ESRI Blogs

To Mosaic or not to Mosaic?

coll5484 — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:09:00 GMT

Hi, my name is Jeff, and I am a member of the Geodata Raster team at the Eastern ESRI Support Services located in Charlotte, NC. I posed the question above because whether to mosaic or not is one of the most common workflow questions when dealing with rasters. There are many raster formats and depending on the format and the ultimate data product, the answer may change. Some immediate questions to ask are:

Am I looking to create a backdrop for a map or provide imagery capable of being analyzed?
Are the rasters highly compressed, for example .sid or .ecw?
Is file storage a concern for the mosaic? How much room do I have for the mosaic?

There are many more specific questions to consider, but these general questions can prevent future headaches when determining if creating a mosaic is the best course of action.

The mosaic process can create one file that contains several other rasters, but the creation of it can be time consuming and problematic. Plus, there are plenty of other situations where an unmanaged raster catalog may provide the functionality you desire without changing the format or creating a new file.

If you are looking for the ease of adding one file to a map document rather than multiple files or are looking to maintain the format of your compressed raster data, then an unmanaged raster catalog may be the answer. The unmanaged raster catalog resides in a geodatabase and will maintain the extents of all of the rasters added to it, but will not import the rasters. They will maintain the format and then can be added all at once to a map document by simply adding the raster catalog. The unmanaged raster catalog will maintain the location of the original file. This workflow can be particularly handy if you have a large number of SID files that have a file size of 1 gig but an uncompressed size of 20 gigs. A mosaic of several SID files would be considerably large, but the unmanaged raster catalog can utilize the files as they are and load them together at once.

The creation of an unmanaged raster catalog is much quicker than creating a mosaic and can be a great way to display a large number of rasters.

While unmanaged raster catalogs cannot be used for analysis in many of the geoprocessing tools, they can be used for digitizing and backdrops for many different maps.

Below are a few Web Help documents that pertain to this discussion:

Creating a Raster Catalog
Mosaicking Raster Datasets
Exploring Geodatabase Raster Catalogs

- Jeff S., Support Analyst, Geodata Raster team, ESRI Support Services

GTunes for GIS Day

SuzanneB — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:49:00 GMT

The next time someone gives you a blank stare when you try to explain what GIS is, just send them to YouTube. In honor of GIS Day , a group of musically inclined GIS users in Austin, TX created this fun and rocking video . I'm already looking forward to GIS Day 2010 and next year's mix. The GIS community continues to amaze and entertain. 11/20/09 Note: Apologies to the group in Austin for incorrectly stating that GIS users in San Antonio created the GIS Day video. Keep up the great work, and go Longhorns...(read more)

ArcGIS Online map services soon migrating to Google Maps/Bing Maps tiling scheme

ginger — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:00:00 GMT

11/18/09—Last spring, ESRI announced that it would be migrating its hosted ArcGIS Online map services to the Google Maps/Bing Maps tiling scheme. This migration is expected to be completed in December 2009.

This change is in response to feedback from many ArcGIS users who have requested that ESRI use a common map tiling scheme matching other popular online map providers. The new services will particularly enable ArcGIS web developers to more easily combine popular web map services with ArcGIS Online map services including those from Bing Maps, Google Maps, and other providers that use the same web map tiling scheme.

The existing services in the ArcGIS Online tiling scheme will remain available for at least six months and, depending on demand, may remain available longer. Although the services will remain available, the content in these services will no longer be updated.

For details about the migration, see Migrating map tiling schemes in ArcGIS Online Help.

If you have questions, please post them to our forum at http://forums.esri.com/forums.asp?c=188.

Looking to the Future - ArcGIS 9.4 Beta!

coll5484 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:03:00 GMT

Many of you have probably heard about ArcGIS 9.4 Beta since the UC back in July. At this point, you might be wondering what is going on and where ESRI is at with it. Well, we launched the ArcGIS 9.4 Beta Program with the release of ArcGIS 9.4 Beta 1 on October 22. We have already been receiving lots of feedback and hope it continues to pour in for the next six months. In an effort to make this ESRI's best beta program yet, we have made some changes to increase the amount of feedback we receive on ArcGIS 9.4:

We invited every site that is current on maintenance, including all subscribers to the ESRI Developer Network (EDN) program. We are up to 3,000 customers world-wide in the program!
All software is available for download and beta testers can download any ArcGIS product they choose.
Beta is fully-supported by ESRI Technical Support; testers can contact us anytime.
New 9.4 Resource Centers and Support Center Web sites are being tested along with the software. Some highlights are improved navigation, search, documentation, galleries, discussion forums, as well as an easier to use Support Center for contacting ESRI by phone, Web, and (coming soon) online text chat.

Some of you might be thinking..."I know my company is current on ESRI maintenance, but I’m not in this awesome program". Here are few things you can do to get yourself into the program:

Contact your maintenance contact, the person at your site who is the primary to ESRI, as they are the person in your organization who we invited. They will have the e-mail invitation, or they are already participating in the program. If they are in the program, they can add you.
If you are unsure if you have maintenance or who your site contact is, contact ESRI Customer Service.

OK, enough about the beta program - check out What’s Coming in 9.4 to see some highlights of ArcGIS 9.4.

- Beth G., ArcGIS 9.4 Beta team

Do You Know the Definition of GIS?

SuzanneB — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:57:00 GMT

Next week is a big week—Sunday kicks off Geography Awareness Week and Thursday is GIS Day . So here's a short, interactive activity designed as a teaching aid for those completely new to GIS. It's intended to reinforce essential key points about what this technology is. Developed for the free Getting Started with GIS Web course, the goal in this activity is to drag and drop a list of words to correctly fill in the blanks in a few paragraphs that describe GIS. Some of us who are very familiar with...(read more)

Creating a seamless map with multiple cached map services in ArcMap

ginger — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

11/12/09–Here's a little known technique the ArcGIS Content team sometimes uses when working with cached map services in ArcMap 9.3.1. Suppose your area of interest is along the border of the U.S. and Mexico. You prefer the cartography in the ArcGIS Online ESRI World Street Map service, but you need the detailed Mexico streets that are currently available only in the Bing Maps Road service. You could toggle between each map but that is cumbersome and doesn’t allow for a printable seamless map using both services. Instead use the "Advanced Drawing Options" in ArcMap 9.3.1 to combine the best attributes of each map.

First, we will add the Bing Maps Road service into ArcMap using the Roads layer (LYR file) link for Using Bing Maps with ArcGIS Desktop in the ArcGIS Online Help.

We will use a polygon feature class to mask out Bing Maps within the United States. Add the feature class to your map document and uncheck the layer visibility setting so that it won’t display on your map.

Right-click the data frame (Layers) and select "Advanced Drawing Options".

In the Advanced Drawing Options dialog, check the "Draw using masking options specified below" option, and check "Bing Maps – Roads" in the Masked Layers box.

Click OK, and now the Bing Maps service only displays outside of the United States.

Finally, add the ArcGIS Online ESRI World Street Map service for a seamless view of both services.

We hope you find this technique helpful when working with cached map services in ArcMap 9.3.1.

Contributed by Jim Mason of the ArcGIS Content team

Creating tree symbols in ArcGIS

makella — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Tree symbols are a great way to enhance the appearance of a large scale, detailed map. To make attractive point symbols for trees, you need a good place to start from and thankfully all of us ArcGIS users have that. Using multi-layer character marker sybmols, the variety of tree symbols you can create is endless. This blog is meant to introduce (or reintroduce) you to the ESRI US Forestry 2 font. It is also meant to give you some tips for creating a variety of tree symbols to use on your maps....(read more)

Web Training on FEMA Tool for Disaster Management

SuzanneB — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:09:00 GMT

This week we released Introduction to the HAZUS-MH Comprehensive Data Management System , the latest in a series of Web training courses covering Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH) , a hazard loss estimation tool developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). HAZUS-MH is a free extension to ArcGIS that facilitates a risk-based approach to disaster management. Each year, natural disasters cost billions of dollars in damage, great loss of life, and a degraded quality of life for survivors....(read more)

How to use ArcGIS Explorer Add-Ins

mzurn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

11/05/09–Add-ins are used to extend ArcGIS Explorer's capabilities and can be created using Visual Studio and the ArcGIS Explorer SDK. The ArcGIS Explorer team has published a variety of ready-to-use add-ins that you can download from the ArcGIS Explorer Labs group.

See the ArcGIS Explorer blog for a closer look at how you can use add-ins from the ArcGIS Explorer Labs group.

Changing the Windows 7 Desktop theme for better viewing

coll5484 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:20:00 GMT

Bringing back the Classic (view)

Hi, my name is Phillip, and I am a Server Support Analyst with ESRI’s Eastern Support Services. Windows 7 has arrived…and with it comes many dandy new features and advancements. One of our challenges at ESRI Support Services is to be able to provide support options for our customers who are using our software with new operating systems, such as Windows 7.

Recently, we received feedback that it can be difficult to work within ArcMap while using Windows 7’s Basic Desktop theme. The default theme color makes it difficult to read the file names within ArcMap (see below):

To change the Desktop theme setting:

Right-click on the Desktop and select Personalize.
Select Windows Classic from the Basic and High Contrast Themes or another theme of your choice (We here at ESRI Support Services find the Classic view to be the easiest to see and read.):

Close the Window.

Now when you reopen ArcMap, it is easier to read the file names and everything else. Enjoy using the ArcGIS Desktop products with the latest Microsoft offering of Windows 7. Thanks!!!

-Phillip W., Server Support Analyst, ESRI Support Services

ArcGIS Online in the news

mzurn — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 GMT

11/03/09–ArcGIS Online maps, tasks, and APIs received some good press coverage in October. Here are excerpts from a few of the articles:

From the ESRI press release, ESRI Brings GIS to the Public with Mapping for Everyone Web Site

ESRI has launched a Web site that allows users to create maps for free with simple geographic information system (GIS) tools. Called Mapping for Everyone, the Web site includes tools that cover a range of mapping needs, such as embedding an interactive demographic map into a Web site, creating custom applications using Web Mapping APIs, and using a 2D/3D globe viewer on the desktop. Read the full article

The Make a Map application on the Mapping For
Everyone Web site uses map layers from ArcGIS Online.
It was built with the ArcGIS API for Flex.

From the ESRI press release, ESRI ArcGIS Powers New Recovery.gov Map

The United States Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board recently launched the redesigned Recovery.gov Web site with a new interactive Web map based on ESRI geographic information system (GIS) software. The dynamic map shows where American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds have been awarded as well as recipient information. Read the full article

ArcGIS Online provides the basemap and the API
for the new map on the Recovery.gov Web site.

From the ESRI press release, DOI Demonstrates Climate Change with ArcGIS Explorer

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently signed an order to establish a coordinated strategy within the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) to improve response to climate change. During the press conference announcing the order, DOI staff used ESRI geographic information system (GIS) technology to demonstrate the current and future impacts of global climate change. Read the full article

The US Department of the Interior uses ArcGIS
Explorer with imagery from ArcGIS Online to
demonstrate climate change

From the ArcWatch article, Create and Deploy Rich Interactive GIS Web Applications

Using ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs, you can offer users rich maps and GIS capabilities similar to those in desktop mapping applications but with Web benefits. For example, you can design applications that offer compelling graphics and an intuitive interface with a consistent user experience across multiple browsers and platforms. Applications built from Web Mapping APIs often perform better and display better maps than traditional server-side applications. In particular, applications that avoid round trips to the server by processing locally on client machines can also improve server performance. Read the full article

Lots of organizations are creating GIS Web
applications with the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs

Announcing the ArcGIS Data Blog

cfrye — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:00 GMT

September and October sure went fast. We on the Mapping Center team have been very busy working on mapping projects, and have not spent as much time here--but we're finding a balance and will be getting more good blogs out here soon (several are in the pipeline).

Now there is a new blog, the ArcGIS Data Blog, that you should subscribe to in order to keep up on what's new with all of ESRI's data--this will give you an advantage by being able to produce better maps because you've got better content to use...(read more)

Working with Rasters: Georeferencing

coll5484 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Good day, folks! My name is Khalid, and I am a member of the Geodata Raster Unit at ESRI Support Services. This post is the first of a series that examines basic concepts revolving around raster data. Gaining familiarity with the terminology associated with a new subject matter is arguably the most challenging hurdle in mastering any new content: a notion that is not lost on GIS professionals inaugurating themselves into the world of imagery, scanned documents, and other manifestations of raster data. The hodgepodge of formats and properties intrinsic to rasters may cause confusion with understanding the processes needed for preparing the data so that it may be properly utilized in a GIS application. With this in mind, we will explore some of the more common topics associated with raster data by taking a look at georeferencing: what it is and when it is needed.

Before we get into georeferencing, it is important to develop an understanding of raster data, so please take the time to review the linked article. In short, if you have a scanned paper map, it is a raster. If you have an aerial photograph, it is a raster. If you took a picture from your digital camera, it is a raster. A raster can come in many formats; this list summarizes the formats supported by ArcGIS Desktop. The proper geographical placement of the raster, as with any other spatial data, is critically important for use in a GIS application. The idea of georeferencing a raster is done to ensure that the data essentially falls in the right place on the map. When it comes to rasters, satisfying this requirement involves evaluating a series of questions noted in this article on gathering raster data information:

Where did the raster come from?
Was there any special processing used to create the raster?
What has been done to it?

Understanding where the raster came from and what has been done to it plays a large part in determining whether the raster needs to be georeferenced. For example, a paper map that you might have scanned a few moments ago will certainly need to be georeferenced, whereas a DEM downloaded from the USGS Web site will not. If you are unsure about the details of the raster and whether it may or may not need georeferencing, examine its extent values and determine whether they appear to reflect real world coordinates in a projected or geographic coordinate system. If the data's extent appears to use real-world coordinates, review this article on identifying an unknown coordinate system. Hint: Projected coordinates typically have a minimum of 4 units for each extent, whereas geographic coordinates have 2 units for the top/bottom and up to 3 units for left/right. Also, be sure to check out the "Georeferencing a raster dataset" Web help article; it provides detailed information on this topic and has a neat video demonstrating the process.

- Khalid D., Support Analyst, Geodata Raster Unit, ESRI Support Services

Answers to your questions about ArcGIS Online Groups

mzurn — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

10/29/09–In a post last week, we answered some of the functionality questions we didn't get to during our live training seminar. Today, we'll address the audience's questions about ArcGIS Online groups.

Can groups be private?
Yes. When you create a group, you decide to make it public or private. You can change the type of group later on if you want. See ArcGIS Online Help for information on creating and editing groups.

Can anyone create a public group?
Anybody who is registered for ArcGIS Online can create a public group.

Can anyone join a group or do you have to be invited?
It depends on how the owner has set up the groups. There are three types of groups:

Public and open to membership requests. This means you can search and find the group, and you can request to join it, for example, Board Games.
Public but not open to membership. This means you can search and find the group, but you can't join it, for example, ESRI Maps and Data.
Private. You need to be invited to these groups, and you won't find them in searches (unless you are already a member).

Can you change a private group to a public group?
Yes.

Can you suspend access for a group member?
You can remove members from your group. If you want to add members back in, you'll need to re-invite them (or re-accept their request to join).

Can there be more than one group admin?
No, not at this time.

How does a group owner know when I have submitted a request to join his/her group?
The group owner will see a New Membership Requests link in the group you've requested to join.

See ArcGIS Online Help for more information on new membership requests.

If we search for groups, do we see both public and private? Or can we only access private groups by being sent an invitation?
No. When you search for groups, you only find public ones. You can only discover private groups by being sent an invitation from the group owner.

If I want to add an organization to one of my groups, can I do so or does it have to be by individual name?
Currently, you have to invite users individually. See ArcGIS Online Help for details on inviting users to join your group.

Can group content be shared through a URL?
Yes. You can create URLs to share all the content that's shared with the group or a specific set of group items. See ArcGIS Online Help for information on creating URLs. Be aware that only members of your group will be able to see the content (unless the items are also shared with everybody).

Can you cancel a membership to your group?
Yes. As the owner of a group, you can remove members. See ArcGIS Online Help for information on removing people from your group.

If you decline to join a group, can you join at a later time?
Yes, but the group owner will have to resend you an invitation.

Do you have to be a member of a group to access a group's online maps?
Yes, unless the online maps are also shared with everyone. Shared with everyone means that anybody who visits ArcGIS Online, including people who are not signed in, can find and use the maps. See ArcGIS Online Help for information on sharing content.

When using a public group to encourage members to add content, how do you review completeness of new content?
Currently, there is not a way for group owners to review content before it is added by members. If you are concerned about the completeness or quality of group content, you may want to be conservative in accepting members. Alternatively, you can set up an invitation-only group.

If you create a map that you want to share to a group, I know you can send the URL by email to a member. Would you be able to secure it so that the receiving user cannot change it? Can you make it 'read only'?
Other users cannot overwrite your Web map but they can create their own map based on changes to yours. When somebody opens your map, they have access to the same set of options you did when you created the map—add layers, change transparency, zoom in, and so on. However, if they want to save the changes, they save as a new Web map (entering a new title and tags) and your Web map is preserved as is.

Is there a registry which records which changes were done to the layers from the group?
No, not at this time.

What type of security is available so only your group members can access the data?
You can set your group to private which means only people you've invited to join your group (and who have accepted) will find your group and have access to the data and maps. If you are looking for this level of security, you should only share your content with the group and not everybody.

Is there any way I can see the list of groups available?
Currently, you have to search for groups by entering at least one keyword. Searching with the term group is a pretty good way to see what's available. In a future update, you will be able to see all available groups by using an empty search string. (You can do this now to see a list of all content.)

Can you track user hits on groups?
No, not at this time.

Training Spotlight: Make Better-Quality GIS Maps

SuzanneB — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:55:00 GMT

While anyone can use GIS tools to make a map, not everyone has a background in proper map design and cartographic theory. If decisions are based on inaccurate or misleading maps, the results can be disastrous. Creating and Publishing Maps with ArcGIS is a new instructor-led course from ESRI that prepares GIS users to successfully complete a variety of realistic mapping projects, including designing maps for the Web. In the interview below, course author Eric Gillett shares his thoughts about the...(read more)

Wondering Which ArcGIS Web Mapping API to Use?

mzurn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

10/27/09–Developers can build Web mapping applications by accessing ArcGIS Online maps and tasks through the free ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs. There are APIs for JavaScript, Silverlight, and Flex (as well as Web application developer frameworks for .NET and Java), all with similar functionality. Given this, how do you decide which API to use?

In a post on the ArcGIS Server Blog, Sterling Quinn of the ArcGIS Server development team addresses this common question: Which ESRI Web Mapping API Should I Use?

As the Software Turns

coll5484 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

As I’m sure you’re aware, there have been many versions of ArcGIS software released through the years, and again, as you’re probably already aware, support for each version depreciates with each release and over time. The entire process is outlined in a PDF document entitled Product Life Cycle Support Policy.

So, besides the point on how long phone/email-based support will be offered, other interesting points that you may not be aware of are brought to light within this document:

Products that are in general availability, such as version 9.3.1 products, offer technical support, patches, and new operating system certification. For example, Mike H. announced Windows 7 support for specific 9.3.1 software.
Products in extended support will not be certified on new operating systems. For example, version 9.2 will not be certified on the upcoming release of Windows 7.
Products in mature support will not have service packs or patches created for them. For example, version 9.1 won’t see another service pack release.
Products that enter the retired phase will not have technical support available. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that you start considering and contact ESRI Support Services for help or assistance with a migration plan to a later release (need permitting).

You can find the gateway for each individual product here: Product Life Cycles Overview.

Speaking of the product life cycle, we’re coming up on the 10th anniversary of ArcGIS Desktop 8.0.1 release! Where were you in December of 1999? Or better yet, how many of you used version 8.0.1??

-Kevin H., ArcGIS Server Group Lead, ESRI Support Services

10 ArcMap Productivity Tips You Can Use Now

SuzanneB — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:24:00 GMT

The ArcGIS 9.4 release will include many productivity improvements to help you get your GIS work done faster. But ArcGIS 9.4 won't be released until next year—so here are some tips you can try out in ArcMap right away. The 10 shortcuts below can shave milliseconds off common tasks, and hey, milliseconds count when you're trying to get stuff done. You just may be able to get to lunch five minutes earlier and beat the crowd. That alone is going to save you at least 10 minutes, more if you're going...(read more)

Is World Places Locator really as limited as it seems?

mzurn — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

10/22/09–Is World Places Locator really as limited as it seems? This question was posted to the ArcGIS Online forums by a user who is in the process of migrating from the old ArcWeb Services ESRI Place Finder Sample to the new World Places Locator available through ArcGIS Online.

We posed the user's questions to Vivek Gupta, a product engineer who specializes in testing many ArcGIS Online map and task services.

Why did ESRI replace the Place Finder service?

The database is more extensive for World Places Locator than the ArcWeb Services locator. The World Places Locator is based on the GeoNames data set and is regularly updated with the latest updates to that data set. Users can contribute to the content of the World Places Locator through updates to GeoNames.

Also, the World Places Locator is a standard ArcGIS Server geocoding service so it can be used through any ArcGIS Server client, including ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Explorer, Web Mapping APIs, and Web ADFs.

Can you specify certain filter criteria as input?

Yes, you can use the value in the candidate fields. Since World Places only has one address input field, you may need to sort your search results for the best match. Do this by appending the input with any of these fields:

Loc_name (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Loc_name)

Shape (Type: esriFieldTypeGeometry, Alias: Shape)

Score (Type: esriFieldTypeSmallInteger, Alias: Score)

Name (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Name)

Rank (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Rank)

Match_addr (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Match_addr)

Descr (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Descr)

Latitude (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Latitude)

Longitude (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Longitude)

City (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: City)

State (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: State)

State_Abbr (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: State_Abbr)

Country (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Country)

Cntry_Abbr (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Cntry_Abbr)

Type (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: Type)

North_Lat (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: North_Lat)

South_Lat (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: South_Lat)

West_Lon (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: West_Lon)

East_Lon (Type: esriFieldTypeString, Alias: East_Lon)

Some examples of filtering:

Let’s say you just want the city San Diego in the results. What you can do is ignore all other results and keep only the record that has the city value as San Diego with this request:

http://tasks.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Locators/ESRI_Places_World/
GeocodeServer/findAddressCandidates?PlaceName=San+Diego&outFields=City&f=html

View this sample request

This request has multiple results but only one with City as San Diego. Depending on how many records are in the data, you might get multiple results but many fewer than what it actually returns.

You can also filter using the value of the country/county separated by a comma, for example:

http://tasks.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Locators/ESRI_Places_World/
GeocodeServer/findAddressCandidates?PlaceName=redlands%2Cusa&outFields=city%2Cstate%2Ccountry&f=html

View this sample request

This feature only works for country now and will be supported for county in our next update. When you use this request, the output results will be limited by the search criteria. You will still have to eliminate necessary results by applying filter criteria in your code. In the above example, if I need only Redlands in California then I would filter it by using logic in my client application.

You can also filter the results by extent using client logic. The candidates field to look for in this case are North_Lat, South_Lat, East_Lon, and West_Lon.

Does the World Places Locator have a basic stemming algorithm so that a search for "York" will also find "Yorktown," "Yorkshire," etc?

No, the current algorithm does not work for using wildcards like York to also find Yorktown and Yorkshire.

The result is that I have to post-process the results to remove results outside the US and not of a type I'm interested in (Farms, Mines, etc). But this limits the number of results I can use, so I have to bump up the desired result count higher than I'd like. Just seems wasteful.

Yes, it is true that you may have to do some post-processing to refine your results.

Do you have questions about the ArcGIS Online task services? Start by looking at the topics in ArcGIS Online Help. If you can't find what you are looking for, ask us by posting to the forums.

Contributed by Vivek Gupta of the ArcGIS Content team

Answers to your questions about ArcGIS Online functionality

mzurn — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

10/20/09–As we mentioned in last week's post about our live training seminar, we had about 150 questions from the audience. Because we couldn't get to most of them, we promised we'd answer some of them in later posts. Today, we'll address a few of the functionality questions. First though, the answer to an important general question:

Is this presentation recorded? If yes, where can I find the recorded seminar?
Yes, the seminar was recorded. Access the recording from the Live Training Seminar page.

Do we need the server software to share the webmaps?
No. Sharing your ArcGIS Online Web maps does not require any software. You do need ArcGIS Server to create the services that make up a Web map. However, there are lots of publicly available services you can use in your map. See ArcGIS Online Help for more information about creating and sharing Web maps.

If I update a layer package (say, with additional edits), can I do so without having to delete and add it again in ArcGIS Online?
Yes, you can update a file without having to delete and add it again. You do this through the item properties page in My Content. When you update the file in ArcGIS Online, you decide if you want to maintain the item properties information as displayed in ArcGIS Online (which you may have edited) or use the properties from the uploaded file (which will overwrite any of your edits). See ArcGIS Online Help for more information about updating files.

Can live editing (drawing boxes, lines, on the map) be done while working on online maps, and not use the 'upload files' button?
We are currently researching feature editing on Web maps. You will still have to use the Add Item button to add map and layer files. See ArcGIS Online Help for more information on adding your maps and layers.

Is there a file size restriction on files that can be uploaded? Is the limit per account, per map, or per timeframe?
Yes. You can upload items up to 1 GB in size. Each account can have a total of 1 GB worth of stored items. In My Content, each item size is listed so you can track your total storage.

Can you share with a specific individual by emailing that person? Or do they have to be a member of some group?
Yes, you can share your maps via email if they are shared with everybody (which means they are public). Web maps can be shared directly by copying/pasting the URL into an email. Your email recipients will see your actual Web map.

For other types of public items (e.g., Explorer layers, Map documents), you can share the item properties page. You can also share public group description and content pages. See ArcGIS Online Help for more information about creating and sharing URLs.

Can you publish/view legends in ArcGIS Online?
Legends are maintained in your shared map and layer files. However, the REST API does not currently support legends which means that by default, legends for services and the Web maps cannot be published or viewed in ArcGIS Online. However, you can customize your REST Web mapping applications so they create legends. See the ArcGIS API for JavaScript Code Gallery for a sample JavaScript application that includes a legend.

Can I access ArcGIS Mobile Map in ArcGIS Online or share those maps? How about sharing/viewing online maps for mobile applications? How about for a BlackBerry device?
ArcGIS Mobile is a Windows Mobile app only right now and doesn't currently work with ArcGIS Online map and task services. We are currently researching support for other mobile devices, such as, the iPhone and phones from Blackberry. On a related note, at the 2009 UC, we announced support for an ArcGIS API for iPhone. We also addressed our current support for BlackBerry devices.

We'll address another set of questions from the seminar audience in a few weeks. In the meantime, take advantage of the forums to ask any questions you have about ArcGIS Online.

The Tortoise and the Hare

coll5484 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

We’ve all been there. It’s Monday morning and squinting through the haze of the past weekend, you boot up your computer and double-click the ArcMap icon, so you can finish up Joe Somebody’s latest über urgent request: something involving lots of acronyms and possibly underground electrical lines. As the familiar blue and white splash-screen pops up, you head out to get the first of several cups of what you were told was coffee. Trudging back to your desk, you see the same splash-screen that was there when you left. So you sit…and wait…and wait…eyes glazing over. You’re jolted from your semi-comatose state by the sound of your neighbor already starting his work. As the tears of frustration start to well, you mumble to yourself, “15 seconds…It took him only 15 seconds to start ArcMap. We have the same computer...”.

Hey everyone, I’m Todd, one of the Desktop Analysts here in the Eastern Support Unit. We here in Support Services see this kind of thing all too often: ArcMap running side-by-side on two computers that, to the best of the owner’s knowledge, appear to have the same configurations. One computer opens MXDs and performs various geoprocessing tasks like clockwork, but the other, using the same data, spits out errors, hangs, and/or eventually crashes. There are some obvious red flags to check for first, such as corrupt normal templates, user profiles, and registry keys, but what happens when the issue is not so apparent? A powerful, easy to use tool to help us debug these types of situations is PC audit and reporting software. There are numerous free PC audit and reporting products available, such as PC Discovery Audit, Look in my PC, etc. ESRI does not endorse any of these products, but one of the more popular tools that analysts have reported success with is Belarc Advisor. PC audit and reporting software creates a very detailed configuration profile of the problem computer and includes such information as installed software and hardware, CIS (Center for Internet Security) benchmarks, anti-virus status, and missing Microsoft hotfixes. This profile is saved as a local HTML file on the user’s computer, which can be emailed to ESRI for further analysis.

By comparing the profile of the problem computer against a second profile generated for a working computer, underlying issues due to slight differences in configurations, network connections, memory allocations, and software installations can be pinpointed much more efficiently, thereby getting the problem solved quicker.

-Todd S., Senior Support Analyst - Desktop Group, ESRI Support Services, Charlotte, NC

Narrowing search results

mzurn — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

10/15/09–In a previous post, we showed you how to find items published during a given time frame.

Here's another search tip. You can narrow results by excluding a keyword. There is a caveat with this tip: you need to exclude keywords in conjunction with another filter. For example, if you want to see all types of layers except layer packages, select Layers underneath the search box and enter the following search string:

-type:"layer package"

You can also exclude a keyword in conjunction with another filter you enter in your search string. For example, you can exclude specific content owners with a time frame (using what you learned in our find items published during a given time frame post). To find all layer packages added by users other than ESRI and ArcGIS Explorer between Oct 1 and today (Oct 15), create this search string:

LPK -owner:esri -owner:arcgis_explorer uploaded: [0000001254387600 TO 0000001255597200]

Give it a try!

Demo Shows Workflow for Online Collaboration

SuzanneB — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:27:00 GMT

ArcGIS Online , now in public beta, is a destination that offers a lot to the GIS users who choose to visit. The site is a rich content source for GIS data, maps, and tools; it offers tools for quickly creating a Web map, and it's a venue for sharing your GIS work and collaborating with other GIS users. The collaboration piece is especially intriguing, and the out-take below from Sharing Your Maps Using ArcGIS Online —last week's live training seminar —shows how it can work. In the demo, ESRI instructor...(read more)

Who attended the ArcGIS Online live training seminar?

mzurn — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

10/13/09–Last Thursday, we had more than 1800 users participate in our live training seminar. Here are some quick facts about the attendees who filled out a post-seminar survey:

Over half had never used the ArcGIS Online sharing application before.
After listening to the seminar, everybody thought they would use the application (this is great!). When asked what for, we got the following replies (more than one choice was allowed):

Find basemaps–70%
Store content–35%
Share content with others–61%
Join groups–46%
Create groups–43%
Not sure yet–20%

About 40% felt they had a strong background in GIS but marginal knowledge of Web development. This is reflected in the software they use.

70% have ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1
30% have access to ArcGIS Server 9.3.1
11% of ArcGIS Web Mapping API developers use ArcGIS API for JavaScript, 6% develop with ArcGIS API for Silverlight, and 5% develop with ArcGIS API for Flex

The attendees work in a variety of industries, with the largest percentage involved with state and local governments.

As a group, the attendees asked about 150 questions. Because we couldn't get to most of them and there were many good ones, we'll be answering some of them in later posts. Stay tuned!

By the way, if you missed the seminar, a recording will be made available soon.

Recording of Web Mapping API webinar now available

mzurn — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

10/09/09–If you missed last month's live webinar about building applications with the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs, you can now view a recording. During the one-hour session, you'll see and hear Rob Shanks highlight a number of live user sites built with the ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs for Flex, JavaScript, and Silverlight. Many of these applications, by the way, are now showcased in the new Mapping for Everyone Web mapping API sample gallery.

You'll also hear Mark Jadkowski, president & COO at Global Relief Technologies talk about the mobile device application his company built using the ArcGIS for JavaScript API and map services from ArcGIS Online.

Access the recorded webinar