What are the limitations in ArcGIS Earth when using Shapefiles?

[DuncanHornby]

All,

I have downloaded the new ArcGIS Earth and using a Windows 7, core 2 machine with 4GB of Ram. One of the appealing things about this new application is that you can load Shapefiles directly without the need to convert them into some other format (e.g. KML).

I've just loaded a Shapefile with 8,657 polygons representing SSSI areas (protected areas) in the UK and ArcGIS Earth ground to a halt, to the point that it became completely unresponsive and unusable.

I was unable to find any advice on the on-line help for any limitations imposed by this application on Shapefiles. It would be a good idea to document these and provide best practise:

• Does ArcGIS Earth make use of spatial indices, if so you should warn users to ensure these are created?
• Does ArcGIS Earth have limitations on the number of vertices a polygon is composed of, what about multi-part?
• How many features is too many?

Whilst it looks slick, the first dataset I loaded killed it and I was not even trying!

As a comparison I then converted that shapefile into a KMZ file and loaded that into Google Earth and whilst it struggled at full extent it displayed it fairly quickly and was quite usable. Loading the same KMZ file into ArcGIS Earth did not end well, brought my whole machine to a grinding halt...

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Duncan... I would view ArcGis Earth based on how they describe it... ArcGIS Earth | ArcGIS  ... they do use the words "lightweight" and "to explore" in the documentation that exists.  I think for the average user, they probably aren't interested in the buried details... much like the information that was available in Google Earth when it first came on stream.  Since it is evolutionary, I would suggest you keep in contact with the development team either directly or via comments on their help pages in the Feedback on this topic links, it is probably the only way to juggle the details into the help topics...ie based on user feedback, those in the know, will be conjoled into providing details

[DuncanHornby]

Dan,

I had spotted the feedback section, I just felt my question would be more help here; acting as a warning to others, whilst hopefully one of the development team for this application steps in with a helpful response? I thought about asking it on the ideas site but I feel that's a place where one is often shouting out ideas but nobody "is in" to hear...

One can even post a comment at the blog page level or for a tool hosted on ArcGIS Online and I haven't even tried looking at GitHub! Too many places to go, so I stick with what I've always used, the ESRI forums as I know people are haunting these!

Duncan

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Duncan... do post on the help topic's feedback link it is one way to guarantee that someone associated with it will get the info.  I imagine that ArcGIS Earth's people will be active on this site while it is Beta, but I have seen many other "Place" that are not followed by esri staff at all... not that they should be...just an observation.

[Anonymous User]

While I appreciate the defense of Earth by Dan, I'd still rather not see Earth being killed by Shapefiles, though I am aware of some issues and Shapefile handling needs improvement.

Do you have any stats on the size and type of shapefile that you tried?

Thanks,

Chris

Rex Hansen​

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Chris... It was Duncan that was using them...

The point I was trying to make was about using the tool in a manner for which it was designed. 

I don't use the Network Analyst to get across town...maybe Google Maps (until intuition kicks in). 

I do think Duncan has a point about providing some guidance with respect to what "should be used" and any restrictions.  The next thing you are going to get is people wondering why they can't load up the City Engine replica of their proposed housing development and plunking it down.

I know there is a fine line between discouraging through too much information but there is also that danger if there is too little. 

Good luck with launch.  I hope that  ArcGIS Earth  becomes active with tips/documentation etc ...

FYI for the noobs to Earth   ArcGIS Earth

[DanPatterson_Retired]

On additional note, I don't know if you have talked to Timothy Hales​ about getting it included as a Place in the GeoNet structure GeoNet Community Structure You want to rename your group if plans are in the works already or you might have some issues with management regarding the name

[DuncanHornby]

Chris,

If you want to have a play with the dataset I used it can be downloaded from UK Environment Agency GeoStore website. It is the dataset third from the bottom here​ and it is called Sites of Special Scientific Interest (England). It's a newer release so it actually has more polygons in it.

Another improvement I can think of is allow ArcGIS Earth to read layer files so the layer is shown with the same symbology as it is in ArcMap. Currently all one can do is load the base shapefile with none of its symbology.

Duncan

[Anonymous User]

Thanks, Duncan!

[JacquelinePursell]

Apparently the KML network links and the REST services have limitations on size as well....  I can't push this out to my people "as is"....