ArcGIS Online seems very limited

BradfordFolta · ‎03-20-2012

I was hoping to publish data from an ArcSDE Server to ArcGISonline.com and have it be somewhat useful, but it looks like the functionality of the online version is very limited. For example:

Cannot query or search attribute data.
Cannot display labels on features from a feature dataset.
Cannot turn individual layers off or on.
Cannot create subfolders.
Limitations on the quantity of features (.shp files)

The interactive ability is practically nil. Seems like you can look at the geometry, and click an object to display some fields, and change the colors of symbol representation - but that's about it. Google Earth still seems to be a better choice for sharing ArcGIS data with outside groups, because ArcGIS online doesn't offer much that Google doesn't already do, and Google really offers more features and is more user friendly.

Am I missing something? Or is this intentionally designed to provide minimum usefulness? Until I have a web service available to publish to, I was hoping this online service would suffice in the interim, but so far I'm very disappointed. Sure it's free, but not very useful in comparison to GE. Loading published maps seems quite flaky too, I usually have to repeat several steps over and over again and eventually it comes out right after a lot of trial and error - I don't have the time for this stuff. Make it work right the first time, make it useful. Buggy, inconsistent software with limited functionality is not going to be something I will grow to rely on. ArcGISonline is a nice idea, but to date, poorly executed.

-Dave

FugroSurvey_Ltd_ · ‎05-16-2013

Hi everyone,

I know this is a very old topic but I have just bumped into this problem now. I am currently creating map services in ArcGIS Server and I would like to publish them and share with my company's staff as I used to do when creating Web Apps in previous AcrGIS Server versions. I think I have just realized that that is not possible until you buy another subscription. Is that right?
Do we really have to buy extras on top of a very expensive product as ArcGIS Server is? Am I missing something? I read somewhere that I could still install the old ArcGIS Server interface to create Web Apps but that was totally not recommended.
So can someone explain me how can I make my data available for whoever in the company needs it via IE?

Thnaks

Paola

BradfordFolta · ‎05-16-2013

Yes - you can publish services from ArcGIS Server and let anyone view them using ArcGIS Online - but the catch is now you have to make those maps you create online Public - so they have to be shared to the world - not good if you have maps/info you don't want to publish in the public realm. It didn't used to be that way (you could share maps privately with groups/users), ESRI changed that policy a few months ago. If you want to keep your stuff private, now you have to buy a subscription.

It seems to me that within the past year there has been a policy shift at ESRI that's aimed at removing/minimizing product features/enhancements that used to be included or free, and now making you pay for them. Not only do you have to purchase a subscription to ArcGIS Online, but then you have to buy credits for use. The ESRI convoluted product pricing schemes are (I think intentionally) difficult to grasp and intended to confuse.

FugroSurvey_Ltd_ · ‎05-16-2013

Thank you very much for your reply waveguide.

That's the answer I feared. It seems to me a bit too much now. ArcGIS server per si is a very expensive product and it doesn�??t seem fair to me that previous functionalities are now �??banned�?� and �??sold separately�?�? And I have no idea how many users we will have. Our idea is to spread the word and make GIS available for everyone in the company. Potentially 300 users will use it, reality maybe 2 or 3. Does that mean that I will have to buy credits based on potential users?

I would agree if ESRI was removing/minimizing product features/enhancements that used to be included or free and then made the products cheaper. But not double charging customers.
Anyone from ESRI to Comment on that? When we go to the What�??s New in xxxx conferences these obscure details are never mentioned�?�

Anyone knows where can I find the old Web Apps installer? Cannot find it with ArcGIS Server 10.1 installer.

Thank you

BradfordFolta · ‎05-16-2013

Thank you very much for your reply waveguide.

That's the answer I feared. It seems to me a bit too much now. ArcGIS server per si is a very expensive product and it doesn�??t seem fair to me that previous functionalities are now �??banned�?� and �??sold separately�?�?......When we go to the What�??s New in xxxx conferences these obscure details are never mentioned�?�

I agree - users pay a LOT of money for products like ArcGIS Server and then all the annual maintenance subscriptions. Nickel and diming the customers for every detail regarding it's use seems over the top and excessive.

What's worse is many product enhancements and features touted as included in the next release or free are subsequently removed, and users are then forced to pay down the line if they wish to use them - it's the old bait and switch - seems like the new SOP at ESRI.

NeilAyres · ‎05-16-2013

To get this thread back on track....
I have been fiddling with AGOL for a few weeks now. Got my subscription & points etc etc. Just me at the moment experimenting with different layer types and stuff.
And, yes, I am disappointed. The available symbologies is very poor (even a simple compound line style doesn't work). Raster imagery like geophysics with a nice colour ramp.... Half the colour spectrem vanishes... No prioritized symbols
And yes, I would like labels. And also yes, you can do this if you publish as a tiled map service and not a feature service, but watch out, even a simple polygon with a name in the middle will turn into a map image of XX Gb, say goodbye to those expensive credits...
Was at a local esri conference last week. Gave the man from esri a hard time over AGOL. At the moment its designed for users that want to use a standard base map on which to plot their 15 squirrel locations... Not someone with some fairly large and diverse datasets.

Will keep trying though.

Perhaps the AGOL team can inform us of where / what improvements are coming along.

No squirrels were harmed when typing this post.

Cheers,
Neil

BradfordFolta · ‎05-16-2013

I agree - users pay a LOT of money for products like ArcGIS Server and then all the annual maintenance subscriptions. Nickel and diming the customers for every detail regarding it's use seems over the top and excessive.

What's worse is many product enhancements and features touted as included in the next release or free are subsequently removed, and users are then forced to pay down the line if they wish to use them - it's the old bait and switch - seems like the new SOP at ESRI.

I just spoke with my ESRI account rep about this - specifically the new policy that prevents you from sharing maps privately unless you purchase a subscription. The reason given was that ESRI has absorbed costs that both Bing and Google have now impressed on them, and it's their way of passing along those costs. To be fair, it was also noted that some folks at ESRI are not happy about the way they've had to change the ArcGIS Online policies.

LarryJahn · ‎05-16-2013

Maybe I'm missing something here, but why not download and install ArcGIS Viewer for Flex or ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight (both free)? Either of these applications makes it relatively easy to connect to your ArcGIS Server services and create maps for your company's viewing. This would eliminate the need for an AGO subscription.

FugroSurvey_Ltd_ · ‎05-17-2013

ljahn,

Thank you for your suggestion. Indeed ArcGIS Explorer/Arc Reader could do the job but they are different tools/concepts. To use those I would have to make sure everyone has got the software installed, some people will require support whereas sending a http: link it is a lot easier. Specially for non GIS users. Furthermore in ArcGIS Server Web Apps I could create specific tools, create specific queries, create map templates to generate reports and so on and so on. So that�??s the main point.

We sometimes use ArcGIS Explorer and most of the times it can't cope with large amounts of data, doesn�??t cope well with WMS, etc. Result? The users will give up.

The point we are making here is ESRI over charging users for services not provided anymore. Functionalities that were working perfectly well and they just decided "let's give them a worse option and charge them extra for that".

Paola

LarryJahn · ‎05-17-2013

I am not suggesting that you use ArcGIS Explorer/ArcReader. I am talking about ArcGIS Viewer for Flex (http://resources.arcgis.com/en/communities/flex-viewer/ )and ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight (http://resources.arcgis.com/en/communities/silverlight-viewer/ ). Either of these two applications can essentially create web mapping applications similar to the web mapping application wizard which was previously available in the older ArcGIS Server versions.

LarryJahn · ‎05-17-2013

Furthermore, both ArcGIS Viewer for Flex/Silverlight are far superior products to the prior wizard driven web mapping application available on ArcGIS Server. You can do way more out-of-box (tools, layouts, etc.), you have a more responsive map, and you get a nicer overall map. This is not an instance in which esri didn't offer a good alternative/solution after deprecating part of their product. Look into these and try them out. I think you'll find them to be a good alternative to the old, clunky web maps produced in ArcGIS Server. Good luck.