Instant App Default Layer View

[ToddHill]

I have a Search and Rescue map of our watershed. This map displays trail data, gates,  and sign posts. The map was created to help emergency services in my Town.  I have recently shared this map as an Instant App with the local police dept. Dispatch staff has access to this map via a URL in the event there is an emergency. One of the dispatchers asked if there is a way to have a set of default layers to be visible every time they open the map.

They suggested that the default layers should just be the trails, gates and sign post and if dispatch staff needed to turn anything else on they could do it at their convenience.  The maps has 70 layers and when the map is open there is so much to see they are hoping to minimize the visibility of layers. 

I did a search about setting up a set of Default layers to always load when the map opens but I'm running into a dead end every time I click on a link.

I'm hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

Current workflow is:

SAR map in Pro, that's pulling from ArcGIS Online, created an Instant App and shared the URL with the police dept. 

Thanks for any help in advance.

Cheers,

Todd

[SubaKrishnan · Accepted solution]

Hi @ToddHill Here are few ways to control layer visibility. Please go through this if you've not already. Also, am eager to know which instant app you're using. 

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/create-maps/organize-layers-mv.htm

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/create-maps/set-transparency-and-visible-range-mv.htm

[EmilyGeo · Accepted solution]

Hi @ToddHill, 

The layer visibility settings are preserved when you save the map in Map Viewer. 

Option 1 is to toggle on the visibility for the top 3 layers, then save the map in Map Viewer. Anytime the map is opened after that, including in an Instant app, those 3 layers will be visible. 

However, keep in mind that anytime you open (and then save) the map in Map Viewer, those settings will be affected. 

As Suba pointed out, you can organize the layers to make this task easier. For example, you could put the top 3 layers in 1 group with the visibility for the group toggled on. Then place all the other layers in a separate group with the visiblity toggled off. 

Another option could be to explore using URL parameters to show specific layers, then share that modified link with your colleagues. 

Here is a link to an article with more info on setting URL parameters in Map Viewer: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/use-url-parameters-in-map-viewer/

and setting URL parameters in Instant Apps: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/using-url-parameters-in-web-apps/

[ToddHill]

Thank you both for the quick response. I went ahead and turned the layers off in Map View that I don't want to load when the users open the map. Once I saved the map in Map View, I opened the Instant App and it now only has the layers I want to load when the map opens. If anyone at the police dept wants to turn on any of the additional layers that are not visible they can do it now at their convenience.

Thanks for the help,

Todd