"Drawing" on map for geoprocessing using Experience Builder

[TomerAdmon]

Hi, 
We are trying to migrate from Web Builder to Experience Builder for a better mobile experience but are facing an issue where our geoprocessing tool with a "Feature Set" input (GPFeatureRecordSetLayer) does not allow us to "draw" a polygon on the map.
Is there an alternative way, that will be user-friendly to draw a polygon and then send that to the geoprocessing tool for some calculation?

Thanks!

[AValenski]

My honest feedback would be to not migrate. If your current WAB is working and meeting your needs, there's little reason to migrate.

I'm a consultant and I've stopped pushing the product because it is just not done and it doesn't seem like its going to address the gaps in documentation, functionality, issues with stability, and Esri doesn't seem interested in achieving parity between the products.

If you're going to need any functionality that isn't OOTB, my suggestion would be to stay put in WAB. If you're going to make custom apps, custom widgets, or need to deviate from the base functionality, I don't think ExB is a good move at this point.  

[TomerAdmon]

Thanks for the input @AValenski !  😍
It seems like we are going to follow your tip for now. 

Any guidance around improving the mobile/tablet experience, especially when sketching polygons on a map while using WAB-based application? It seems like most of the OOTB themes are not intuitive enough for our customers/application-cunsumers, so adoption is much slower than we wanted.

Appreciate the help!

[AValenski]

You've a few options I can think of. TI think the simplest may be to create a mobile version based on the existing app. Add a Splash Screen that contains a hyperlink to open the "Mobile Version." You can then duplicate/save-as the existing WAB app and call this one the "Mobile Version." The "Mobile Version" should be a separate WAB application that is designed exclusively for use on tablets/mobile devices. This should be an uncluttered, minimalist application that only contains the subset of functionalities that would be used in mobile. For instance, if your "Desktop version" uses one of the template themes, contains a ten widgets, etc., your "Mobile version" should use no template (or a theme that works well on mobile), and contain only the subset of widgets that field staff may use, and an option to open the desktop version. The important thing here is to a single entry page as I've found people are finnicky about having to "bookmark different sites." If the "Desktop version" provides the ability to access the mobile version and vice versa, you can distribute a single URL and users will not really know any different. 

[AlixVezina]

Hi @TomerAdmon , thank you for your question!

Being able to sketch on the map and use it as a geoprocessing input is currently under development and is planned for a near-term release. I apologize I don't have insights on the specific release date at this time.

[TomerAdmon]

Hi @AlixVezina , Thanks for your input, this definitely helps with re-prioritizing our internal roadmap.

If possible, we would be happy to jump on a short call and discuss WAB mobile experience vs the expected mobile experience in Expiriance Builder specifically around sketching on the map as this is one of the main use cases our customers expect us to support when they are working in the field.

Thanks! 🙏

[Jianxia]

Hi @TomerAdmon  of course, your mobile experience feedback will help us improve the area. Could you please contact us with a few time slot options? My email address is jsong@esri.com. Thanks!

[TomerAdmon]

Thanks @Jianxia!
I reached out over email.

[RobertAkroyd1]

@AlixVezina and @Jianxia this is also essential for some apps we need to create and also some we need to migrate too.  Lots of custom GP tools require the user to first draw something to act as input, be that a point, line or polygon, with optional buffer.  Would be great to see that in Online soon and hopefully also Enterprise 11.3?

[jfischer91]

Thanks for this info Alix!  I'm re-doing an app that calls a custom GP service, and I noticed the functionality to draw an input polygon is available in ExpB in AGOL, but not the Dev Edition.  Any more insight on when this might be added?