Time-aware Cached (Tiled) Maps

Question

My organization has a huge raster that we need to display to show change with time, but right now--even from our LAN--it's rendering pretty slowly without a preload. To help with the speed, we are trying caching, but once we change from a dynamic to a tiled map service, all the time-related images are gone.

I was wondering if anyone can share some code with using time-aware tiled maps.

Thanks

StephenLead · Answer

This kind of makes sense, since the cache is just a bunch of images which are pre-compiled for fast drawing. I imagine that cached layers weren't designed with time-awareness in mind.I was wondering if anyone can share some code with using time-aware tiled maps.

Not code, but an approach you could try - build a separate cache for each "node" on the time-line, and build a slider control which shows the relevant cache layer as the slider is moved along the timeline.

DavidHollema · Answer

The simple answer is no, it's not possible. Based on ESRI tech support response,

"While you can cache a time-aware service, the time-aware functionality will be lost and the data will just display at one time interval. So essentially, it doesn't work....I've logged a documentation bug for this, since it is not explicitly stated anywhere..There is also an existing bug...It's an enhancement request to add a warning that tells you when you switch to a cached map service that you will lose time-aware functionality."

DavidHollema · Answer

Is a time-aware cached (tiled) service even possible?  I'm curious about this too as we have a need for it.  I can find zero in ESRI help docs on this topic.  My assumption then is no, it's not possible.My organization has a huge raster that we need to display to show change with time, but right now--even from our LAN--it's rendering pretty slowly without a preload. To help with the speed, we are trying caching, but once we change from a dynamic to a tiled map service, all the time-related images are gone.

I was wondering if anyone can share some code with using time-aware tiled maps.

Thanks