Release notes covering all releases of the Foursquare Studio platform, including:

• Foursquare Studio
• Foursquare Data Catalog
• Foursquare Studio Map SDK (See Change log for details)
• Foursquare Studio Data SDK (See Change log for details)

Version 1.71

Released September 27th, 2023

Map Scale

Studios maps now have a scale that indicate real-world distances in kilometers.

Map SDK: Load Published Maps

The Studio Map SDK can now be used to work with and control published maps. Simply supply the map's identifier to the createMap() function.

Map SDK: Effects

Post-processing effects can now be created and controlled via the Studio Map SDK. Apply stunning visual effects such as light and shadow programmatically. See an example here.

Map SDK Examples

The Map SDK documentation now offers fully interactive examples in both JavaScript sandbox and Python notebook formats.

Version 1.70

Includes minor changes from version 1.69

Released September 13th, 2023

Collaborative Sharing

Studio users may now invite colleagues to edit their maps, allowing members/teams to work together on a single map rather than juggle several copies of the project. Collaboration is accompanied by Data API and SDK support, offering a programmatic approach to managing editor permissions.

New Share Modal

The Share modal has been updated to emphasize collaboration, and now allows you to specify email addresses to seamlessly invite specific users as viewers and editors. You can also share the map with your organization or publish it for an external viewing audience.

"Shared with Me" Workspace Tab

In the Workspace, find all assets shared with your email in a new Shared with Me tab. Assets shared at an organization level can still be found in your organization's tab.

Zoom Controls

New zoom controls let you step through resolution levels. These controls provide fine control over the zoom level of your map, and are even present on alternative map views, such as dual map mode, where zoom buttons appear for each individual map view.

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Version 1.68

Released August 16th, 2023

3D Tiles

Studio is rolling out support for 3D tiles, starting with Google's Photorealistic 3D tiles. Large-scale 3D data allows businesses to model and visualize their operations in a realistic setting that mirrors the real world.

Post-Processing Effects

Elevate your geospatial presentations with a collection of post-processing effects, adding a unique artistic touch to your maps without ever leaving Studio. This tool goes beyond simple image processing, offering effects such as Light and Shadow that accurately simulates sunlight casting over the map, accentuating 3D elements with striking shadows.

Vector Tile Style Improvements

The Vector Tile Layer configuration options have been aligned with the Polygon Layer. Whether your geometries are loaded from vector tiles and visualized with a Vector Tile, or loaded from a GeoJSON file and visualized with a Polygon Layer, you can apply the same styling including custom stroke width and color.

S3 Connector

Studio now offers an S3 data connector that lets you pull data directly from your Amazon S3 buckets into Studio.

Parquet + ORC Support

Through the Amazon S3 connector, Studio users can now select Parquet and ORC files as input when building Hex Tiles. Follow our guide to try it yourself.

Data SDK: Sharing and Permissions

You can now share and un-share maps, datasets and data connectors directly from the Data SDK via the new permissions endpoints.

Data SDK: External/Cloud Datasets

You can now create "external datasets" through the Data SDK. External datasets are data sources that reference an external URL. This feature can be used alongside the S3 connector to pull data from the user's own cloud. External datasets are loaded from the external source every time they are used, and will not be stored in Foursquare's cloud.

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Version 1.67

Released July 26th, 2023

Color Palette Library

Users can now save custom color palettes to personal libraries. Organization members can work together to create a shared library of color palettes, facilitating brand consistency and fulfilling different color demands.

Filters: Config Editor

The configuration editor has been extended to filters. Programmatically control your filters in our full-featured code editor, or copy the configuration and paste it in other maps.

Bar Chart: Manual Sort

Bars in the Bar Chart can now be manually sorted, allowing users to arrange them in any desired order.

Grafana Plugin Update

Our Grafana plugin has been refreshed with export image/map functionality and other improvements. Learn how to install the plugin in your Grafana environment.

QGIS Plugin Update

Studio's QGIS plugin, which allows users to export QGIS maps to Studio, now supports additional color scales/symbologies, including logarithmic, pretty breaks, and natural breaks (Jenks).

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Version 1.66

Released July 11th, 2023

Tooltip Reordering

Columns in the mouse-over tooltip can now be easily reordered by dragging and dropping the labels.

Layer Group Improvements

We have implemented a redesign of Layer Groups, enhancing visual clarity and overall usability. Use Layer Groups to neatly sort your layers into folders for better organization.

Projects: Asset Info Panel

When selecting datasets or maps within a Project, metadata is now displayed in an information box.

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Version 1.65

Released June 27th, 2023

Charts: Config Editor

The configuration editor has now been extended to charts. Programmatically control your charts in our full-featured code editor, or copy the configuration and paste it in other maps.

Raster Tiles: Toggle 3D Terrain

Users now have the option to toggle 3D terrain within the Raster Tile layer. Flatten raster data to better stack and blend other geospatial layers.

Data API Explorer

Studio's Data APIs let you upload and manage geospatial assets on the Studio Cloud. The new Data API explorer lets users test our APIs from the web browser. Get real responses by providing your access token.

Version 1.64

Includes maintenance version 1.63

Released June 14th, 2023

Vector Tiles: Dynamic Color

Enable Dynamic Color in the Vector Layer to estimate a color range and scale based on data visible in the viewport. Vector tiles also support a quantile color scale.

Query Parameters: Quick Edit

Users may now edit query parameters directly from the sidebar. Create new dropdown entries without jumping between menus.

Version 1.62

Released May 16th, 2023

Heatmap Chart

Use the new Heatmap Chart to observe patterns, dependencies, and associations between different geographic variables or attributes in a dataset. Offering complete customization of the correlation matrix, the Heatmap Chart highlights values atop a vibrant color palette.

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Version 1.61

Released May 4th, 2023

Labels: Text Outline

Label text can now be outlined with a custom stroke width, stroke color, and background color. Labels are available for configuration in the Point, Polygon, Trip, Icon, and H3 Layer.

Viewport Configuration Editor

The viewport may now be accessed and modified via Studio's config editor. With full control of the viewport configuration, you may now set an exact zoom level, latitude/longitude, and many other settings.

Map SDK: Allow Data Export

Toggle the ability to export data from the Map SDK via the mapConfig.exportEnabled flag. Users can export any dataset from the map in either CSV or GeoJSON format.

Data SDK: Data Connector Functionality

The Data SDK now offers support for Data Connectors. List available data connectors, execute queries, and create datasets from queries via a new set of Data SDK endpoints.

Use Case: Working with Text

In Studio, labels can be used to provide context and insight into the columns of the underlying dataset. You can also add custom callouts to your map with annotations, modify the map's legend, and much more. Learn more in our new guide highlighting text in Studio.

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Version 1.60

Released April 18th, 2023

Layer Config Editor

Modify layers programmatically via Studio's new feature-rich config editor. Offering syntax suggestions, multi-line editing, and a number of other options found in modern code editors, Studio's human-readable layers configurations are now more accessible than ever.

Custom Color Scale for Categorical Values

Map categorical and ordinal values to any color on both layers and charts. With any color on the spectrum available, you may now visually communicate categories far more effectively.

Replace Dataset Validation

Studio now validates new datasets during the Replace Dataset operation. When replacing a dataset, Studio now offers insight into which layers may be disabled or broken due to missing or mismatched columns.

Map SDK: Replace Dataset Validation

When calling replaceDataset via Studio's Map SDK, the new dataset is now checked for any missing or non-matching columns.

Map SDK: Raster Categorical Color Scale

Users may now specify a custom color scale for raster imagery by mapping available image pixel values to a color hex codes.

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Version 1.59

Released April 7th, 2023

Includes minor changes from version 1.58

WMS Service Support

Studio now offers support for WMS services, rendering map imagery as a visual layer. Instead of downloading a map for the entire globe, an image is rendered covering the current viewport.

Data Connectors: Dynamic Viewport Query

Insert the {{viewport}} query parameter to retrieve filtered data that falls within the current viewport. Moving the viewport dynamically updates the query, pulling new data for the current view.

Data SDK: Replace Dataset Compatibility Check

When calling Replace Dataset from the Data SDK, the new dataset will now be checked to make sure it has all the fields that are being used by the old dataset. This will help prevent layers, filters, charts, and other elements from failing to render if dataset schemas don't match up.

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Version 1.57

Released March 22nd, 2023

Introducing Projects

Projects are spaces for teams to organize maps and datasets. Offering folder support, Projects allow you to structure your assets in a way that makes sense to your team.

Raster Layer: Single Band Support

The Raster Layer now offers single band support. With single band image selection enabled, users may choose to view any individual raster band available in a STAC collection.

Hex Tiles: Dynamic Color Scale

The new Dynamic Color Scale option for Hex Tiles updates the color scale domain based on the area visible in the viewport.

Data Connectors: Multi-Selection Query Dropdown

Data connectors now support multi-selection via the query parameter dropdown feature.

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Version 1.56

Released February 22nd, 2023

Chart Improvements

A host of chart enhancements has landed to Studio. Users may now add custom labels to the Y axis, toggle grid lines, and apply padding between bars and groups.

Annotation Improvements

Editing annotations is now easier with a number of bug fixes and quality-of-life changes. All annotations on a map can now be toggled on or off from the Interactions tab, and the rich text editor now supports vertical alignment.

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Version 1.55

Released February 9th, 2023

Charts: Hex Tile Support

Charts can now display data from Hex Tiles within the viewport. Summarize massive datasets using bar, line, and big number charts.

Charts: Benchmark

You may now designate a group from a column to serve as a benchmark for line and bar charts. Use benchmarks to evaluate how a business stacks up to competitors, if a franchise is meeting its goals, and much more.

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Version 1.54

Released January 25th, 2023

(Contains features from 1.53)

Annotations

Studio's new Annotation feature lets you place text and callouts on the map. Equipped with a rich text editor, annotations are highly customizable, supporting fonts, colors, hyperlinks, and more.

Save and Share Base Maps

Add base maps to your workspace for future reuse. Saved base maps can also be shared with all members of your organization, allowing any member of your team to use a custom base map.

Expressions: New Aggregation Functions

Aggregate data from columns using a new suite of aggregation expressions, including sum, count, quantile, and more. Big number charts support these expressions, letting you compute and display aggregated metrics in a matter of seconds.

Data Connectors: Test Connection

Before adding a data connector, the new Test Connection feature communicates with your database to verify your connection prior to adding the connector. If your connection fails or is rejected, an error message will be relayed from your data provider.

New Asset Tile Cards

Assets are now represented with new compact, responsive title cards. This is only a sneak peek of our upcoming dashboard improvement that further enables team collaboration on Foursquare Studio.

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Version 1.52

Released December 14th, 2022

Dashboard Improvement: Workspace

Your maps, datasets, queries, and data connectors can now be found in the Workspace tab. Spend less time searching for assets with this new easy-to-navigate interface.

New Expression Editor

Our expression editor has been redesigned to expedite column creation. Find our library of built-in functions on the left panel, then view function definitions and expected parameters in the editor window.

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Version 1.51

Released November 23rd, 2022

H3 Layer Improvements

The H3 layer now supports text labels, stroke outline customization, and fill transparency.

Flow Layer: H3 Support

You may now use H3 indexes as source/target locations in the Flow Layer.

Guide: Geospatial Data Operations

Visit our new guide to learn about geospatial data operations available in Studio. Follow along with the examples to see how common use cases are met completely within a Studio map project.

Map Month: Last Week for Submissions!

There's only 1 week left to enter our 2022 Map Month Competition! Don't forget to submit your best #30daymapchallenge creations using Foursquare Studio for the chance to win one of three $500 prizes 🏆!

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Version 1.50

Released November 16th, 2022

Hex Tiles: Custom Color Scale

Users may now apply a custom color scale in the Hex Tile layer. Create a custom color scale to highlight areas that are above or below a certain value, or select the exact colors to represent your data.

Swapping out neighborhood polygons with the dropdown menu.

Query Parameters: Dynamic Dropdown

Use the new dynamic dropdown feature to select a specific column to use as a source for unique values. This option streamlines populating a dropdown list for a query parameter.

Implementing dynamic dropdown query parameters to a NYC block map.

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Time Series: Group By

Temporal data can now be grouped and displayed as multiple lines on the histogram, providing your audience with a categorical comparison alongside an animated visualization.

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Data Connectors: Redshift

You can connect the Studio platform to your Amazon Redshift cluster using the Redshift data connector. Read our guide to get started.

H3 Presto Bindings

Presto bindings are now available for the H3 Core Library via the new H3-Presto plugin.

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Version 1.49

Released November 1st, 2022

Unfolded Studio is now Foursquare Studio

The move from Unfolded to Foursquare Studio is both a symbolic and practical investment in our product and its users. Continuing into 2023, expect to see more new integrations, powerful analytic features, and other exciting tools. Read last month's blog post and the accompanying FAQ.

New Documentation Hub

Our documentation has moved to https://location.foursquare.com/studio/docs. This transition creates a one-stop-shop for customers that use Studio along with other Foursquare offerings. As with Studio, we are eager to hear your feedback in our community Slack channel.

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Version 1.48

Released Oct 12, 2022

Dropdown Query Templates

Bookmarked query templates now support dropdown lists. Specify a set of values to appear in the list, allowing for easy query re-execution from Studio's side panel.

Swapping out neighborhood polygons with the dropdown menu.

Shared Datasets: Create Map

Users can now select any number of shared datasets, then click Create Map to initialize a new project with the selected datasets.

Creating a map from a selection of shared datasets.

Shared Datasets: Copy to Account

Users may now copy shared datasets to their personal account. This allows users to privately tag and modify datasets without impacting other members of their organization.

Copying several datasets from an organization to an account.

Data SDK: Command Line Authentication

We have enabled easier Data SDK authentication via the command line, removing the need to manually copy tokens from our website.

Authenticating to the Data SDK via the command line.

Data SDK: Non-rotating Refresh Token

The Data SDK now supports non-rotating refresh tokens. This makes it easier to authenticate with the Data SDK from environments with read-only secrets like Databricks.

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Version 1.47

Released Sep 26, 2022

Chart Improvements

This update brings a host of improvements across Studio's charts, aligning functionality across the platform.

Grouped bar charts: vertical and horizontal.

Bar Chart

• Horizontal layout
• Sorting options for values on the x-axis
• Sorting options for groups
• Coloring options: color by groups, x-axis, or apply no coloring

Big Number Chart

• Use filtered data toggle

Line Chart

• Format x-axis and y-axis values
• Support for integer values on the x-axis
• Sorting options for groups
• Coloring options: color by groups

Tooltip Chart

• Format categorical breakdown values (supports only numerical values)
• Format y-axis values (supports only time series)
• Color options: y-axis, or apply no coloring

3D Layer Improvements

The 3D layer now allows users to select from a library of models or specify a custom model (which must be provided via URL). Additionally, models in the 3D layer now support full rotation and tilting via fields accepting roll, pitch, and yaw data.

Raster Use Case Examples

Interested in exploring remote data in Foursquare Studio? Our new use case article breaks down the features of our Raster Layer This article includes examples showing the Raster Layer used in several use case examples, including agriculture and emergency management.

The Raster Layer showing the the Santa Monica Mountains.

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Version 1.46

Released Sep 15, 2022

Layer Groups

The long-awaited Layer Group feature has made its way to Studio. Create a new group, then drag and drop your project's layers into labeled folders. Users may also click the visibility toggle the display of all layers in the group.

Creating and populating a new Layer Group.

Chart UI Improvement

Chart options have been organized into intuitive sections that collapse and expand, streamlining chart configuration. The chart panel is now larger, dedicating more screen space to the chart itself.

Grafana Studio Plugin

The official Foursquare Studio Panel plugin is now available as a direct download on Grafana, providing the power of Studio to build location intelligence on your dashboards. Add it to Grafana Cloud with a single click, or install it via the CLI for local Grafana instances. Read our blog post for more information.

Map SDK Updates

Map SDK version 1.2.0 features new APIs for layer groups as well as support for Databricks notebooks. Learn how to set up the Map SDK on your environment.

Allow Data Export in Published Maps

As a new pro feature for published projects, allow users to export data on the map. With this option enabled, users are free to extract both data imported to Studio as well as data generated in Studio, including the output of analysis modules such as Cluster-Outlier Analysis or Suitability Analysis.

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Version 1.45

Released Sep 1, 2022

Map SDK v1.0

We have released version 1.0 of the Map SDK, providing far more control over Studio's map, layer, dataset, and filter elements.

Map SDK v1 extends functionality via a new set of APIs along with type safety, stability, and consistency across the Javascript and Python packages. Try it out now on the Map SDK playground or follow the set up guide to get started on your local environment.

Bar Chart

Plot and display your datasets with Studio's new bar chart. Our implementation pays special attention to your data's context, inferring its statistical type (e.g. continuous, categorical, or temporal), then applying automatic binning and other preset configurations. While powerful out of the box, the bar chart is equipped with a large set of aggregation, binning, and grouping options.

Plotting earthquake data in a bar chart.

Dashboard: Dataset Selection Improvement

It is now easier to organize your datasets and queries, find and delete stale items, or select datasets in bulk to share or download. Use the new Select All button to select or unselect everything, and use shift-click to select ranges of datasets. From the query and dataset tabs, click on column headings to sort your data in ascending or descending order.

Selecting and sorting both datasets and queries.

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Version 1.44

Released Aug 16, 2022

Dashboard: Queries Section

All previously defined queries can now be found in the Data Tab under a new Queries section. In the Queries section, you may sort, share, and delete any query.

Viewing the Queries section in the Data tab.

Custom Color Scale for Aggregated Layers

You may now apply a custom color scale to aggregated layers, such as the Grid, Hexagon, and Cluster layer.

Modifying the color scale of a Cluster layer.

Improved Data Formatting

From the data table, select a formatting style for a column data type. Changes made here will be reflected across the Studio platform.

Updating all float columns in the dataset to display in a percentile format.

Timezone Selection

When using a time filter, use the new timezone dropdown to display your project's temporal data formatted in the appropriate time zone.

Selecting a new timezone in the time filter settings.

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Version 1.43

Released Jul 25, 2022

Suitability Analysis: Color Palettes

You may now customize the color palette of the suitability analysis layer during its initial set-up.

Modifying the color palette of a suitability analysis.

Data Catalog: New OpenStreetMap Hex Tile Datasets

Unfolded's Data Catalog now offers Hex Tile datasets from OpenStreetMap, including global railways, US buildings, and US highways. Bring these datasets into your analytics to discover spatial relationships with infrastructure.

Zooming into the OSM: Buildings Hex Tile dataset.

Time Filter: Custom Intervals

You may now apply custom x-axis intervals to temporal data with a time filter.

Changing the time interval on an Earthquake dataset.

Format Values in Data Table

In the Data Table viewer, apply formatting to values in a column to better match a dataset's context.

Applying formatting to decimal values to better represent percentile ranking.

Shapify Improvements

Shapify can now be accessed from the dataset action menu, opening a dedicated sidebar with settings and parameters.

Applying Shapify to a column containing county FIPS codes.