ArcGIS Explorer = Many Kinds of Layers

ArcGIS-Explorer-Team — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:29:00 GMT

One of Explorer's distinguishing features is its ability to connect directly to a wide variety of Web service-based content and a wide variety of local data, both vector and raster, and integrate and manipulate them all in a single map. It's truly in a league of its own in this regard. Shown below is Explorer with:

2 ArcGIS Online layers
1 WMS layer
1 ArcIMS layer
2 2D ArcGIS Server layers (1 of them dynamically updated every 10 minutes)
1 3D ArcGIS Server layer
1 KML (from the USGS site)
1 KMZ (from the NOAA site)
1 Shapefile
1 Result (a collection of points imported from GPS coordinates in a textfile)
1 BSQ raster image (from the EROS Data Center)

And we could add even more.

Several of the layers have been made partially transparent so they can be overlayed, and several have scale dependencies. The underlying data sources for the Web-based content include everything from enterprise ArcSDE geodatabases, file and workgroup geodatabases, and local sources that include shapefiles, rasters, and points added from textfiles containing GPS coordinates.

New Layers Tab on Resource Center

ArcGIS-Explorer-Team — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:26:00 GMT

Among the new features in Build 410 is the revamped ArcGIS Explorer Resource Center. The Resource Center now includes a Contents tab that provides easy access to both maps and layers.

What's the difference? Well choosing a map will replace your existing map; in other words it's like opening a new document in ArcMap or Word. Choosing a layer will just add the chosen layer to your existing map, just like adding a layer to ArcMap. Just click on the thumbnail or name. Click description to view more information about each map or layer.

Previously, to add a layer you needed to connect directly to the ArcGIS Online servers using a provided URL, user name, and password. Based on your feedback, we've redesigned things so that adding layers is easier than ever before.

ArcGIS Explorer Blog : Layers

ArcGIS Explorer = Many Kinds of Layers

New Layers Tab on Resource Center