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Why is the map laggy?

Enable Browser Hardware Acceleration

The map renderer depends on the GPU. If hardware acceleration is disabled, all rendering falls back to the CPU, which causes significant lag.

  • Chrome: Go to chrome://settings/system and turn on "Use graphics acceleration when available", then restart the browser.
  • Firefox: Go to about:preferences → Performance → uncheck "Use recommended performance settings" → enable "Use hardware acceleration when available".

Reduce Active Layers

Each visible layer is rendered every frame. Hiding unused layers is the fastest way to recover performance.

  1. In the Layer Drawer, click the eye icon next to any layer you are not actively inspecting.
  2. Keep only the layers needed for your current analysis visible.

Switch Layer Mode

RAW_PIXEL factor layers render individual molecules and are the most GPU-intensive mode. If you do not need single-pixel resolution, switch to a lower-resolution mode:

  • Use a HEX or CELL layer for an overview, and switch to RAW_PIXEL only when zoomed into a specific region.

Zoom In

At low zoom levels, CartoScope renders a spatially subsampled view covering millions of points. Zooming in reduces the number of rendered points and typically improves responsiveness.

Check for Browser Extensions

Some browser extensions (ad blockers, GPU-intensive overlays) interfere with WebGL performance. Try opening the app in a private/incognito window to isolate the issue.