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How to Set Up a Web Feature Service

This support article explains how a HUB user can create their own Web Feature Service for GIS software such as ArcGIS Online, ArcPro, and QGIS.

Updated over a month ago

What is WFS?

A Web Feature Service (WFS) is a standard web service for accessing geographic data like shapes (polygons, lines, points) and their details, rather than just static map images. This lets you view, query (e.g., "show orders in Europe") and analyze data in your own GIS tools such as QGIS or ArcGIS, making it a powerful way to share and work with dynamic geospatial information across teams and tools.

Benefits for SkyWatch Users

Through the SkyWatch HUB application, HUB organization users can generate a Web Feature Service (WFS) of their organization's SkyWatch orders.

  • Interactive Access: Load live order footprints with details like ID, date, and status.

  • Organization-Wide Visibility: See all orders across your entire organization in your GIS environment, simplifying management of larger teams and numerous data requests.

Organization users can generate a WFS link for all SkyWatch orders or only orders within a specific location. Paste it into your platform's data sources, and your order history appears as an interactive map features for seamless integration and real-time updates.

To generate a WFS on HUB, please follow the instructions below.

How To Generate a WFS

To generate a WFS, a HUB user will need to acquire the following information from the "Export WFS" option in HUB > Data Management:

  • Url for the respective software

  • Their HUB API key

  • Output Format: json or xml

Importing WFS

Below are steps to add a WFS to common GIS platforms: ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro and QGIS. If you are using other software that supports WFS urls, we recommend following the QGIS steps as they are the most universal and should work on any WFS supported software.

If you have any questions about setting up WFS in your specific application please contact our support team.

ArcGIS Online

  • Log onto HUB and go to the Data Management tab.

  • Click"Export WFS"

  • To export a WFS for all organization orders or only those visible in the current map extent, select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu at the top of the Export WFS window.

  • Copy the url in the "ArcGIS Online" section.

  • Log onto your ArcGIS Online account, and select the option "Add layer from URL" in your "Add" drop-down menu.

  • Add the url generated from the calls listed above, set your API key, parameter, and value.

  • Select the layer you wish to add, then click "Add to Map".

  • Once complete, right-click on the layer and select "Show Table". All interval results will then be visible.

ArcGIS Pro

  • Log onto HUB and go to the Data Management tab.

  • Click"Export WFS"

  • To export a WFS for all organization orders or only those visible in the current map extent, select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu at the top of the Export WFS window.

  • Copy the url in the "ArcGIS Pro" section.

  • Create a ArcGIS Pro project.

  • Go to Connections -> Server -> New WFS Server

  • Copy your ArcGIS Pro WFS url, then add your API key and click "OK"

  • When the WFS layer appears in your Catalog, right-click and select "Add to Current Map"

  • The Add WFS Layer(s) pop-up will appear. Set the maximum features returned to 1000 and click "OK"

  • All interval layers will appear in the WFS layer table.

QGIS

  • Log onto HUB and go to the Data Management tab.

  • Click"Export WFS".

  • To export a WFS for all organization orders or only those visible in the current map extent, select the appropriate option from the dropdown menu at the top of the Export WFS window.

  • Copy the url in the "QGIS" section.

  • Open a QGIS project and find WFS/OGC API Features in the Browser column.

  • Right-click or select the drop-down menu and select New Connection...

  • Name your WFS layer and paste the QGIS url from your HUB account. The URL will include the API key in the URL. If you would like to set up the API key authentication as a configuration instead please follow the alternate steps below.

Configure API Key Authentication Method (optional)

  • Name your WFS layer and paste this url: https://api.skywatch.co/earthcache/wfs2?request=GetFeature&typename=interval_results

  • To add the api key, click on the "+" button and enter: Header key: x-api-key Header Value: paste your API key

  • Once the WFS layer is created, right-click and select Add Layer to Project

View all the layers by opening the Attribute Table

If you encounter any issues or have any questions, please contact our support team.

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