ArcGIS Dashboard element action limitation when using grouped values

[ShaneBradt]

When an ArcGIS Dashboard element uses Categories from > Grouped values for data options, the source field menu is unable to be changed (it's grayed out) when referencing elements in the Dashboard driven by different data layers (for example, a different hosted table). However, the source field menu is able to be modified if the same data is used in an element which uses Categories from > Features.

The result of this situation is that when using the Grouped values setting, the ability of element A to influence the element B is very limited if the element B is driven by a different dataset than element A. This is the case even if the two data sets have a field in common (different than the field used to display data in element A) which could be used to drive the action of element B, since the source field menu can not be modified to allow the action to use compatible fields in the two different datasets.

The Grouped values option used to be more limited in the past regarding the types of map actions it could drive (like zoom, pan, and flash), but that limitation has since (happily) been removed. I'm hoping that a similar advance takes place for the ability to alter the source field when using this setting.

Until that happens, I am very open to any suggestions about workarounds to solve this problem.

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Shane

[AlexanderSt__John]

Agreed. It may be worth it to repost this in the Ideas board.

Even having a relationship class established on a unique ID field is not respected by the Dashboard.

The workaround I have started using is adding the category field, that already exists in the feature layer, to the related table and keep it up-to-date on the backend using custom JS (VertiGIS Studio). Then I can use the filter action of the category selector (sourced by the feature layer) to filter the related table's dashboard element.

It is redundant and not good database design, but it allows me to filter the related table.

[ademshark]

I agree, and am also running into the above. Thanks for writing it out in a manner that makes sense (this is kind of tough to articulate).

Essentially, to me the question becomes: why can't you related two elements that use different datasets by a common "key" field, but use another field for displaying the record on the selector? Example: tie two elements and datasets together by a common Project ID, but display the project's alphabetical description to the category selector?

Thanks.

[KimberlyK]

@ShaneBradt Did you ever find an acceptable workaround for this problem? This specific issue is what is keeping our team from using dashboards effectively. I appreciate @AlexanderSt__John 's answer, but we are either using corporate data that cannot be altered, or we need to group by a different field in related tables other than the key field. I have tried every configuration within a data expression to do exactly what you are describing and the limitations you have found hold us up every time. I'd appreciate your feedback on what you've learned since posting this question. Thanks.

[ShaneBradt]

Unfortunately @KimberlyK, I'm still stuck. I'm certainly not happy to hear you are running into the same roadblock, but at least I know that I'm not alone!

I find this issue to be THE primary limitation I have encountered in ArcGIS Dashboards and I really wish they would change this capability. I've posted this issue in several places in the Esri community and, so far, there has been clear best approach to solve this problem. I keep hoping that I can find a way to get the right person is Esri to understand this issue, and that once they do, they can make the necessary changes to eliminate this limitation.

To some people this may seem like a problem only in the case of large and/or complex datasets, but that is not the case in my opinion. I have come up with ways around it when datasets and number of options are limited by making somewhat ridiculous data tables (for example, when creating this https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/cc8b79af0b754e2bab77522d4bc53df7), but that workaround is awkward and certainly not scalable.

[WA_Holmes]

Hi everybody, I'm a bit late to the party but I think you're describing my number one frustration with dashboards.

One of my core datasets is a property database with multiple layers representing land, access rights, parking, communal areas, etc. each linked using a property ID.  I would like the user of the dashboard to select the property name, which is only stored in the land layer, then filter the other layers using the property ID. The dilemma I face is as follows:

The land layer can contain multiple non-merged polygons, so if I use the Categories from Features option, I get duplicate values displayed in the selector, but at least I can specify the join field, and the filters work.

If I use the Grouped Values option to get around the duplicate values issue, I have to use the property ID as the display field in the selector in order to join to the other layers.  I then either have to get the user to memorise what every property ID relates to or manually override 1000s of labels so I can use the property name (also why can't this be chosen from another field?).

This is just one example of how this problem manifests itself and I have many other projects where the same issue arises, and I often resort to option one above as the frustrating solution.  Admittedly I haven't got as far as some of you looking into creating related tables and expressions (I don't have the time), but this feels like it ought to just work out of the box.