Latest Contributions by JenniferWrightsell-Hughes

As a map author, you may have noticed that web maps you create in ArcGIS Online Map Viewer are displayed by default in the Web Mercator map projection. This is because all basemaps in the default basemap gallery in ArcGIS Online are in Web Mercator. But what if you want to use a map projection other than Web Mercator for your map? Why change the projection? All map projections distort the earth in some way, and your map may require a different projection, depending on its focus. For example, the Web Mercator projection greatly distorts area, which is particularly problematic when displaying Canada’s northern regions. This is apparent when you compare the following maps: While both maps are displayed at similar scales, each one uses a different map projection: Web Mercator (shown on the left) and Lambert Conformal Conic (shown on the right). You can see that Lambert Conformal Conic is a more appropriate projection for a map of Canada because area is not distorted the way it is with Web Mercator. How to change the projection In Map Viewer, the projection of the basemap defines the projection of the map. Therefore, the way you change the projection of the map is by adding a layer in the desired projection as a basemap layer. The key to this workflow is a simple, yet powerful option called Use as basemap, which tells Map Viewer to use the map projection of the current layer to display the map. To learn how to change the projection, watch the following short video or follow the steps outlined below. 1. Start a new map in Map Viewer. 2. On the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Add.               3. Do one of the following to find a layer in the desired projection to add to the map: Click Browse layers and search for the layer you want. Click Add layer from URL and enter the URL of a layer from the web, such as an ArcGIS Server web service. 4. Do one of the following to add the layer as a basemap: If you browsed to the layer, click its name and click Use as basemap. If you entered a URL, turn on the Use as basemap toggle button and click Use as basemap.               The layer is added as a new basemap for the map and the map is now displayed in the projection of the new basemap. As you continue to build your map, any layers you add will automatically be displayed in the same projection as the basemap. This means that any layers in projections other than that of the new basemap will be reprojected on the fly in Map Viewer. If you’re concerned about browser load or speed, you might want to ensure that additional layers are in the same projection before you add them. Learn more To learn more about map projections and how to work with them, see the following resources: Documentation Tutorial Blog article ... View more

ArcGIS Online makes it easy to create and share relevant, authoritative, and compelling geospatial content—maps, layers, scenes, apps, and so on—with others inside and outside your organization. It’s important to ensure that the content you share is easy to find, can be accessed by the desired audience, and is authoritative and reliable. The ArcGIS Online help topic of the month for December 2023, Best practices for sharing, provides tips and guidance for effectively sharing content with members of your organization or the public. This includes optimizing discoverability of your shared content, providing the right level of access to the content, and ensuring shared items remain accessible and reliable for those who need them. To learn more about ArcGIS Online, visit the ArcGIS Online Resources page. ... View more

Every ArcGIS Online subscription includes a pool of credits that can be shared by members of the organization to help with specific workflows. Credits are the currency of ArcGIS Online, required for services such as performing analytics, storing features in the cloud, and using premium content. While most ArcGIS Online workflows do not require credits, and many credit-consuming activities have a relatively low cost, it’s important for organization administrators to understand how credits work and how to allocate and manage them. The ArcGIS Online help topic of the month for November 2023, Understand credits, provides answers to common questions about credits in ArcGIS Online.  For example: What capabilities require credits? How many credits are required for common workflows? How do I manage and monitor member credit usage in my organization? How do I know when my subscription has run out of credits? How can I purchase more credits? To learn more about ArcGIS Online, visit the ArcGIS Online Resources page. ... View more

In ArcGIS Online, you can add and calculate new attribute field values based on existing attribute values in a hosted feature layer you own or administer. Calculating fields allows you to create values—such as percentage increase or loss, the difference between two dates, and altered or replaced text—which you can then use for visualization, charting, and analysis purposes. For example, if you’re mapping the population of a country, you can add a field to store the fraction of the population that is under 18 years of age and populate this field with a calculation that divides the total number of residents under 18 (from one attribute field) by the total population (from another attribute field). You can then use the calculated values in the new field when symbolizing your map, generating charts, configuring pop-ups, and so on.   The ArcGIS Online help topic of the month for October 2023, Calculate field values, explains how to use ArcGIS Arcade and SQL to calculate field values in ArcGIS Online. The topic also provides example syntax for performing common calculations. To learn more about ArcGIS Online, visit the ArcGIS Online Resources page.   ... View more

As an administrator of an ArcGIS Online organization, you are responsible for configuring and maintaining the organization as it changes and grows. It's important to regularly monitor and maintain your organization's members, items, credits, and groups to keep the organization uncluttered and optimally useful for its members. The ArcGIS Online help topic of the month for September 2023, Best practices for organization maintenance,  presents some of the main strategies for organization maintenance. For example, you can monitor and report credit and item usage and member activities using administrative reports, transfer items to a new owner, and delete members who have left the organization. To learn more about ArcGIS Online, visit the ArcGIS Online Resources page. ... View more

Did you know that you can learn all about ArcGIS Online by watching videos? Whether you’re a new user, need a refresher, or want to expand your skills and knowledge, we’ve got you covered. ArcGIS Online: Mapping Basics The ArcGIS Online channel on Esri Video offers a curated collection of compelling and informative videos organized into playlists. From what’s new videos to videos that help you get started with ArcGIS Online, you will find the right videos to meet your needs. Explore the following playlists to deepen your knowledge of ArcGIS Online: What’s New—Find out about new functionality and enhancements in the latest ArcGIS Online updates. Getting Started—Learn the basics of ArcGIS Online to help you be successful. Map Viewer—Get acquainted with basic mapping concepts and effects to make your maps pop. Analysis—Get started with spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS Online to find patterns and solve problems. Administration—Find tips, tricks, and other information about administering your ArcGIS Online organization. Credits—Learn about credits, the currency of ArcGIS. Webinars—Dive into a webinar for a more immersive learning experience. If videos aren’t your thing or you prefer your content in a different format, other types of ArcGIS Online resources—help documentation, blog articles, guides, and tutorials—are available. We recommend that you start with the following: Get started as an organization member Get started as an administrator ArcGIS Online tutorial series ArcGIS Blog ... View more

Layers with large numbers of features are often difficult to visualize well. These high-density layers typically have features that are close together or overlapping, which makes it difficult or impossible to distinguish between them or see spatial patterns. The ArcGIS Online help topic of the month for August 2023 presents a variety of methods for working with high-density data. Best practices for visualizing high-density data discusses strategies, such as clustering and visible scale range, for extracting meaning from feature distribution in high-density datasets at multiple scales in ArcGIS Online Map Viewer. For example, the following map uses the Bloom effect to show nearly 50 years of earthquake activity. Areas that have had more earthquakes are brighter than those with less earthquake activity. To learn more about ArcGIS Online, visit the ArcGIS Online Resources page. ... View more