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Intro to Vector Analytics

Overview

Use the Vector Analytics API to stream Change Monitoring (CM) layers using Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard requests. CM Electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) layers are available by year.

Change monitoring in MGP Pro UI Change Monitoring polygons displayed in the MGP Pro User Interface.

Change Monitoring layers

Change Monitoring layers are named by the type of change monitoring and the year the layer was created.

Change Monitoring types

CM TypeDescriptionExample layer name
PCM-SARSynthetic Aperture Radar change monitoringMaxar:layer_pcm_sar_2022
PCM-EOElectro-Optical change monitoringMaxar:layer_pcm_eo_2020

These layers can also be viewed in the MGP Pro User Interface, and more detailed descriptions can be found in the MGP Pro UI Documentation.

Authentication

All OGC services accept an API key or a bearer token for authentication.

Bearer tokens

Maxar Oauth bearer tokens can also be used to authenticate API requests. Bearer tokens have a brief duration and must be refreshed frequently.

To authenticate with a bearer token, use the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer <Oauth2 token>

Learn about OAuth2 bearer tokens

API keys

API keys can be passed using query parameters or in a custom header. No Authorization header is needed when using API keys.

To use the query parameter method, include this query parameter in your request:

maxar_api_key=<your API key>

The custom Maxar header takes the form of:

maxar-api-key: <your API key>

API keys expire 180 days from creation by default. A custom expiration date can be set but cannot exceed 180 days.

Learn about API keys

Web Feature Service (WFS)

NameDescriptionRequest URL
Get CapabilitiesReturns supported capabilities and layers.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?Service=WFS&Request=GetCapabilities
Describe Feature TypeReturns the properties available for a supported feature type.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=wfs&request=DescribeFeatureType&version=2.0.0
GetFeatureReturns information about the features within a CM layer.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?SERVICE=WFS&REQUEST=GetFeature&VERSION=1.0.0&TYPENAMES=Maxar:{layer name goes here}

WFS Get Capabilities

WFS GET Capabilities returns information about the service and the CM layers.

Request Example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=wfs&version=1.3.0&request=GetCapabilities

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
serviceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WFS
versionThe service version. Use the latest version.1.3.0
requestRequest typeGet Capabilities

WFS Describe Feature Type

WFS Describe Feature Type returns the metadata associated with the feature type. Feature type names are the same as the CM layer names.

For example:

Maxar:layer_pcm_eo_2020

Maxar:layer_pcm_sar_2022

Request example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=wfs&request=DescribeFeatureType&version=2.0.0

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
serviceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WFS
versionThe service version. Use the latest version.2.0.0
requestRequest typeDescribeFeatureType

WFS Get Feature

WFS Get Feature returns the features within the requested bounding box for the specified layer. The response will include the geometry and metadata for each feature.

Request example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=WFS&request=GetFeature&version=1.0.0&typenames=Maxar:layer_pcm_eo_2020&bbox=6130096.703381219,2875149.1017800854,6187712.6957734255,2916336.2835501307,EPSG:3857&count=1&outputFormat=application/json

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
ServiceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WFS
VersionThe service version. Use the latest version.1.0.0
RequestRequest type.GetFeature
TYPENAMESThe layer name.Example: Maxar:layer_pcm_eo_2020
COUNTThe number of features to return in the results setExample: 25
outputFormatThe requested format for the results set. Make a Get Capabilities request to see supported formats.Ex. application/json
BBoxThe bounding box geometry for the change area.See request example above.

Web Map Service (WMS)

The Vector Analytics API supports the following WMS request types:

NameDescriptionRequest URL
Get CapabilitiesReturns supported capabilities and layers.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=wms&version=1.3.0&request=GetCapabilities
Get MapReturns change polygons for a bounding box that can be displayed in a browser application.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?Service=WMS&Request=GetMap&version=1.3.0&bbox=-11712956.404248431,4851060.1776836105,-11693388.525007427,4870628.056924616&crs=EPSG:3857&layers=Maxar:layer_pcmi_2011&height=512&width=512&format=image/vnd.jpeg-png

WMS Get Capabilities

WMS GET Capabilities returns information about the service and the CM layers.

Request Example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=wms&version=1.3.0&request=GetCapabilities

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
serviceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WMS
versionThe service version. Use the latest version.1.3.0
requestRequest typeGet Capabilities

WMS Get Map

A WMS Get Map request returns change polygons for a bounding box that can be displayed in a browser application.

Request example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/ows?service=wms&request=GetMap&version=1.3.0&bbox=-11712956.404248431,4851060.1776836105,-11693388.525007427,4870628.056924616&crs=EPSG:3857&layers=Maxar:layer_pcm_eo_2010&height=512&width=512&format=image/vnd.jpeg-png&id=layer_pcm_eo_2020.fid-71409f07_1936f0f1de7_-623b

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
serviceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WMS
versionThe service version. Use the latest version.1.3.0
requestRequest typeGetMap
layersThe layer nameExample: Maxar:layer_pcm_eo_2020
bboxThe bounding box geometry for the change area.See request example above.
crsThe requested coordinate reference system (crs). Make a WMS Get Capabilities request to see supported projections.Ex. EPSG:3857
formatThe requested format for the results set. Make a Get Capabilities request to see supported formats.Ex. image/vnd.jpeg-png
heightThe requested map image height.Ex. 512
widthThe requested mag image width.Ex. 512

Web Map Tile Service (WMTS)

The Vector Analytics API supports the following WMTS request types:

NameDescriptionRequest URL
Get CapabilitiesReturns supported capabilities and layers.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/gwc/service/wmts?service=wmts&request=GetCapabilities&version=1.0.0
Get TileReturns change polygons for the specified tile column, tile row, and tile matrix.https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/gwc/service/wmts?SERVICE=WMTS&REQUEST=GetTile&VERSION=1.0.0&LAYER=pcm_eo_2020&FORMAT=image/png&TILEMATRIXSET=EPSG:4326&TILEMATRIX=EPSG:4326:18&TILEROW=70575&TILECOL=127013

WMTS Get Capabilities

WMTS GET Capabilities returns information about the service and the CM layers.

Request Example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/gwc/service/wmts?SERVICE=WMTS&REQUEST=GetCapabilities&VERSION=1.0.0

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
ServiceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WMTS
VersionThe service version. Use the latest version.1.0.0
RequestRequest typeGet Capabilities

WMTS Get Tile

A WMTS Get Tile request returns change polygons for the specified tile column, tile row, and tile matrix.

Request example:

https://api.maxar.com/analytics/v1/vector/change-detection/Maxar/gwc/service/wmts?SERVICE=WMTS&REQUEST=GetTile&VERSION=1.0.0&LAYER=pcm_eo_2020&FORMAT=image/png&TILEMATRIXSET=EPSG:4326&TILEMATRIX=EPSG:4326:18&TILEROW=70575&TILECOL=127013

Query parameters

NameDescriptionValue
ServiceThe name of the OGC service the request will be sent to.WMTS
VersionThe service version. Use the latest version.1.0.0
RequestRequest typeGetTile
layerThe layer nameExample: Maxar:layer_pcm_eo_2020
tileMatrixSetrequiredA pre-defined set of tiles for the spatial reference system. See supported tile matrix sets
tileMatrixrequiredThe tile matrix set and zoom level, from 0 (lowest) to 21 (highest).
tileColrequiredThe column index of a tile matrix.
tileRowrequiredThe row index of a tile matrix.
formatoptionalThe output file format of the response. See Supported Output Formats.