BackendType

BackendType = "webgl" | "canvas" | "svg" | "auto"

Defined in: map/backend-factory.ts:26

Which renderer an engine (GeoMap / Plot, or the React <GeoMap>) draws the core!Scene with. Geometry is projected & tessellated once (backend-independent); the backend only turns it into pixels (or SVG nodes). Defaults to "webgl".

• "webgl" (default) — luma.gl v9 WebGL2. Best for large/dense scenes, smooth pan/zoom, and the GPU globe. One-time GPU device creation delays the first paint (can be 100s of ms on a cold load). Exports via toPNG().
• "canvas" — Canvas2D. Instant (synchronous) startup, no GPU dependency; ideal for small/ medium scenes and the fastest first paint. Exports via toPNG().
• "svg" — SVG nodes. Instant startup; for vector export / print / hand-editable output. Exports via toSVG().
• "auto" — progressive: install "canvas" synchronously for an instant first paint, then create the WebGL device in the background and swap to it transparently when ready. Falls back to staying on Canvas (with a console.warn) if WebGL is unavailable. In "auto" mode whenReady() resolves at the canvas first paint (early); the upgrade is transparent.

Switch a live engine with setBackend(...) (layers, colors, and the current view are preserved); switching to the already-live backend is a no-op.