Tableau's Geolocation or Map capability is one of the coolest features in Tableau.
It allows you to have a topographical idea on location based data.
Take a look at our sample entries at our sister blog here:
http://vss-datalore.blogspot.com/2012/10/malaysian-political-map-1986-to-present.html
http://vss-datalore.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-dawn-of-megatall-skyscrapers.html
Now besides the standard map that you see in Tableau, you can:
1. Change to a different map by adding a WMS compatible map at Main menu - Map - Background Maps - WMS Servers.
2. You can also change the color of the base map, this is enabled by default on the built in map, for WMS maps, it depends on the service provider.
Normal Map
Dark Map
Gray Map
3. Layers are also supported in the Map options, in the built-in map, there are a lot of US-based layers that you can utilize. For WMS maps, it is again, depend on the provider.
So please explore, and don't just stick to one single map option, hope you enjoy working with your maps now.
-VSS
