Interactive Maps: ArcGIS Online
ArcGIS Online is a cloud-based GIS platform that allows you to upload and share all your data on the web. You get access to external sources of data that allow you to create your own mash-ups to publish as interactive maps or web apps.
It is important that you communicate what you have accomplished and learned during this session through your own website. Please visit the Creating your own website section to do this before continuing with this tutorial.
Getting Started with ArcGIS Online
Log into ArcGIS Online: Go to arcgis.com, click the sign in button on the top right corner. In the new window that appears, sign in with the username and password given to you by Patricia.
Click on Map. Here is where you will create your own mash-ups that will build your interactive web maps and applications.
Adding the collective tree layer
Click the Add button and select Search for Layers on the drop-down menu. Let's add the tree layer that you collectively surveyed on
Monday.In the Find box, type tree. Make sure the selection for the In box is currently set up to My Organization. In the results box, click on the Add button for the ClemsonTrees layer. Click the Done Adding Layers button to see the results in your map.You will notice that the tree layer gets added to your map and to your Contents window (similar to the Data Frame in ArcMap). Click the inverse triangle next to ClemsonTrees and select Zoom to. This will take you to the extent of the data collected last Monday. As you notice, the topographic basemap has not the best resolution for this scale. Change the basemap by clicking on the Basemap button at the top of your screen and select a more appropriate one, such as imagery.Click on any of the tree symbols to see it contents. Try to locate your own tree. What would be the easiest way to find it?
Changing the symbology
You can change the symbology of your layer the same way you do it in ArcMap: based on the attributes of your data. To take a look at these, click on the inverted triangle next to ClemsonTrees and select Show Table. Here you can see all the fields associated with your geometry on the map. You can use any of these fields to change your symbology.
To change the symbology of your feature service, make sure the panel at the left of your screen is showing the Content of your map. Click the inverted triangle next to your layer, and select Change Symbols.
- Next to Use, change the selection from A Single Symbol to Size. We are going to symbolize each tree base on the magnitude of a numeric field: diameter.
- To show: select the field Diameter.
- Change the classification method to Equal Interval.
- Leave the default on 5 classes.
- Click on Options, Change All Symbols. Change the default symbol to one that you like better. Make sure your start size and your end size are somewhere similar to 20 and 44.
- Click Done and Done Changing Symbols to finish with the symbology in your layer.
- You can change your Basemap to one that offers more contrast with your data. On the left hand-side of your screen, click on Basemap and select the one you think it fits better, for example, Light Gray Canvas or back to Topographic.
Tip: you can add your own symbol by clicking Options, Change Symbol, and select the Add an Image button. The symbol need to be online.
Configuring the pop-up window
As with symbology, the pop-up window will automatically read the attributes associated with each feature and display them on the map when the user selects it.
Click on one of the symbols in your map and notice the default pop-up window. It displays every field from your attribute table.
When designing your interactive online map, you want to think about the functionality of your pop-up window for each feature layer. Think of the attributes that you would like to display and how you would like to display them. With ArcGIS Online, you can display numeric attributes as charts. You can also display photos, videos or website urls.
To change the pop-up window, click on the inverted triangle next to your layer, and select Configure Pop-up. A new panel appears on the left of your screen: the Pop-up Properties panel.
- Change the Pop-up Title to just {Species}
- Pop-up Contents:
Option 1:
- Display: A list of field attributes
- Click on Configure Attributes. Uncheck Species. Change the title for Taken_by to say This tree was taken by by clicking the Field Alias. Click OK.
- Make sure the Show feature attachments as links is checked.
- Press the Save Pop-Up button.
Check your results by clicking any tree on your map.
Option 2:
- Display: A custom attribute display.
- Click the Configure button. In the pop-up window that follows, type as follows in the image on the right.
Press OK.
- Press the Save Pop-Up button.
Check the results in your map again to see the differences in your pop-up window. They should look like the settings on the image below.
Click on Share. A new window opens with the options to share this map. If you want to embed this map in a public website, you need to share the web map and the feature service that it is calling with the public.
Check the box next to Everyone (public) and click the Embed in website button.
In the new window that appears, check the size of your map that you would like to have in your website (large) and additional elements that you consider useful for the public (zoom control, scale bar, and legend).
Copy and paste the link into your website making sure you are editing your site in HTML mode. Your map should look something like this:
Creating a Web Application
Open your web map again, and click on Share. Always make sure you map is shared with the public, and that all the sharing properties for the layers are updated.
Click on the Make a Web Application button. Choose the template you want based on your functionality (for example, Basic Viewer) and preview it by clicking the inverted triangle and choosing preview.
You can also choose to download the template if you choose to make custom edits to the template (for those of you brave to fiddle with the basic code).
Once you have chosen a template, click Publish. Fill in the fields and click Save & Publish. Click Go to the item now to view the web application.
The link on that page is the link to your application URL. Here is an example:
Configuring your Web Application
Go back to My Content and click on your web application. Click Edit to add a description, access and use constraints, and other metadata.
To change the format and appearance of your app, click on Configure app, which takes you to a view of the web application with a sidebar on the right that allows you to change some basic settings. Change the color scheme to orange, for example.
Click save to make changes and return to the web application.
Check out a final web map application here:
ESRI Story Maps
Story Maps are web applications that allow you to combine the functionality of interactive maps with multimedia content (photos, videos, audio, timelines) into one unique app.Check out the possibilities here: http://storymaps.arcgis.com/en/app-list/
Some of them, such as the Side Accordion, will need for you to download the code and customize it a little. I encourage you to do this since it is very powerful and not as intimidating as it sounds. Click on learn more to choose and download the template, as well as accessing the tutorial.
Creating a mash-up
You can add layers from other sources to your map to create a mash-up interactive map. For example, let's add the following layers:
- Fauna by PatriciaDale
- Fish and Fauna Absolute Loss (EPA)
- False Color/Near Infrared (432) 1975-2010
- USA Soil Survey
Adding the Fauna Layer created in ArcMap
Click on the Add button, and select Search for Layers. In the Find box, type fauna. Make sure the option for In is My Organization. Click Go and add the Fauna_by_PatriciaDale layer.
Click on Edit to add a point in your map. Click Edit again to leave the editing session.
Adding layers from ArcGIS Online
Click the Add button again. In the search box, type fauna, but change the In content to ArcGIS Online. Select Fish and Fauna Absolute Loss (EPA). You can look at information about this layer (metadata) in your table of contents by clicking on the inverted triangle and selecting Show Item Details. Go back once in your browser to return to your map.
Repeat the same steps for the false color layer and the USA Soil survey. The false color layer is time enabled. Notice the time slider at the bottom of your screen. Play it to see the changes over time in your area.
Creating your own layer in ArcGIS Online
Click on the Add button, and select Add Map Notes. Name your layer: Clemson Park Facilities. Change the Template to Park Planning. Click Create.
Add a couple of features (traihead and stadium, for example) to notice how easy it is to add new features.
Press the Edit button again to leave the editing session and return to the contents view.
Saving your map
Once you configure your symbology and your pop-up window, you are ready to save your map. In this case, we only have one feature layer, but we will be adding vector and raster files to this map as we continue working through this workshop.
To save your map, go to the Save button and select Save As.
- Title: Natural Resources at Clemson by (your initials)
- Tags: natural resources, Clemson
- Summary: write a brief description of the purpose of your map
- Save in folder: leave the default.
Click on SAVE MAP. This will save the map in your ArcGIS Online account.
To review the items in your ArcGIS Online account, click on Home, and select My content. Notice you have the following element in your content:
- The Web Map that is using that feature service with customized symbology and display properties. A Web map is made of services. Like in ArcMap, you can use the same dataset or feature service in different web maps.
You can decide to share each one of these three elements with a group of collaborators or with the public. Keep in mind that if you share a Web Map with the public, you have to share its feature services as well.
Embedding your web map into your website or blog
You can embed your web map into any website or blog as an interactive feature. To do this, go to My Content and click on the inverted triangle next to your feature service and select View item details.
Click the Share button and check Everyone (public) so you can make your layer public on the web. Click OK.
Go back to your content and open your web map, as displayed on the image on the right.
Select Open in ArcGIS.com map viewer.
