# Introduction

{% hint style="warning" %}
Before using FMTC, especially to bulk download or import/export, ensure you comply with the appropriate restrictions and terms of service set by your tile server. Failure to do so may lead to any punishment, at the tile server's discretion.

This library and/or the creator(s) are not responsible for any violations you make using this package.

For example, OpenStreetMap's tile server forbids bulk downloading: <https://operations.osmfoundation.org/policies/tiles>. And Mapbox has restrictions on importing/exporting from outside of the user's own device.

For testing purposes, check out the testing tile server included in the FMTC project: [Testing Tile Server](/v9/bulk-downloading/testing-tile-server.md).
{% endhint %}

FMTC allows stores (including all necessary tiles and metadata) to be [exported](/v9/external/exporting.md) to an 'archive'/a standalone file, then [imported](/v9/external/importing.md) on the same or a different device!

{% hint style="info" %}
FMTC does not support exporting tiles to a raw Z/X/Y directory structure that can be read by other programs.
{% endhint %}

For example, this can be used to create backup systems to allow user's to store maps for later off-device, sharing/distribution systems, or to distribute a preset package of tiles to all users without worrying about managing IO or managing assets, and still allowing users to update their cache afterward!

***

External functionality is accessed via `FMTCRoot.external('~/path/to/file.fmtc')`.

All functionalities require the path to an archive file. The file may not necessarily exist: for the `export` method only, the file will be created if it does not exist, and overwritten if it does. Other methods require the file to exist, and be in a valid format.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Archives are backend specific. They cannot necessarily be imported by a backend different to the one that exported it.
{% endhint %}


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://fmtc.jaffaketchup.dev/v9/external/introduction.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.