web-server/doc/en/user/source/styling/ysld/reference/transforms.rst

.. _ysld_reference_transforms:

Transforms
==========

YSLD allows for the use of rendering transformations. Rendering transformations are processes on the server that are executed inside the rendering pipeline, to allow for dynamic data transformations. In GeoServer, rendering transformations are typically exposed as WPS processes.

For example, one could create a style that applies to a point layer, and applies a Heatmap process as a rendering transformation, making the output a (raster) heatmap.

Because rendering transformations can change the geometry type, it is important to make sure that the :ref:`symbolizer <ysld_reference_symbolizers>` used matches the *output* of the rendering transformation, not the input. In the above heatmap example, the appropriate symbolizer would be a raster symbolizer, as the output of a heatmap is a raster.

Syntax
------

The full syntax for using a rendering transformation is:

.. code-block:: yaml

   feature-styles
     ...
     transform:
       name: <text>
       params: <options>
     rules:
       ...

where:

.. list-table::
   :class: non-responsive
   :header-rows: 1
   :stub-columns: 1
   :widths: 20 10 50 20

   * - Property
     - Required?
     - Description
     - Default value
   * - ``name``
     - Yes
     - Full name of the rendering transform including any prefixes (such as ``vec:Heatmap``)
     - N/A
   * - ``params``
     - Yes
     - All input parameters for the rendering transformation. Content will vary greatly based on the amount and type of parameters needed.
     - N/A

The values in the ``params`` options typically include values, strings, or attributes. However, it can be useful with a transformation to include environment parameters that concern the position and size of the map when it is rendered. For example, the following are common reserved environment parameters:

.. list-table::
   :class: non-responsive
   :header-rows: 1
   :stub-columns: 1
   :widths: 20 80

   * - Environment parameter
     - Description
   * - ``env('wms_bbox')``
     - The bounding box of the request
   * - ``env('wms_width')``
     - The width of the request
   * - ``env('wms_height')``
     - The height of the request

With this in mind, the following ``params`` are assumed unless otherwise specified:

.. code-block:: yaml

   params:
     ...
     outputBBOX: ${env('wms_bbox')}
     outputWidth: ${env('wms_width')}
     outputHeight: ${env('wms_height')}
     ...

.. note:: Be aware that the transform happens *outside* of the :ref:`rules <ysld_reference_rules>` and :ref:`symbolizers <ysld_reference_symbolizers>`, but inside the :ref:`feature styles <ysld_reference_featurestyles>`.

Examples
--------

Heatmap
~~~~~~~

The following uses the ``vec:Heatmap`` process to convert a point layer to a heatmap raster:

.. code-block:: yaml

   title: Heatmap
   feature-styles:
   - transform:
       name: vec:Heatmap
       params:
         weightAttr: pop2000
         radiusPixels: 100
         pixelsPerCell: 10
     rules:
     - symbolizers:
       - raster:
           opacity: 0.6
           color-map:
             type: ramp
             entries:
             - ['#FFFFFF',0,0.0,nodata]
             - ['#4444FF',1,0.1,nodata]
             - ['#FF0000',1,0.5,values]
             - ['#FFFF00',1,1.0,values]


Point Stacker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The point stacker transform can be used to combine points that are close together. This transform acts on a point geometry layer, and combines any points that are within a single cell as specified by the ``cellSize`` parameter. The resulting geometry has attributes ``geom`` (the geometry), ``count`` (the number of features represented by this point) and ``countUnique`` (the number of unique features represented by this point). These attributes can be used to size and label the points based on how many points are combined together:

.. code-block:: yaml

   title: pointstacker
   feature-styles:
   - transform:
       name: vec:PointStacker
       params:
       cellSize: 100
     rules:
     - symbolizers:
       - point:
           size: ${8*sqrt(count)}
           symbols:
           - mark:
               shape: circle
               fill-color: '#EE0000'
     - filter: count > 1
       symbolizers:
       - text:
             fill-color: '#FFFFFF'
             font-family: Arial
             font-size: 10
             font-weight: bold
             label: ${count}
             placement:
                 anchor: [0.5,0.75]

.. figure:: img/transforms_pointstacker.png

   Point stacker