• Create a Layer group named “ArcGIS” under “Global Imagery”, set Children to “inclusive”
• Add the following layers to the “ArcGIS” group each without a layer file, set type to “Imagery”, set Layer Class to “Map”, set Driver to “ArcGIS” and set URL to one of the
  • Satellite: [http://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Imagery/MapServer], Layer Class “Map”
  • Transport: [http://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Reference/World_Transportation/MapServer], Layer Class “Traffic”
  • Places: [http://services.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Reference/World_Boundaries_and_Places_Alternate/MapServer], Layer Class “Places/POI”
  • Traffic: [https://utility.arcgis.com/usrsvcs/servers/68aa64f21c5a4b0488b2c29b3c6042bc/rest/services/World/Traffic/MapServer], Layer Class “Traffic”
• Keep all other properties as default

A list of available tile servers for OpenStreeMap can be found here. More tile servers and URLs can also be found https://www.xyht.com/spatial-itgis/using-openstreetmap-basemaps-qgis-3-0/.

• Add a new layer to the configuration under the group “Global Imagery”
• Set type to “Imagery”
• Select driver “XYZ”
• set URL to https://[abc].tile.openstreetmap.org/${z}/${x}/${y}.png
• Set “CacheId” to “osm_map”
• Keep profile to “spherical-mercator”
• Set “Gamma correction” to “0.3”

The list of tile map server on https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Tile_servers has also some “useful” overlay map layers (e.g. transport or sea markers).

• Create a XYZ image layer and set the URL to one listed in the table (e.g. http://tile.memomaps.de/tilegen/${z}/${x}/${y}.pn)
• Keep profile to “spherical-mercator”
• If the layer appears too bright, then decrease the gamma correction value.

• Add a new layer to the configuration under the group “Global Imagery”
• Set type to “Imagery”
• Select driver “XYZ”
• set URL to http://tile.thunderforest.com/cycle/${z}/${x}/${y}.png
• Keep profile to “spherical-mercator”
• Set “CacheId” to “osm_cycle”
• Set “Gamma correction” to “0.3”

• Add a new layer to the configuration under the group “Global Imagery”
• Set type to “Imagery”
• Select driver “Bing”
• Enter an API key; without an API key the requests for the GIS data is denied by the server.
• Set Imagery set to one of the following:
  • Aerial: Aerial imagery.
  • AerialWithLabels: Aerial imagery with a road overlay.
  • AerialWithLabelsOnDemand: Aerial imagery with on-demand road overlay.
  • CanvasDark: A dark version of the road maps.
  • CanvasLight: A lighter version of the road maps which also has some of the details such as hill shading disabled.
  • CanvasGray: A grayscale version of the road maps.
  • Road: Roads without additional imagery.
  • Streetside: Street-level Imagery.
• Use “AerialWithLabels” to get satellite imagery with labels for places, roads, etc.