Could you please consider enabling users to natively specify grid size in feet, meters, or their preferred working units? This is a valuable feature, but it currently feels somewhat incomplete compared to the functionality available in ArcGIS Pro.
Hi @Miralem_Zeljo, this is supported if the webmap you are using has a planar (and non web Mercator) basemap. This is because there can be a lot of distortion using measurements when using Geographic Coordinate Systems or Web Mercator.
I am currently working to set up a planar basemap and publish it to ArcGIS Online, but I have been unable to find comprehensive guidance on the full workflow. My goal is to configure a grid in feet and define cell sizes (e.g., 1x1, 2x2, or 10x10 feet).
I would appreciate any insights or best practices others may have on achieving this. Additionally, it would be highly beneficial if this level of grid control could be supported independently of the basemap in the future. While the feature itself is very useful, its current limitations and complexity make it challenging to implement effectively.
I definitely understand the need for grid cell measurements. We could expose this regardless of the basemaps, but we felt that it would be misleading and potentially harmful for data creation to imply that a strict grid can provide exact measurements when used on a projection that is more curved. Would you still prefer to have the capability to enter in the cell dimensions knowing that a value of "10 ft" will not be exact everywhere?
Thank you for sharing the resource — I’ll take a look at the basemap workflow.
I understand and agree with the concern regarding projection distortion and the potential for grid-based measurements to be interpreted as exact. That said, from a practical workflow perspective, having the ability to define grid cell dimensions in real-world units (e.g., feet or meters) would still be very valuable.
In many engineering and design use cases — especially at localized scales — users are already aware of projection limitations and are working within tolerances where that level of distortion is acceptable. Providing this capability, even with appropriate disclaimers, would significantly improve efficiency and alignment with existing workflows in tools like ArcGIS Pro.
So yes, I would still prefer having the option to define grid cell dimensions, with the understanding that measurements may not be exact across the entire extent depending on the projection.
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