Add 'Return intersecting polygon(s)' to the Near Me widget like in Web AppBuilder

[DavidEgginton]

When configuring the Near Me widget in Web AppBuilder there is a search setting to "Return intersecting polygon(s) - Return polygon(s) containing the searched location rather than polygons within the buffer".

Disappointingly, there does not appear to be a way to configure the Near Me widget to do this in ArcGIS Experience Builder.

Previous Web AppBuilder workflows of ours use this function so this is hampering our move to ArcGIS Experience Builder.

It would be good to have this functionality added as an 'Analysis Type' (or perhaps an option for the 'Proximity' and/or 'Closest Feature' analysis type(s)) when you 'Configure analysis for layers' within the Near Me widget in ArcGIS Experience Builder.

[AzizaParveen1]

Hi @DavidEgginton ,

You can configure the Near Me in Experience Builder to achieve the same workflow, you can configure proximity analysis and  set the buffer distance to 0, it will return intersecting polygon. Here is a community post where I provided step by step process to achieve this.

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-experience-builder-questions/still-can-t-replace-wab-near-me-wi...  

[DavidEgginton]

Hi @AzizaParveen1 ,

Thank you for your response.

Whilst we have used this workaround in other ArcGIS Experience Builder applications (such as a School Catchment Area finder) such a workaround doesn't work for every application. And setting the buffer distance to 0 is no more than a workaround, it's not a solution.

In the Web AppBuilder application we're currently working to replace members of the public can identify local services and points of interest by searching their address. We need an actual buffer so users can identify local parks, libraries, recycling banks etc. When it comes to identifying features such as listed buildings and conservation areas however we'd like these retuning only if the searched location intersects one of these features. It's currently confusing for our users that local listed buildings and conservation areas for example which don't effect their property are returned.

It should also be noted that using a buffer distance of 0 has the added disadvantage of zooming into the map infinitely close.

[AndreaB_]

Hi @DavidEgginton  Is this what you're referring to?

Here's what my WAB Screening widget does - clips the polygons results to the search buffer: 

Here's what Experience Builder Near Me widget does - no clipping of the selected polygons from search radius:

I'm just trying to see if that's what your idea is for. If not, I'm going to post one.

Thanks!

[DavidEgginton]

Hi @AndreaB_ ,

No, sadly not; that is different.

My issue is that previously when configuring the Near Me widget in Web AppBuilder there was an 'Analysis Type' of 'Return intersecting polygon(s)'. This could be configured for individual layers so users searching to identify local services near their home (for example) would see local parks, libraries, recycling banks etc within their search proximity but only see listed buildings, conservation areas etc if they effect their property's address point.

So far 1 year and no progress on this.

[AzizaParveen1]

Hi @DavidEgginton,

I created an app to reproduce your workflow, I have 6 layers in the map, among them 2 of them are polygon layers (forest boundary and Wilderness)and I set them up to return only the intersected polygons. Try this app out and see if this works for you. 

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/1924340f7fa749048af756160007cb50/?draft=true.

I set the polygon layers to return closest feature and other layers are configured to return features with the proximity.

[DavidEgginton]

Hi @AzizaParveen1 ,

Many thanks for creating the ExB app!

Using the layers in the app the 'Lakes' layer would be the best to test with. Pretending that your 'Lakes' layer is our listed buildings or conservation areas layers we'd only want 'Lakes' features to be returned by the Near Me widget if the user's searched for address (point in your ExB app's case) intersected a polygon. The issue with using 'Closest Feature' is that we don't care which 'Lake' is closest, we only care if our address (point) is in a 'Lake' i.e. I don't care if my neighbor's house is a listed building, just if mine is.

This functionality was available in WAB so it's incredibly frustrating not to have it in ExB.

Hope that makes sense.

[AzizaParveen1]

@DavidEgginton 

Thanks for clarifying your workflow. I submitted an enhancement request for this, Hope we will get this in soon.

[DavidEgginton]

Thank you @AzizaParveen1  🙂