topic Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers? in ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Questions

Identify Widget - only visible layers?

EricGardecki — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:29:21 GMT

I'm trying to make use of the Identify Widget for Flex Viewer 2.5 and appear to be having an issue. I have the <identifylayeroption> set to "top" and have <layers onlythese="true"> and list out each layer I want to be able to identify. However, some of the layers do and some do not get identified. After some troubleshooting it seems that the widget only identifies layers that were set to visible when the map loads. If I turn on a layer that is configured to be identified, it does not work. Only the layers that were turned on at map load can be identified, regardless of whether or not they are turned on at the time they are clicked.

I've gone over the list of layers in the config file 4 times and see no error and the widget works great other than this issue.

There must be a setting to fix this but I'm not finding it. Anyone know what it is?

thanks!

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:03:40 GMT

Eric,

Change from "top" to "visible" as you have noticed the top option only knows what is set to visible at the server and not what has changed at the client.

Don't forget to click the Mark as answer check on this post and to click the top arrow (promote) as shown below:

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

EricGardecki — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:19:32 GMT

i'll have to reevaluate using "visible". I originally set it to "top" as I didn't like that it came back with a big jumble of results but maybe I can adjust it.

Thanks.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

EricGardecki — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:51:13 GMT

I've experimented a bit with the "visible" setting again. The problem is that it doesn't take group layers or scale-dependent layers into account. So using that setting I get identify results for several layers that aren't even truly visible when I really only want results for the one feature I clicked on.

I can't imagine making a mapping app without both group layers and scale-dependency so I can't be the only one using them. Am I missing something? How do I get this to work?

Doing without group layers may be quite ugly and cluttered, but it is possible. However, doing without scale-dependency isn't.

thanks

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

KenHolmquist — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:08:03 GMT

Robert,

As always, thank you for your work.

I am also having the problem described above in that I am using <identifylayeroption>visible</identifylayeroption> but the Identify will return information for features that are not displayed because I am at a scale at which they are not displayed. Is there a way to set the Identify configuration parameters so that the widget will only display results for layers that are actually visible? I have my transmission line structure points set to not display until the user zooms in 1:72,224 scale. I do not want the Identify to show me attributes for these points when they are not displayed.

Is there a way to configure the Identify widget to do this?

Thanks,
Ken

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

AngieAllison — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:29:30 GMT

Robert is there a way to have the results with a minimal amount of data and the pop up with all the data??

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:32:46 GMT

Eric, (& Ken)

You are going to have to be more clear on what you mean when you say it does not work with group layers. Scale dependency is another issue as technically to the identify task the layers that are not visible due to scale range ARE actually visible (Checked) but not displayed. I will see if there is anything I can do to address this but as I am not an esri employee who's only job is to work on the API and widgets I will have to see when my schedule allows. As far as the Flex team is concerned identify is obsolete and out dated and you should be using popups for only those layers that you absolutely HAVE TO.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:37:00 GMT

Robert is there a way to have the results with a minimal amount of data and the pop up with all the data??

Marie,

Forum ettiquite says you should not hijack someone elses thread with new questions, always start your own thread. But to answser your question, currently no. There is no way for the results of the widget and the popup to be configured differently.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

EricGardecki — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:58:57 GMT

Group layers as in, for example, I have several layers that make up our complete storm sewer system. I have each of those layers in a group, turned on, but the group itself (the group has a layer number in REST) is turned off. It's just an easy way to turn on or off multiple related layers. So it sounds the same as the issue you described with scale-dependency.

I can see the use of popups. Ideally I would like to use a mixture of popups and identify. I just don't see popups being the only way to go. I have many layers, and some of them just have way too many fields to show in a popup....or things would just be cleaner to have a popup with key info and identify for more in-depth details. I can just see it being such a mess to have something pop up no matter where you happen to be pausing your mouse.

I still find it strange that an identify tool (one that simply functions just like they do in ArcMap - how is that too much to ask from esri?) isn't built into the viewer. To me it's the single most important thing in mapping outside of the ability to zoom.

I'm scared to even ask this but should I be using a different viewer other than Flex? Is one of the others more identify friendly?

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:18:30 GMT

Eric,

Seems like I will be able to fix the scale related results issue but the group layers thing is an overall issue with the Flex Viewer that is suppose to get fixed in the 3.0 final release. After they fix it in viewer then I can get it working in my identify widget.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

EricGardecki — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:51:22 GMT

Thanks!

I know that the 3.0 prerelease is available but is there any timeframe on when the final will be out? I need to decide whether I should wait for 3.0 to come out or find workarounds now and redo everything when it's released.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:03:22 GMT

Eric,

There is much of 3.0 final that is developed for ArcGIS Server 10.1 so I would guess User Conference time frame (late July). I will have a new version of the Identify widget out hopefully this week that will resolve the scale dependent issue though.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:30:48 GMT

Eric and Ken,

The next version is now released.

* 2.5.4 - Scale dependency and group layers are now honored when using the Identify option of visible.
    - Links can now have a tool tip specified.
    - Layer definitions are now honored when set on a layer in Flex Viewer.
    - When you identify multiple results and hover over a result record in the widgets results
       the graphic is highlighted on the screen if you are returning geometry.
    - bug fixed for info popups not closing when you clear the identify results.
    - If you choose not to return geometry than the geometry drawn when identifying features
      is used when hovering over a record in the widgets results list.

Don't forget to click the top arrow (promote) as shown below:

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

EricGardecki — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:45:09 GMT

Awesome! Greatly appreciated. I'll check it out asap.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

KenHolmquist — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:37:51 GMT

Robert, I have implemented the Identify version 2.5.4, 2.5.5, and tested 2.5.6 and 2.5.7 and still get some undesired results. If I have map layers that are in group layers in my mxd I still get identify data back for features that are not displayed due to scale dependent display if they are in map services that are turned on by default. It is very interesting that if I turn that map service off and immediately back on again, then the identify returns only the appropriate information.

I used Firebug to look at the commands being sent to the map service. In both of the examples below I have converted the %2Cs to commas to make it easier to read. The one sent before turning the map service off looks like this;
http://chadags1:8399/arcgis/rest/services/TVA_NGS_Control/MapServer/identify?f=json&sr=102100&geometry=%7B%22xmin%22%3A%2D9472819%2E969740385,%22ymin%22%3A4195554%2E379310012,%22xmax%22%3A%2D9472471%2E465705385,%22ymax%22%3A4195869%2E919975012%7D&mapExtent=%2D9476297%2E844140384,4193996%2E9795100116,%2D9469031%2E570840385,4197737%2E605410012&imageDisplay=1521,783,96&tolerance=5&geometryType=esriGeometryEnvelope&returnGeometry=true&layers=all%3A1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,20,21,22,24,25,26
(layers 0,7,15,19,23 are group header layers) In this case layers 1,2,3 should not be included because they are not on while 24 and 25 are layers that are not visible due to scale dependency so I would assume they should not be included in the layer list.

The one sent after turning the map service off and immediately back on looks like this;
http://chadags1:8399/arcgis/rest/services/TVA_NGS_Control/MapServer/identify?f=json&sr=102100&geometry=%7B%22xmin%22%3A%2D9472810%2E415140385,%22ymin%22%3A4195563%2E933910012,%22xmax%22%3A%2D9472452%2E356505385,%22ymax%22%3A4195884%2E251875012%7D&mapExtent=%2D9476297%2E844140384,4193996%2E9795100116,%2D9469031%2E570840385,4197737%2E605410012&imageDisplay=1521,783,96&tolerance=5&geometryType=esriGeometryEnvelope&returnGeometry=true&layers=all%3A4,5,6,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,20,21,22,26
Note that layers 1,2,3,24 and 25 are not included in the list and this request returns the appropriate data.

Have I done something wrong in utilizing or configuring this widget? THANKS.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Thu, 10 May 2012 01:27:21 GMT

Ken,

Without your data being publically accessable I can not test against it directly. I have tried to duplicate peoles enviroments that had issue and I have been able to see the proper results in all my tests. I have tested group layers extensively and am not sure why you are having issues with them. How many layers are in your Map Service? Is the first layer in the map service a group layer? What other info can you give me so that I can look into what you are seeing? Right now with the generic info I have and a non public service, I can not help much.

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

JamesVogl — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:59:04 GMT

Robert, I have implemented Identify version 2.5.8 and am getting a similar error that Ken has experienced regarding group layers. The widget returns information for visible sub layers even when the parent group layer is set to visible=false. The default visibility for this service is set to true in config.xml. However, after I toggle the service off/on using the MapSwitcher, the Identify works as intended. The service I am using is;
http://gisweb10.highpointnc.gov/ArcGIS/rest/services/Environment/MapServer

Re: Identify Widget - only visible layers?

RobertScheitlin__GISP — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:43:53 GMT

James and Ken,

I just realized that both of you are talking about a 2.x version of my widget... Well that issue was fixed in 3.x and as I have 20 some widgets to maintain as well as all the support I provide on these forums, I cannot continue to update older versions of my widgets. This is not an issue in the 3.x version so my best advice is to upgrade to 3.x. You really need to consider the move, as 3.1 will be out later this month.