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Video | Tableau | Data visualisation

Multiple map layers

Tableau 2020.4 finally lets you stack multiple marks layers onto one map, and it opens a world of possibilities.

Tim Ngwena •15 December 2020 •1 min read •9 min watch •Views on YouTube18K
Watch on YouTube
  • Tableau 2020.4 lets you add multiple marks layers to a single map by dragging a field onto the red 'Add a Marks Layer' drop zone
  • You can reorder layers by dragging them, controlling which sits on top using the orange indicator line
  • Each layer has a drop-down to move, hide, rename, remove or disable selection, so you can click through one layer to the object behind it
  • Using the same field (like region) for colour across layers keeps the colours matched between them
  • I built the entire workbook and prep flow in the browser, including a spatial geometry file joined to Superstore in Tableau Prep
Rollup

Tableau 2020.4 lets you stack multiple independent marks layers onto a single map object, so you can combine points, polygons and background geography in one view rather than being limited to a single marks pane.

Tim builds a US state map in the browser using Superstore-style data plus a spatial geometry file joined in Tableau Prep. He starts from a plain state map and progressively adds more layers on top of it.

The Breakdown
  1. Start with a basic map 1:23

    Double-clicking a geographic field (like city or state) auto-generates a map; switching the mark type and washing out background colours gives you a clean base layer to build on.

  2. Add a marks layer by dragging a field onto the drop zone 2:41

    Once you have a map, dragging another field onto the red 'Add a Marks Layer' zone plots it as a new layer on top of the existing map — this is the core mechanic and the required first step before anything else here applies.

  3. Reorder layers by dragging 3:01

    Layers stack in the order shown in the layers list; drag a layer up or down and an orange indicator line shows where it will sit, controlling what appears on top of what.

  4. Recolour each layer independently 3:41

    Each layer has its own colour shelf, so you can style points, polygons and backgrounds separately — useful for contrast when layers overlap.

  5. Add a spatial geometry layer 4:23

    You can bring in a joined spatial file as its own marks layer; if it sits on top it will visually override layers beneath it, so you may need to reorder it or switch underlying layers to a simpler mark type (e.g. circle instead of map) to avoid losing colour.

  6. Match colours across layers using the same field 5:00

    Using the same field (e.g. region) for colour on two different layers keeps their colours in sync, which is a good tip for building a coherent multi-layer selection tool.

  7. Disable selection on a layer to click through it 5:34

    Each layer's drop-down menu lets you move, hide, rename, remove, or disable selection for that layer — disabling selection lets clicks pass through to the layer behind it, which matters once layers overlap.

  8. What this could mean beyond maps 6:54

    Tim flags that this layering concept is new territory for the marks pane generally and could eventually extend to standard charts, though that's speculation rather than something the feature does today.

Worth Knowing
  • If a layer with its own encoding sits on top, it can visually mask the colour/detail of layers underneath — reordering or simplifying the top layer's mark type may be needed.
  • Disabling selection on a layer is what makes overlapping, clickable layers usable in practice.
Use It When

Reach for this when you need to combine multiple types of geographic context on one map — for example points over regions, or a reference geometry layer over an interactive selection layer — without resorting to dual-axis workarounds.

How this Rollup was made provenance & method

A Rollup is drafted by AI from the video's transcript, then reviewed and edited by Tim. Everything used to produce this one is listed below — the model, the exact prompt, and the source video — so the process is transparent and reproducible.

Transcription
On-device — NVIDIA Parakeet v3 for recent videos, OpenAI Whisper large-v3 for earlier ones. The transcript never leaves the machine or gets published.
Drafting
Claude Sonnet 5 in the cloud, from that transcript.
Prompt
The exact Rollup prompt (v2) — the full system prompt, unedited.
Source video
Watch on YouTube
Drafted
5 July 2026 at 09:38
Reviewed & edited
5 July 2026 at 09:41 · by Tim Ngwena

Model + prompt + video is everything you'd need to recreate a Rollup like this yourself. The one thing we don't share is the transcript.

Rights. The video and its transcript are the property of TN Media Ltd. Unauthorised use or download is prohibited. © TN Media Ltd.