Latest Contributions by ESRI_DBServices

You didn't say if you were creating your map with the ArcGIS.com map viewer or if you are using ArcMap. For the map viewer, rather than choosing a basemap from the basemap gallery (if you don't want to use any of those), you can do a search for layers using the words "terrain", "elevation" or "hillshade". You should find a few choices, mostly ones that are best at smaller scales. You will have more options if you're using ArcMap. You can add the Terrain Basemap using the "Add Data" button and choosing "Add Basemap". There should be a Terrain basemap available in the basemap gallery that pops up. After adding it, if you need to, you can then go to the table of contents in the MXD and check only the Shaded Relief to display. If you want this to be only grayscale for any basemap, then follow the procedures at this blog. Alternatively, you might want to try out the new Beta World Elevation Services. I hope you can find what you need among these options. ... View more

Yes, I see what you're saying now. However, we've not experienced any noticable issues stemming from this. I've sent your comments to the team who creates our templates, though, so they can consider this issue when they update. Meanwhile perhaps you can adjust the settings in your template to better suit your expectations. (As long as the map caches successfully and the final result maintains the look of the Community Map.) ... View more

Our Community Maps templates don't use the data frame properties reference scale. We define the scale ranges in the group layer properties. Are you doing the same in your MXD? I haven't noticed anything like what you're describing with the building dropshadows. ... View more

Hi cbdolan, We're looking forward to seeing your Community Map! Regarding layers you wouldn't ordinarily see in a Community Map (such as your cattle and goat areas) we advise that they be used as operational layers rather than having them cached in the map. Operational layers are layers that you would add to your own mapping applications using your Community Map as your basemap. As for symbols, if the font with the symbol you wish to use in ArcMap is not residing on your machine, you will have to import it through your operating system, not ArcMap. Once it's installed on your computer, you can then use the Style Manager to reference it in your map. Here are some links to a few of our Help and blog pages that talk about using symbols and the Style Manager: http://blogs.esri.com/Support/blogs/mappingcenter/archive/2010/09/28/Symbols-and-Styles-in-ArcGIS-10.0.aspx http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00s600000004000000.htm http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/Managing_style_contents/00s600000008000000/ I hope this helps. ... View more

This forum is focused on Esri's Community Maps Program, so you may have better luck if you post your question in the data forum, here: http://forums.arcgis.com/forums/68-Esri-Map-Data ... View more

Hello Luke. The focus of this particular forum is Esri's Community Maps Program, so you may have better luck posting this question in the transportation forum. http://forums.arcgis.com/forums/63-Transportation I hope you find the information you need. ... View more

Depending on the scales you wish to publish, you would use the International Community Basemap Template for Medium and/or Large scales for your topographic map. You may download these templates from the Resource Center but refer to the list of required layers at the link I provided, please, if you've already downloaded or will download today. We're working on updating the layer list in the templates but the changes have not all been posted yet. The required layers list has been changed several times for various reasons. For example, building data was previously on the required data list but we found that building data is not always available for many participants. The lack of other layers in a Community Map, such as Landmarks, can sometimes result in a loss of information if your map is replacing an area of the World Topographic Map that already contains such data. However, if a participant doesn't have data for any of the required layers, we ask that they please check with us. We can provide commercial data for many of these layers, such as Landmarks, Boundaries, etc. This data can be added to your Community Map as long as it is used only for this purpose. Other data for layers such as Hillshade and Vegetation can be obtained from the USGS and we can point you to links for this data if needed. ... View more

Hello Khadija, No, you do not need to have your road data or imagery in the Community Maps template to contribute it. Please fill out the form at this link and submit it. Someone will be in contact with you to advise you on how to proceed. http://www.esri.com/apps/products/agol/contentsharing2010/index.cfm Thanks for your interest in the program! ... View more

Hello Kristina, As you discovered, the overpass/underpass tool was removed from the template. A few glitches were found with the tool and are described in this blog: http://blogs.esri.com/dev/blogs/communitybasemap/archive/2010/12/23/how-to-edit-overpass_2f00_underpass-on-roads-with-z-level-values.aspx Since then, based on user feedback and our own experience inhouse, we found that it really wasn't as useful as we had hoped and that it's just as easy to manually edit the over/underpasses. The road network assist tool will still be of use if your duel carriageways collapse to a point at intersections. ... View more

I think you might have better luck if you were to contact each individual park rather than the National Park Service. For example, here is some contact info for Glacier National Park. http://www.nps.gov/glac/contacts.htm You might find that you can obtain better or more data from one or the other of the various parks. They don't all have the same types of data. After you explore and determine what sort of data you can obtain, you might want to consider changing the focus of your project to just those areas for which you can obtain suitable data. It might help to contact a few more parks to increase your chances of finding the type of data you'd like to use. ... View more

Hi Paul, This forum is specifically aimed at helping users who are involved in the Community Maps Program.  However, you may be able to acquire the kind of data you need from the parks themselves. Sometimes this kind of data is online and available for download at various websites. Here are a few links: http://nrinfo.nps.gov/Geospatial.mvc/Welcome http://www.nps.gov/gis/ If you don't see anything useful to download at these sites, you could contact the parks directly using contact info you find at these links or at the park's websites. I'm told that most of the parks have this kind of data. Tell them what you're looking for and they will probably be happy to help you. Also, you can find various fire and natural disaster layers at ArcGIS.com. http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1   Click Add>Add Layers and then do a search using relevant key words. Good luck on your project! ... View more

Hello RMassatti, This forum is for Community Maps Program users to obtain information on the Community Maps Program workflow and templates. Our apologies for any confusion. You can find answers for more general mapping questions like yours at the 'Ask A Cartographer' page of the Mapping Center, here:  http://mappingcenter.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=ask.gateway  I'm sure they will be happy to help you with this issue if you will post your question there. Thank you. ... View more

That�??s a very good question and I�??m sure others have questioned it as well. Within the Community Maps datamodel, building footprints can be classified as general, airport, commercial, community center, cultural, education, government, industrial, recreation, religious, transportation, medical and hotel. In designing the model, the number of classifications were kept to a minimum in order to better facilitate the wide range of data attribution of contributor�??s data. The current classifications were identified to be used most often. Because the Community Maps are used as basemaps, the number of different color variation and symbols were also considered and kept to a small number. The agriculture, mobile home and residential (other) should be classified as �??general�??. If you find you need these symbolized differently, the Community Maps team can certainly assist with a recommended symbol designation. You can contact us communitymaps@esri.com. Thank you, The Community Maps Team Esri Database Services ... View more