Minutes of the 58th Quarterly Salt Lake GIS Users Group (SLUG) meeting, held on August 14th, 2024 from 11:30 am to 1:00 at the Utah Department of Natural Resources (1594 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84114). There were about 75 people in attendance today.
Business
Christina McCullock, SLUG Board
Welcome to SLUG’s 58th meeting! We would like to thank the Utah Department of Natural Resources for hosting us. And to The LiDAR Pros for sponsoring lunch.
Ben Goddard, The LiDAR Pros
This meeting's lunch was sponsored by The LiDAR Pros. The LiDAR Pros (TLP), offer comprehensive lidar and photogrammetry services, including point cloud generation, contour mapping, and outputs for CAD/ESRI programs. They specialize in high-accuracy lidar data collection, which can achieve precision of less than 1 cm when paired with control.
Ben Goddard, a UAS trainer and data acquisition expert, is involved in their operations. TLP provides various services such as lidar scans, photogrammetry, and UAS training. They also sell UAS, lidar systems, and related equipment. Their clientele includes law enforcement, fire departments, and government agencies, supported by a team with over 80 years of combined aviation experience and extensive backgrounds in drones and photogrammetry. TLP hosts a weekly "Lunch and Learn" session every Thursday at 1:30 PM.
Presentations
Claire Decker - Utah Geological Survey, Using Experience Builder to Enable Exploration
of Utah’s Energy Resources
Claire talked about the partnership between OED and UGS, which received funding, and has led to the development of a comprehensive GIS project providing detailed, scientific information on energy resources. The project features interactive maps with pop-ups, allowing users to explore data such as active mines and other energy-related topics.
Challenges included finding an effective way to present extensive data and managing diverse opinions from various teams. The project required substantial planning, mockups, and adjustments, including overcoming limitations with the Experience Builder tool.
The project used Google Drive for data organization, and Google Analytics for tracking user interactions, resulting in significant engagement metrics. It ranks third in user numbers and events among UGS apps and fourth in page views.
Lessons learned emphasize detailed scoping, clear audience understanding, regular communication, and manageable timelines. The project won the 2024 Utah IT Excellence Award for Best Use of GIS and will continue to improve with accessibility testing, navigation enhancements, and updates to dynamic charts. Future plans include new topic pages on unconventional fuels, uranium, electricity, hydrogen, and carbon sequestration.
Adrian Welsh - Avenue Consultants, The Dozen Dos and Don’ts of Dashboards
Adrian talked about his experience using ArcGIS Dashboards and has come up with his own dos and don’ts when using them.
ArcGIS Online updates quarterly, offering more frequent updates and different functionalities compared to ArcGIS Portal, which updates less often and is more complex to deploy.
2. Don’t always use the default theme
Avoid relying solely on the default light theme. Use the dark theme or customize colors for a better appearance, and take advantage of additional themes introduced in recent updates.
3. Do name your elements
Rename generic elements to make them easier to manage. You can rename them in the element properties or dashboard properties.
4. Don’t use a full screen to create the dashboard
Design dashboards assuming varied user screen resolutions. Avoid designing on a full screen and consider how dashboards will appear on smaller or mobile screens.
5. Do allow users to resize the elements
Enable element resizing to improve user interaction. This option can be adjusted in the settings.
6. Don’t forget to adjust your filters
Ensure that all filters are correctly set up and inherited by new elements to maintain functionality.
7. Make good use of numeric data
Numeric data works best in charts and graphs. Prioritize quantity-based data for effective visual representation.
8. Don’t use only one field in a serial chart
Using only one field in serial charts may limit interactivity. Ensure data allows for effective filtering and actions.
9. Do be careful when updating your source data
Major updates to source data can disrupt dashboards. Use tools like AGO Assistant to manage updates carefully.
10. Don’t forget to check the sharing levels
Verify that sharing settings for web maps, layers, and dashboards are correctly configured to avoid access issues.
11. Do group your elements to save space
Grouping elements can help save space and improve organization, making the dashboard cleaner and more functional.
12. Don’t confuse your viewers
Keep dashboards simple and avoid information overload. Use grouping, resizing, and thematic adjustments to enhance clarity.
Some future considerations for dashboard use
AGO Assistant
ArcGIS Online updates each quarter
Some ESRI dashboard samples from their user conference this year
GIS Humor
James Burton - SLUG Board
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 and it will be a special GIS Day meeting, keep an eye out for more information on that.
Thank you to our presenters and for joining us in person. If you have any ideas for a presentation or any other matter, please contact a SLUG board member. We welcome short or long presentations on any projects that you might be working on that might benefit others. If you have any contacts that would be willing to ‘sponsor’ a lunch by providing food/drinks in exchange for their advertising at the meeting, contact a SLUG Board member.
We appreciate your interest and support!
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