Map Tour > "Start with a Feature Service" > Media Config. Option > Use URLs from a field or Use Attachments

[ccharping_patrickco]

Configurable options for media sources when using an existing feature service for a Map Tour.

Here is my scenario...I have an existing feature service that I would like to use for the map tour. However, I am not using attachments for the media but rather referencing them by a string field with URLs. My data is a point feature class with links to thumbnails and live camera feeds. In the old story map tour template (the one on extended support) I can almost make this work. Meaning if I went the route of using a CSV template and specified the URLs I can batch import and all works fine on the frontend. However, this still leaves me with the conundrum of having to manually reload new CSV data when there are new cameras added or removed from the dataset. In an ideal world, I'd like to see the new StoryMaps > Map Tour > Configuration Dialog > Start with a feature service > Options>  Choose fields from the feature service for media or use attachments. I'm envisioning this working similar to how the old CSV templates referenced at https://storymaps-classic.arcgis.com/en/faq/#question34a would inject data to the app, but being dynamic on a feature service.

[KevinN_CSJ]

@OwenGeo  This is exactly what I was looking for. I am trying to migrate a classic shortlist to the new format story maps, but it is built on a feature service that is edited externally so all my images are externally hosted and referenced by URLs in image and thumbnail fields.

Also being able to use more than 1 "Description" field would help with formatting, similar to how the old CSV shortlist had 6 fields: SHORT_DESC, DESC1, DESC2, etc. 

[JessicaWeinberg]

@OwenGeo Many of us with the National Park Service are trying to transition our Classic Map Tours into new ArcGIS StoryMap map tour blocks, and configurable media sources allowing us to feature media referenced by URLs would be a huge help for us as well. Thank you for considering!

[MartaAnalytics]

The new story map guided tour is lacking a lot of functionality comparing to the old shortlist template. For now I have build a template in experience builder but it is difficult to use for non GIS experts.

Our previous process:

- extract data from db to an excel file template (old shortlist template), we could style it using html (tables) and it included a lot of text, a column with url picture and ability to add external link in the text, everything that could be automated and then created in few simple steps by non GIS users in ArcGIS Online.

Now this is not available, so I have created experience template, but people in my organization need my help with re linking the data sources in the template. The new story map guide is very limited (pictures as an attachment require GIS specialist and why if we could use a existing column with picture url?, the number of columns displaying? for now just 2, title and description, very limited, no option to add external link and max. 200 locations). I feel like ESRI was rushing with new products that are missing now key functionality and old templates that were working perfectly are not longer available.

It would be very helpful if ESRI brings the functionality of old shortlist to the new templates as soon as possible.

Thank you,

Marta

[OwenGeo]

The ability for map tour to use a feature service field with image URLs (rather than image attachments) was added in August 2022.

For more information see, Release notes—ArcGIS StoryMaps | Documentation and What's New in ArcGIS StoryMaps (August 2022) (esri.com)