ArcGIS StoryMaps Blog

ArcGIS StoryMaps now supports closed captions for videos! This new capability helps members of your audience with low or impaired hearing and improves the accessibility of your content.

You'll definitely want to try out these new enhancements.

Demonstrate the power of location-specific connections with slides that put your dynamic maps and data front and center and can even be shared offline. Briefings, a new slide-based presentation output of ArcGIS StoryMaps, has been updated and released in ArcGIS Online.  

A BIG update for ArcGIS StoryMaps and briefings just dropped...

The November 9, 2023, ArcGIS Enterprise 11.2 release brings exciting advancements to ArcGIS StoryMaps. Tell even more engaging stories with your data and maps, and new in beta is the ability to create slide-based presentations with briefings. 

Check out our What's New blog article to learn more.

This is the final update for the issue that occurred last week related to maps not loading in some stories.

A fix for this issue has been deployed and we are no longer able to reproduce the issue in the stories where it was reported.

If you owned or were using one of the affected stories, we regret the impact this had on your experience. If you implemented one of the workarounds provided in the previous announcement, you can undo those changes if you wish.

This issue was recorded as BUG-000162373 in the Esri Support system.

If you believe you are still seeing this issue, please contact Esri Support and/or post a new thread on the ArcGIS StoryMaps Question board.

The previous announcements related to this issue are here:

• ANNOUNCEMENT: Issue with some maps not loading - Esri Community
• UPDATE: Issue with some maps not loading - Esri Community

Earlier today we posted an announcement about an issue that has been affecting some stories: ANNOUNCEMENT: Issue with some maps not loading - Esri Community

We wanted to share an update that we have found a fix for this issue that is currently being tested and verified. Our current plan to deploy the fix in a patch Monday evening.

We regret any inconvenience this may have caused. There are several workarounds described in the original announcement that can be used if you have an immediate need to fix this issue in a particular story. Please visit the link above for more information.

We are tracking an issue that was introduced in an update earlier this week where maps may not load in some stories. Please read this announcement for details.

The briefings app is a companion to your ArcGIS StoryMaps briefings. You can now access and share your briefings on the go from your iOS and Android tablets, and Windows computers and tablets providing a viewing, interacting, and presentation experience at your fingertips. For more information, please read our announcement blog article .  

 Please provide any feedback or issues encountered through the in-app feedback or Esri Community. 

What's New?

Here is the list of updates that have been added in the app version 1.5.7 for the August 21st, 2024 update  :

• View and copy code snippets inside briefings.
• Display time-enabled layers in web maps, scenes, mobile map packages and scene packages
• Manage multiple downloaded briefings from the briefings’ app with Manage Storage settings.
• Enhanced express maps pop-up information with Media.
• Smoother experience with autoplay briefings.
• Several bug fixes.

Below is a list of issues you may encounter while using this release of the briefings app and a preview of what is planned for future releases.  

Known Issues and Limitations 

We are aware of the following issues and plan to address them in an upcoming release. 

IOS specific 

• A downloaded icon may show for non-downloaded briefings under the “All Briefings” tab only (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Some special characters do not get encoded correctly in Briefing slide title and TOC (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Video glyph beside the link to resource is missing and shows as space (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• GIF images do not animate and are shown as static image when added in logo or image block (Fixed in ver. 1.3.5)
• PDFs added in embedded block and link to resource are not scrollable. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Briefings cards display abnormally and unclickable on "My Downloads" tab when downloading a briefing if never switch to "My Downloads" tab before.  (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Videos do not honor the theme background color on playing.
• Text shows single line and then truncates it on table of contents, and map pop-up identify for some cases.
• In some instances, when you pull down to refresh, the user interface may not update properly. 
• Bold and italic styling is not yet supported in text blocks.
• When choosing recent used URLs in dark theme, the URL will appear dark for the first time.  
• When the numbered list has 10+ items, the list gets pushed right giving some space in front of single digit items.

Android specific 

• There may be a lag when switching tabs, showing an empty screen instead of a graphic when there are no briefings to display. Please pull down to refresh if this occurs (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Map tools have an offset placement issue (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Tapping on the search bar in the map causes the briefings tablet app to crash (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Some web scenes fail to expand correctly when clicking the expand button (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Swipe block for maps do not have expand option (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Some special characters do not get encoded correctly in Briefing slide title and TOC (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Video glyph beside the link to resource is missing and shows as space (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• Scrolling within the embedded content view can interfere with the swiping gesture for the briefing slides (Fixed in ver.1.1.3)
• Text shows single line and then truncates it on gallery card, table of contents and map pop-up identify (Fixed in ver. 1.3.5)
• The screen may flash initially in the briefing slide before an embedded resource loads (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Tint issue for legend button in maps and scenes. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• If the images have a focus configured which is different from the default, it does not show the focus.
• When web layers having embedded credentials are added in some IWA portal, the briefing shows Sign-in challenge.
• All the items inside the numbered list always pushed to right giving some space in front of the text regardless of number of items.
• Video does not properly expand all the way to the bottom when Table of Contents is open.
• SAML/ADFS has issue in signing out from the current user account and when trying to sign-in back with another user account, it auto sign-ins with the first user account.

Windows specific

• There is UI sizing issue when windows screen is resized while inside briefing (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Identify pop-up window in swipe block for express maps does not display (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Some downloaded briefings show blank page on opening them and are not readable (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Offline to online behavior does not display correct toast message in some cases (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• On clicking on My Briefings filter in disabled network, it shows offline empty state (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Swipe block may have issues in the swiping gesture (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Bold and color styling is not yet supported in text blocks (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• The sign-in button does not respond after signing browser has been closed without logging into the app. It would require restarting the app (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• Video glyph beside the link to resource is missing and shows as space (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• Some special characters do not get encoded correctly in Briefing slide title and TOC (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• Scrolling through gallery cards has shadow effect while refreshing the items. (Fixed in ver.1.3.5)
• Windows shows single line and then truncates the text on gallery card, TOC and map pop-up identify (Fixed in ver. 1.3.5)
• Windows always takes to cover page when minimizing and again maximizing the app.(Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• When focus is changed for any image or video thumbnail that is Filled, Windows does not honor the focus change (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• After installing the app on some non-English language/locale environments, it may fail to launch. In this case please install the VC++ redistribution package from https://aka.ms/vs/17/release/vc_redist.x64.exe and then relaunch the app.   Alternatively, you can install the app on an English language/locale environment first and then switch to the non-English language and launch the app successfully. 
• Images in expanded view do not zoom in/out for non-touch devices only.
• There is UI issue with mouse wheel gestures while inside briefing.

• There are few UI issues when having Windows size resized and back to full screen size.

General 

• The continue button on the sign-in dialogue does not get highlighted, but it is fully operational (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Swipe blocks with maps are not yet supported (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Some icons that are dark by default are not tinting properly at times (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Some icons are not visible in the dark theme. Please use the light theme (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Enterprise support is currently only for OAuth and SAML authorizations (Fixed in ver. 1.0)
• Scene tools disappearing on slide view (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• One extra busy indicator appears on the gallery page when pulled down to refresh (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• Add to favorites / Remove from favorites does not respond in My Downloads tab (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• View full details does not redirect to the ArcGIS Online metadata page in My Downloads tab (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• App crashes when downloading a draft briefing (Fixed in ver. 1.1.3)
• Icon tint issues on tapping download icon or any link to resource inside the briefing (Fixed in ver. 1.3.5)
• Alignments for cell values in a Table was getting copied over to the right columns. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Video added as the link to resource is not pausing when the link is closed (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Current location marker and search result pin on Map/Scene is not disappearing after navigating to other slide and returning to the same slide. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Web Scene in offline briefings shows loading indicator instead of offline placeholder. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Images with Fit configuration were missing correct background color when navigating from a video slide.(Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Search pin gets disappeared in express maps sometimes when search is already used in other map/scene in a double layout slide. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• When maps are added in double layout, their extents were in sync when navigating from a swipe block. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• All map tools in a slide view disappear after expanding and then collapsing the map when navigating from swipe block slide. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• When only 1 map is added in a Swipe block, map tools do not display. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Legend contents and map tools in a Swipe block for Express maps show empty when navigating directly to that slide.(Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• When images in Swipe block are Fill, the right image gets clipped on slide view. (Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Briefing navigation keys were not correctly responding when navigating from last slide having a link that navigates to any previous slide.(Fixed in ver. 1.4.6)
• Express maps in the web tier authentications like IWA, LDAP and PKI do not show the picture marker images in online briefings. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Express maps pop-up information having hyperlinks show as normal text. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Image Gallery will always show maximum of 4 columns irrespective of single or double (30%, 50%, 70%) layout. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• No pop-up displays when clicking a feature with Video info in Express map. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Images with Fit configuration having background and attribution is not honored when clicking a feature with media info in Express map (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Duplicate circle features are displayed in the Express Map block with "Imagery (Hybrid)" basemap.(Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Video added in express map feature pop-up is not playing in Enterprise accounts. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Double pop-up appears on swipe block maps when previously opening a pop-up in map block and then opening a pop-up in swipe block. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Attribution icon persists and overlap with other feature pop-up when clicking feature without image/video on Express map. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Video added in swipe block for express maps feature pop-up do not show play control. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• No response when clicking the link in attribution of left image in Swipe block. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Timer in 30% time-enabled maps do not stop when played in expanded mode and then collapsed in the slide view. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Cover page looks empty when no media added by the author on the cover page. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Footer page number in the Feature pop-up information box is missing after clicking on any area in the Web Map/Scene block. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Media of another map feature is missing when clicking on one of the map features in Express map block of briefings with double layout slide. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• When downloading multiple briefings in queue, and on switching tab to My Downloads, it shows duplicate briefings and does not refresh properly. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Inconsistency in expanding and collapsing content added in the Media only layout. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• No response when clicking Sign out/Appearance/Provide Feedback buttons on Settings page of AGSM Briefings app after device's internet connection is disabled. (Fixed in ver. 1.5.7)
• Group layers title is not displayed in Express Map legend.
• Sign-in may fail the first time when using Facebook.
• You may experience an inability to sign out when signed in with a Gmail or GitHub account.
• Briefings using Google Fonts show the Summit theme fonts as the default.
• Scene layers within a legend for web scenes are not supported.
• 3D basemaps are not supported for web scenes.
• GIF images may not be sized as expected when added as resource link from ArcGIS content.
• When bookmark panel is not closed in a map attachment link and if opened another map or scene, the same bookmark panel shows there.
• On iOS and Windows, the initial extent for Mobile Scene Package (MSPK) shows wrong when navigating from MMPK to MSPK in a downloaded briefing.
• On iOS and Android, Identify pop-up may look too narrow in slide view.
• App crashes when having a Web Map with Teams Notes layer.
• Image layer added as a base layer in the Express map shows Canvas Light basemap.
• Video control always appears in Express Map feature pop-up information when the playback settings changed to autoplay.

What’s Coming 

We are considering the following updates for future releases:

• Support for the Portrait mode for the briefings app.
• Enhance UI to check for updates and have option to auto update downloaded briefings.
• Grid lines and Map units panel for web maps, express maps and mobile map packages.

Learn some tips and tricks to elevate your stories with help from ArcGIS Arcade.