ArcGIS Online News

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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?

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.

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!

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

Participate in a free live training seminar about sharing your maps

mzurn — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:00:00 GMT

10/6/09–On Thursday, October 8 at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m. (Pacific daylight time), ESRI will host a live training seminar about sharing your maps using ArcGIS Online. The one hour online seminar is free and open to anyone who wants an introduction to the sharing features of ArcGIS Online.

The seminar will focus on the ArcGIS Online sharing application that lets you manage and share maps, layers, and Web mapping applications. You will learn how to find, create, and share geographic content online. The presenter will also demonstrate how to create a group, upload resources to share with the group, and download resources for use in ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Explorer. Throughout the seminar, you will have opportunities to ask questions.

Request a reminder to attend this seminar

ArcGIS Online Sharing Application updated

michellekh — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:00 GMT

10/1/09–The ArcGIS Online Sharing application was updated. The two most significant enhancements include:

Presentation of Search Results
Improved presentation of search by displaying thumbnail images for items found rather than general item type icons. This includes automatically generating thumbnail images for web maps, map services, and image services, which you can choose to replace with custom images.

Presentation of Content
My Content page was updated to indicate date modified, sharing status, and size of content items.

Contact the ArcGIS Online team with questions or comments by visiting our forum.

Choosing Basemaps – Part 2

ginger — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:30:00 GMT

9/29/09–In Choosing Basemaps – Part 1, we took a look at some of the basemap services that ArcGIS Online offers and described how these basemaps may be used. Now, it is time to check out a few more. We will also explore some specialty services and layer packages that have the makings for a good basemap.

World Physical Map

This basemap employs a hypsometric tint in combination with a hillshade. This natural looking map is ideal as a small scale basemap or as a general small scale inset map. The hypsometric coloring makes this basemap particularly useful for data that is physical in nature. For example, this basemap would work well with physiographic data, especially if there is a general relationship between the data and elevation.

USA Topographic Maps

Often, there is a need to refer to one or more traditional topographic map sheets for a specific project. USA Topographic Maps is a great basemap since it provides a complete mosaic of scanned topographic maps of the United States at varying scales. This basemap can be used for general reconnaissance, outdoor activity planning, resource management, surveying, and more. USA Topographic Maps includes a hillshade in conjunction with the traditional labeled elevation contours. This added feature makes the basemap very useful for tasks which require specific knowledge of the local relief of an area.

DeLorme World Basemap

This specialty basemap is a cross between a street map and a topographic map. The cartography is clean and straightforward. Therefore, this map is useful as a general location map. Additionally, due to its clean design, this map is great when including large amounts of supplementary GIS data.

In addition to the general online basemap services, the ESRI Maps and Data group provides pre-symbolized, packaged data layers that can be downloaded and used for the creation of a basemap. When the objective of the map is clear, all you need to do is search for keywords to find data that will suit the map's purpose.

Let's say that you only have a simple polygon feature class layer of crime statistics for a state's municipalities. Your goal is to cross-reference this data with census information to create a correlation between rates of crime and numerous census attributes for a particular county. In order to provide context and visual appeal to your finished map, you would like to add a few more base layers, as well as an inset map for reference. Here are some of the layers that you could download from ArcGIS Online in order to generate your basemap.

USA Census Tract Boundaries: This layer package provides the attribute data for comparison as well as the boundaries for symbolization.

USA Counties: This layer package helps to contain and emphasize the area of interest. It also brings context to the map.

USA Major Cities: By adding this layer package, the map user becomes acquainted with the area and is able to determine the affected communities.

USA Freeway System: This layer package provides even more context. It helps orient the map user within the area of interest.

USA States: Along with the county layer, this layer package provides the basis for the inset map. By incorporating the states layer, the user will get an overall impression for the location and relationship of the county of interest and the other counties within the state.

Layer packages come pre-symbolized and pre-labeled. However, to suit the purpose of your map, a few adjustments can always be made. The example below is an illustration of a hypothetical crime map with the addition of the layer packages mentioned above. Very little manipulation of the symbology was necessary in producing the finished map.

These are just some of the basemap services and layer packages that the ESRI Maps and Data group provide. There is an extensive amount of useful data in many different formats. By accessing this online service, your ability to create both practical and comprehensible maps becomes even easier. Data is always being added and is ready to be downloaded and used in whichever creative, exciting, and constructive manner you may imagine.

Contributed by Cindy Prostak of the ArcGIS Content team

Using ArcGIS Explorer groups

mzurn — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:00:00 GMT

9/24/09–In a previous post, we offered some tips on how to create groups. We gave a few examples of great groups that users have already created in ArcGIS Online, including two from the ArcGIS Explorer team—the ArcGIS Explorer group and the ArcGIS Explorer Labs group. To learn about how these groups are used, see Using the ArcGIS Explorer group on AGOL in the ArcGIS Explorer Blog.