Whats New in Explorer for ArcGIS (May 2018)

ScottBall · ‎05-10-2018

New versions of Explorer for ArcGIS are here for Android (18.1) and iOS (18.1.1), bringing offline maps and feature parity on both platforms.

What’s New with Explorer on Android?

Explorer for ArcGIS 18.1.0 on Android modernizes the app and aligns it with the app currently available on iOS. With this release, the following functionality is brought to Android devices:

Work offline

You can’t be connected everywhere you want to explore, so now you can take your maps offline with you. Prepare a map for offline use in your office and put it on your device, either by downloading it through the app or by sideloading it onto your device. Once it’s on your device, you can work with it in the same way as any other map in Explorer. For details on making offline maps, see Make offline maps.

Note:

With this release, Android supports working offline with vector data as well as imagery and other raster data. The capabilities are the same as those on iOS.

Use improved markup and share it

Capture sketches and notes on the map with improved tools. You can clean up as you go, making your sketch a true circle and your line straight. Place markers, draw arrows, and add notes and labels. You can use your sketches across your maps, and even share them as layers to your organization. Mobile workers in the field and ArcGIS Pro users in the office can see and act on what you’ve found. For more information, see Markup.

Find your features with the compass

Walk right to your assets using the new compass tool. See how far you are from your assets and which direction you need to go. From a feature, search result, or pin, select Compass . This complements the directions that are available through integration with Navigator for ArcGIS and Google Maps.

Experience a new, simplified browsing experience

Discover maps with ease through a new, simplified browsing experience.

Note:

You can still search for, browse to, and open groups—we learned from our iOS release.

Use beautiful, more responsive and informative maps

Explorer for ArcGIS 17.1.0 includes support for related records, labeling, smart mapping, and vector tile basemaps.

The Explorer team is excited to bring one of the most requested features to life with this update: related records. You can now bring more data to your users by creating pop-ups with related records in your map, and you’ll see the same pop-ups in Explorer.

Another common request has been support for labels, and with this release they are supported. You can even use Arcade expressions to make the best labels for your map.

ArcGIS provides smart mapping to help you make your maps beautiful, while showcasing your data’s important values. Explorer now honors the styling done through smart mapping, bringing the maps you are making in Map Viewer to your devices. Improve your maps with smart mapping: get started with the How to smart map story map.

One of the benefits of working on a mobile device is the high-resolution display, but not all basemaps take full advantage of it. With this release, Explorer supports vector tile basemaps to bring crisp, responsive basemaps to your device. Vector tiles have a combination of tile access performance and vector drawing, allowing the tiles to adapt to any resolution of the display, which may vary across devices. See Vector tile layers (ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise) to learn more.

Interact with UX customized for your device

Explorer now makes the best use of available screen space. When working on a phone, the panel resizes to fit your needs. If you need to see mostly the map, collapse the panel into a summary. When you need both the map and details, use the panel in half the screen. When you want to focus on the details, make the panel full-screen. If you are using a tablet, the panel is fixed to the side of the screen.

What’s New with Explorer on iOS?

Take your imagery and other raster data offline

You can now bring your raster data offline with you by including tile packages in your mobile map packages.

Using ArcGIS Pro 2.1 or later, create a mobile map package (MMPK) that contains tile packages (TPKs) of your raster data.

You can use the ‘Share Package’ tool in ArcGIS Pro to choose who can see the package and then upload the MMPK to your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization (or, if you prefer, you can sideload the file onto your device directly).

Once your mobile map package is in ArcGIS, users with permission to see the package can sign in to Explorer and download it to their device.

Various bug fixes and improvements

In addition to the functionality described above, there have been other enhancements made and issues addressed. Of note are the following changes:

Updated translations have been added.

Pan and zoom updates: pan and zoom are now supported when a tool panel (such as bookmarks) displays, and What’s Here results pan and zoom the same as other results.

Selecting a search suggestion during dictation no longer crashes the app.

Differences between iOS and Android

While the majority of the functionality is the same, be aware of the following differences:

Sharing a map by URL through the app is only supported on iOS.

Zoom to a feature is only supported on iOS.

Later releases will synchronize these across the platforms.

How do I get Explorer for ArcGIS?

Download Explorer for ArcGIS for your mobile device on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store today!

We’d love to hear what you think of the new releases. If you want to learn even more, we also have a great documentation site you should check out.

Happy mapping!

Scott and the entire Explorer team

SarahAnderson1 · ‎05-10-2018

Scott and team - thanks for the hard work on this. We're really excited about this and glad the Android and iOS versions will be more in line with each other. Major improvement!

We ran into a few issues:

- Social Log-Ins: We've been waiting for the update so we could use social log-ins for some users (Google Authentication), since it really makes things easier across the various devices some of them are using. This had previously been working in iOS, but with a 403 disallowed user agent error in the Android version. Now, it's working in the new Android version and NOT in the new iOS version. This is frustrating, because it used to be working on iOS in the fall when I last tested, and logging in is basic functionality. I have submitted a case request on that.

- Offline: We’re running into issues trying to open mmpks with tpks on both platforms. Can create and upload and recognize them, but when we open the maps, no data within the maps. Testing but any tips would be appreciated.

- Directions: We don't see the 'Directions' option (Getting directions with Google Maps) in the Android release. Will that be a future addition to make it in line with the iOS version, or am I overlooking it?

- Arcade: A calculated concatenation label works (AGOL, iOS, Android), but the following expression shows labels of 0 for my map: Round(AreaGeodetic(Geometry($feature),'acres'),2). A text split function also only works on AGOL, not on the mobile app. Will that additional functionality be added in the next release? Also, I don’t see either custom attribute expression shown in the mobile pop-ups – is that still on the timeline for the summer update?

Things that we're happy about:

- Great to have GIFs working in the pop-ups.

- We’re ecstatic about general labels working across all versions now.

Thanks for the team’s work on this. Great to see the progress.

Cheers,

Sarah

SarahAnderson1 · ‎05-10-2018

As a follow up - got the MMPKs working, with TPK content. Mark pointed us in the right direction (https://community.esri.com/thread/214542-can-i-put-a-tpk-inside-an-mmpk ).

This is fabulous! We're very excited to be working with this! (Can you tell?)

Thanks,
Sarah

ScottBall · ‎05-11-2018

Hey Sarah Anderson‌ - glad Mark was able to help get you going with offline raster! Yeah!

There are a few 'known issues' on our side that we are working on and we think might be related to what you're seeing with Arcade and social logins. Would you be able to jump on a call with us next week so we can confirm?

GarethBaker1 · ‎07-31-2018

Hi Sarah,

Did you ever get a resolution on the missing Direction functionality in Android? I'm experiencing the same issue with a web map that has routing enabled. When I click on a feature in it on iOS I get the directions options, but the same map and feature in Android only has the compass and favourite options.

Thanks

Gareth

HeatherMcCracken · ‎07-31-2018

Hi Gareth,

Directions in Android is supported for Navigator only right now. This means, you need to have Navigator installed on your device. Support for getting directions from other turn-by-turn apps like Google Maps will be in an upcoming release.

Can you confirm that if you have Navigator installed, that you now see this option?

Thanks,

Heather

GarethBaker1 · ‎07-31-2018

Hi Heather,

Thanks for the very speedy response! Yes it looks like installing Navigator enables the option for directions on features now. Look forward to seeing the Google Maps option implemented.

Thanks

Gareth

Corey_AnneCampbell · ‎09-05-2018

Hello,

I am having difficulty using Offline Maps on my Android device. I am able to download the maps, but then I am not able to open them - when I click on them, nothing happens. I am using a Samsung Galaxy Tablet, and my colleague, who is also seeing the same issues with these maps is using a Google phone.

I am working with the exact same maps on multiple iOS devices and am not having any issues - I am able to download and open the maps as expected.

Am I missing some kind of security setting on my android devices, or is there something I need to configure to ensure it works properly on both kinds of devices?

Thank you,

Corey Anne

MarkBockenhauer · ‎09-05-2018

Corey Anne,

Can you share a map that exhibits this behavior with me? I am not aware of any differences between Explorer IOS and Android that would cause a Mobile Map Package to display on one, and not the other.

Thanks,
Mark

Corey_AnneCampbell · ‎09-06-2018

Hi Mark,

Thank you very much for replying so quickly, I really appreciate it.

Currently, all of our maps are internal.

Would I be able to get your email so that I can send you additional information that way?

Thank you,

Corey Anne

MarkBockenhauer · ‎09-06-2018

Corey Anne,

Yes, I sent you a message.

Thanks,

Mark

NaomiBegg2 · ‎10-22-2018

I've just downloaded the app but I'm having issues with it on my phone (Huawei). Once in the markup mode it wont let me get out of it. The back button does nothing. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling but the same thing keeps happening.

It would also be cool to have a more efficient legend. Within my most used map I've grouped similar items. This looks great on the web map but when you look at the legend on Explorer it will show a key for every single item which is within the group as if it wasn't grouped.

When can we expect the next update?

VerónicaGarcía_Mesa · ‎10-23-2018

Hi Mark, @mbockenhauer-esristaff

I wanted to consult him for two problems similar to Corey Anne. Explorer for ArcGIS on Android 8, (Xiaomi Redmi 6A 32GB Android 8.1.0), cannot access offline map package (mmpk). Both downloaded from AGOL or copied to the mmpks directory of the mobile device. The access permissions that Android requires were granted.

The other problem in Android 7, Samsung Galaxy J5, closes unexpectedly, only with the following message "Explorer has stopped". Also viewing offline maps mmpk (80 MB to 220 MB). This is happening in several cases, with several users of Explorer for ArcGIS.

I already appreciate your help,

Veronica

#Explorer for ArcGIS #MMPK

Anonymous User · ‎10-23-2018

Hey Verónica García Mesa

Let's see if we can get to the bottom of what's going on. What happens when you try to open the map after downloading from AGOL? Feel free to send me screenshots via email (jwhitney@esri.com) as well if that's easier.

As far as the crashing goes, can you give me some more details about your set up?

- Are all the devices the same?

- How are you managing devices?

- Is it crashing at the same point in the app?

- Can you open any of the Try Explorer MMPKs after "Continue Without Signing In"?

Again, feel free to email me directly if you'd like.

Joel

Anonymous User · ‎10-23-2018

Hey Naomi Begg‌,

What Huawei device / OS are you using? On my Nexus 6P (7.1.1), both the system back and the up button allow me to exit markup mode.

I agree that the legend could be improved. The iOS version got a refresher on the legend, which gives a better experience when layers are grouped. I'd expect Android to get these changes for the next release, however I do not currently have a timeframe as to when that will be.

Joel

VerónicaGarcía_Mesa · ‎10-23-2018

Thanks Joel, he has sent you an email with the detail.

NaomiBegg2 · ‎10-23-2018

Hi Joel

I have a Huawei P8 Lite (5.0.1). I've tried both those options to try and get out of markup but they don't work.

Lauenborg · ‎11-29-2018

Hi Scott Ball (or anyone else)

Do you know how it works when using the 'navigation with Google Maps' function in a cooporation? Do you need to a premium plan or similar agreement with Google to use Google Maps like this in a non-private context? Or is it allowed to simply use it "for free"?

Thanks in advance,

Martin

ScottBall · ‎12-19-2018

We have no special partnership or agreement with Google and I can't speak to their licensing requirements. From a technical standpoint, they allow applications to use Google Maps as a destination for addresses for the purposes of routing, so we are simply allowing the user to select which application they want to use. For any questions beyond that about non-Esri apps you will need to follow up with the app publisher.

ECanGIS_Team · ‎01-08-2019

Is anyone else having issues with pop-up values created in Pro (using arcade) carrying through to the explorer map? I created an expression that creates urls to launch survey123 from explorer. Works fine in Pro but I'm getting nothing after creating the mobile map package and viewed in Explorer.

NeilGallone · ‎01-09-2019

Good day to everyone,

We have created a MMPK file and loaded it into Explorer for IOS. The map and feature information works offline perfectly, however we are having an issue with the search tool. When the tablet is offline we are not able to search for addresses or assets. We made sure to make the asset _id in our feature searchable when creating the mmpk file, but it just does not work. Can some one please assist us with how to make the search tool in Explorer work offline?

deleted-user-7SLqM7dlvYNN · ‎03-28-2019

You'll have to wait for the next version to be released if you're doing it via an Arcade Expression https://community.esri.com/thread/229974-arcade-functions-in-popups-arent-working-in-explorer . If you want to launch survey123 then that's whitelisted so you can do it via a URL link in the normal pop up config (without Arcade).