To be able to use CARTOframes, and to interact with data stored in the cloud-based PostGIS database service that CARTO offers, it is necessary to sign up for a CARTO account. While free accounts are available, with limited storage capacity and access to existing data resources, it is necessary to have a paid account to use CARTOframes, as these accounts are provided API keys. The API key will be used by CARTOframes to identify the account, with each data request sent to the user's cloud geodatabase.
By signing up, the account is initially a paid account with access to all CARTO features. The paid account offers a free 30-day trial that can be used to for evaluation purposes. Go to the site https://carto.com/signup and create an account:
Once the account has been created, the 30-day trial period begins. This will allow you to add data to the cloud database, or to access publicly available data from the CARTO library. It also allows you to...