Technical Workshops |
Esri International User ConferenceSan Diego, California
Best Practices for Designing Effective Map Services: Case Studies
Charlie Frye, Esri, Redlands
Richard Nauman, Esri, Redlands
Michael Dangermond, Esri, Redlands
Deniz Karagulle, Esri, Redlands
July 26, 2012
• Essential Vocabulary
• Finding and going with the grain of the ArcGIS system
• To Make a useful map service ready to use in a web map:- Prepare data
- Create the MXD
- Documentation for Layers and Map
- Publish the map service
- ArcGIS Online (AGO) Items for the service
- Configure and save the pop-up and title
Session OverviewOur goal is to show how to make map services that are easy to use and re-use
Keys to understanding the role of map services within the ArcGIS System
Demo: our goals for re-use of
content
• Map Document or .MXD: no change
• Map Service: aka “Layers” in the online part of the ArcGIS system- Service Definition
- Feature Service
- Image Service
- Map Service (Cached )
• Item: AGO content description- Map Service Item
- Web Map & Item
- Web Map App & Item
VocabularyIt’s new… well some of it is…
Demo: types of content
Go with the grain of ArcGIS to publish online content
The majority of ArcGIS users can make a map service, even if they’ve never used ArcGIS Desktop
ComplexEasy
High
Effort/Expertise
Low
Re-UseLeverage/Ability
MapService Items
MapService Items
Web MapsWeb Maps
Web Mapwith HTML template
Web Mapwith HTML template
CustomAPI-Base
APPS
CustomAPI-Base
APPS
DesktopAuthoringDesktop
Authoring
Data PreparationYour organization’s reputation depends on what you do behind the scenes
- Field Aliases in the database
- Complete data, no <null> or ‘’ or “ “s
- Remove excess or legacy fields
- Pre-format text for labels and pop-ups
Geodatabase Performance TipsDon’t come up empty
Demo: Geodatabase
Properties
• Pop-ups should work for every feature
• Null values and missing data break this experience
• For example:
Dealing with incomplete dataFrom <null> to -99 and everything in between
- Avoid Complex multi-part shapes
- Create indexes for fields used in queries, symbology, and labeling (as a last step)
- Test spatial indexes
- Make generalized editions of the data for use at smaller map scales
Spatial Performance TipsThe web is an impatient culture
Reusability starts with getting the details right in the database
• Schema changes break services- Delete the service…
- but not before you copy the pop-up code to Notepad.
• Schema changes for your database include:• New or removed fields
• Changes to Aliases
• Save As, if you want to experiment with an MXD that is being served
• Schema changes for your map include:- Changes to symbology and legend
- New or removed layers
- Layer order
Practical and NecessaryYour GDB and your MXD are schema for your map services
Once a service is created, changing the “schema” means you need to recreate the service
• Table of Contents- Organize by theme, not scale
- Use only HTTP compliant characters in layer names and legend class names
- Make everything reader-friendly
• Data Frame Properties: Extent Used by Full Extent
• Coordinate System- Avoid Projection on the fly if caching
- Do not project on the fly if using feature services
Create the MXD
Learn which of the properties of your MXD automatically become part of your Map Service Item
Demo: Data Frame
Properties
• Map Properties - (fill them all out)
- Create a thumbnail image
- Use relative paths
• Layer Properties: Descriptions and Credits
Document the Map and LayersThe documentation in your MXD is re-used in several places
ArcGIS Online (AGO) Items for the service
• The “homepage” for your map service- Make it nice and approachable
- Title, summary, tags, credits and thumbnail need to look good as they will appear in search results
• For map services document the following as the last paragraph:- The purpose of the service
- The lineage of the content
- Credit for contributors
Demo: Gallery of Homepages
• Comparison (Advantages Disadvantages)
Publish the Map Service (Cached vs. Feature Services)
Cached
• Usually the fastest performance
• Up front time cost to cache
• No limit to the greatness of your cartography
• Annotation is possible.
• Any supported desktop symbology is possible.
• At 10.1 multilayer caches are possible.
Feature
• Fastest to publish
• Easier to maintain
• Basis for editable data via a web map
• Basis for users being able to change symbology
• Detailed vector features can be slow.
More Considerations for Services
• Multiscale: May require generalization to make data draw fast or best at multiple scales
• We (GIS People) tend to overestimate the idea that others want to turn layers on and off. They don’t. Make the right map for them and don’t make them work.- Your CFO is not your customer
- Answer your customer’s needs based on them telling you what they need
Demo: Pop-ups possibilities and
to do useful & popular options
Demo: putting all of this into
practices
Wrap up
• Plan and design for reuse and ease of production and management
• Everything presented to users needs to be well formatted
• GIS is the means, not the ends.
Thank you
• Session Survey: - URL: Esri.com/ucsessionsurveys
- Offering ID: 953
• Questions