Synchronizing two maps in operational dashboards

Question

Hello,

Is there a way to synchronize two or more maps in operational dashboards? I know they can synchronize extent, but I wasn't able to synchronize selection.

I made two identical maps except for a tiled layer used to render the map. So, both maps share the same polygon feature layer. Elements in the dashboard are filled with data from tables that are filtered base on the selection in the polygon layer. It works fine when there is only one map in the dashboard, but not when I tried to do the same in a second map.

The idea is that selecting in any of the maps in the dashboard the filter on the indicator is updated with the new selection. If layer actions are set to filter the indicator in both maps, when a selection is made in map2, the indicator is updated, but then selecting in map1, the indicator only updates in the intersection of both selections. With this configuration map1 cannot update the indicator if there is no selection in map2.

I would like two things:

* the selection in any map updates the selection on the other map, so same selection appear in both maps.
* Selections in any map updates the indicator.

Is it possible both things?

Thank you

KathrynCliftonGIS · Answer

Hi Alfonso.

I was interested in this as well, as I had three maps that I wanted to synchronize.  I accomplished this by selecting Configure > Map Actions > Set Extent, and then turning it on for the other two maps.

I made this change to each map so that if someone started on Map 1 and then clicked to Map 2 and changed the extent there, then when they clicked on either Map 1 or Map 3, the extent would be updated.

I hope that you find this helpful!!!

AlfonsoYanezMorillo · Answer

Hi Jansen,

Thank you for the idea. I tried but it didn't work. This is the first time I use Dashboards and the problem I found is that it doesn't replicate the same functionality of other apps. The map is immutable in dashboards, you cannot change the initial configuration, so every time the app is uploaded it starts with the same configuration and it is one of the reasons I had two maps.

As far as I know, two different objects are created for the same feature class in the app, one in each map. To solve the problem, they must link both layers, so when one change the other has to change. It shouldn't be a big deal because they implemented the same synchronizing the extent. The only thing they have to care is to be sure that both layers are referencing to the same Feature Layer to make available the synchronization.

I left the suggestion in the idea's post already. Let's see where it goes.

GIS_Fox · Answer

Hi @AlfonsoYanezMorillo ,

I am not aware of filters or selections that would go between two maps, but I might recommend showing the material between the two maps on one map to make use of the different filters and selections. Naturally if this doesn't work there is the possibility of using the map selection tools to go about it by bringing the maps in onto themselves. eg. have your base items, data, and map, but ghosting the secondary map items and data onto the same map with invisible symbology and hiding in legend. This way you would still have two maps but your data, selections, filters, and perhaps even dashboard indicators would still function and provide meaningful data and results. I have done this before, and it does get data intensive and is hard to load all the time, but it is a solution to perhaps look into. If all else fails, I would highly suggest bringing this post into the dashboard ideas section of the community. This is a very complex but rather interesting idea and I can think of several uses for it. Quite creative!

Either way, great technical question and I am eager to see where it goes. God bless! 🙂