Best Practices for Designing Effective Map Services: Case Studies

1. July 26, 2012 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

2. Session Overview Our 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 • 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

3. Demo: our goals for re-use of content

4. Vocabulary It’s new… well some of it is… • 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

5. Demo: types of content

6. 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 Low Custom API-Base APPS Web Map with HTML template Re-Use Leverage/ Ability Web Maps Map Service Items High Desktop Authoring Complex Easy Effort/Expertise

7. Data Preparation Your organization’s reputation depends on what you do behind the scenes

8. Geodatabase Performance Tips Don’t come up empty • 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

9. Demo: Geodatabase Properties

10. Dealing with incomplete data From <null> to -99 and everything in between • Pop-ups should work for every feature • Null values and missing data break this experience • For example:

11. Spatial Performance Tips The web is an impatient culture Reusability starts with getting the details right in the database • 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

12. Practical and Necessary Your 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 • 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

13. Create the MXD Learn which of the properties of your MXD automatically become part of your Map Service Item • 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

14. Demo: Data Frame Properties

15. Document the Map and Layers The documentation in your MXD is re-used in several places • Map Properties • (fill them all out) • Create a thumbnail image • Use relative paths • Layer Properties: Descriptions and Credits

16. 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

17. Demo: Gallery of Homepages

18. Publish the Map Service (Cached vs. Feature Services) • Comparison (AdvantagesDisadvantages) • 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.

19. 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

20. Demo: Pop-ups possibilities and to do useful & popular options

21. Demo: putting all of this into practices

22. 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.

23. Thank you • Session Survey: • URL: Esri.com/ucsessionsurveys • Offering ID: 953 • Questions