Basemap gallery widget: dynamically populate content from arbitrary group

GIS_Weasel — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 14:16:23 GMT

Background

In my organisation we have a lot of base maps. So many so, that our default basemap gallery is huge.

Most of our users are anonymous. We create content for users who are not logged in, and want to view a map with specific content for their particular subject area.

We need some way of seprating base maps into groups for a given subject area or application type. For instance, some applications will need our 'High quality' print basemaps, serviced by ArcGIS Image Server; some applications will need all of the historical base maps, including several which are unable to be shared with the public; some applications need aerial photography, some applications need basemaps in our 1:2 ratio tiling scheme for 3D applications... and so on.

Current situation

The options available in the Basemap Gallery widget right now are the following:

Synchronise with the organisation's default gallery, or
Choose a subset of any basemaps, and that configuration is persisted as it was at the time of the app's creation

Option 1 is useful. We can update the basemap gallery in our Portal and know that every web app built and configured up to now will have the latest basemaps.

Option 2 is not. We could create our custom basemap gallery from the 'Corporate basemaps' + 'Print basemaps' groups, and it would work. However, as soon as something is added, removed, reconfigured or otherwise within any of the contained base maps - the app is in a degraded state. The configuration for the basemap gallery is out of date, and we have to go back into the WAB to rebuild it - and to be clear, this doesn't often happen.

The request

Please modify the Web App Builder "Basemap Gallery" widget in ArcGIS Online and Portal with the option to choose a group (or collection of groups), and have it dynamically reference any maps within that group.

To be clear, this is the existing behaviour for the current 'Organisation default', I simply want to be able to choose an arbitrary group, and know that when I add, remove or modify content within that group, the gallery widget in my web applications will also be updated.

Re: Basemap gallery widget: dynamically populate content from arbitrary group

Anonymous User — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:18:02 GMT

Agree with the comments above, that the current set up is restrictive as explained above and does not provide the best user experience. Using Groups to dynamically reference the maps set up in a particular Group would be a really useful feature enhancement and would enable us to "dynamically" tailor each Group with a set of basemaps required for particular apps.

idea Basemap gallery widget: dynamically populate content from arbitrary group in ArcGIS Web AppBuilder Ideas

Basemap gallery widget: dynamically populate content from arbitrary group

Re: Basemap gallery widget: dynamically populate content from arbitrary group