Creating Story Maps with ArcGIS StoryMaps Beta

Do you enjoy creating Story Maps? If so, there's something new for you to explore, the Story Maps Beta. The new, Beta resource offers a completely new experience, new UI and new look and feel of your maps. You won't find all the pre-defined templates that you might be used to in the original Story Maps, however, you will find a more modern, block-style editor that enables you to create clean maps that are even more mobile friendly.

I spent a little time testing out the Beta system and was pleasantly surprised. It really is easy and nice to use and the experience is in line with the development of all the ArcGIS apps (like Web AppBuilder and Survey123 etc...). If you've authored blogs using the new Wordpress Gutenberg experience this will look familiar to you! The story map below is a bit of a trial that shows you a new look Story Map - jump directly to the map HERE

Story Maps are a fabulous way to create compelling data visualizations and are an ideal fit in any company's marketing mix!

Read more about Story Map BETA HERE

2009, the year for transition from ArcIMS to ArcGIS Server

At this year's ESRI UC I definitely felt that ArcGIS Server was the big story. Looks like Steven over at Latitude Geographics agrees via the GeoCortex Blog... and then some. Check out Steven's blog for his take on this year's event - if anyone knows server it's him! I like this quote which sums it up nicely... "I predict 2009 will be remembered as being a significant year in the widespread transition from ArcIMS to ArcGIS Server." Sorry I missed the luncheon Steven but I appreciate the invite!

ESRI, i-cubed open the Doors to data via DataDoors for ArcGIS

Developed by i-cubed, the application (DataDoors for ArcGIS) enables GIS users to select, order, and acquire a variety of raster data, available online, for offline usage in their GIS projects. The application gives ArcGIS users access to topographic map data from the National Geographic Society and imagery from a suite of other providers including AeroGRID, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, and SPOT Image. See more here or jump to the service at http://esri.datadoors.net/datadoorsweb

Implementing GIS on the web and ArcGIS smashups

From last week's International ESRI User Conference - A recap of Implementing GIS on the web - In a presentation titled “Implementing GIS on the web”, Clint Brown provided a Tuesday AM wake-up discussion on what’s happening in the web world and what opportunities are being created. Brown reminded us that at Web 2.0, our second generation web tools and organized access to information has proliferated. The term mashups, is relatively new to the web world but old news to the us in the GIS space… we’ve been mashing up data forever! Keep in mind though, the web is the platform to build a mashup world. I enjoyed Clint's reference to GIS mashups as "Smashups".

Interesting [and accurately in my opinion], Brown conveyed how to the web community, and the bloggers, it’s not GIS but rather, it’s web mapping with the citizens as censors providing the content – citizen censors - and in the future everyone will contribute their own content and search will organize it. BUT, users require an authoritative information framework. A framework to:
Understand and exploit observations
Analyze observations.
Visualize what it means
Give observations meaning.

Addressing the geo tech professionals, Brown pointed out how "your role is about building and sharing a framework"... We need a framework, not just a list of layer.” Obviously, what Brown was referring to is the geodatabase (interesting to note, I head several times during the week that we need to move to the geodatabase rather than SHP files. Given the number of times this topic arose, many users are obviously content with layers of information stored as files (SHP) rather than jumping head-first into developing a geodatabase - a direction you are encouraged to move towards.

Recall though that everyone is talking about using Google maps and virtual earth… as a result, user expectations are changing. Most GIS apps will need to support this, particularly as the use expectations have changed. So, making your Geo information consumable on the web is important. Users want and need to build and serve: GIS apps, digital base maps, operational layers, tasks and tools in the GIS applications. As a result there are many application choices to deal with: ArcExplorer, mobile, web map, Javascript/Flex web apps (new at 9.3), or ArGIS desktop.

Brown was quick to point out that programming via the new Javascript API is so simple, “if you know html you can use this”. Ideal for simple implementations, easy to program (you can focus on your content), lightweight. Brown offers up the following tips for the developer:
- Once you chose your application, you design and select your basemap… one map for each scale, each map becomes a group layer in your ArcMap TOC.
- Build on exist framework like ArcGIS online, Google Microsoft, Other GIS depts.
- Be sure of the tiling scheme you select to use… e.g. A Virtual Earth basemap may be using a different coordinate system.
I found it interesting that we seem to be grappling with the same user issues (like various coordinate systems, datums, scales) that we frequently dealt with 10 yeas ago.
As a tip, see also planning a map cache in the ArcGIS online help resource center.

See:
http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgisonline-services/index.html
http://resources.esri.com/arcgisserver/apis/flex/
http://resources.esri.com/arcgisserver/apis/javascript/arcgis/

ArcGIS JavaScript API is now available

This from the ARcGIS Server dev blog... The new ArcGIS JavaScript API and its accompanying online SDK are now available for public use. With the ArcGIS JavaScript API you can add GIS functionality to your Web applications with JavaScript code that runs in the browser. Recall, there's no additional fees for this tool - See also http://resources.esri.com/arcgisserver/
I'm sure we'll see some cool demos of this at the UC where a cool web app will be built and deployed in minutes. In all honesty, I have to say that of all the events I've attended and live demos I've seen, the demos at the ESRI UC seem to go off almost always without a hitch which is rare for live demos as we all know.

ArcGIS Explorer update - more KML support, Geotagged photos, embed in web pages and more

The ESRI International UC is just around the corner so that means loads of product releases. We know that ArcGIS 9.3 will come very soon, but today the company has opted to announce the release of the latest update of ArcGIS Explorer, jam-packed with loads of new functionality.

The new version of ArcGIS Explorer offers

• ArcGIS Explorer now supports connections to enterprise geodatabases and Geographically Encoded Objects for RSS feeds (GeoRSS) and allows you to import GPS eXchange Format (GPX) format data. ArcGIS Explorer default maps and layers have been updated including enhanced topographic map services and updated streets, boundaries, and places. ArcGIS Explorer also offers improved KML/KMZ support.
• ArcGIS Explorer now provides direct e-mail capabilities, allowing users to easily share their maps, layers, and results with others.
• ArcGIS Explorer offers more ways to control user interface elements such as auto-zoom to results and automatic display of saved or e-mailed pop-up windows. Also, ArcGIS Explorer can now be embedded in a Web page.
• Additions to dashboarding capabilities include a new HTML-driven Quick Content task and a streamlined home server setup.
• ArcGIS Explorer provides increased display performance for all layer types. Navigation speed has also been improved.
• More options for map display—ArcGIS Explorer 480 adds support for graticules and reference grids (U.S. National Grid [USNG], Military Grid Reference System [MGRS]). It also offers the ability to set raster background transparency, new options for point symbols and symbol size, improved pop-up window capabilities, and easier access to feature attributes.
• ArcGIS Explorer Software Developer Kit (SDK) now supports Visual Studio 2008 and includes an updated object model to support new features and enhancements.
• Resource Center—New tasks, layers, and results are also available from the updated ArcGIS Explorer Resource Center. For example, you can download the Add Photo task directly from the Resource Center to add geotagged photos to ArcGIS Explorer.
• ArcGIS Explorer now runs on Windows Vista, Service Pack 1, on specific graphics card/driver configurations.

To download ArcGIS Explorer and get more info see www.esri.com/arcgisexplorer.

This release should help you find what you're looking for!

Funny ArcGIS terminology

Always cool to see interesting terms and buzzwords flying around... one interesting word recently spotted on Twitter was "ArcTarted"... hilarious... wonder what other "Arc" terminology is floating around out there??

ESRI Rolling Out Free What's New in ArcGIS 9.3 Webinar

Wondering what's new in ArcGIS desktop at 9.3... save this date then - June 19, 2008. This seminar will focus on the improvements and enhancements to the tools and functionality the users requested. These advanced features will streamline day-to-day tasks and simplify workflows. See more details here, or jump to www.esri.com/lts

Latitude Geographics releases Geocortext Essentials 1.3

Jason over at Latitude Geo in Victoria shares details of the recent release of Geocortext Essentials 1.3 last week. Some details... New functionality with this release include:
Authentication (setting permissions on layers and tools using different membership providers)
Data Linking (using OLEDB, ADO.NET, ODBC, Oracle Client and SQL Client Providers)
Print Templates (using a designer to build templates)
Reporting (using a designer to build reports)
Work Flow Engine (using Microsoft Workflow Foundation)

Recall Geocortex is the web-based GIS division of Latitude Geographics. For more info see:
http://blogs.geocortex.net/blogs/geocortex/default.aspx
http://www.geocortex.com/

Google Earth + ArcGIS - ArcGIS plugs-in support for the Geoweb

At Where2.0 this week many of the "GISers" were wondering why ESRI seemed to only have a 5 minute spot scheduled on the stage - of interest though was that Jack was there on Tuesday taking in the show. Sure enough, during John Hanke's presentation on the state of the GeoWeb Hanke welcomed Jack onto the stage. Prior to that Hanke had noted how prevalent the geographic web has become and that it was spreading rapidly. In addition, there's a wealth of rich content on the web including flickr photos, YouTube videos,news stories and much more, all geotagged and visible as geo-tagged information. Searching or conducting a "geosearch" is now commonplace within Gmaps and google earth. An so, Hanke went on to note how the company has opened up access to the Search API, meaning other sites incorporating google Maps will be able to find geographic features that are stored in google's database but until now were visible only through google's own map site.






Enter Dangermond... Jack noted how there's a wealth of geographic data locked up within GIS' around the globe. All that will change when ESRI rolls out ArcGIS (and ArcGIS Server) at 9.3 (in about 4 weeks) which I've heard boasts much focus on KML and at 9.3 provides plug-in support for the GeoWeb. Imagine modelling (using ArcGIS data) a fire, road closures, a flood, a smoke plume or ??? using data from the GeoDatabase via a Google Earth client.

Jack Dangermond, ESRI and John Hanke, Google on stage at Where2.0 (Photo Credit: Me!)

Inside the Geodatabase Blog

Hey ArcGIS blogger fans, Heads-up. Last month the ESRI geodatabase development team revealed a blog "Inside the Geodatabase". Visitors will findnews and tips about ESRI geodatabases directly from development team. The blog is moderated by Product Engineers Brent Pierce and Jonathan Murphy. See http://blogs.esri.com/Dev/blogs/geodatabase/default.aspx

ArcGIS Explorer 440 now available

Just checking out the newly released ArcGIS Explorer - enhancements in this build include improved performance and support for KML and ArcIMS, added more symbols, and provided sample tasks and results in the Resource Center. More additions:
Extended Cache Management
Popup Content
Improved Map Handling
Geocoding Improvements
Geocoding Limit Raised
Popups Using HTML
also... The ArcGIS Explorer SDK has been enhanced with more sample code
See http://resources.esri.com/arcgisexplorer/
Installation required a 34MB download although some errors may be encountered depending on your system configuration and OS... see below what I get on my machine (make sure you consult the system requirements section -- I'll see if I can load it on my notebook instead!):



OOPS!

ArcGIS SP4

Do you have the latest patch from ESRI? SP 4 is now available for users - see here. This was officially released on Nov 16, 2007

Terabytes of Ready-to-Use Data for ArcGIS Server - Data Appliance

This out of Redlands today... ArcGIS Data Appliance combines data and hardware that easily connects to an organization's existing IT infrastructure. Multiple divisions, departments, and client applications are now able to efficiently share a common information architecture and set of mapping and visualization services and combine those with a user's own data. Users can also add their own tasks and fuse them with content from ArcGIS Data Appliance to conduct visibility modeling, proximity search, or demographic analysis.




The data collections include

World Collection—Includes satellite imagery for the world down to 15-meter resolution and a seamless world street map with highway-level data plus shaded relief imagery, physical and topographic maps, and a political atlas map for the world.
USA Prime Imagery Collection—Comprises more than eight terabytes of data and includes a seamless mosaic of 1-meter resolution or better aerial imagery as well as detailed topographic maps down to 1:24,000 scale for the contiguous United States along with satellite imagery for the world at 500-meter and 15-meter resolutions for display at smaller scales. The high-resolution imagery is a color mosaic of commercial and government imagery sources including recent submeter commercial imagery for many metropolitan areas and the best available government imagery for other areas.
USA Imagery Collection—Includes an offering similar to the USA Prime Imagery Collection in a dataset that is more than six terabytes, with 1-meter resolution imagery from the best available government sources and detailed topographic maps but without the recent submeter commercial imagery for metropolitan areas.
USA Street Map Collection—Provides a seamless, multiscale street map for the United States and parts of Canada, including transportation data designed for viewing over detailed imagery, and a complete world street map with highway-level data and other reference data.
For more information about ArcGIS Data Appliance, visit www.esri.com/dataappliance.

Simple Web Mapping with the new HTML ImageMapper NG – AJAX

Imagine being able to do all your analysis and cartography in ArcView of ArcGIS and then get your map online in minutes with no programming and no hassles... even I can do it ;0) I've been a big fan of Alta Geomatics' solutions for years... ever since I tested the ImageMapper for ArcView! You only need ArcGIS and the HTML ImageMapper extension to publish maps online. Users do all the cartography in ArcGIS. You don't need to be a system or server administrator or a programmer to publish your maps online. No software needs to be installed on the server.
No plug-ins are needed on the client's browser.

The latest release offersa feature rich HTML Map Client. The following is just some of the funtionality that's provided:

Overview map (naviagable)
Zoom in and out
Advanced search function: search and compare values
Display attribute tables
Legend
Object lists grouped by layer
Print
Dashboard: collect and store results temporarly
Gamestyle navigation: Navigate with the overview map
Click and identify objects
Let the attributes be displayed dynamically within the map
Collect attribute data on the dashboard
Navigation by compass rose
Zoom to objects from a list
Export a legend from ArcGIS
Link to a database (programming required)
Search for objects over all attribute data
Scale bar, legend, customizable overview map, display coordinates
Print attribute data and search result lists
Include copyright and author information

Fast, simple web mapping at your fingertips! See http://www.alta4.com

Minneapolis Bridge Routing Application built with ESRI’s Web 2.0 Mapping solution

ESRI is boasting about a very cool webmapping application in use in Minneapolis. It helps commuters determine the best route to take to avoid problems and congestion that has resulted from the I-35 W bridge collapse over the Mississippi River. The city posts dynamic data immediately on the website so users are searching real-time information to help plan their route. From ESRI, Using the ArcWeb Services Flex API, an ESRI software architect quickly put together a two-tiered Web application that consists of a public-facing Web page and an administrative Web page. According to eSRI, Within three days of the disaster, the city had a complete two-tier application designed and deployed to help keep the city functioning! The app is simple to use.. simply click on a start and end point and wait for the resulting route to be generated... navigation instructions can then be printed. See
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/traffic/routeplannerintro.asp

Capital Regional District (CRD) Natural Areas Atlas powered by Geocortex scores award

Congrats to the Victoria CRD and to the crew at Latitude Geographics as the Capital Regional District (CRD) was presented with an Award of Excellence at ESRI Canada's Regional User Conference in Victoria today. The CRD provides GIS data and services to the public via a popular application called the CRD Natural Areas Atlas (www.naturalareasatlas.ca) I went and checked out the web application and its pretty darned awesome! Powered by Geocortex, the web service provides users with 2005 color ortho imagery (and some black and white images too) along with loads of natural resource data for the area including transportation layers, soils, vegetation and more. Users can measure, mark up (redline, draw lines, polygons etc...) print, save etc.. using the application. Given the lack of freely available data up north this simple to use web service is a very nice treat and the UI is totally cool too! With much fragmentation in government in Victoria (there's more than a dozen local governments) and then the CRD which is a non-elected level of government, you can imagine how tough the budget constraints are for the CRD so its quite cool to see such an innovative GIS application come out of there.

3D SpaceNavigator Mouse Now Supported By ArcGIS Desktop

3Dconnexion, developers of that very cool 3D mouse we've seen used for Google Earth has now migrated to the ESRI environment. The company has just today announced the device is now supported by ArcGIS. Recall, with the SpaceNavigator 3D mouse, users apply very slight movements to the device’s controller cap to seamlessly fly through 3D terrain... some people have difficulty using this at first, however, once you get used to it, navigating through 3D datasets is way cool! See www.3dconnexion.com or see the announcement here

ArcGIS Explorer updated with Build 410 - Includes Enhanced Resource Center

This comes from the ArcGIS Explorer downloads page - ArcGIS Explorer has detected that a newer version (Build 410) of software is now available. From the AGX blog, Among the new features in Build 410 is the revamped ArcGIS Explorer Resource Center. The Resource Center now includes a Contents tab that provides easy access to both maps and layers. See http://blogs.esri.com/Info/blogs/arcgisexplorerblog/Default.aspx
At the heart of this release is the Resource Center where users can locate free stuff, collaborate with others and more... http://resources.esri.com/arcgisexplorer/

Latest features include:

New Resource Center
A new ArcGIS Explorer Resource Center has been published, offering direct access to individual ArcGIS Online Layers as well as Maps. The Resource Center also includes a new Share tab. This tab provides access to an ArcGIS Explorer Community Showcase site which allows you to view and share screen captures, maps, layers, results, and tasks.

Get Driving Directions Task
When using the Get Driving Directions task, when you toggle the Regions setting between Europe and the United States, and Canada, the text boxes for From Here and To Here are cleared, making the entry of new locations easier.

Route Source Data Shown
Previous versions indicated that the route source information was available for North America; this has been renamed to United States and Canada to reflect the route source data more accurately.

Import File Now Supports 3D
When importing a text file or CSV file, you can now specify an elevation field in the Import File dialog.

Decimal Seconds Added
Support for decimal seconds in the status bar and the GoTo Location dialog has been added.

Easier Access to Manage Layers
You can access the Manage Layers dialog box by right-clicking any layer. Manage Layers gives you the ability to reorder or remove layers, or clear the layer cache.

Navigation Enhancements
Navigation with ArcGIS Explorer has been enhanced in the following ways.

and much more!

ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 SP3 details

In case you missed it, an announcement listing the availability of ArcGIS Desktop Service Pack 3 was made the other day - complete details of the release can be found in this lengthy post here - Note - SP3 available late July 07.