Identify Widget - only visible layers?

[EricGardecki]

I'm trying to make use of the Identify Widget for Flex Viewer 2.5 and appear to be having an issue.  I have the <identifylayeroption> set to "top" and have <layers onlythese="true"> and list out each layer I want to be able to identify.  However, some of the layers do and some do not get identified.  After some troubleshooting it seems that the widget only identifies layers that were set to visible when the map loads.  If I turn on a layer that is configured to be identified, it does not work.  Only the layers that were turned on at map load can be identified, regardless of whether or not they are turned on at the time they are clicked.

I've gone over the list of layers in the config file 4 times and see no error and the widget works great other than this issue.

There must be a setting to fix this but I'm not finding it.  Anyone know what it is?

thanks!

[RobertScheitlin__GISP · Accepted solution]

Eric,

   Change from "top" to "visible" as you have noticed the top option only knows what is set to visible at the server and not what has changed at the client.

Don't forget to click the Mark as answer check on this post and to click the top arrow (promote) as shown below:

[EricGardecki]

i'll have to reevaluate using "visible".  I originally set it to "top" as I didn't like that it came back with a big jumble of results but maybe I can adjust it.

Thanks.

[EricGardecki]

I've experimented a bit with the "visible" setting again.  The problem is that it doesn't take group layers or scale-dependent layers into account.  So using that setting I get identify results for several layers that aren't even truly visible when I really only want results for the one feature I clicked on.

I can't imagine making a mapping app without both group layers and scale-dependency so I can't be the only one using them.  Am I missing something?  How do I get this to work?

Doing without group layers may be quite ugly and cluttered, but it is possible.  However, doing without scale-dependency isn't.

thanks

[KenHolmquist]

Robert,

As always, thank you for your work.

I am also having the problem described above in that I am using <identifylayeroption>visible</identifylayeroption> but the Identify will return information for features that are not displayed because I am at a scale at which they are not displayed.  Is there a way to set the Identify configuration parameters so that the widget will only display results for layers that are actually visible?  I have my transmission line structure points set to not display until the user zooms in 1:72,224 scale.  I do not want the Identify to show me attributes for these points when they are not displayed.

Is there a way to configure the Identify widget to do this?

Thanks,
Ken

[AngieAllison]

Robert is there a way to have the results with a minimal amount of data and the pop up with all the data??

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Eric, (& Ken)

    You are going to have to be more clear on what you mean when you say it does not work with group layers. Scale dependency is another issue as technically to the identify task the layers that are not visible due to scale range ARE actually visible (Checked) but not displayed. I will see if there is anything I can do to address this but as I am not an esri employee who's only job is to work on the API and widgets I will have to see when my schedule allows. As far as the Flex team is concerned identify is obsolete and out dated and you should be using popups for only those layers that you absolutely HAVE TO.

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Robert is there a way to have the results with a minimal amount of data and the pop up with all the data??

Marie,

     Forum ettiquite says you should not hijack someone elses thread with new questions, always start your own thread. But to answser your question, currently no. There is no way for the results of the widget and the popup to be configured differently.

[EricGardecki]

Group layers as in, for example, I have several layers that make up our complete storm sewer system.  I have each of those layers in a group, turned on, but the group itself (the group has a layer number in REST) is turned off.  It's just an easy way to turn on or off multiple related layers.   So it sounds the same as the issue you described with scale-dependency.

I can see the use of popups.  Ideally I would like to use a mixture of popups and identify.  I just don't see popups being the only way to go.  I have many layers, and some of them just have way too many fields to show in a popup....or things would just be cleaner to have a popup with key info and identify for more in-depth details.  I can just see it being such a mess to have something pop up no matter where you happen to be pausing your mouse. 

I still find it strange that an identify tool (one that simply functions just like they do in ArcMap - how is that too much to ask from esri?) isn't built into the viewer.  To me it's the single most important thing in mapping outside of the ability to zoom.

I'm scared to even ask this but should I be using a different viewer other than Flex?  Is one of the others more identify friendly?

[RobertScheitlin__GISP]

Eric,

   Seems like I will be able to fix the scale related results issue but the group layers thing is an overall issue with the Flex Viewer that is suppose to get fixed in the 3.0 final release. After they fix it in viewer then I can get it working in my identify widget.