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Field Maps multi-source basemaps support?

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06-28-2024 06:58 AM
ZacharyHart
Honored Contributor

I thought the June release of Field Maps was going to support multi-source basemaps? I'm a member of the early adopter program and thought I saw it on the roadmap? Perhaps I misread.

This is a very important feature. The current vector base maps are generally poor for field navigation in 2 ways:

The topographic basemap does not have contours, only a weak hillshade. The topo w/ contours is a multi-source basemap. The second issue is roads are generally white and very hard to see. With the Vector Tile Style Editor, we were able to craft our own custom basemap. However neither this nor even the Esri topo w/ contours are available for offline use. 

This continues to be another reason why field workers will opt for Avenza over Field Maps despite the overwhelming benefits of data collection in Field Maps.

Does anyone have any information on this subject? 

Thanks.

6 Replies
ZacharyHart
Honored Contributor

Anyone from Esri know something about this?

MarkBockenhauer
Esri Regular Contributor

Thank you for your valuable feedback regarding the lack of offline support for multi-source vector tile styles. This functionality has not yet reached an actionable level within our R&D group. Your inquiry, along with others, plays a crucial role in shaping our priorities.

Again thanks for highlighting this deficiency, and if anyone else would like this implemented please comment.

~ sometimes it takes a village.

0 Kudos
ElisabethFenn
Occasional Contributor

I'll second this request. This would be really useful functionality for us too.

RebeccaDiGirolomo
New Contributor

This has been an issue for us as well. Our field staff are utilizing other apps out of necessity for navigational purposes when they would ideally be using Field Maps for both data collection and navigation. Offline support for multi-source basemaps would greatly improve our efficiency in the field and increase utilization of Field Maps by our staff.

CBurgess
Emerging Contributor

I agree with the above. The ESRI default basemaps are not helpful under several use cases in the field. Rural roads are poorly documented so it is difficult for navigating to a site. It includes a hillshade which is occasionally useful but contours are helpful for others in field work. The ability to use a custom basemap would alleviate these issues and would begin to perhaps make Field Maps competitive against Avenza. Avenza still dominates in large part because of the flexibility allowed in end user data customization 

CBurgess
Emerging Contributor

Just to be clear, a side loaded .tpkx is a different use case than described here. A side loaded basemap is definitely useful for site level work but the use case here would be for region wide (multi-state) operations.