configure_inset: Configure transformations underpinning a map inset

In ggmapinset: Add Inset Panels to Maps

Configure transformations underpinning a map inset

Description

The configuration returned by this function will often be passed to the coordinate system via coord_sf_inset() so that it is propagated to all relevant layers.

Usage

configure_inset(
  shape,
  scale = NULL,
  translation = NULL,
  units = "km",
  crs_working = NULL,
  centre = deprecated(),
  radius = deprecated()
)

Arguments

shape	Inset shape: see shape_circle(), shape_rectangle(), or shape_sf().
scale	Zoom scale: values larger than one will make the inset bigger.
translation	Translation (shift) of the inset relative to the centre. This can be an sf::st_point() or simply a vector of length 2 containing the x and y offsets respectively. Units are specified by crs_working.
units	Base length unit (e.g. "km" or "mi"). Ignored if crs_working is provided. See Details for supported values.
crs_working	The coordinate reference system to use internally when applying the transformations. See Details.
centre, radius	Use shape = shape_circle(centre, radius) instead.

Details

The default crs_working uses the equidistant cylindrical coordinate reference system with the latitude of true scale set to match the latitude of centre. This ensures that circular insets will appear circular in most cases since the projection is not distorted near the centre. The geometries are converted to this CRS for the inset transformation and constructing the inset frame, and are converted back to the CRS of centre at the end.

The default units are kilometres but can be changed with units instead of specifying the whole projection. The possible values for units are those understood by proj:

• "mm": millimetre

• "cm": centimetre

• "m": metre

• "ft": foot

• "us-ft": US survey foot

• "fath": fathom

• "kmi": nautical mile

• "us-ch": US survey chain

• "us-mi": US survey mile

• "km": kilometre

• "ind-ft": Indian foot (1937)

• "ind-yd": Indian yard (1937)

• "mi": Statute mile

• "yd": yard

• "ch": chain

• "link": link

• "US": yard 0.914401828803658 Yard_US

• "Decimeter": Decimeter

• "International": 0.0254 Inch

• "US": inch 0.0254000508001016 Inch_US

• "International": 5.0292 Rod

• "US": rod 5.02921005842012 Rod_US

• "US": mile (pre-1954) 1853.248

• "Nautical_Mile_US":

• "UK": mile (pre-1970) 1853.184

• "Nautical_Mile_UK":

• "Height": Oliver Smoot, used

• "to": the Harvard Bridge

• "1.7018":

• "Old": unit of distance

• "used": Texas (33 1/3

• "US": 0.846668360003387 Vara_TX

• "Desktop": Point (1/72 of

• "an": inch) 0.000352777777777778 Point

• "Micrometer": Micrometer

• "Nanometer": Nanometer

• "50": length 50000 50_Kilometers

• "150": length 150000 150_Kilometers

• "dm": decimeter

• "in": inch

• "ind-ch": Indian chain

• "us-in": US survey inch

• "us-yd": US survey yard

Value

An inset configuration object of class inset_config.

Examples

library(sf)

# circular inset with a 2x enlargement
cfg <- configure_inset(
  shape_circle(centre = c(-82, 35), radius = 50),
  scale = 2,
  translation = c(70, -180),
  units = "mi"
)

ggmapinset documentation built on March 25, 2026, 5:06 p.m.