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Layer check box on new map viewer

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4
03-01-2024 02:42 PM
Status: Open
AlexAnder
Occasional Contributor

The new map viewer is nice but I have a very hard time with the visibility of the layer checkboxes. On the old map viewer, the tried and true simple checkbox design makes it very obvious if a layer is visible or not. Empty Box = invisible and Checked Box = visible

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The new map viewer flips this. Now it's Greyed Out Eyeball = Invisible and No Eyeball = Visible. This is (to me) visually confusing and counterintuitive. It makes it difficult to know what layers I have checked at a glance.

AlexAnder_2-1709332528524.png

 

 

 

 

4 Comments
PeterKnoop

Being at an education institution, we continually are introducing new users to the Map Viewer. While users get it after awhile, most find the current experience initially counter-intuitive, and, if they are not frequent users, they are generally confused whenever time they resume using Map Viewer.

As @AlexAnder notes, users are expecting to see an indicator shown when a layer is visible, rather than an indicator shown when a layer is not visible. For our users, who often are not previous users of Map Viewer Classic or Pro, this expectation is being set through user experience with other applications they commonly use.

SarahNoakes1

I agree with @AlexAnder & @PeterKnoop . The eyes disappearing when a layer is switched on is extremely counter-intuitive.  I've yet to meet anyone who likes it (sorry ☹️).

Experience builder now has the option to use tick boxes to control the layer visibility in its map layers widget. Please please please can this be extended across the whole platform?

AlexAnder

Any chance of updating this? It is still very confusing for me and other users. At the very minimum a blank box (similar to photoshop's layer visibility) would make a world of a difference....

SarahNoakes1

I've just released an Instant App to our users with a request for feedback, and one of the first comments I have received relates to the Layer List:

"Just as a follow up to my earlier point about menu options not being too clear, its specifically the visible/not visible icon which is difficult to see properly."

He also helpfully pointed me to another ArcGIS mapping website that has checkboxes - and that's an old WebAppBuilder site.  So it's not just the GIS professionals who think the invisible eyes are a backwards step - the users do too!