How do I configure Time Slider in AGOL to not show the 'dates in range' with no data? (like 'view using unique times' in Pro)

[emmamani]

Hello Community,

I have a map in ArcGIS Pro with a time slider.

Configured to 'view using unique times' in the data in a range of dates.

There are 8 unique times in a 10 day range.

Not all dates in the date range have data. 27/03/2025 and 29/03/2025 do not have records.

There are no null values in the table.

Each polygon has a date and a filter. Red/Green (symbolised) 

The time slider displays each date chronologically in 8 steps and skips 27/03/2025 and 29/03/2025.

Meaning at no point is there an empty map.

Perfect!

Publish to AGOL

Time slider settings do not have 'view using unique times in the data'

If set to 1 day, each day in the time range is displayed chronologically. 

Including the 2 dates when there are no records where the map goes blank.

If set to divide into 8 equal steps, some of the data from two days is displayed in one step and the map still goes blank when there's no data.

I am testing this for a table with around 100 days of records over a time span of 18 months.

Therefore I do not want the auto play time slider to be empty for most of the time.

I want only the dates with data to display.

Ultimately I want to create an app with Experience Builder.

The time slider settings in ExB are the same as AGOL.

Is there any way to display only the days with records in the date range in AGOL or ExB?

Thank you 🙂

ArcGIS Online Map Time Slider Test 

Experience Builder Time Slider Test 

[Alex_Moore]

Hey emmamani, 

Thanks for your question!

I haven't tested this myself but my first thought that comes to mind is to use a data view in ArcGIS Experience Builder. With a view, you can apply a 'is not blank' filter for your date field, and then connect the data view to the Timeline widget. 

This is a quick video about creating data views in case you're interested: 

Create Data Views in ArcGIS Experience Builder 

Let us know if you make any progress on the project- looks super cool! 

[emmamani]

Thank you so much @Alex_Moore - I will watch the video and test this out, it sounds like what I'm looking for. I'll update you if this resolves it 🙂

[emmamani]

Hello @Alex_Moore I did test the data view but my date field has no null values anyway to filter. The only option I have found is to extend the date/time of one attribute to end just before the date/time of the next. Though this implies incorrect data for the days when nothing happened in between. It also makes for a very boring time slider experience where the map doesn't change for months. 
I have about 100 dates, spread over 18 months. There is no 'day' option in the steps setting. If I set this in EB to find an exact date/time in the time slider to view only one day of data is nearly impossible.
Thank you for trying 🙂

[Alex_Moore]

Hi @emmamani, thanks for the update! 

One other idea is to use the slider app within ArcGIS Instant Apps. This might offer a slightly different way to configure the application. I've included a blog post about the instant app: 

Animate data with the Slider Instant App 

Have a great rest of your day! 

-Alex