maxCompositeContours

maxCompositeContours is a parameter used in contouring and isoline generation workflows to cap the number of contour features produced when multiple data sources or time steps are combined into a single composite contour layer. It serves as a guardrail to limit output complexity, improve rendering performance, and preserve legibility in maps and visualizations.

The concept applies across geographic information systems, meteorological visualization, and remote sensing applications where contours or isolines are derived from gridded data and then stacked or merged. A composite approach can enhance comparative analysis by displaying contours from several datasets together, but without a cap the resulting layer can become excessively dense.

How maxCompositeContours behaves depends on the implementation. When the potential number of composite contours would exceed the specified limit, the software may apply strategies such as reducing the number of contour levels, merging nearby levels, or simplifying contour geometry to stay within the cap. These adjustments may affect detail, exact level values, and the precision of the resulting contours.

In practice, maxCompositeContours is exposed as an integer option in configuration files, API calls, or user interfaces. The default value and the precise handling of limits vary by tool and version; users should consult the relevant documentation for guidance on recommended values and the exact behavior when the limit is reached. See also contour lines, isolines, and composite layers for related concepts.