single-click map selection to update widgets

[KevinMcMaster2]

@DerekLaw  I’m trying to enable Dashboard map-click functionality where when a user clicks on a feature in a map, the widgets in the dashboard update to reflect that selection. Currently, just getting a pop-up (with no widget update) when a feature is clicked on. I know that if I enable the “selection” action, then the user is presented with a non-intuitive selection tool they have to use to select a feature (which then updates the widgets), but that seems really kludge.

I’ve run into this request multiple times for various clients, and usually end up using pick-lists and dropdowns to force a single selection, but it really shouldn’t be that complicated. See a couple of non-Esri solutions that intuitively do what I’m trying to do:

https://capitalprojects.seattle.gov/

https://capitalplanning.nyc.gov/facilities

Thank you!

[KevinMcMaster2]

@patrickb is this still under consideration? Or should I be looking to Experience Builder for the functionality my clients are requesting?

[StaceyStark1]

 @KevinMcMaster2 Here is the experience builder with a workaround:  z.umn.edu/ww_dashboard.

The dashboard is the two panels on the right, it is embedded in EB. The map in EB on the left has features with a field to store the url of the dashboard embedded on the right.  Depending on the feature selected, a different URL will show up in the embedded content on the right.  Also, there aren't really six different dashboards, I used URL parameters in the dashboard to filter the results. 

Here's and example of an embedded dashboard for the NE region:

dashboard: https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/006e2068a99943fb8f0ad0f9d11e6ce0#theregion=NE

[KevinMcMaster2]

Thanks @StaceyStark1 this is a really good workaround and a great use of URL parameters. It seems like Experience Builder is the way of the future, so I'm going to learn from your solution and try implementing similar "on-click" experiences!

[DevonReed]

This would be incredibly useful for my current project. It's frustrating to be able to configure elements that populate on selection but then have the selection part be so hard.

[wayfaringrob]

Agree @DevonReed . The overhead needed to rig EB to do something similar is just not appealing. One of the selling points of a dashboard over EB app is the ease of setting up. I am really surprised it's taking Esri this long to implement something so common sense. I don't think that this should be the behavior for all dashboards, but we at least need the option.

[KatiePhillips1870]

It seems silly to me that a single click is not a standard function on all ESRI products for maps. This should be standard. 

[JonCardiello]

I agree with this post!  This functionality is something my team could use in all of our dashboards.  Without this functionality we have had to use workarounds that at times are a bit clunky.  Would love to see this feature added to a future Dashboards update!

[wayfaringrob]

Please, please, PLEASE make this a priority. I have a very hard time explaining to users, especially those not so familiar with computers, how to use this functionality as-is. It would be so, so much simpler if you could just set it to update with clicks. I don't even need multiselect half the time, so if that needs to be the tradeoff so be it. @DerekLaw  @OscarMonell  @patrickb 

[KatiePhillips1870]

I fully agree @wayfaringrob., explaining to a non-GIS user or a user who is not fully comfortable with technology is such a challenge. The reaction I always get is "why cant I just click it? Why would you use a software that does not allow you to simply click to view information." Then I have to explain that building a similar product completely from scratch would take four times as long. We love the EB product and use it often, expediting the single click functionality would honestly be amazing. 

[TanGnar]

Here to say that not a week goes by that I don't wish for the single click functionality. The workaround doesn't always solve the problem, since it reloads the embedded content each click. 

Would really love to see an option for this functionality implemented.