temporarily disable layer in webmap

208
1
07-15-2019 01:00 PM
Status: Open
by Anonymous User
Not applicable

Idea:  be able to temporarily deactivate a layer in a webmap, without removing it.  (And thus affecting WAB widgets).  For example if federal layers in an emergency management viewer are not working for a few weeks, this would fix the nagging 'missing layers' WAB dialogue.

1 Comment
by Anonymous User

It would be great to have an option to "disconnect" a layer, which would maintain a "place holder" for the layer but not actually bring it into the map/mapping application/story map.  A little part of me dies every-time I finally get a map tweaked to near perfection then management changes their mind about a layer and I have to remove it from the map (thus losing all those precious configurations) only to be told the next day actually let's go ahead and "turn that layer on again"!!

I'm not sure how an idea like this would function, but for my two cents it would be amazing to be able to "disconnect" a layer and make any QC modifications or required fixes to the data without loosing all of the custom pop-up HTML formatting I spent an hour perfecting, the Arcade expressions created, the layer symbology, labeling... etc... etc..  

One step further would be if a "disconnected" item could have its sharing settings modified without giving daily users a permissions error when they access the map.  To clarify, enabling a layer to be "disconnected", then have its sharing made more restrictive than the map/app (thus its technically in conflict with the overall map/apps settings) to allow for modifications to be made/approved/signed off on while the larger map remains in production and accessible to its normal users.

Example use cases where disconnecting a layer in this way would be a benefit include when there's a high profile or heavily used map which has a single layer that:

  • ...Needs to be QC'd / repaired or otherwise temporarily put into a state that would "break" the map so users are unable to load it , in this case .  
  • ... needs its sharing changed to be more restrictive temporarily while our indecisive upper management makes a decision on whether it is in fact appropriate for that layer to be shared publicly...