ApexMaps 1.1.0 shipped on October 20, 2026 with one new series, pixel maps. Nothing breaks and no configuration change is needed; the React, Vue and Angular wrappers accept 1.1.0 as they are.

Key takeaways

  • Pixel maps (Premium): type: 'pixel' draws a choropleth as a lattice of marks.
  • Four shapes that tile: circle, square, hexagon or diamond, each on a lattice made for it.
  • Ground or screen: a geo grid magnifies on zoom; a screen grid adds detail.
  • Globes: on an orthographic projection the dots sit on the sphere and turn with it.
  • Steadier hover on every series: moving between two parts of one mark no longer restarts the hover.
  • Upgrading is npm install apexmaps@1.1.0.

What is a pixel map?

A pixel map keeps everything a choropleth decides (the rows, the join, the scale and its classes) and changes only the mark: each region is filled with the lattice points that fall inside it, painted the region's colour. Change the type on a choropleth you already have and it draws.

series: [{ type: 'pixel', joinBy: 'name', data, shape: 'hexagon', spacing: 2.5 }]

At size: '100%' squares, hexagons and diamonds meet edge to edge with no seams; below that, size sets the gap. grid: 'geo', the default, keeps each dot as a place, so zooming in magnifies it. grid: 'screen' keeps an even spacing on screen and adds detail as you zoom. No region is lost for being small: a country the lattice steps over still gets a dot, so all 177 countries on the world map are drawn at the default spacing, Luxembourg and Brunei included. Each region stays one element, so the legend, tooltip, hover, selection, keyboard focus and drilldown work unchanged.

Pixel MapOpen in new tab

Open the full Pixel Map demoPremium feature

The demo puts every option on a control panel, next to a hexagon globe and a map of Europe. Pixel Maps covers each option.

Do pixel maps need a license?

Yes. They are a Premium feature, sold with the hex tile layouts. Without a key a pixel map works in full with a watermark, so you can try it first. See Licensing.

Other changes

  • Moving the pointer between two parts of the same mark, such as a marker and its hit area, no longer ends and restarts the hover: the tooltip stops flickering and the hover event fires once.
  • The core bundle, apexmaps.min.js, is 88,962 B gzipped, up 4,759 B from 1.0.1.

The full notes are in the 1.1.0 GitHub release.

Upgrading

npm install apexmaps@1.1.0

The demos and any page loading the unversioned CDN URL are already on 1.1.0. Earlier: ApexMaps 1.0.0, with hex tile layouts and hexbin density.

Frequently asked questions

What is a pixel map?

A choropleth drawn as dots. Each region is filled with the lattice points that fall inside it, every one painted the region's colour, instead of a flat fill. In ApexMaps it is `type: 'pixel'` on a choropleth series; the data, join and scale stay the same.

Do pixel maps need a license?

Yes, they are a Premium feature sold with the hex tile layouts. Without a key a pixel map renders in full with a watermark, so you can evaluate it on your own data. ApexMaps.setLicense(key) with a Premium or higher key removes the watermark.