x-composite-base

No

Allows the rendering engine to use that feature-style as a “base”, and will compose all subsequent feature-styles and layers on top of it, until another base is found. Once the full set of layers against a base is composed, then the base itself will be composed against the next set of composed layers using its own compositing operator, if present. This is useful to fine-tune the use of x-composite, and to make sure that only the desired content is composited/blended and not all of the drawn content.

false

Compositing and blending

By default, multiple feature styles are drawn with one buffer on top of the other. However, using the x-composite and x-composite-base options, one can customize the way that buffers are displayed.

The following two tables show the possible alpha compositing and color blending values for the x-composite option. Note that in the tables below, source refers to the buffer that is drawn on top, while destination refers to the buffer that the source is drawn on top of.

Alpha compositing

Alpha compositing controls how buffers are merged using the transparent areas of each buffer.

Value

Description

copy

Only the source will be present in the output.

../../../_images/composite-source.svg

destination

Only the destination will be present in the output.

../../../_images/composite-destination.svg

source-over

The source is drawn over the destination, and the destination is visible where the source is transparent. Opposite of destination-over. This is the default value for x-composite.

../../../_images/composite-source-over.svg

destination-over

The source is drawn below the destination, and is visible only when the destination is transparent. Opposite of source-over.

../../../_images/composite-destination-over.svg

source-in

The source is visible only when overlapping some non-transparent pixel of the destination. This allows the background map to act as a mask for the layer/feature being drawn. Opposite of destination-in.

../../../_images/composite-source-in.svg

destination-in

The destination is retained only when overlapping some non transparent pixel in the source. This allows the layer/feature to be drawn to act as a mask for the background map. Opposite of source-in.

../../../_images/composite-destination-in.svg

source-out

The source is retained only in areas where the destination is transparent. This acts as a reverse mask when compared to source-in.

../../../_images/composite-source-out.svg

destination-out

The destination is retained only in areas where the source is transparent. This acts as a reverse mask when compared to destination-in.

../../../_images/composite-destination-out.svg

source-atop

The destination is drawn fully, while the source is drawn only where it intersects the destination.

../../../_images/composite-source-atop.svg

destination-atop

The source is drawn fully, and the destination is drawn over the source only where it intersects it.

../../../_images/composite-destination-atop.svg

xor

“Exclusive Or” mode. Each pixel is rendered only if either the source or the destination is not blank, but not both.

../../../_images/composite-xor.svg

Color blending

Color blending allows buffers to be mixed during composition.

Value

Description

multiply

The source color is multiplied by the destination color and replaces the destination. The resulting color is always at least as dark as either the source or destination color. Multiplying any color with black results in black. Multiplying any color with white preserves the original color.

../../../_images/blend-multiply.png

screen

Multiplies the complements of the source and destination color values, then complements the result. The end result color is always at least as light as either of the two constituent colors. Screening any color with white produces white; screening with black leaves the original color unchanged.

../../../_images/blend-screen.png

overlay

Multiplies the colors depending on the destination color value. Source colors overlay the destination while preserving highlights and shadows. The backdrop color is not replaced but is mixed with the source color to reflect the lightness or darkness of the backdrop.

../../../_images/blend-overlay.png

darken

Selects the darker of the destination and source colors. The destination is replaced with the source only where the source is darker.

../../../_images/blend-darken.png

lighten

Selects the lighter of the destination and source colors. The destination is replaced with the source only where the source is lighter.

../../../_images/blend-lighten.png

color-dodge

Brightens the destination color to reflect the source color. Drawing with black produces no changes.

../../../_images/blend-color-dodge.png

color-burn

Darkens the destination color to reflect the source color. Drawing with white produces no change.

../../../_images/blend-color-burn.png

hard-light

Multiplies the colors, depending on the source color value. The effect is similar to shining a harsh spotlight on the destination.

../../../_images/blend-hard-light.png

soft-light

Darkens or lightens the colors, depending on the source color value. The effect is similar to a diffused spotlight on the destination.

../../../_images/blend-soft-light.png

difference

Subtracts the darker of the two constituent colors from the lighter color. White inverts the destination color; black produces no change.

../../../_images/blend-difference.png

exclusion

Produces an effect similar to that of difference but lower in contrast. White inverts the destination color; black produces no change.

../../../_images/blend-difference.png

Note

For more details about the compositing and blending options, please see the GeoServer User Manual.

Short syntax

When a style has a single feature style, it is possible to omit the syntax for the feature style and start at the first parameter inside.

So the following complete styles are both equivalent:

feature-styles:
- rules:
  - name: rule1
    scale: [min,50000]
    symbolizers:
    - line:
        stroke-color: '#000000'
        stroke-width: 2
  - name: rule2
    scale: [50000,max]
    symbolizers:
    - line:
        stroke-color: '#000000'
        stroke-width: 1
rules:
- name: rule1
  scale: [min,50000]
  symbolizers:
  - line:
      stroke-color: '#000000'
      stroke-width: 2
- name: rule2
  scale: [50000,max]
  symbolizers:
  - line:
      stroke-color: '#000000'
      stroke-width: 1

Examples

Road casing

This example shows how a smaller line can be drawn on top of a larger line, creating the effect of lines being drawn with a border or “casing”:

feature-styles:
- name: outer
  title: Outer line
  rules:
  - name: outer_rule
    symbolizers:
    - line:
        stroke-color: '#808080'
        stroke-width: 8
- name: inner
  title: Inner line
  rules:
  - name: inner_rule
    symbolizers:
    - line:
        stroke-color: '#44FF88'
        stroke-width: 6

To draw the inner lines always on top of the outer lines we need to control the z-order. The outer_rule is encased in its own feature style and drawn into a distinct “Outer line” buffer. Next the inner_rule is encased in its own feature style and drawn into a distinct “Inner line” buffer.

../../../_images/line-casing-buffers.svg

Feature style buffers

During composition these two off-screen buffers are combined into the the final map.

../../../_images/line-casing-map.svg

Final map composition

When drawn, the outer line has a width of 8 pixels and the inner line has a width of 6 pixels, so the line “border” is 1 pixel (on each side).

../../../_images/fs_roadcasing.png

Example showing road casing

First match

Given a style that has many rules with distinct outcomes, it may be advantageous to employ x-ruleEvaluation: first so as to improve rendering efficiency and simplify those rules.

This first example shows the standard way of creating rules for a dataset. There are villages, towns, and cities (type = 'village', type = 'town' or type = 'city') and they have an industry which could be either fishing or other values.

Note

In order to simplify this example, the specifics of the point symbolizers have been replaced by Variables. In a real-world example, these would need to be defined in the YSLD as well.

 1 feature-styles:
 2 - name: without_first_match
 3   rules:
 4   - name: fishing_town
 5     filter: ${type = 'town' AND industry = 'fishing'}
 6     symbolizers:
 7     - point:
 8         <<: *fishingtown
 9   - name: fishing_city
10     filter: ${type = 'city' AND industry = 'fishing'}
11     symbolizers:
12     - point:
13         <<: *fishingcity
14   - name: other_towns_cities
15     filter: ${type IN ('town', 'city') AND industry <> 'fishing'}
16     symbolizers:
17     - point:
18         <<: *othertownscities
19   - name: other
20     else: true
21     symbolizers:
22     - point:
23         <<: *allotherplaces

Using the x-ruleEvaluation: first parameter, the style is simplified:

 1 feature-styles:
 2 - name: with_first_match
 3   x-ruleEvaluation: first
 4   rules:
 5   - name: fishing_town
 6     filter: ${type = 'town' AND industry = 'fishing'}
 7     symbolizers:
 8     - point:
 9         <<: *fishingtown
10   - name: fishing_city
11     filter: ${type = 'city' AND industry = 'fishing'}
12     symbolizers:
13     - point:
14         <<: *fishingcity
15   - name: other_towns_cities
16     filter: ${type IN ('town', 'city')}
17     symbolizers:
18     - point:
19         <<: *othertownscities
20   - name: other
21     else: true
22     symbolizers:
23     - point:
24         <<: *allotherplaces

Specifically, the third rule no longer needs the extra AND industry <> 'fishing', because the previous two rules imply that any features remaining by this rule have that condition.

Layer mask

Given two layers (in this case, two three-band rasters), one can mask or “knock out” the other, making visible what’s beneath.

../../../_images/fs_land.png

Top/source layer

../../../_images/fs_ocean.png

Bottom/destination layer

Note

Screenshots show data provided by Natural Earth.

Layer 1 (top/source):

1 feature-styles:
2 - rules:
3   - title: Top/source
4     symbolizers:
5     - raster:
6         opacity: 1.0
7   x-composite: xor

Layer 2 (bottom/destination):

1 feature-styles:
2 - rules:
3   - title: Bottom/destination
4     symbolizers:
5     - raster:
6         opacity: 1.0
../../../_images/fs_xor.png

Layer as mask

Color inversion

Given the same two layers as the previous example, one can display the difference of the colors of layers, which can have the effect of a color “inversion”.

Layer 1 (top/source):

1 feature-styles:
2 - rules:
3   - title: Top/source
4     symbolizers:
5     - raster:
6         opacity: 1.0
7   x-composite: difference

Layer 2 (bottom/destination):

1 feature-styles:
2 - rules:
3   - title: Bottom/destination
4     symbolizers:
5     - raster:
6         opacity: 1.0
../../../_images/fs_difference.png

Layer as color inversion

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