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Add a Layer Selector Element to ArcGIS Dashboards

AmrMortada

It would be great to add a Layer Selector element to ArcGIS Dashboards, similar to the existing Category Selector, Date Selector, and Number Selector.

When configuring the Layer Selector, the dashboard author could choose which map layers to include. At runtime, users could simply select a layer from a list or drop-down.

For example:

Selecting Layer 1 would make Layer 1 visible and automatically hide the other configured layers.
Selecting Layer 2 would make Layer 2 visible and hide the remaining configured layers.
The same behavior would apply to any additional configured layers.

This would provide a simple and intuitive way for users to switch between different thematic layers without opening the map's layer list. It would also help keep maps clean by displaying only the layer relevant to the current selection.

A Layer Selector would be especially useful for dashboards that contain multiple operational, asset, utility, or environmental layers, allowing authors to create a more streamlined and user-friendly experience while following the same design pattern as the existing dashboard selector elements.

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Status: Open

Comments

AmrMortada

Hi @D_Atkins, Thanks for the suggestion. I agree that merging layers and using a Category Selector can work when the layers have the same schema.

In my use case, the data volume is quite large because these are historical KPI aggregations using H3 indexes at multiple resolutions. For each KPI, the data is available at seven H3 resolutions: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, from broader areas down to district-level detail.

This creates two possible approaches, and both could result in very large datasets:

Merge all KPIs into one layer for each H3 resolution, or
Merge all seven H3 resolutions into one layer for each KPI.

With potentially millions of historical records, I would be concerned about the performance and maintenance implications of combining these datasets simply to make a Category Selector work.

The Layer Selector would allow the datasets to remain separate while giving users a simple way to switch between them. It would also work well when the layers come from different sources or represent different datasets that shouldn't necessarily be combined.

D_Atkins

@AmrMortada, I agree that a Layer Selector makes sense in some use cases (i.e., there is a native Layer Selector in the FeatureTable widget), but I'm curious about the data structure here:

If you have several layers that are all interoperable with the same dashboard layout, charts, and indicators, then these layers must have a very similar schema? And if they have a similar schema, they could readily be merged into a single layer, which could then be filtered by a categorical attribute (using dashboard elements that already exist)?

AmrMortada

Thanks for the feedback! I agree that managing layer visibility could become more complex with many layers.

Tabs are a good option when each layer needs a different dashboard view. However, if I have several layers that use the same dashboard layout, charts, and indicators, creating and configuring a separate tab for each layer would introduce a lot of redundancy and maintenance.

The idea behind the Layer Selector is to keep one dashboard and simply let the user switch the active map layer, with the selector automatically turning the selected layer on and the others off. This would be particularly useful when working with many layers that share the same dashboard context.

JonathanMcD

Sounds an ok idea, but imagine the configuration behind getting the elements right, visibility etc etc etc. Tabs are always an option for different versions of the same map and indicators etc.