Adding Background Imagery to Custom Basemap

[Anonymous User]

Hi everyone.  I am creating a custom basemap with the intent of using it for a Collector App and eventually other mobile applications.  I followed a nice Design and Create Basemap Tutorial from ESRI.  My question I need help approaching tactically (as opposed to trial and error) is how do I add base imagery.  I want Aerial Imagery.  Is there a way to sandwich two basemaps into one?  So custom + ESRI <Imagery or Topo> essentially.  My custom basemap is essentially 3 or 4 vector layers with labels and symbology that vary by scale.  I just want something  underneath it - a basemap for  my basemap if you will...

Thanks!

Zach

[Brian_Wilson]

You only get to use one "basemap" at a time.

I created a "basemap" with roads, water bodies, parks etc and tried using it as a real raster tile basemap until I realized I would have to create an entirely separate one to get air photos. Then I published it as vector tiles instead, and it is used in all my maps as just a regular layer. Then I created an empty basemap (called "Empty Basemap") that just defines the projection and has no data in it and I use that as the default basemap. Then users can swap in an aerial photo basemap if they want instead of nothing and when the want to they can switch on and off the vector layer. 

I also figured out I could have two separate vector tile layers, one contains only labels and the other has unlabeled features. This allows putting the labels on top and using them even when the features layer is turned off to allow seeing more of the aerial basemap.

The vector tiles and the Empty Basemap downloads very quickly and take minimal space on devices.

[Anonymous User]

@Brian_Wilson - aaahh, interesting.  Seems possibly the best "hack", because I do consider my vector tile package to be basically a basemap, like yours.  BUT I need background imagery or topo hillshade as well.  Separate topic - did you go Web Mercator?  I have multiple ArcPro maps used in figure creation which would ideally be Share ---> Web Layer ---> Publish Weblayer directly.  But they're in a projected coordinate system.  Thanks.

[Brian_Wilson]

I have a process scripted that pulls the data from the Enterprise GDB and projects it into Web Mercator in a file geodatabase and then builds the vector tiles.

This also allows me to do other processing like unsplitting road and river lines

I also have it do a "stage" script where the tiles are set up on the Portal in a different name for QC

Then I have a "release" script that that uses "replace" to publish them.

[Brian_Wilson]

I have this code in an internal git repo right now but really I doubt there's anything secret in there, I could probably publish the thing on github. Most of my work is there already.

[Anonymous User]

Hi Brian.  I would definitely take a look at your scripts and workflow.  This adds an interesting wrinkle to my workflow.  I would obviously prefer not to convert everything to Web Mercator, because my project data is in a State Plane projection, so my feedback from field collection to data updates will involve reprojecting back and forth.  But I need the background imagery, and imagine creating my own (tiling, projecting, etc.) will not be worth the effort.  One question for you - so the Tile Layer (published), once added to Webmaps (apps too?), load as a single layer?  No toggling on and off or even viewing in the Legend in Collector for instance.  So my rivers, roads, etc. will just be one single basemap essentially.  Also, I am planning to continue using Collector for now.  Have you made the switch to Field <whatever> yet?  Thanks Brian!  Zach

[Brian_Wilson]

This morning I pushed everything up to Github, https://github.com/bwilsoncc/basemap -- There is more detail there in the README.

I use three vector tile layers, one for labels and one for features in apps and one for field work that combines both. But the road, parks, water features are all squashed into one layer.

They are all published to the public so you can see for example the combined layer here.

https://delta.co.clatsop.or.us/portal/home/item.html?id=e32e653d547b499a999080de8920b183

Part of the publication process includes uploading the package file so that remains available on the server for downloading to devices. The scripts datestamp things, so that I can manage them a little more easily. The packages are published with a cumbersome name, QA'ed, and then the published ones are replaced.

So for example this package is at

https://delta.co.clatsop.or.us/portal/home/item.html?id=cb376297a7384862b681735ad0f944e1

and it is named "Vector Tiles (10/26/21 13:59 BW)" so I can tell when it was published by whom (my initials are BW). That way I can keep publishing and checking versions until I get everything right!!  Then delete all the broken ones and publish the final to the world.

Using these layers I have done two Collector projects for the county, and a Field Maps project for the local land trust.  I've not gotten any feedback so far.

[MicZatorsky_AEC]

Depending on your use case, you have the option to use a tile package (tpk) as a custom basemap in Collector.  Create a map to look exactly the way you want to see your basemap, then create the tile package.