A
Symbolizer is an abstract type for encoding the graphical properties
used to portray geographic information. A Symbolizer
describes how a feature will appear on a map. The Symbolizer describes
not just the shape that should appear but also such graphical
properties as color and opacity. A Symbolizer is obtained by specifying
one of a small number of different types of Symbolizers and then
supplying parameters to override its default behaviour.
Basic
Symbology
Basic
Fill
A Fill specifies the pattern for filling an area geometry.
Properties:
- Color:
Sets the color used to draw the fill.
- Opacity:
Sets the opacity to draw the fill.
Basic
Stroke
A Stroke specifies the appearance of a linear geometry.
Properties:
- Color:
Sets the color for the contour drawing.
- Opacity: Sets
the opacity for the contour drawing.
- Width: Sets
the width for the contour drawing.
- Dash:
Sets the dash for contour drawing.
- Join:
This property defines how a line should be joined (between line
segments).
- Cap:
This property defines how a line should be capped (at the two ends of
the line).
Graphic
Symbology
A Graphic is a graphic symbol with an inherent shape, color(s), and
possibly size. A graphic can be defined very informally as "a little
picture" and can be either a raster or vector-graphic
source type.
Graphic Properties
The basic parameters of a graphic symbology are:
- Size: Sets
the size for the graphic drawing. If a size is specified, the
height of the graphic will be scaled to that size and the corresponding
aspect will be used for the width.
- Angle: Sets
the angle for the graphic drawing. It gives the rotation of
a graphic in the clockwise direction about its center point in decimal
degrees, encoded as a floating-point number. Negative values mean
counter-clockwise rotation.
- Opacity:
Sets the opacity for the graphic drawing.
Well Known Mark
A
WellKnown Mark are geometric shapes used to represent a feature in a map. Available shapes include at least
circle,
square, cross, triangle, star and x, although map servers may
draw a different symbol instead if they don't have a shape for
all of these.
The basic parameters of a Well Known Mark are:
- Type:
Defines the Well Known Mark type (circle,
square, cross, triangle, star, x among others)
Glyph Mark
The
alternative to the Well Known Marks is an external mark format.
The Glyph Mark allows to use a TrueType font file and select
an individual glyph from that file.
The basic parameters of a Glyph Mark are:
- Font:
Defines the True Type font to be used.
- Char:
Defines a specific character in the font selected.

Local Image
Another type of mark that can be defined is the image files (png
files). To define it click on the value
The only parameters for a Local Image is:
- Image:
Displays a dialog box that allows you to choose a local file containing
an image. Click on the value and then on the
.
Raster
Symbology
A
Raster Symbology is used to specify the rendering of
raster/matrix-coverage data (e.g., satellite images, DEMs).
The basic parameters of a Raster Symbology are:
- Opacity:
Sets the opacity to draw the raster.
- Enhancement:
Allows to apply enhancements over the image so that the changes are
applied equally on all bands.
- Brightness: Lets you
adjust the brightness of the image.
- Sharpness: Lets you adjust the sharpness of the
image.
- Channel Selection: The
Channel Selection property specifies the false-color channel selection
for a multispectral raster source (such as a multi-band
satellite-imagery source).
- Mono: Defines a band to
be displayed on the gray channel.
- Red: Defines a
band to be displayed on the red channel.
- Green: Defines a
band to be displayed on the green channel.
- Blue: Defines a
band to be displayed on the blue channel.
- Composition: Allows
selection of three bands to do the color composition on red, green and
blue channels.
- Contrast Enhancement:
Improves the contrast of each individual channel image.

Example
In this example three vector data were used and its three respective styles(rules) where defined by the Style Explorer:
- Polygons: Brazil.
- Lines: Highway of Brazil.
- Points: Capitals of Brazil.