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Q2 2023

New features and improvements introduced from April to June 2023

Focus on User's Device Location

May 16th, 2023
New Builder
Finding your current location on CARTO maps is finally possible. This feature is specially helpful when users require the map zoom in to their current position in a seamlessly manner to obtain insights from their surroundings.
This is how it works:
  1. 1.
    Click the Focus on User's Device Location button.
  2. 2.
    Enable Location Services on your browsers if required.
The map display zooms in to your current location and a blue icon indicates your position on the map.

Access to the CARTO Data Warehouse SQL console

May 8th, 2023
New Workspace
The CARTO Data Warehouse is a connection that comes pre-created for every CARTO organization, and it's fully managed by CARTO.
Until this release, it wasn't possible to manage the data available to this connection other than what was already available through Builder and Workflows.
Now, all users can introduce a Google account that they'll use to access the console. Once inside, you can run any SQL query, copy and edit existing tables or use other built-in features to import and migrate your data. Read more on how to get access to the CARTO Data Warehouse console.

New module in the Analytics Toolbox for Snowflake providing access to a set of geostatistical functions

May 5th, 2023
New Analytics Toolbox
Users of our Analytics Toolbox for Snowflake have now access to a new module named “statistics” offering functions to compute statistical measures on top of your spatial data. In this last release we have added support for computing the Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation and the Getis-ord Gi* statistics used for the identification of hotspots based on an input feature.

Support for operating with H3 indices in the Analytics Toolbox for PostgreSQL

May 5th, 2023
New Analytics Toolbox
In this last release of the Analytics Toolbox for PostgreSQL, we have added a new module named “h3” with a set of functions providing users support for operating over the H3 spatial index. H3 is a multi-resolution hexagonal global grid system with hierarchical indexing developed by Uber, offering important benefits when performing spatial analytics at scale. To learn more about Spatial Indexes and H3 in particular, please have a look at our Spatial Indexes 101 report and our documentation.

New functions to compute the “Area of Applicability” of a model built with BigQuery ML in the Analytics Toolbox for BigQuery

May 5th, 2023
New Analytics Toolbox
Some areas due to their intrinsic characteristics or the data available are not suitable for running the predictive models given the large differences within the data used when training those models (e.g. training a model on big cities and then running predictions in areas of low population density). We have added new functions in the statistics module to allow users to compute the Area of Applicability (AOA) of a BigQuery ML model. It generates a metric which tells the user where the results from a Machine Learning (ML) model can be trusted when the predictions are extrapolated outside the training space (i.e. where the estimated cross-validation performance holds).
In the case of our Analytics Toolbox for BigQuery, this functionality is particularly useful when working with our BUILD_REVENUE_MODEL and PREDICT_REVENUE_AVERAGE procedures of the retail module.

Support for SQL Parameters in Builder

April 24th, 2023
New Builder
SQL Parameters are placeholders that can be used on any SQL Query data source in Builder.
Once defined, the actual value for the parameter can be set through a control UI in the right side panel’s 'Parameters' tab. This allows to manipulate the actual SQL Query through an UI, by both Editor and Viewer users.
Among many different use cases, some applications for this new feature are:
  • Create 'Text' or 'Dates' parameters.
  • Reduce the size of a data source before rendering the map.
  • Allow viewer users to define custom values in the data source in a controlled way.
  • Use the same parameter in one or more queries.
  • Filter a dataset before aggregating it to a spatial index grid (H3 or Quadbin).
Learn more about how to set up and use SQL Parameters in your maps here.

Easier authentication for developers with our API Access Tokens UI

April 21st, 2023
New Workspace
Developers looking to create geospatial applications at scale usually face an authentication challenge: how to build the application so that data is accessed in a granular and secure way. And there are different solutions depending on your needs: from static API Access Tokens for simple, public applications to dynamic authentication using the CARTO login (with or without Single Sign-On).
Today we're making the creation and management of API Access Tokens much simpler, with a complete user interface to create, edit and delete tokens.
API Access Tokens are now the recommended method to start working with CARTO for deck.gl and the CARTO APIs, and we've updated the documentation and API reference accordingly.

Optimize your data for geospatial analysis in just a few clicks with our Table Optimization wizard

April 13th, 2023
New Workspace
CARTO is the ideal solution for geospatial visualization and analysis of large scale datasets, due to the scalability of the cloud data warehouses (eg: BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks...). However, dealing with such large datasets requires special attention into performance and optimizations.
Now, whenever we detect that one of your tables could perform better according to our performance considerations, we'll show a warning in Data Explorer and Builder, and you'll be able to take action immediately.
In just a few clicks, you'll overwrite or generate an optimized copy of your data, that will perform faster and save computing costs.
To understand in detail how these optimizations work, head to the Optimizing your data guide.

Default role for new users and SSO just-in-time provisioning

April 10th, 2023
New Workspace
We are adding two new features for admins to manage new users more easily and predictably:
  • Default role for new users: Admins can now choose which role should be applied to new users, and by default it will be set to "viewers" following the least-privilege principle. Find more information about roles in CARTO and about this setting.
  • SSO Just-in-time provisioning: Admins that have integrated their own SSO login can now decide whether new users will get additional questions when onboarding or not. If it's enabled, we'll just provision their user as soon as they login, without any needed step. This new setting has been included in the documentation about SSO at CARTO.

Supporting labels in tile layers

April 6th, 2023
New Builder
CARTO Builder now supports adding labels to point layers loaded via tiles, with a set of improved features:
  • Support for primary and secondary label on each point.
  • Now using a better typography, increasing readability.
  • Collision control: Now labels are displayed in a way that they don’t collision with each other, adapting dynamically on each zoom level.
  • Custom colors for the font and outline, allowing much better customization capabilities.

Enabling users to create spatial scores using the Analytics Toolbox for BigQuery

April 3rd, 2023
New Analytics Toolbox
In this month's release of the Analytics Toolbox for BigQuery, we have published a new functionality that consists of a set of procedures within the statistics module to enable users to create spatial scores (also known as composite indicators or indexes) derived from a combination of different features. We have included 3 different procedures:
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