How to create a tpk using a combination of your own layers and Esri basemaps?

JonathanNowlan · ‎05-29-2018

I'm looking for some insight on using tpk files with Survey123. The following help doc for Survey123 states the following:

Prepare basemaps for offline use—Survey123 for ArcGIS | ArcGIS

"You can use your own data layers, Esri basemaps, or a combination of both."

However, further down in the same help doc it states the following:

"Online services, such as tiled map services, are not supported in ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro. Only maps that contain local data can be cached using the tile package tools in ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro. Attempting to package maps that contain online services will result in a Layer type is not supported error."

Does anyone know if it's possible to create a tpk that uses a combination of Esri Basemaps and your own data layers that can in turn be used with Survey123?

DougBrowning · ‎05-29-2018

ArcMap 10.1 can do it if you have access to that. I kept an old 10.1 around for years just for this.

(This actually really caused issues for us and our developer. We were counting on it then they shut it off in 10.2 and on. Even as a Esri partner our developer got nowhere with tickets and escalation. Each dept blamed the other for turning it off and we never did get a fix or answer. )

There is another hack. If I remember right you had to add the layer to a Mosaic Dataset then cache that MD. This hides the source from ArcMap so it takes it.

Then ArcPro came along and it seems to work just fine caching a service.

Be careful though because a run away script can get you blacklisted by the Esri data host. Happened to us!

Also be aware I have 5 open bugs on the Caching tools - mostly using a AOI - for 3 years and counting now. So issues may come up. Create Tile Package is the slowest but also the most reliable.

Good luck.

JonathanNowlan · ‎05-29-2018

I believe I've found a workflow. If I use Tile Package Kreator and create a tpk and then add it to ArcGIS Pro and add my own layer on top of it and then package it back up in Pro as a tpk.

Thanks!