{"id":2978056,"date":"2026-07-23T07:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T14:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=2978056"},"modified":"2026-07-23T07:35:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T14:35:44","slug":"how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits","title":{"rendered":"How to make textured basemaps with AI, the VTSE, and your wits"},"author":6971,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[22941],"tags":[758311,26451,27361,781194],"industry":[],"product":[36551],"class_list":["post-2978056","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mapping","tag-ai","tag-cartography","tag-design","tag-texture","product-arcgis-online"],"acf":{"short_description":"How to dream up, and make real, fun and interesting photo textures then bring them into your vector basemaps.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>The Vector Tile Style Editor lets you remove, splice, and restyle vector basemap content to your heart&#8217;s content. Sometimes my heart isn&#8217;t content until I&#8217;ve added a little bit of a texture pattern to a basemap. Like the cute little dappled sunlit water pattern here&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2978059,"id":2978059,"title":"TextureBasemapWater","filename":"TextureBasemapWater.jpg","filesize":390818,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits\/texturebasemapwater","alt":"World Imagery Basemap with a charming water texture. Because charming!","author":"6971","description":"","caption":"","name":"texturebasemapwater","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2978056,"date":"2026-07-23 13:59:46","modified":"2026-07-23 14:00:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1000,"height":533,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":409,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":533,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":533,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":533,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater-826x440.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":440,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg","wide_image-width":1000,"wide_image-height":533}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemapWater.jpg"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>Here&#8217;s how you can tell an AI just who you wish it to be and ask it for just what you need. In this case, what we need is a handsome repeating image that tiles well and adds visual interest to an ArcGIS basemap. Ready?<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"youtube","start_time":"0","end_time":"","youtube_video_url":"<iframe title=\"How to Make Textured Basemaps\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sMJYIQ40RZY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>0:00 Illuminating introduction.<\/p>\n<p>0:08 Editing a basemap in the <a href=\"https:\/\/vtse.arcgis.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vector Tile Style Editor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>0:59 Conjuring a repeating texture graphic with the AI of your choice.<\/p>\n<p>1:46 Resizing the pattern image to something computers like best.<\/p>\n<p>2:13 Applying the pattern to a basemap layer. It&#8217;s too easy.<\/p>\n<p>2:50 Some examples of use in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online.<\/p>\n<p>3:18 Can you make a Vincent van Gogh themed basemap? (also chickens)<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s nothing stopping you from whipping up all manner of gloriously touchable basemaps using patterns and the Vector Tile Style Editor! If you&#8217;d like to skip ahead and just try out my dappled ocean texture in one of your maps, you can find it over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/home\/item.html?id=7fa1c80a49a74596b27133f64ba434ef#overview\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2978060,"id":2978060,"title":"WaterTexturePreview","filename":"WaterTexturePreview.jpg","filesize":343262,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits\/watertexturepreview","alt":"Water texture vector basemap overlay","author":"6971","description":"","caption":"","name":"watertexturepreview","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2978056,"date":"2026-07-23 14:17:44","modified":"2026-07-23 14:18:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1000,"height":550,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","medium-width":464,"medium-height":255,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":422,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":550,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":550,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":550,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview-826x454.jpg","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":454,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/WaterTexturePreview.jpg","wide_image-width":1000,"wide_image-height":550}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/home\/item.html?id=7fa1c80a49a74596b27133f64ba434ef#overview"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>Or go full-impressionist, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/mapviewer\/index.html?layers=91d1221bf6fa4214ad021d0523b7b68d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this Vincent van Gogh inspired vector basemap<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2978061,"id":2978061,"title":"VanGoghTexturePreview","filename":"VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","filesize":564470,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits\/vangoghtexturepreview","alt":"van Gogh inspired vector basemap","author":"6971","description":"","caption":"","name":"vangoghtexturepreview","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2978056,"date":"2026-07-23 14:22:05","modified":"2026-07-23 14:22:27","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1000,"height":578,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","medium-width":452,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":444,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":578,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":578,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":578,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview-804x465.jpg","card_image-width":804,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/VanGoghTexturePreview.jpg","wide_image-width":1000,"wide_image-height":578}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/mapviewer\/index.html?layers=91d1221bf6fa4214ad021d0523b7b68d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>Jeepers, why stop with a water texture? Here&#8217;s a water-and-sand <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/mapviewer\/index.html?webmap=57a4a96e1d784e2c9a9f35b9908e8d75\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">beachy version of the world<\/a> with some terrain baked into it and labels to taste!<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2978062,"id":2978062,"title":"BeachTexturePreview","filename":"BeachTexturePreview.jpg","filesize":340818,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits\/beachtexturepreview","alt":"A vector basemap with sand and water textures.","author":"6971","description":"","caption":"","name":"beachtexturepreview","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2978056,"date":"2026-07-23 14:26:28","modified":"2026-07-23 14:26:52","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1000,"height":582,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview-213x200.jpg","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","medium-width":448,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":447,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","large-width":1000,"large-height":582,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","1536x1536-width":1000,"1536x1536-height":582,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","2048x2048-width":1000,"2048x2048-height":582,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview-799x465.jpg","card_image-width":799,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/BeachTexturePreview.jpg","wide_image-width":1000,"wide_image-height":582}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.arcgis.com\/apps\/mapviewer\/index.html?webmap=57a4a96e1d784e2c9a9f35b9908e8d75"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<p>So give the VTSE a spin and whip up all manner of textured basemap layers for your next ArcGIS map.<\/p>\n<p>Love, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@JohnNelsonMaps\/videos\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">John<\/a><\/p>\n"}],"authors":[{"ID":6971,"user_firstname":"John","user_lastname":"Nelson","nickname":"John Nelson","user_nicename":"j_nelson","display_name":"John Nelson","user_email":"John_Nelson@esri.com","user_url":"http:\/\/www.adventuresinmapping.com","user_registered":"2018-03-02 00:19:05","user_description":"I have far too much fun looking for ways to understand and present data visually, hopefully driving product strategy and engaging users. I work in the ArcGIS Living Atlas team at Esri, pushing and pulling data in all sorts of absurd ways and then sharing the process. I also design user experiences for maps and apps.\r\nWhen I'm not doing those things, I'm chasing around toddlers and wrangling chickens, and generally getting into other ad-hoc adventures. Life is good.\r\nYou might also like these Styles for ArcGIS Pro: esriurl.com\/nelsonstyles","user_avatar":"<img data-del=\"avatar\" src='https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Profile.jpg' class='avatar pp-user-avatar avatar-96 photo ' height='96' width='96'\/>"}],"related_articles":"","show_article_image":false,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TextureBasemap_Card.jpg","wide_image":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to make textured basemaps with AI, the VTSE, and your wits<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/mapping\/how-to-make-textured-basemaps-with-ai-the-vtse-and-your-wits\" \/>\n<meta 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