Web App Builder Application with Group Layers

[XueGao3]

I need to create a web app builder application with group layers. Each year is a group (2019, 2020, etc.) and there are multiple layers under each group. (See attachment)

We used ArcMap to create one .mxd for each year to make this work before. But we are re-creating the app now and we are using ArcGIS Pro. There is group layer capability in ArcGIS Pro, but once I publish the layer to ArcGIS Portal and add to a web map, I have another "group level" from the map service itself. (See attachment) Is it possible to remove the map service level group to just have the years group when adding to web map? 

[KevinMacLeodCAI]

@XueGao3  The good news! There is an easy workaround. Create several Layer Lists. Then, remove all the layer groups except the one you want, for each one. So each layer list will have a 'group'. Then group all the layer lists in to one widget Group (you can group widgets in the Launchpad theme.

Technically, grouping layers is only supported for feature layers (unfortunately not for map image layers; which are sometimes needed and also generally in wider use due to faster speed). And this is only supported in the new map Viewer. I hope support for grouping map image layers will appear. And tri-state partial checkbox for communicating only some layers in a group are turned on. 

[John_Spence]

Well, now that the new Map Viewer is out of beta...you know...the very one that allows you to group layers in it I went and checked Web App Builder to see if it respected the settings with the standard layer controller.  Guess what?  It doesn't.

Hopefully this gets rectified soon.

[KevinMacLeodCAI]

John, it probably won't unfortunately. WAB uses JS API 3.x. Frankly, it would be possible. It's just a matter of DOM/HTML user interface and making calls to the API. Others have done so. (AGS JS TOC; GeoCortex, etc)  WebApp Builder is the pinnacle of the Esri platform, it's brilliant. I love it. I think it will be long utilized for the next five years by large customers. I think it would be wise to add group layer support to 3.x or at least the WAB Layer List via new code. I think that would be worth the investment in programming time; WAB is probably the #1 way end users interact with GIS from agencies and large firms.  In the meantime, using multiple Layer Lists and putting them in Groups in the Launchpad theme is sort of a workaround that works fairly well.

[John_Spence]

@KevinMacLeodCAI I assumed as much knowing they had not changed anything with the classic web viewer WRT this topic.  The problem my users run into that they don't know about the groups/launchpad theme options so it causes some confusion and oh yeah...having to support them with Map Services vs. the more efficient Feature Services.  I'll keep holding my breath though just in case there is some hope on the horizon, however bleak.😉

[KevinMacLeodCAI]

Hi John, I agree with you on everything there, and I saw the same user experience feedback. In addition it would be useful to have partial state checkboxes to indicate some but not all layers in groups are displayed. Furthermore; adding some kind of badge for when a Filter is in effect would be great. Interestingly, these UI concepts (partial state checkboxes, filter badge) would apply across all products. The only one that has layer lists with partial state indicates is ArcEarth. 

[DavidSims2]

We need the ability to group layers in web app builder. Experience builder can do it but then it lacks a bunch of other functionality like the add data widget. Experience builder is also a lot harder to use.

[Allison_Hockey]

Hey @KevinMacLeodCAI ,

I'm interested in using this group layer functionality by grouping layer lists in the Launchpad theme. Is this something you could tell me how to do? Not sure if I'm understanding the workflow and would certainly appreciate any help!

[Frederic_Coderre]

Hi @Allison_Hockey, 

You might have found the answer by now, but I post anyway for future users.
https://doc.arcgis.com/en/web-appbuilder/latest/create-apps/widgets-tab.htm

You can add as many widget 'Layer list' as you need.
Then you can drag and drop all the widgets into one.
When you click on the widget group, you can reorder all the widgets in it.

The launchpad theme is not mandatory to use this workaround.

[RachelS]

Hi @Frederic_Coderre 

I just came across this thread and tried your steps. But I find when after grouping all the list when a list is open it hides all the other list below it. I'm just thinking for users they won't know where all the other layers are!

Is there a way around this, to view all the layerlists together when they are expanded?

Thanks

Rachel