.. _map_views:

*****************
Visualizing Maps
*****************

Creating maps is one of the "business ends" of QGIS.
Map views are canvases to visualize spatial layers loaded in the project,
with the various rendering settings applied to them.
They can be of :ref:`2D <label_mapview>` or :ref:`3D <label_3dmapview>` type
or plotted along a :ref:`profile line <label_elevation_profile_view>`,
show different scale or extent, or display a different set of the loaded layers thanks to :ref:`map themes <map_themes>`.


.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 2

   map_view
   3d_map_view
   elevation_profile