ArcPad fails to load cached Map Services from ArcGIS Server

[ZacharyHart]

First I want to say that ESRI Support is working on this and will likely log a bug but also encouraged me to reach out here. This question is similar to the one logged by the poor user who submitted their question here that never got answered.

Server is version 10.2.1 and ArcPad is version 10.2.2  Very basic cached map service for testing. Service is consumed fine in Desktop (SOAP) and REST endpoint. Accessing map services from AGS via ArcPad first yields an HTTP error 400; then after clearing that error the icon spins and the service never loads. Adding map services from AGO or Bing images yields an HTTP error 400, but then the data does indeed load. Feature services can be added from AGS [but are not rendered as defined by their related map service component].

Please keep in mind that is is advertised functionality:

"

ArcGIS Server

  Similarly to ArcGIS Online, you can configure your own ArcGIS Server to publish map services. Map services can be used in ArcPad in the same way as the ArcGIS Online basemap services. As with ArcGIS Online services, when you connect to an ArcGIS Server service from ArcPad a NMF file is created and added to ArcPad. Once created, this file can be added to future ArcPad maps, via the Add Layer(s) tool."

ESRI is able to replicate the identical issue; troubling since this functionality was released some time ago. Has anyone else experienced this behavior?

I will edit and post the NIM number when I receive it.

[ZacharyHart]

Here is the bug info:

BUG-000082371:

Adding a map service to ArcPad 10.2.1 from an ArcGIS Server returns the following error: “Encountered HTTP error 400 for"

Interestingly it is related to:

This bug is related to: NIM102113

["Adding basemap data to ArcPad 10.2 from http://services.arcgisonline.com to Desktop returns the following error: “Encountered HTTP error 400 for"]

And now an open plea: Why does ESRI continue advertise functionality that doesn't exist? Is this vaporware?

[MarikaVertzonis]

This functionality does exist.

For the full steps to use, please refer to The ArcPad Team Blog

In summary:

• the map service must use Web Mercator
• you need to prepare a tile cache
• the tile cache must include layer 0 (the world extent)

This extra detail will be added to the help.

[ZacharyHart]

Marika,

Thanks for the response, perhaps Kevin from ESRI Technical Support was able to reach you. While he and I have been working on several issues related to ArcPad, we had been using the download tile applet developed from your team. I discovered that when defining the number of cache levels to download 'below' your current level, the tool would in fact try to download L20; the various cache folders were created in the appropriate location (My Documents) but no tiles were downloaded for this level (only blank HTML files). This is the exact behavior I had witnessed when trying to access cached tiles from our AGS. When I had been testing this with another analyst which concluded in the issuing of a new bug (BUG-000082371), I suddenly recalled that they had me generated only a portion of the tiles (not starting with the world extent). Presumably, they did the same thing on their end (at ESRI), because they observed the behavior. So, ArcPad was trying to access tiles which did not exist.

So, this morning is set-about creating a new cache which originated at the world extent (level 00). These tiles were all created and can be seen in the GIS cache directories. However, when accessing this service in ArcPad (after clearing the HTTP 400 error) the same behavior persists. I don't know of any other parameter that is required at this point. The service is:

• Using Web Mercator projection
• A cached service using the 'exploded' storage format option
• The appropriate Tiling Scheme which includes the level 0 tiles

The cached folder ArcPad creates a folder called L01 with blank HTML references and does not appear to be creating an L00 folder first as expected.

Furthermore, when you add any service from ArcGIS online, it initiates the tile download with Level 01; you must perform a fixed zoom out in order to acquire L00 in your local cache folder.

Even though you have level 0 tile cache present for your AGS map service, ArcPad is starting with L01 (which does exist).

[ZacharyHart · Accepted solution]

This issue has been resolved at 10.2.2 per an enhancement request that we submitted "ENH-000082958 - Update current ArcPad 10.2 documentation to include proper workflow for adding cached map services into ArcPad."