Latest Contributions by JimHerries

Also of interest on this topic:  the Human Geography series of basemaps in Living Atlas all put the country borders on the "Details" layer, which you can turn off at will. ... View more

Good way to find them is the ArcGIS Living Atlas app. Here's a link to a search for the Dark Gray basemap (a webmap), its base layer and its reference layer. Plus some other things. ... View more

Annie, thanks for asking about this. Short answer:  I recorded this video a while back to demonstrate how to anchor a map around a meaningful value. Check it out at about the 8 minute mark to see an example of how to anchor a map in a specific value. Slightly longer answer: We have definitely noticed that many GIS users will make a thematic map and simply accept the software's default suggestions, for classification approach, classification breaks, and even colors. Yet, we noticed the thematic maps that are successful, popular, well-received tend to be the ones where the map's author considered what the audience actually knows about the subject.  When the colors or sizes on the map mean something, people tend to understand the map instantly. So how do we move beyond software defaults and inject meaning in the work? In that blog, I talk about "anchoring" the map in a meaningful value.  If you are using Natural Breaks as a classification method, apply color to specific classes, whose breaks each have meaning. The US median income is $46,533, so that needs to be one of the class breaks, somehow. The standard deviation method is a big help in that it tells you what breaks look like at 1 standard deviation from the dataset's average value... but the average of the data is most certainly not equal to $46,533, so use your judgement in how you apply the next breaks. Rounding up the break points is a nice way to make the map more friendly too. Class breaks are great when each break has meaning, but they are horrible at allowing the data to "breathe" so that your eye can detect the subtle variations in median income around the country or city. For many map subjects, a five class map is like reducing an image of the Mona Lisa to 5 colors. Some things get lost. An unclassed, continuous color ramp does an incredible job showing all the detail that classifications obscure.  Using a continuous color ramp, you apply color across a range of values with 2 or 3 values that have specific meaning.  In ArcGIS Online, it automatically sets one end of the color ramp you choose to the value found at 1 standard deviation above the mean of the data, and the other end of the color ramp to the value found at 1 standard deviation below the mean of the data. You can then adjust from there.   I always recommend choosing the "Above and Below" theme in ArcGIS Online to see immediate benefits from this approach.  Here's an example of classed vs unclassed on the same subject: Classed: 3 classes shown Unclassed: dark blue means significantly high % of seniors age 65+, yellow means significantly low ... View more

A quick workaround I've used on an iPad or browser: take a screenshot of the infographic and use that image. On iPad, hold down the Home button as you hit the Power button simultaneously. ... View more

Good links provided above. I always clear selections from my layer and tables in cases like this, and check for network paths to data to see if the network is part of the issue. To troubleshoot, do Save As on the MXD once it's open, and remove one layer or table, save as new file name, repeat until you can isolate which layer is problematic. ... View more

Tim, Thanks for writing.  I�??d love to see examples of maps that aren�??t working for your purposes.  Ideally, ones with and without additional labels.  You can email me jherries at esri.com with examples. The Canvas reference layer is deliberately sparse with the labels.  It has place name labels throughout, but we generally try to leave things out rather than fill in every blank spot on the map with a label. It�??s not a basemap where we try to fit in a label if there is room.  We leave lots of room for the thematic content, which can range from local scale to neighborhoods scale to city scale to regional scale to national scale. The idea is to be minimalist about it so that others can add their themes, and whatever additional labels they�??d prefer, to the map. Labels on imagery are similar, in that a balance needs to be achieved between enough labels to give a sense of things, but not so many labels you can't see the imagery.  Of course, there�??s always room and interest in improvement.  Can you also share the source and location of the additional data you'd like us to check out? Thanks for using Canvas. Jim Herries 909-793-2853 ext. 1-2489 ... View more

Hello, thanks for reporting these findings.  A new version of the European cache is completed and progressing toward its release.  I know that we did a bit of work in this region at the scales you are reporting concerns.  I'll share your map of issues with the team to verify whether they are already addressed. An option to be aware of:  the canvas map template is available for those who would like to build a better basemap for their country or local area, using the canvas map's various shades of grey, labeling approach, etc.  Thanks for taking the time to share these items. Jim ... View more

That service is running again.  You have my apologies for the inconvenience its outage resulted in on your end of things. I also wanted to notify you that this similar map is also available: http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c734818dff56412bafd2a4a4ca61431b ... View more