Lesson 9 Share results online

335

THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD LIKEto make the park analysis available to as wide an audience as possible. A paper map, like the one we made in the last lesson, is the traditional way to share results, but online maps can reach a lot more people. In this lesson, we’ll look at a couple of ways to share maps and data digitally, but our main focus will be on creating a map presentation in ArcGIS Explorer Online.

ArcGIS Explorer Online is a free, web-based mapping application. Anyone with an Internet connection can use it to make their own maps from basemaps and other online map content—ArcGIS Desktop software isn’t required. These maps can be saved and shared with other users at the ArcGIS website.

ArcGIS Explorer Online allows you to create interactive maps, and to turn those maps into presentations. A presentation is a series of map views, essentially a guided tour, that the map user follows. Each view, or slide, can have a different extent, basemap, or set of layers, symbols, and other information. The map user is never locked in to the presentation: every slide remains an interactive map that can be navigated freely.

In the first two exercises, we’ll map our analysis results in ArcGIS Explorer Online, add narrative context with notes and pop-up windows, and create a map presentation. In the third exercise, we’ll create a map package, which is a convenient way to share maps and data with other ArcGIS Desktop 10 users. We’ll upload the package to the ArcGIS website, where it can be made available online. In the last exercise, we’ll download the map package from the ArcGIS website and open it in ArcMap.

If you use Internet Explorer, you should be at version 8.0 or newer. If you use Mozilla Firefox, you should be at version 2.0 or newer.

Lesson

9 Share results online

336

Make a map in ArcGIS Explorer

Online9a

9c

9d

Make a map package

Extract the map package

What you’ll do in this lesson:

Youare

here:

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

✓

1

2

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9

Lesson Nine roadmap

Previewdata

Conduct theanalysis

Build thedatabase

Present analysis results

Shareresults online

Frame problemand explorestudy area

Edit data

Choosedata

Automatethe analysis

Make a map presentation

9b

Make a map in ArcGIS Explorer Online 337

Exercise 9a: Make a map in ArcGIS Explorer OnlineIn this exercise, we’ll create a new map in ArcGIS Explorer Online, add a map service with our analysis results, and work with pop-up windows to display statistics and images for our recommended sites.

1) StartArcGISExplorerOnline. We’ll start by opening ArcGIS Explorer Online and getting used to navigating a map.aOpen a web browser to http://explorer.arcgis.com.bIf prompted, install or update Microsoft® Silverlight™.

You need this plug-in to run ArcGIS Explorer Online. After installing it, you may need to restart your browser.

ArcGIS Explorer Online opens to a Featured Maps page. cClick the Sign In link in the upper right corner and sign in with

your ESRI Global Account (Figure 9-1) You need to be signed in to save and share maps at the ArcGIS website. Once you sign in, you’ll remain signed in by default. After you save a map, you’ll be taken to your My Content page rather than the Featured Maps page the next time you start ArcGIS Explorer Online.dIn the upper left corner of the Map Center, click New Map.

ArcGIS Explorer Online opens with a default basemap (the Topographic basemap) zoomed to North America (Figure 9-2).

Lesson Nine roadmap

Figure 9-1

If you installed the ArcGIS trial software, then you’ve already

created a Global Account. But if you don’t have a Global Account,

you should create one now.

Figure 9-2

the Navigator (deactivated until you move the mouse pointer over it)

the Mapping toolbar

If you’re not from North America, your default map extent may be

different.

Lesson 9: Share results online338

ePlace the mouse pointer over the Navigator, in the lower left corner of the map, to activate it (Figure 9-3).

fPan and zoom with the Navigator controls until you start to feel comfortable.

▷ You can also pan by clicking and dragging on the map, and you can zoom with the mouse wheel.

gOn the Navigator, click the Full Extent button.hHold down the Shift key. Click and drag to draw a zoom rect-

angle around southern California (Figure 9-4).

When the map zooms in, you should be able to see the Los Angeles metropolitan area. iDouble-click Los Angeles to zoom in closer on it. Double-click

once or twice more.jPan as needed to put the city in the middle of the map.

Your map should resemble (Figure 9-5). It doesn’t have to be exactly the same.

Figure 9-3

Figure 9-4

Figure 9-5

Move the slider to zoom (or

click the + and - buttons).

Click the arrows to pan.

Full Extent


kOn the right side of the Mapping toolbar, click the Bookmarks button . At the bottom of the Bookmarks panel, click the New Bookmark button .

lIn the New Bookmark dialog box, type Overview of Los Angeles as the bookmark name (Figure 9-6), then click OK.

The bookmark is added to the panel.mClick somewhere on the map to close the Bookmarks window.

2) Savethemap. We’ll save the map before continuing.aOn the left side of the Mapping toolbar, click the Save button

. bIn the Save Map dialog box, for the title, type Los Angeles

River Park Suitability.cFor the tags, type parks, rivers, Los Angeles.dFor the summary, type This map shows suitable park

locations near the Los Angeles River.eAccept the default Save in Folder name. (This will be your

Global Account user name.)fCompare your Save Map dialog box to Figure 9-7, then click

Save.

Your map is now saved at the ArcGIS.com website.

Figure 9-6

Figure 9-7


3) Addaservice. The three most important layers in our project are the Los Angeles River, the buffer defining the study area, and the recommended sites. We’ve published these layers as an online map service that can be added to the web map (or to ArcGIS Desktop).aOn the Mapping toolbar, click the Add Content button .

At the bottom of the Add Content panel are three tabs that define the scope of the search. By default, the ArcGIS.com tab is selected. bIn the Search box at the top of the panel, type Los Angeles

River, then press Enter or click the magnifying glass.A map service called LA River Proposed Park Sites is found. (If other services are also found, this is the one you want.)

cHover the mouse pointer over the Add link on the map service (Figure 9-8).

A window opens with more information.dClick Add to add the service to the map.eIn the adjacent window, click Zoom To.fClick the map to close the open windows.gAdd a bookmark and call it Study Area.

Figure 9-8

Click here to add the service.

Click here to zoom to it.

Map servicesA map service is the contents of a map document published in a format that can be read by a variety of mapping applications, especially web-based applications. The service is created from a map document with ArcGIS Server software; it resides on a host computer (a server) and is accessed on demand by end-user applications (clients). The use of ArcGIS Server isn’t described in this book; the map service used here has simply been published for you.


hClick the map to close the Bookmarks window.iClick the Layers tab on the left side panel to show the

Layers panel (Figure 9-9).The first layer, Map Notes, is added by default to every map. It’s empty now, but we’ll add features to it later. The second layer is the map service and the third is the basemap. jIn the Layers panel, click the arrow next to LA River

Proposed Park Sites.The panel changes to show details for the layer (Figure 9-10). The layer has three sublayers: Recommended Sites, LA River, and LA River Buffer. These sublayers can be turned on and off independently, and a slider lets you set the opacity for the layer as a whole. We face the same problem here as in Lesson 8: namely, that the recommended sites are almost too small to see when the entire study area is in view. We’ll deal with this problem a little later on.kDrag the slider to make the layer about 75 percent

opaque.lOn the Mapping toolbar, click the Basemap button

.mIn the Basemap window, choose Bing Maps Road.

The Topographic basemap emphasized the mountains and somewhat deemphasized the dense urban nature of the surrounding city. The Bing Maps Road basemap balances the landscape and cityscape differently (Figure 9-11).

Figure 9-10

Figure 9-11

Figure 9-9

Click fordetails.


nClick the Map Legend tab to show the Map Legend panel (Figure 9-12).

The map legend shows the symbols associated with the LA River Proposed Park Sites layer. (The Map Notes layer isn’t shown because it doesn’t yet have features in it. Basemap layers don’t have legend entries by design.)

4) Configure pop-ups. We want users of the web map to see the attributes for the recommended sites. We can present that information through pop-up windows.aClick the Layers tab.

You should still see the layer details for the LA River Proposed Park Sites layer. bOn the Layer Details panel, click Configure Pop-ups.cUnder Recommended Sites, click Add (Figure 9-13), then click

Configure.

The Configure Pop-ups dialog box shows the recommended site attributes (Figure 9-14).

Figure 9-13

Figure 9-14

Figure 9-12

the Map Legend tab


These attributes are the ones we prepared for the RecommendedSites layer back in Lesson 6. We can customize the appearance of the data, but first let’s see what we get with the default settings.dClose the Configure Pop-ups window.eZoom in on one of the recommended sites.

▷ If you have trouble finding a site, refer to the map on page 333 of the book.

fClick the site to open its pop-up window (Figure 9-15).

This is pretty close to what we want. We’ll change the title and remove extra decimal places from some of the field values.gClose the pop-up window.hIn the Layer Details panel, under Recommended Sites, click

Configure to reopen the Configure Pop-ups dialog box.iIn the Title box, delete all the text (including the field name in

curly brackets). Replace it with the word Site and type a space.jClick the Insert Attribute Field button and choose SiteID

{SiteID}.kIn the Title box, click off the highlighted field name. Type an-

other space and add the word Statistics.The pop-up title will show “Site 1 Statistics” when Site 1 is clicked, “Site 2 Statistics” when Site 2 is clicked, and so on. lIn the list of attributes, scroll to the bottom and uncheck SiteID

(Figure 9-16).

Figure 9-15

Figure 9-16

Having the site number in the title makes it redundant as an attribute.


mAt the top of the Configure Pop-ups dialog box, click the Fields tab (Figure 9-17).

On this tab, we can change display names (aliases), field order, and formatting. We’ll leave the display names as is, since we specifically chose them in Lesson 6, but we’ll make a few other changes.nIn the Field column, click NEAR_DIST to select it.

The selected field is highlighted in light blue.oClick the down arrow button several times to move the field to

the bottom of the list.pClick the POP2000 field to select it, then move it to the bottom,

underneath near_dist.This puts the required criteria ahead of the preferred criteria.qClick the acres field to select it. In the Display Properties on

the right, change the decimal places from 2 to 1.rFor the following fields, change the number of decimal places to

0:• popdensity• pctunder18• near_dist

The Configure Pop-ups dialog box should look like Figure 9-18.sClick OK on the Configure Pop-ups dialog box.

Figure 9-17

Figure 9-18

Move fields up or down.


tOn the map, click again on the site you’re zoomed in on.

The pop-up window should reflect your changes (Figure 9-19).uClose the pop-up window.vOn the Layer Details panel, click

Done Configuring Pop-ups.wOn the same panel, click the

Recommended Sites sublayer, then click Zoom To (Figure 9-20).

xClick the Back arrow at the top of the panel.ySave the map.

5) Add features. It will be hard for map readers to find the recommended sites because of their size. In Lesson 8, we handled this problem with a symbology trick. Here, we’ll add features to the Map Notes layer to mark the sites at zoomed-out scales. Map notes can include point, line, polygon, and text features in the same layer. aClick the Add Features tab to show the Add Features panel

(Figure 9-21).Several symbols are presented to choose from. We’ll pick one and modify it.bOn the panel, click the Stickpin symbol to select it.cOn the map, click a recommended site to add a feature.

▷ You don’t have to click exactly on the site—nearby is fine.

On the map, readers can now find the site easily at zoomed-out scales.

Figure 9-19

Figure 9-21

Fieldformatting

Title

Field order

Figure 9-20

the Add Features tab

Click here.

Back arrow


We’ll add features to the other recommended sites in the same way. If you have trouble finding a site, refer to page 333 of the book. (In the online map, Site 3 is partly obscured by the river.)dIn the Add Features panel, click the Stickpin symbol again.ePan the map, if necessary, and click another recommended site

to add a feature.▷ Again, the stickpin doesn’t have to be exactly on the site. You’ll have a chance to edit the placement later.

fAdd features to the three remaining sites, panning and zooming the map as needed.

▷ Before adding each new feature, you have to select the Stickpin symbol again.

gWhen you’re finished, zoom to the Overview of Los Angeles bookmark (Figure 9-22).

hClick somewhere on the map to unselect the last feature you added.

6) Change the symbol. The default green stickpins look kind of nice with the other colors in the map, but we’ll change them anyway so they stand out more.aOn the Mapping toolbar, click the Select Features button .bClick and drag a box around all five stickpin symbols.

Figure 9-22


On the map, the five selected symbols are marked with red circles (Figure 9-23).

cOn the Mapping toolbar, click the Change Symbol button .In the Symbol dialog box, you can choose different symbols and set their properties.dIn the scrolling box of symbols, click the red stickpin (Figure

9-24).

The change is reflected immediately on the map. You can keep this symbol or choose another one if you want.eClose the Symbol dialog box.fClick somewhere on the map to unselect the features.

Figure 9-23

Figure 9-24


Figure 9-25

7) Renamelayers. The names of the layers in the map don’t describe their contents too well, so we’ll change them.aClick the Layers tab to show the Layers panel.bIn the lower right corner of the panel, click Organize.

Now the layer names (except for the basemap) are editable.cReplace the layer name “Map Notes” with Good Locations.dReplace the name “LA River Proposed Park Sites” with Study

Area (Figure 9-25).

eAt the bottom of the panel, click Done.The layers are renamed on the Layers panel.fClick the arrow tab to close the left side panel.gSave the map.

8) Add content to a feature’s pop-up window. The reason we added features to the Good Locations layer was to help map readers find the sites. All features have pop-up windows, though, so we should use that to our advantage.aZoom to the Study Area bookmark and pan, if necessary, to keep

all five Good Locations features in the view. bClick on one of the features to open its pop-up (Figure 9-26).

Except for the generic title “Point,” the pop-up is empty. We’ll edit the pop-up to add a description and a link to an image.

Figure 9-26

arrow tab


cOn the pop-up window, click Edit, then click Edit Pop-up.

dIn the Edit Pop-up window, replace the default title with Site 5 (or the appro-priate number for your site).

eType a short description of the site.An example for Site 5 is shown in Figure 9-27. Examples for the other sites are shown in Figure 9-31 on the next page.

We’ll also add a link to a photograph of the site.fOpen a new tab or window in your web browser and go to

http://resources.arcgis.com/ Understanding-GIS.

gOn the Understanding GIS Resource Center page, under Book Resources, click Lesson 9 Images (Figure 9-28).

A gallery of photos gives you a few choices for each site (Figure 9-29).

hClick one of the thumbnail images for your site to open a larger version of the image.

iRight-click the image and choose Copy Image Location.▷ In Internet Explorer, choose Properties. In the dialog box, highlight the Address: (URL) and press Control+C to copy it.

jGo back to your ArcGIS Explorer Online map.kIn the Edit Pop-up window, click in the Image URL box. Press

Control+V on the keyboard to paste the link.lClick OK on the Edit Pop-up window.

Your pop-up should look similar to the one in Figure 9-30.mClose the pop-up window.nSave the map.

Figure 9-29

Figure 9-30

Figure 9-28

Figure 9-27


9) Addcontenttotheotherpop-upwindows. We’ll add similar content to the pop-ups for the other sites. The steps are summarized below. You can make up your own descriptions or use the ones in Figure 9-31.aClick a Good Location feature to open its pop-up window.bClick Edit Edit Pop-up.cChange the title to the site number.dType a description.eAt the Understanding GIS Resource Center, choose an image

and copy its location.▷ Remember to click the thumbnail image to enlarge it first.

fPaste the link in the pop-up window’s Image URL box.gClick OK.hWhen you’re finished, close any open pop-ups and save the map.

Figure 9-31


10) Test the pop-up windows. We now have two sets of pop-ups: one for the Good Locations layer (the stickpins) and one for the Study Area layer (specifically, for the recommended sites). aClick a stickpin to open its pop-up.bAt the bottom of the pop-up window,

click Zoom To.▷ You may need to click Zoom To a few times to get close to the site.

cClose the pop-up window.dClick the recommended site to open

its pop-up (Figure 9-32).eClose the pop-up window.

Because we were zoomed out pretty far when we added the stickpins, it’s possible, as in Figure 9-32, that your symbol won’t be exactly on the site. Naturally, the map will look better if the symbols are well placed. (If your stickpin does happen to be on top of the site, follow the next steps anyway for the sake of practice.)fClick the stickpin to select it.gOptionally, close the pop-up.hOn the Mapping toolbar, click the Edit Features button .

The symbol is marked as editable and can be moved to a new location.iPlace the mouse pointer inside the editing square and drag the

symbol to the recommended site, as illustrated in Figure 9-33. Release the mouse button.

jWhile you’re in edit mode, pan and zoom to the other sites. Select and move any stickpin symbols as needed.

kWhen you’re finished, in the upper left corner of the Editing toolbar, click Done.

lClick somewhere to unselect the last selected symbol.mZoom to the Overview of Los Angeles bookmark.nSave the map.oIf you’re continuing to the next exercise now, leave your map

open; otherwise, close your web browser.The online map shows the analysis results, but it doesn’t tell the story. What do these sites represent, why were they chosen, and what’s it all about? In the next exercise, we’ll make a presentation to give the map a meaningful context and guide the map user’s experience with it.

Figure 9-32

Figure 9-33

Place the mouse pointer inside this square, then drag the symbol where

you want.


Exercise 9b: Make a map presentationA map presentation is a series of slides, where each slide is a different view of a map, with a title and often notes or graphics. Like any slide show, a map presentation helps you organize information, provide context, and construct a narrative. A presentation directs, but doesn’t control, the user’s experience: every slide is still a fully interactive map. In this exercise, we’ll use a presentation to explain the park suitability analysis.

1) OpenanexistingmapinArcGISExplorerOnline. Your park suitability map is stored at ArcGIS.com in an area reserved for your content. If the map is still open from the last exercise, you can skip to Step 2.aOpen a web browser to http://explorer.arcgis.com .

If you’re already signed in with your Esri Global Account, you’ll be taken directly to the My Content page, where you’ll see your map (Figure 9-34)

bIf you see the Sign In link (rather than your user name) in the upper right corner of the application, sign in with your Esri Global Account, then click the My Content button at the bot-tom of the application.

cClick the thumbnail graphic to open the map (or click the Open link).

2) Add a map layer. The presentation will use map notes to explain the project. We’ll create another editable layer, like the Good Locations layer we created in the last exercise. aClick the Add Features tab to expand the Add Features panel

(Figure 9-35).By default, new features will be added to the Good Locations layer. We could store our text notes here, because this type of layer accepts any combination of points, lines, polygons, and text, but we prefer to put our text notes in their own separate layer.

Figure 9-34

Figure 9-35

Make a map presentation 353

bScroll to the bottom of the Add Features panel and click More (Figure 9-36)

cIn the Create New Layer dialog box, with Map Notes high-lighted in blue, click Create Layer (Figure 9-37).

dScroll to the top of the Add Features panel.A new Map Notes layer has been added to the panel. (If you scroll down, you can see the Good Locations layer underneath it.)eClick the Layers tab to switch to the Layers panel (Figure 9-38).

Figure 9-36

Figure 9-37

Figure 9-38

Map Notes “Map notes” is a generic name for any kind of features you draw on an online map. They can be points, lines, polygons (including predefined shapes like arrows), or text. A Map Notes layer can hold any combination of these feature types. Features, in this context, are like the kinds of objects that would be stored as map annotation in ArcMap.


Figure 9-39

3) Addaslidetoapresentation. We’ll start working with our map as a presentation and create the first slide for it. aClick the Presentation tab at the top of the application.

The interface changes. The map is now framed as a slide, and you get a new set of tools for working with presentations (Figure 9-39).bClick anywhere in the map area to add a slide (Figure 9-40).

A title appears at the top of the slide and a thumbnail graphic is added to the Slide Strip at the bottom of the application window. Each slide in the presentation is prepared independently and can have its own title, extent, and basemap. You can turn layers and individual features on or off.cClick in the Title box. Type Los Angeles and Surroundings.

Click outside the Title box.The default format is white text on a semi-transparent black background. We’ll try something different.dOn the toolbar, click the Format Slide Title button .eIn the Slide Title window, click on a Quick Style—either the

one shown in Figure 9-41 or another one you like—then close the window.

Figure 9-40

Figure 9-41

The Custom tab has more formatting options.


The title is reformatted on the map.fZoom to the Overview of Los Angeles

bookmark. gOn the Layers panel, uncheck Good

Locations to turn it off.hOn the Study Area layer, click the

Details arrow.iOn the Layer Details panel, uncheck

the Recommended Sites and LA River Buffer sublayers to turn them off. Click the Back button.

jIn the upper right corner of the map, click the Lock/unlock button to lock the map’s extent.

Your map should look like Figure 9-42 with just the basemap and the Los Angeles River showing.

Locking the extent doesn’t stop the viewer of your presentation from navigating (which they are always free to do); it simply sets the initial view of the slide. The main advantage of locking the extent is to protect yourself from accidentally zooming and panning after the slide is composed.

4) Create a feature template for text notes. Before we add meaningful text to the map, we’ll format a piece of placeholder text and make a feature template from it. A feature template is basically just a custom symbol you add to the palette of default symbols in the Add Features panel.aClick the Add Features tab.bOn the Add Features panel, under Map Notes, click the Text

feature template (Figure 9-43) cClick anywhere on the map to create an editable text box.dOn the toolbar, click the Change Symbol button .eIn the Symbol dialog box, click the Color button at the top.

Change the text color to white, then click the Back button.fNext to Text Size, click the button to increase the size from 12

points to 20 points (Figure 9-44).

Features will be added to the Map Notes layer.

Figure 9-42

Figure 9-43

Click here to increase the font size. (Or click the arrow button to the right to choose a size on the Font Size panel.)

Figure 9-44


gClick the Background Color button. Click a color that matches or complements the slide title, then click the Back button.

If you applied the quick style in Figure 9-41, the matching color is the orange symbol in the middle row of the palette. Its color values are Red 247, Green 150, Blue 70. (It looks pale at the moment because it has transparency applied.)hMove the Opacity slider for the background color all the way to

the right, so the background is completely opaque.iCompare your settings to Figure 9-45, then click Create Feature

Template at the bottom of the Symbol dialog box.jIn the New Template dialog box, name the template LA River

Map Text (Figure 9-46) or a name you like and click OK.

The new template is added next to the default text template (Figure 9-47).kClose the Symbol dialog box.

5) Editthetextnote. Your map should have one text note on it, containing the word “Text,” with the new formatting applied. aOn the map, double-click the note to make it editable.bReplace the word “Text” with the text below. Break the lines as

shown, pressing the Enter key to start a new line. This presentation summarizes our GIS analysis of sites for a new park near the Los Angeles River. We considered only the part of the river (the blue line on the map) that lies inside the LA city limits.

cClick outside the text box when you’re finished.

Figure 9-45

Figure 9-46

Figure 9-47


The note should look like Figure 9-48. For the moment, don’t worry about where to put it on the map.dOn the toolbar, click the Done button at the far left.

6) Viewtheslide. Before deciding where to put the note, we’ll view the slide as a map user would see it. Presentations take up the full screen, so there’s more room to work with than it looks like when you’re preparing the slide.aOn the toolbar, click the Start Presentation button . bOn the Microsoft Silverlight prompt, click No.

Your answer determines whether the presentation stays in full-screen mode if you switch to another application. Either answer is okay. You can check “Remember my answer” to skip the prompt in the future.cLook at the map in full-screen mode.dMouse over the Presentation Navigator at the bottom of the

screen (Figure 9-49) and click to end the presentation.▷ You can also end the presentation by pressing the Escape key.

eClick the map note to select it, then drag it by one of its edges to a suitable place.

fOn the toolbar, click Done.gClick somewhere on the map to unselect the note.hSave the map.

Your slide might look like Figure 9-50.

Figure 9-48

Figure 9-49

The Presentation Navigator is hidden until

you mouse over it.

Figure 9-50


7) Addthesecondslide. On this slide, we’ll zoom in to the study area and list the project criteria.aOn the toolbar, click the New Slide button .

A second slide is added, and its thumbnail graphic appears in the Slide Strip at the bottom. The new slide looks the same as the first one, except for its title. (The title formatting has been inherited, however.)bClick in the Title box and type Los Angeles River Study

Area. Click outside the box when you’re done.We don’t want to repeat the same note on this slide, so we’ll turn it off. It’s important to realize that this note has not been copied from the first slide to the second: it’s one and the same note feature, which is visible on both slides. We need to turn off its visibility on the new slide.cClick the Layers tab to show the Layers panel.dOn the Map Notes layer, click the Details button.eUncheck the box next to the note to turn it off (Figure 9-51),

then click the Back button.fIn the Slide Strip, click the thumbnail graphic for the first slide.

The note is still visible on this slide.gClick the thumbnail graphic for the second slide to make it the

active slide.hOn the map, click the Lock/unlock button to unlock the extent.iOn the Layers panel, on the Study Area layer, click the Details

button.jCheck the LA River Buffer sublayer to turn it on.kClick the Zoom To button (Figure 9-52), then click the Back

button.lClick the Add Features tab.mClick the LA River Map Text template and click somewhere on

the map.nType the following text for the note, pressing Enter to start new

lines: Requirements for the new park: - a vacant lot one acre or larger - inside the city limits - within 3/4 mile of the river (green zone) - at least 1/4 mile from existing parks - in a densely populated neighborhood - with relatively low median household income - with a high percentage of children

Figure 9-51

Figure 9-52


oWith the note feature active, place the mouse pointer over an edge of the feature. Click and drag the note to the lower left corner of the slide (Figure 9-53).

pOn the toolbar, click Done.qClick outside the note to unselect it.rLock the map extent.sClick the Start Presentation button . (The presentation will

start from the current slide.)tView the slide in full-screen mode, then end the presentation.uIf you want to, adjust the placement of the note.vSave the map.

8) Addthethirdslide. Now we’ll turn on the Good Locations layer and summarize the analysis results. We’ll use the same map extent and slide title.aOn the toolbar, click the Duplicate Slide button .bIn the Slide Strip, make sure Slide 3 is selected.cClick the Layers tab.dOn the Map Notes layer, click the Details button.eUncheck the box next to LA River Map Text to turn the note off

(Figure 9-54), then click the Back button.fOn the Layers panel, turn on the Good Locations layer.gClick the Add Features tab.hClick the LA River Map Text template and click the map.

Figure 9-53

Figure 9-54

The first note doesn’t have the LA River Map Text label because you added the note before creating the feature

template from it.


iType the following text: Five sites met all the requirements. Click on the stickpins to see a picture and description of each site. The next slides will zoom you in to each of the sites in turn.

jMove the note to where you want it.kOn the toolbar, click Done.lClick outside the note to unselect it (Figure 9-55).

mView the slide in presentation mode and make any changes you want.

nSave the map.9) Addthefourthslide. The rest of the slides will be close-up views of the recommended sites. We’ll switch to an imagery basemap so the map user can see what each site and its neighborhood look like.aClick the New Slide button .bFor the slide title, type Site 1: Northeast Los Angeles.cClick the Layers tab. On the Map Notes layer, click the Details

button.dUncheck the map note that’s turned on, then click the Back but-

ton.eOn the Study Area layer, click the Details button.

Figure 9-55


fTurn on the Recommended Sites sublayer and turn off the LA River Buffer sublayer (Figure 9-56). Click the Back button.

gOn the toolbar, click the Basemap button and change the basemap to Bing Maps Hybrid.

▷ Or choose a different imagery basemap if you want.

hPan the map to put Site 1 in the middle of the map.iUse the zoom slider on the Navigator to zoom in close on Site 1.

Pan as needed to keep the site in view.jOn the Layers panel, turn off the Good Locations layer.kOn the map, click on Site 1 to open its pop-up window.lZoom and pan the map to your liking, then lock the extent.

You may want to keep the site centered in the view, or you may want to show it in relation to the river. Your slide should look something like Figure 9-57.

mOptionally, start the presentation to see the slide in full-screen mode, then end the presentation.

nSave the map. 10) Addthefifthslide. This slide will be a close-up view of Site 2. Site 2 is also part of northeast Los Angeles, but, as you may remember, it’s not the site closest to Site 1. It’s the one a bit farther north, across the river from Griffith Park.aClick the Duplicate Slide button .bDouble-click the slide title to make it editable. Change the site

number from 1 to 2. The rest of the title stays the same.

Figure 9-56

The pop-up placement is influenced by where you click. If you click near a right-hand extremity of the site feature, the pop-up won’t block the feature.

Figure 9-57


cClick outside the title box.dUnlock the map extent.eClose the Site 1 Statistics pop-up window.fNavigate to Site 2.gClick the site to open its pop-up window.hZoom and pan the map to your liking, then lock the extent.

Figure 9-58 shows how your slide might look.

iOptionally, start the presentation to see the slide in full-screen mode, then end the presentation.

jSave the map. 11) Addthelastthreeslides. The remaining slides will follow the same pattern as the last two.aAdd and prepare the last three slides. Refer to Steps 9 or 10 as

needed. The key points are:• Create a new slide (or duplicate an existing one).• Type a new slide title (or edit an existing one).• Close the pop-up window for the old site. • Unlock the map extent, if necessary.• Navigate to the new site and open its pop-up window.• Adjust and lock the map extent.• Optionally, view the slide as a presentation.• Save the map.

Figure 9-58


bUse these titles for the slides:• Site 3: Elysian Valley• Site 4: Reseda/West Van Nuys• Site 5: Reseda/West Van Nuys

The finished slides should look more or less like the ones in Figure 9-59.

12) Viewthecompletepresentation. We’ll watch the presentation from start to finish to see how it looks.aOn the Slide Strip, click the first slide to select

it.bClick the Start Presentation button.cGo through the presentation, using the Next

button on the Presentation Navigator to ad-vance from slide to slide.

▷ You can also use the space bar to advance.

dTry navigating the map on different slides.You can go wherever you want—when you advance to the next slide you’ll be returned to the right place.eIf you see anything you want to fix, end the

presentation and make changes to the slide in question.

fOtherwise, end the presentation when you come to the last slide.

13) Resavetheopeningstateofthemap. In just a little bit, we’ll set the map to open directly as a presentation, which is how we want map users to see it. All the same, if the map is opened in a client application other than ArcGIS Explorer Online (such as the ArcGIS.com map viewer), it may still open as an ordinary map. We want to make sure that the viewer’s initial impression of the map makes sense in those circumstances.aOn the Slide Strip, click the first slide to select

it.bClick the Mapping tab (Figure 9-60).

Figure 9-59

Figure 9-60


cIf necessary, click the Layers tab to open the Layers panel.dOn the Layers panel, turn off the Map Notes layer. Confirm that

the Good Locations layer is turned off (Figure 9-61).The Study Area layer is turned on, but only the Los Angeles River is visible on the map. (The other two sublayers are turned off.)eClick the arrow tab to collapse the side panel.fZoom to the Overview of Los Angeles bookmark.gSave the map.

14) Add a description. The map tells a story that can only be understood if the map user views the presentation. We’ll make this clear in the map description.aOn the left side of the toolbar, click the Details button.

The Map Details dialog box opens (Figure 9-62).b Click the Description tab, then click Edit in the upper

left corner of the dialog box.A toolbar appears underneath the Description tab.c Click in the white space underneath the toolbar and

type a description like the following: This map should be viewed as a presentation in ArcGIS Explorer Online. If the map doesn’t open automatically in presentation mode, click the Presentation tab on the toolbar above the map, then click the Start Presentation button. The presentation shows the results of a GIS park-siting analysis

that is fully documented in the book Understanding GIS: An ArcGIS Project Workbook.

You can use any font, styles, and colors you like. In Figure 9-63, defaults are used except for the italics applied to the book name.d Click Done.

Figure 9-61

Figure 9-62

Figure 9-63


15) Setsharingproperties. By default, you are the only person with access to your web map. You can keep it private, share it with the world at large, or share it with members of an interest group. (You can join a group—or start one—at the ArcGIS website.) You can also share the map by linking to it or embedding it on a web page.aOn the Map Details dialog box, click the Share button.bUnder Share this Map, check the Everyone (public) box. cUnder Behavior, in the middle of the dialog box, check Start in

presentation mode when opened by others.Anyone who finds and opens your map from within the ArcGIS Explorer Online application will see it start automatically as a presentation, as in Figure 9-64.

On second thought, it might be better not to share this particular map with everyone. Other people are presumably making maps just like it, and if all those maps are public, it could be too much of a good thing. After you finish this lesson, start making and sharing your own unique web maps. (Note, however, that maps that aren’t shared can’t be linked to or embedded.)dUnder Share this Map, uncheck the Everyone (public) box.

Your dialog box should look like Figure 9-65.

Figure 9-64

Embed the map in a blog or website.

Paste links to the map or presentation in social media, e-mails, and elsewhere.

Figure 9-65


eClose the Map Details dialog box.You don’t need to save the map. The map details settings are saved automatically.fClose the browser tab or window in which ArcGIS Explorer

Online is running.

Exercise 9c: Make a map packageThe park suitability web map we’ve made in the last two exercises is accessible to anyone with a web browser. Of course, it’s not as detailed or cartographically rich as the map we made in Lesson 8. Is there a way to share that map online? With ArcGIS Server software we could publish the map document as a map service, but what if we don’t have that option?

A good way to share the map with other ArcGIS Desktop 10 users is to create a map package and upload it to the ArcGIS website. A map package bundles the map document and its source data in a compressed file that can be downloaded and run locally. You need ArcGIS Desktop 10 to make a map package; users who want to open the package need version 10 as well.

In this exercise, we’ll make a map package from the Lesson8 map document and upload it to the ArcGIS website.

1) Openamapdocument. We’ll start ArcMap and locate the map document.aStart ArcMap with a blank map. bIn the Catalog window, expand the C:\UGIS\ParkSite\

AnalysisData folder.

The Microsoft Silverlight Plug-inIf someone tries to link to the map without having the required Silverlight plug-in, they’ll get a message with a prompt to install the plug-in. Clicking the “Install Microsoft Silverlight” prompt will guide them through the installa-tion, and ArcGIS Explorer Online will then open the presentation.

Make a map package 367

cIn the Catalog window, drag Lesson8.mxd into the ArcMap window (Figure 9-66).

▷ If you didn’t complete Lesson 8, you can download the lesson results from the Understanding GIS Resource Center.

Map packages require that the map have a description. You may have added one already in Exercise 8a (page 291). If so, you can leave it as is or edit it to make it more informative.dFrom the main menu, choose File Map Document Properties.eIf necessary, type a description like the one in Figure 9-67, then

click OK.fIf you added or edited the description, save the map document.

Figure 9-66

Figure 9-67


2) Makeamappackageanduploadit. We’re ready to make the map package and upload it to the ArcGIS website.aFrom the main menu, choose File Create Map Package.bIn the Create Map Package dialog box, make sure “Upload

Package to my ArcGIS Online Account” is the chosen option (Figure 9-68).

cClick Validate, then click Share.You’ll be prompted to sign in to ArcGIS Online. (Even though you’re signed in from your web browser, you need to sign in again from ArcMap.)dIn the ArcGIS Online Sign In dialog box, enter your Global Ac-

count name and password (Figure 9-69), then click Sign In.The ArcGIS Online Package Details dialog box prompts you for more information about the map. If you filled in the map document properties in Lesson 8, these boxes will already be populated and you can leave them as is. Otherwise, add information like that shown in the following substeps.eFor the summary, type Map of recommended sites for

park development near the Los Angeles River.

fIn the Credits box, type See map.gIn the Tags box, type parks, rivers, Los Angeles River,

Los Angeles.hLeave the boxes for sharing your map package unchecked.

As with your web map, sharing the map package with everyone may lead to lots of similar map packages with identical tags being uploaded, so it’s probably better not to share the package.

Figure 9-69

Figure 9-68

Extract the map package 369

iCompare your dialog box to Figure 9-70, then click OK.It takes a little time to make the package. When it’s ready, you’ll get a message telling you that the package was successfully created (Figure 9-71).jClick OK on the message.kMinimize ArcMap.

The map package is now stored in your account at the ArcGIS website, along with your web map. In the next exercise, we’ll download and extract it, as any user could do if the map package were public.

Exercise 9d: Extract the map packageWeb maps, map packages, and other online content are accessed from the ArcGIS website. We’ll see how to manage your online items before returning to ArcMap to extract the Lesson8 map package.

1) Go to the ArcGIS website. At the ArcGIS website, you’ll find maps, services, applications, and packages made by the ArcGIS user community.aOpen a web browser to http://www.arcgis.com.bIf necessary, click the Sign In link in the upper

right corner of the page and sign in with your Esri Global Account.

▷ If you’re already signed in, you’ll see your name at the top.

cAt the top of the page, click the drop-down arrow next to Show: Web Content Only and change it to Show: All Content (Figure 9-72).

Show: Web Content Only filters out everything except web maps and map services (which means you wouldn’t see the map package).dClick My Content.

Figure 9-70

Figure 9-71

Figure 9-72

Make sure All Content is showing, and that

you’re signed in.


On the My Content page, you should see both your map package and your web map (Figure 9-73).

After the lesson, come back and explore the ArcGIS website on your own. You can find maps and web applications made by others; make your own maps that combine basemaps, map services, and your own data; and join groups of users with similar interests.

One thing you’ll discover is that the ArcGIS website has its own mapping application, called the ArcGIS.com map viewer, which is distinct from ArcGIS Explorer Online. Maps made in either application can be viewed in the other, although the map viewer may not support some features of ArcGIS Explorer Online.eClose the web browser.

2) Open the map package in ArcMap. We’ve confirmed that the map package has been uploaded to ArcGIS Online. Now we’ll open the package in ArcMap. This will download a copy of the map document and its source data to your local machine.aRestore the ArcMap application window.bOn the Standard toolbar, click the New Map File button and

open a blank map.The new map will open in layout view (assuming that’s where you were before), which is fine.cFrom the ArcMap main menu, choose File ArcGIS Online

(Figure 9-74).▷ You should still be signed in, but sign in if necessary.

Figure 9-73

If the package were shared,

users could find it online by typing keywords in the

search box.

Figure 9-74

Checking this box enables the

Share, Delete, and (if you have

multiple folders)Move To buttons.

Clicking a title opens details about the item.


dNear the top of the ArcGIS Online window, click the My Maps and Data link.

eOn Lesson8, click Open (Figure 9-75).

It may take a little time for the package to be downloaded and unpacked, but when it’s ready, the map opens in ArcMap. The map document (the .mxd file) and the source data referenced by the layers are now stored on your computer. The map package includes everything that was part of the original map: layers, symbology, labels, annotation, graphs, and so on.

3) Locatethesourcedata. We’ll check the source data path to see where ArcMap put the data.aIn the Catalog window, expand the Home folder, if necessary.

The Home folder is Home - Lesson8\V10. It contains two geodatabases and a map document. bRight-click the Home folder and choose Properties.

In the Properties dialog box, you can see the Home folder path on the General tab (Figure 9-76).

cClick and drag on the pathname to scroll across it.The full path is C:\Documents and Settings\user\My Documents\ArcGIS\Packages\Lesson8\v10. Map packages are downloaded to this location by default.

Figure 9-75

Figure 9-76

The “V10” part of the name stands for Version 10 of ArcGIS Desktop.

Click and drag on this path to scroll across it.

(The Windows 7 path will be different.)


dClose the Properties dialog box.eIn the Catalog window, expand the two geodatabases under the

Home folder (Figure 9-77).The data structure here reflects the way source data is referenced in the original map. In Lesson8.mxd in the ParkSite\AnalysisData folder, the layers point to two geodatabases: ReadyData and AnalysisOutputs. In the map package, those two geodatabases are duplicated with the same names (plus suffixes). However, only those feature classes actually used in the map document are copied to the geodatabases. For example, readydata_data0.gdb has just four feature classes, while ReadyData.gdb in ParkSite\AnalysisData has eight.fExit ArcMap.

You can come back later and delete the Lesson8 folder under My Documents\ArcGIS\Packages. You may also want to delete the map package from your online content at the ArcGIS website.

That brings us to the end of the book. Our main goal has been to guide you through the steps of a typical GIS analysis problem. Not all problems are the same, but hopefully we’ve shown you practices and approaches that can be applied to the next project that comes your way. Our second goal has been to introduce you to ArcGIS Desktop 10 software. In planning this book, we made a decision to use the software only insofar as it served the needs of the project. We tried to make the project complex enough that it would use a lot of functionality, but of course there was a lot that we didn’t do. Keep exploring the software on your own until the trial license period expires, and visit the book’s resource center at http://resources.arcgis.com/Understanding-GIS. Spend time at the ArcGIS website, too: it’s constantly being enriched with new content and functionality.

Figure 9-77

Map packages and layer packagesYou can create layer packages as well as map packages. A layer package includes one or more layers (.lyr files) and their source data, rather than an entire map document. Both map and layer packages can be created from ArcMap menu commands or with geoprocessing tools in the Data Management Tools > Package toolset. Geoprocessing tools give you more control over the organization of source data, allowing you to centralize it in one workspace (with the Consolidate Map and Consolidate Layer tools) and to convert shapefiles to file geodatabase format.

When you search online content from within ArcMap, map packages and layer packages will automatically be returned in your search results. When you search content from the ArcGIS website, remember to show All Content rather than Web Content Only if you want to include map pack-ages and layer packages in your search results.
