Provider mode
Provider mode means MapToPlay fetches source data for the selected project area. DTM providers return elevation data, OSM provider mode returns vector map features, and imagery providers return raster imagery.
The project setup and project detail pages use saved metadata to know which provider was requested, which provider actually ran, whether global fallback was allowed, and which task produced the output asset.
Provider credentials
Some DTM providers require credentials. When a provider needs them, the UI can use manually entered credentials or a saved credential from the active team. Credentials live on the team so future project creation and replacement processing can reuse them.
Only users with team management access can manage saved provider credentials. Project setup can still ask for provider settings when a selected provider requires values that are not already saved.
Upload mode
Upload mode means you provide the input file. The file is uploaded, stored, and processed into the same kind of project asset that provider mode would create. After processing, the Editor mostly cares about the resulting asset, not whether it came from a provider or upload.
Upload support depends on the input type. Terrain and imagery accept GeoTIFF for georeferenced processing and PNG/JPG for prepared images. Vector input accepts OSM-style files such as .osm, .xml, and .pbf.
Limits and retries
Uploads are limited by the active team tier. If a file is too large, reduce it before uploading or use a provider workflow when appropriate. Background processing is also limited by queue and concurrency rules, so new work may wait when the team is already running tasks.
Failed DTM, OSM, and imagery tasks can be retried from the project detail page when retry controls are available. Replacement processing can also be queued later, which is how you swap terrain, vector, or imagery inputs without creating an entirely new project.
Choosing provider or upload
Use provider mode when you trust the available data source for the selected area and want a fast start. Use upload mode when you have better source data, need exact control, or are working from private or prepared files.
A blank project skips provider downloads during creation. You can still populate it later with uploaded terrain, vector, and imagery files from the project detail page.