Static Map (Regions) chart options

Static map (regions) charts are useful for plotting data regionally. To plot individual points, use static map (points) or the interactive map charts.

To select a static map (regions) chart, click the ellipses (...) on the Visualization menu bar and select Static Map (Regions).

Static map (regions) charts plot a single dimension and a single measure:

  • Austin, New York City, San Francisco maps, and custom maps based on zip codes, require a dimension of type: zipcode.
  • A United States map requires a dimension of type: string that contains the names of US states.
  • A World map, and custom maps based on countries, require a dimension of type: string that contains either ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 three-letter country codes or ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 two-letter country codes.

    If your data uses two-letter country codes, to ensure that Looker recognizes your data as country codes and does not incorrectly interpret them as state codes, ensure that your Looker developer includes the map_layer_name parameter in the definition for your country dimension. For example:

  dimension: country {
      type: string
      map_layer_name: countries
      sql: ${TABLE}.country ;;
  }

Map menu options

To format your visualization, select Edit in the upper right corner of the visualization tab.

Options listed below may be grayed out or hidden in situations where they conflict with other settings that you have chosen.

Map

You can choose a map to display your data:

  • Austin, Texas (ZIP Codes): Use data grouped by Austin zip codes (for region or point maps) or lat/long locations (for point maps only)
  • New York City (ZIP Codes): Use data grouped by NYC zip codes (for region or point maps) or lat/long locations (for point maps only)
  • San Francisco Peninsula (ZIP Codes): Use data grouped by San Francisco peninsula zip codes (for region or point maps) or lat/long locations (for point maps only)
  • United Kingdom (Postcode Areas): Use data grouped by UK postal codes (for region or point maps) or lat/long locations (for point maps only)
  • United States: Use data grouped by US states (for region maps only), zip codes (for point maps only), or lat/long locations (for point maps only)
  • World: Use data grouped by country (for region maps only) or lat/long locations (for point maps only)
  • Custom: lets you define your own map using TopoJSON

You can also use the Map field's Auto option if your Looker developer has set a map_layer parameter for the model. If a message indicates that the map_layer isn't set, choose another Map option.

TopoJSON URL

For map charts set to Map Custom, TopoJSON URL sets the location of a TopoJSON file that defines your map boundaries.

TopoJSON Object Key

For map charts set to Map Custom, TopoJSON Object Key selects which map from the TopoJSON file to plot, since TopoJSON can support multiple maps in a single file. Set this parameter to one of the map names defined in the file.

TopoJSON Property Key

For map charts set to Map Custom, TopoJSON Property Key selects which property from the TopoJSON file to plot against. TopoJSON can support arbitrary metadata for each region. If there's a particular metadata property you want to plot against, specify it here. By default, the first matching property is used.

TopoJSON Property Label Key

For map charts set to Map Custom, TopoJSON Property Label Key selects which property from the TopoJSON file to display in the tooltip label. TopoJSON can support arbitrary metadata for each region. If there's a particular metadata property you want to appear in the tooltip, specify it here. By default, the value of TopoJSON Property Key is used.

Projection

For map charts set to Map Custom, you can choose which D3 projection to use to render your map. Many options examples are shown on this GitHub page.

Style menu options

Colors

You can define the colors to use to indicate the magnitude of each map region.

This parameter takes a comma-separated list of one or more color values. The color values can be formatted as RGB hex strings, such as #2ca6cd, or as CSS color names, such as mediumblue.

You can define every valid color that Looker is allowed to use to indicate magnitude. To do so, make sure you turn on Quantize Colors. You can also allow Looker to interpolate shades of colors between those that you define. For this behavior, make sure you turn off Quantize Colors.

Quantize Colors

You can determine whether the colors of a map regions chart are shaded according to the magnitude of each region (turned off), or if only the specific colors you specify in Colors will be used (turned on).

Empty Region Color

You can set the color of any region on the chart that does not show up in the underlying data.

This parameter takes a single color value. The color value can be formatted as a RGB hex string, such as #2ca6cd, or as a CSS named color string, such as mediumblue.

Outer Border Color

You can set the color of the overall map border.

This parameter takes a single color value. The color value can be formatted as a RGB hex string, such as #2ca6cd, or as a CSS named color string, such as mediumblue.

Inner Border Color

You can set the border color of each map region.

This parameter takes a single color value. The color value can be formatted as a RGB hex string, such as #2ca6cd, or as a CSS named color string, such as mediumblue.

Outer Border Width

You can set the width of the overall map border, specified as a number of pixels.

Inner Border Width

You can set the border width of each map region, specified as a number of pixels.

Show Full Field Name in Tooltips

You can toggle whether to show the view name along with the field name when you hover over a map region.