Mapbox GL Layer Manager

The Layer Manager for Mapbox GL is a powerful utility that simplifies the management of layers and sources in the Mapbox GL environment. This package allows easy layer reordering, visibility toggling, opacity adjustments, and other modifications, making it an essential tool for developers working with interactive maps.

It supports dynamic management of multiple sources and layers, allowing developers to dynamically change active sources, reorder layers efficiently, and automatically free unused resources to optimize performance.

New in v1.3: built-in Performance Analyzer that surfaces per-layer GPU timing, source load times, frame stats, and actionable optimization suggestions — and a first-class React hook (useLayerManager) for seamless SPA integration.

Features

• Easy Layer and Source Management – Add, remove, and update layers and sources effortlessly.
• Dynamic Layer Reordering – Change layer positions in real-time.
• Customize Layer Styling – Adjust opacity, visibility, and colors dynamically.
• Manage Multiple Sources – Attach and detach different sources on the fly.
• Automatic Resource Cleanup – Unused sources and layers are removed automatically to improve efficiency.
• Advanced Filtering System – Filters have unique identifiers, making them easy to enable/disable dynamically.
• Performance Analyzer – Collect GPU timing, frame stats, and source load times; get heuristic optimization suggestions.
• React Hook – useLayerManager for clean lifecycle management with automatic destroy on unmount.

Installation

npm install @daturon/mapboxgl-layer-manager

mapbox-gl (>=3.0.0) is a required peer dependency. React (>=16.8.0) is optional — only needed if you use the React hook.

Usage

1. Import and Initialize

import { LayerManager } from '@daturon/mapboxgl-layer-manager';

const map = new mapboxgl.Map({ /* ... */ });

const sources = [
  { id: 'my-source', source: { type: 'geojson', data: myGeoJSONData } },
];

const layers = [
  {
    id: 'my-layer',
    type: 'circle',
    source: 'my-source',
    paint: { 'circle-radius': 5, 'circle-color': '#ff0000' },
  },
];

const manager = new LayerManager(map, sources, layers);

2. Render Layers in Order

// Adds sources, removes unused ones, and renders layers in the given order.
// Call again whenever the active layer set changes.
await manager.renderOrderedLayers(['my-layer'], {
  'my-layer': {
    filter: ['==', ['get', 'type'], 'park'],
    paint: { 'circle-color': '#00ff00' },
  },
});

3. Modify Layer Properties

manager.setLayerOpacity('my-layer', 0.5);
manager.toggleLayerVisibility('my-layer');

manager.updateLayerPaint('my-layer', 'circle-color', '#0000ff');
manager.updateLayerLayout('my-layer', 'visibility', 'none');

4. Manage Filters Dynamically

// Filters are named, so multiple independent filters compose automatically.
manager.updateLayerFilter('my-layer', ['==', ['get', 'category'], 'park'], 'category-filter');
manager.updateLayerFilter('my-layer', ['>', ['get', 'area'], 500], 'area-filter');

// Remove one filter without affecting the other.
manager.removeLayerFilter('my-layer', 'area-filter');

5. Add / Remove Sources and Layers Imperatively

manager.addSources([{ id: 'new-source', source: { type: 'geojson', data: newData } }]);
manager.addLayers([{ id: 'new-layer', type: 'fill', source: 'new-source', paint: {} }]);

manager.removeLayers(['new-layer']);
manager.removeSources(['new-source']);

6. Feature State

manager.updateFeatureState('my-source', featureId, { hover: true });

7. Cleanup

// Removes all managed layers and sources from the map.
manager.destroy();

Performance Analyzer

Enable the built-in analyzer to collect GPU timing, frame stats, and source load durations, then call getReport() or getSuggestions() for actionable insights.

import { LayerManager, LayerAnalyzer } from '@daturon/mapboxgl-layer-manager';

// Option A — enable via LayerManager option:
const manager = new LayerManager(map, sources, layers, { analyzer: true });
const report = manager.analyzer!.getReport();

// Option B — standalone (works without LayerManager):
const analyzer = new LayerAnalyzer(map);
analyzer.start();

// ... after some map interaction ...

const report = analyzer.getReport();
console.log(report.timeToIdleMs);         // ms from load → first idle
console.log(report.frameStats);           // { avg, p95, max, sampleCount }
console.log(report.layerTimes);           // per-layer GPU time + share
console.log(report.sourceLoadTimes);      // per-source load duration
console.log(report.unusedLayerIds);       // layers with no GPU activity
console.log(report.suggestions);          // ["Layer X uses 45% of GPU time..."]

analyzer.getSlowestLayers(3);             // top 3 layers by GPU time
analyzer.getUnusedLayers();               // layers never rendered
analyzer.stop();

React Hook

Import from the /react sub-path. The manager is created when map becomes non-null and destroyed automatically on unmount.

import { useLayerManager } from '@daturon/mapboxgl-layer-manager/react';

function MapLayers({ map }: { map: mapboxgl.Map | null }) {
  const manager = useLayerManager(map, sources, layers, { analyzer: true });

  useEffect(() => {
    if (!manager) return;
    manager.renderOrderedLayers(['my-layer']);
  }, [manager]);

  return null;
}

API Reference

LayerManager

| Method | Description | |---|---| | new LayerManager(map, sources?, layers?, options?) | Create a manager. sources and layers are initial registrations. Pass { analyzer: true } to enable the analyzer. | | renderOrderedLayers(ids, configs?, beforeId?) | Render the given layers in order, auto-adding/removing sources and layers as needed. Returns a Promise that resolves after the next render. | | addSources(sources) | Register and add sources to the map. | | removeSources(ids) | Remove sources from the map and internal registry. | | addLayers(layers, beforeId?) | Add layers to the map. | | removeLayers(ids) | Remove layers from the map. | | setLayerOpacity(id, opacity) | Set a layer's opacity (0–1). Auto-detects the correct paint property by layer type. | | toggleLayerVisibility(id) | Toggle a layer between 'visible' and 'none'. | | updateLayerFilter(id, filter, name?) | Set or update a named filter. Multiple named filters compose with 'all'. | | removeLayerFilter(id, name) | Remove a named filter. | | updateLayerPaint(id, name, value, options?) | Update a paint property. | | updateLayerLayout(id, name, value, options?) | Update a layout property. | | updateFeatureState(sourceId, featureId, state) | Set feature state for hover/selection effects. | | getActiveCustomLayerIds() | Returns IDs of all currently active managed layers. | | getActiveCustomSourceIds() | Returns IDs of all currently active managed sources. | | getLayersFilters() | Returns the full filter map. | | getMapInstance() | Returns the underlying mapboxgl.Map. | | analyzer | The LayerAnalyzer instance (if { analyzer: true } was passed). | | destroy() | Remove all managed layers/sources and stop the analyzer. |

LayerAnalyzer

| Method | Description | |---|---| | new LayerAnalyzer(map) | Create a standalone analyzer for a map instance. | | start() | Begin collecting performance data. | | stop() | Detach all event listeners. | | setManagedLayerIds(ids) | Register layer IDs to track for unused-layer detection. | | getReport() | Full snapshot: frame stats, layer times, source load times, suggestions. | | getFrameStats() | { avg, p95, max, sampleCount } GPU frame times. | | getSlowestLayers(n?) | Top N layers by average GPU render time. | | getUnusedLayers() | Managed layers with no GPU activity recorded. | | getSourceLoadTimes() | Per-source load durations from sourcedataloading → loaded. | | getSuggestions() | Array of human-readable optimization tips. |

Contributing

1. Fork and clone the repository.
2. Install dependencies: npm install
3. Build: npm run build
4. Lint: npm run lint
5. Open a pull request with your changes.

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Links

• GitHub: daturon/mapboxgl-layer-manager
• Issues: GitHub Issues
• npm: @daturon/mapboxgl-layer-manager