MBTiles

MBTiles is a storage and exchange format where tiles are managed in a SQLite file.

See http://mapbox.com/developers/mbtiles/

MBTiles can be generated by:

• TileMill.
• TileStache - see below.
• TileCutter [1] - Generates MBTiles from ArcGIS Dynamic Map Services.

MBTiles can be converted by:

• GDAL - Converter to read MBTiles.
• MBUtil - see below.

MBTiles can be read from and/or is delivered by:

• ArcGIS Dynamic Map Services. See TileCutter.
• MapBox Online [2]. Publishes maps in the cloud. MapBox Hosting uses TileStream but adds many features and is a hosted service.
• TileStream [3] - High-performance map tile server powered by MBTiles files (Serverside Javascript). Can be used in OpenLayers, Google Maps, Modest Maps, and other Javascript APIs. Wax (Javascript lib) enhances it.
• TileStache [4] (Python). Is aka successor of TileCache, based on Mapnik; reads MBTiles (metatiles) format. Generates vector tiles from OGR datasources in GeoJSON (usable in Polymaps). Writes (caches) to disk, Memcache, Amazon S3, MBTiles. Serves tiles in Google-style spherical mercator projection and WGS84 lat/lon projection. Runs from CGI, mod_python, or Gunicorn WSGI.
• (TileServer.php [5] (PHP). Deliveres pre-rendered map tiles in OGC WMTS standard made with MapTiler, GDAL, or available as MBTiles files.)
• GDAL [6]. GDAL2Tiles utility. Is used in turn e.g. by QGIS and UMN MapServer.
• MBUtil [7] (Python) - Exports MBTiles to disk (als plain raster files) and imports/packages from disk to MBTiles format.

One can also use MBTiles files offline on mobile devices with the MapBox iOS SDK or on Android (OsmDroid).