name: visualization-and-charts
description: "Use geemap charting, colormap, legend, cartoee static map, Plotly,
pydeck, kepler.gl, and MapLibre visualization workflows."
disable-model-invocation: true
metadata:
disco-role: operating
license: MIT
geemap visualization and charts
Use this sub-skill when a task needs geemap visual outputs: bqplot charts from local or Earth Engine data, matplotlib colorbars and palettes, built-in dataset legends, publication-style static cartopy/cartoee maps, or optional Plotly, pydeck, kepler.gl, and MapLibre visualization backends.
For package setup and Earth Engine authentication, use the root setup reference: installation and auth. For cross-cutting package failures, use root troubleshooting first, then this sub-skill's visualization troubleshooting.
Route boundaries
Use this sub-skill for:
geemap.chart: DataTable, Chart, array_values, feature charts, image/region charts, histograms, and time series charts.
geemap.colormaps, top-level geemap.create_colorbar, and geemap.legends: palettes, colorbars, built-in legends, and legend table conversion.
geemap.cartoee: cartopy-based static maps with Earth Engine layers, colorbars, gridlines, north arrows, scale bars, legends, and savefig.
geemap.plot and geemap.plotlymap: Plotly Express charts, Plotly map tiles, heatmaps, GeoDataFrames, and static Plotly export.
geemap.deck, geemap.kepler, and geemap.maplibregl: optional visualization backends and style/layer validation.
Route elsewhere when the primary task is:
- Interactive ipyleaflet or folium map construction, base map controls, drawing widgets, inspectors, and layer managers: interactive Earth Engine maps.
- Data conversion, local file ingestion, Earth Engine export/download tasks, COG/STAC tile URL generation as a data I/O problem, or OSM acquisition: conversion and I/O.
- Timelapse animations, GIF/MP4 production, and app publication workflows: timelapse and apps.
Operating checklist
- Choose the output target before selecting an API:
- notebook chart:
geemap.chart.Chart or geemap.chart.* wrappers;
- local tabular chart:
geemap.plot.* for Plotly Express;
- publication static map:
geemap.cartoee;
- web/notebook map backend:
plotlymap, deck, kepler, or maplibregl.
- Check optional backend availability and missing-extra recovery with backend options.
- Validate visual parameters before creating the object: color strings, palette length,
min/max scalar values, opacity range, colorbar orientation, legend label/color lengths, and chart reducer/scale/region requirements.
- For Earth Engine chart or cartoee workflows, make authentication and network needs explicit. Do not treat a local import as proof that remote EE reductions or thumbnail requests will succeed.
- For a quick no-credentials smoke check, run the bundled script in scripts/visualization_smoke.py.
Reference bundle
- Workflows: practical recipes for charts, colorbars, static maps, Plotly maps, pydeck, kepler.gl, and MapLibre.
- API reference: verified signatures and argument contracts.
- Backend options: dependency, credential, renderer, and fallback matrix.
- Troubleshooting: chart, colorbar, cartoee, optional backend, and token/style failures.