Operational Layers or Base Maps?

[jameshawks]

All I want are my three services and a map switcher. I don't want fires, streets, topo, aerial etc. There's plenty of other places to get that besides my future site. Should I make my three services (all three are dynamic and the same projection and extent) base maps or operational layers?

[BjornSvensson]

Should I make my three services (all three are dynamic and the same projection and extent) base maps or operational layers?

Depends...

If you want people to switch between them (but only one being ON at a time), then go for basemaps.  Otherwise, go for operational layers.

If you want one of your service to always be ON, then make that the basemap, and the other operational layers.

[jameshawks]

Just one service on at a time (its three different scale bands).

I tried three base map services and now I can't see any of my services/data and now. Here is config.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!--
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////xdfsdfsdf
//
// Copyright (c) 2010 ESRI
//
// All rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States.
// You may freely redistribute and use this software, with or
// without modification, provided you include the original copyright
// and use restrictions.  See use restrictions in the file:
// <install location>/License.txt
//
// Read mode about ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.1 - http://links.esri.com/flexviewer
//
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-->
<configuration>
    <title>NOAA's ENCDirect to GIS</title>
    <subtitle>... using ArcGIS</subtitle>
    <logo>assets/images/noaa.png</logo>
    <stylecolors>0xFFFFFF,0x333333,0x101010,0x6666cc,0xFFD700,0xCCCCFF</stylecolors> <!-- Black Gold -->
    <stylealpha>0.8</stylealpha>

    <!-- UI elements -->
    <widget left="10"  top="50"    config="widgets/Navigation/NavigationWidget.xml" url="widgets/Navigation/NavigationWidget.swf"/>
<!--   <widget right="-2" bottom="-2" config="widgets/OverviewMap/OverviewMapWidget.xml" url="widgets/OverviewMap/OverviewMapWidget.swf"/>-->
    <widget right="20" top="55"    config="widgets/MapSwitcher/MapSwitcherWidget.xml" url="widgets/MapSwitcher/MapSwitcherWidget.swf"/>
    <widget left="0"   top="0"     config="widgets/HeaderController/HeaderControllerWidget.xml" url="widgets/HeaderController/HeaderControllerWidget.swf"/>

    <map initialextent="-15083000 3139000 -4779000 5458000" top="40">
       <basemaps>
       <!--  <layer label="Streets" type="tiled" visible="false"  alpha="1"
                        url="http://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Street_Map/MapServer"/>-->
  <layer label="General" type="dynamic" visible="true" alpha="1"
                  
                   url="http://10.60.5.79:8399/arcgis/rest/services/General_ENCD/MapServer"/>      

    <layer label="Coastal"  type="dynamic" visible="true" alpha="1"
                        url="http://10.60.5.79:8399/arcgis/rest/services/Coastal_ENCD/MapServer"/>
       <layer label="Approach_Harbor" type="dynamic" visible="true" alpha="1"
                  
                   url="http://10.60.5.79:8399/arcgis/rest/services/AH_ENCD_layernames/MapServer"/>
      
  <!--      <layer label="Topo"    type="tiled" visible="false" alpha="1"
                        url="http://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/World_Topo_Map/MapServer"/>-->
        </basemaps>
        <operationallayers>
      <!--     <layer label="Boundaries and Places" type="tiled" visible="false"
                   url="http://server.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/Reference/World_Boundaries_and_Places_Alternate/..."/>-->
      <!--      <layer label="Fires" type="dynamic" visible="true" alpha="1"
                   info="widgets/InfoTemplates/SimpleInfoWinWidget.swf"
                   infoconfig="widgets/InfoTemplates/IWT_Fires.xml"
                   url="http://10.60.5.79:8399/arcgis/rest/services/Coastal_ENCD/MapServer">-->
       
  </operationallayers>
    </map>

    <!-- widgets organized into widget containers that manage close/open etc -->
    <!-- supported layout property options: horizontal(default)|float|vertical|fix-->
    <widgetcontainer layout="float">
<!--       <widget label="Bookmarks"         left="430" top="90"
                icon="assets/images/i_bookmark.png"
                config="widgets/Bookmark/BookmarkWidget.xml"
                url="widgets/Bookmark/BookmarkWidget.swf"/>
        <widget label="Find an address"   left="100" top="90" preload="open"
                icon="assets/images/i_target.png"
                config="widgets/Locate/LocateWidget_US.xml"
                url="widgets/Locate/LocateWidget.swf"/>
        <widget label="Louisville Police" left="590" top="280"
                icon="assets/images/i_police.png"
                config="widgets/Query/QueryWidget_Louisville_PoliceStations.xml"
                url="widgets/Query/QueryWidget.swf"/>
        <widget label="Search" left="80" top="280"
                icon="assets/images/i_search.png"
                config="widgets/Search/SearchWidget_Louisville.xml"
                url="widgets/Search/SearchWidget.swf"/>
        <widget label="Earthquakes (GeoRSS)" left="410" top="280"
                icon="assets/images/i_rss.png"
                config="widgets/GeoRSS/GeoRSSWidget.xml"
                url="widgets/GeoRSS/GeoRSSWidget.swf"/>
        <widget label="Draw and Measure" left="60" top="400"
                icon="assets/images/i_draw2.png"
                config="widgets/Draw/DrawWidget.xml"
                url="widgets/Draw/DrawWidget.swf"/>
        <widget label="Print" left="390" top="400"
                icon="assets/images/i_print.png"
                config="widgets/Print/PrintWidget.xml"
                url="widgets/Print/PrintWidget.swf"/>-->

        <!--
        <widget label="My first widget"
                icon="assets/images/i_widget.png"
                config="widgets/Samples/HelloWorld/HelloWorldWidget.xml"
                url="widgets/Samples/HelloWorld/HelloWorldWidget.swf"/>
        -->
 
  <widget label="LayerList"
                icon="assets/images/i_layers.png"
                config="widgets/LayerList/LayerListWidget.xml"
                url="widgets/LayerList/LayerListWidget.swf"/>
    </widgetcontainer>

</configuration>