topic Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface) in ArcGIS Experience Builder Questions

Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

ky_rs — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 18:14:21 GMT

I am attempting to recreate some of the functionality of the World Imagery Wayback app with out of the box Experience Builder, specifically the Left and Right selection lists. I have gotten quite close, but have run into one issue.

My approach has been to create two separate but identical (in content) web maps, each with every imagery layer that I'd like to use. In the Map widget I add these two maps, then add a Swipe widget in "Swipe between web maps or web scenes" mode. Finally, on each side of the Map I have a fixed panel with a Map Layers widget in "Interact with a Map widget" mode. For the Left one, I disable all layers that are within the "right" copy of the map, and for the Right one, disable all layers within the "left" map, so that each is only controlling the layers for that side of the swipe.

At this point, I have something that looks and mostly functions how I want, except for one detail: the Map Layers widgets only show the layers for the map on the side that has last been clicked in/focused, and the other one displays the "There are currently no items to display" message, so a user would need to click into each map to make their layer selections, and would be unable to see what layers are being compared on both sides. I guess this is because the Map widget is only returning the visibility status of the layers currently visible in the focused side of the swipe, or something along those lines, see below:

I am wondering if there is another strategy to make this work with the default widgets before I look into making a custom version of one or more of them. I am also aware that the functionality can be achieved with the Swipe tool in an Instant App, but I find the Left/Right Selection panes a bit more intuitive than the Instant App swipe tool's selection box which is why I'm pursuing this way instead.

Re: Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

TianWen — Wed, 21 May 2025 09:43:56 GMT

Not exactly the same, but a similar functionality can be achieved. You can configure a single web map in the Map widget and use the “Swipe between layers of one map” mode in the Swipe widget. When setting it up, select all layers for both the leading and trailing sides. At runtime, you can then adjust the settings in the Swipe pane to choose the two layers you’d like to compare.

Hope this helps!

Re: Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

Markbe_utco — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 23:39:31 GMT

Unfortunately, when using the swipe tool as you mentioned the list of activated layers and visibility get rather confusing especially for a person unfamiliar with how it works. I have approximately 28 layer that could be potentially compared against each other. So essentially a single list of 56 layers divided between Leading an Following. By default all the layers are turned off.

For example if I want to compare Layer 5 (Leading) with Layer 10 (Following)

To compare the two layers I must turn Layer 5 visible from within the Leading list which also makes the layer visible in the Following list. I must then scroll down to the Following list and deactivate Layer 5 it to prevent it from appearing in the Following map frame. Now to turn on Layer 10 I scroll down, turn on the visibility for layer 10 which also make Layer 10 appear in the Leading map frame. I must then scroll back up to the Leading list and deactivate Layer 10 to prevent it from appearing in the Leading map frame.

And that is just for starters. If I want to compare two other different layers I'd need to reset all the Activations and Visibility settings, just so I don't loose track of what's activated and what's visible, because you cannot Activate/Deactivate a layer if its not already visible. Then start the whole process over again.

This is not user friendly nor novice intuitive.

Re: Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

AyeletGreenberg — Sat, 06 Dec 2025 01:00:52 GMT

I am running into the same usability issues described by @Markbe_utco when using a single map.
With many layers, managing visibility becomes confusing and time consuming, especially for end users. The need to toggle layers on and off in both lists just to compare two layers is not intuitive and really reduces the usability of the tool.
It is a shame, because it is a cool tool.
It would be great to see this workflow simplified in the future.

Re: Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

AlixCL — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:22:09 GMT

Hi @ky_rs,

Have you found a solution? I'm also trying to set up a swipping system between two identical maps. The Swipe Widget is not user friendly like explaining by @Markbe_utco.

I'm trying to build the same Left and Right selection interface with Experience Builder but I am facing the same problem as you (the display or not of layers when we click on the map).

Thanks!

Re: Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

Markbe_utco — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:58:29 GMT

Sorry AlixCL, no I haven't found a solution within experience builder. I had to use the Instant Apps called Imagery Viewer. I used it as a stand alone page, which actually worked for what I was trying to do. You could also embed the resulting URL into an Experience Builder project, but I'm not sure how you could integrate it into the project outside the embedded frame.

Here was my end result:
https://utahcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/imageryviewer/index.html?appid=02e06a679b1b449ab62c539fd5a69b64

Re: Swipe with multiple Maps and Map Layers (copying Wayback interface)

AlixCL — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:34:21 GMT

Hi @Markbe_utco, sorry for the late reply.

Thank you for your solution, which helped me a lot. As a result, I also created an Instant App in which I configured the Swipe tool (which works correctly there).

Then, in Experience Builder, I created a blank page and added the Embed widget. In the widget settings, I inserted the URL of my Instant App. And that’s it — I can now swipe between my different maps through an application that combines Experience Builder & Instant App.

Of course, it is entirely possible to further enhance the application by creating multiple pages, integrating Web Maps, and adding additional widgets.

In any case, this workaround works for me while waiting for ESRI to fix their Swipe widget.

AlixCL