Latest Contributions by AmyNiessen

"Government works best, when it's government by the People." Code for America really  gets right to the heart of the matter when it comes to the National Day of Civic Hacking, coming up this weekend, August 11th, 2018. For several years now, Esri has been a strong active supporter of this annual event which combines technology, people, and innovative ideas for improving the lives of citizens, solving problems, and helping government work better.   Given that many of our most complex civic problems involve spatial relationships of people, things, and resources moving over space and time, ArcGIS continues to be a powerful toolset for bringing technology to bear as innovative ideas are envisioned and projects are built.   If you plan to be part of the Code for America Brigades this weekend and would like to use ArcGIS in your solution, here are some free resources for your use: Developer subscriptions to ArcGIS Online are free and you can sign up for your account here: https://developers.arcgis.com. This free subscription gives you access to developer APIs, along with app templates, app builders, sample code, example apps, and online community discussion forums. You also get 50 cloud credits a month you can use for storing data and maps, and using analytical tools.   For those participating in National Day of Civic Hacking events, Esri is providing voucher codes which give you up to 1,000 additional ArcGIS Online cloud credits. If you would like a voucher code, please let us know by emailing us at: civictech@esri.com   ArcGIS DevLabs are a series of short (10-15 min) self-paced tutorials for getting started with ArcGIS. With these, you will find it very easy to learn how to import and build datasets, create web maps, and also embed mapping tools into apps you are building. https://developers.arcgis.com/labs   Our top picks for developers this weekend are: Import and Manage Data Get Demographic Data Spatial Analysis Style and Visualize Maps Query and Edit Data         *Features can output as GeoJSON for interoperability   Our top picks for the non-developer this weekend are: ArcGIS Online Quick Lessons Publishing Data to the Cloud Data Analysis and Analysis Tools Mapping and Visualization Create an Application   As you start using the tools, online help from Esri staff is easy to find: a. Use hashtag #NationalDayOfCivicHacking on social media, like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram b. Join theSpatialCommunity.slack.com and use the #arcgis and #arcgis-web channels c. Engage with the global community of ArcGIS users on Esri's Online Community: geonet.esri.com   Good luck and have fun! We can't wait to hear about all the innovative and impactful civic tech being built at events all over the US.   ... View more

On Monday, August 27th, the Developer Outreach Team will be hosting a GeoDev Meetup in Houston, TX. Nicholas Popovich will be emceeing the event, and we're looking forward to another successful developer event. For the first time, we will be heading to Grace's on Kirby, which is a local, hometown venue in the Houston area. From 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., we are welcoming all who identify as being part of the developer community to join us as we invite all of you to participate in the lightning talks interspersed with trivia, snacking on some appetizers, and also some networking.  If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to the link below: https://www.meetup.com/DevMeetUpTexas/events/253070707/  We hope to see you there! The Developer Outreach Team ... View more

In the month of June, we hosted a GeoDev Webinar on our DevLabs Model: Data, Design, and Develop. Allan Laframboise and Jim Barry gave a 50 minute presentation with 10 minutes of Q&A. We had a number of questions that we were unable to get to during the webinar, but we wanted to share the answers with the developer community as we find them to be ones that are important and useful. Q: What is the difference between creating web maps and services through the regular ArcGIS online and the DevLabs method? Can I modify the web applications that we create like edit the application itself without having to download it and host it in another server?  A: When it comes to creating web maps and hosted feature services, there is no difference. DevLabs modules provide a developer-oriented way to learn how to use ArcGIS Online. As for modifying web applications. If you build these web apps using Web AppBuilder or the configurable web application templates, you can modify them all you want using the tools provided, and continue hosting those on the Esri cloud through ArcGIS Online. If however you want to download the web app you created and code additional customizations, you will then need to host the web app yourself on your own web server. It is not possible to download a web app and re-upload it. Q: If I edit a basemap and create a new basemap and save it, can I use it through the ArcGIS Desktop client version if I log in with my ArcGIS online account? A: Based on the content in this webinar, I believe you are referring to vector tile basemaps. If so, then the answer is yes. When you style a vector tile basemap, and store that as an item in your ArcGIS Online account, you can log into your account using ArcGIS Pro and display that basemap exactly as you styled it to look. Q: A concern for hosting data on the ArcGIS cloud is consuming credits. What are the credit and data hosting limits for a developer account? A: There are no credit limits, per se. A free "Essentials" level developer subscription allows you to use up to 50 credits per month. If you need more credits you can purchase them. See this page for more information: https://developers.arcgis.com/pricing/credits/ Q: Would you have suggestions to get directories of data portals? A: Many organizations around the world host open data portals, or produce and maintain data for commercial sale. We are not aware of one single database of data providers. The best solution is to find what you're looking for using a search engine. Q: Tokens expire. What guides their lifetime?  A: Please refer to this document here: https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/latest/administer/windows/about-arcgis-tokens.htm Q: Pertaining to demographics maps, etc.- is data available from the entire world or only just USA territories? A: It depends on what kind of demographic data you're looking for. While comprehensive demographic data covering all countries in the world does not exist, there are many countries who manage and provide data better than others. Q: What is the GeoNet link that we can ask more questions? A: Please feel free to comment here on this blog post for any additional questions about this webinar. Q: When you create a new app (e.g., getting a new token), and it saves (to your dashboard), does it remain private while still online or do others who have access to your organization (ArcGIS Online account) have the ability to see it? A: All items you create on ArcGIS Online begin as private and can only be seen and used by you. You then have full control to open up the sharing level so that the item can be seen and used by others in your organization, in groups your belong to, or even to the world using the "Everyone" level, provided your organization's Administrator has given you permissions to do so. Q: Any custom apps for working with 3D data? A: Using Web AppBuilder, AppStudio, or any of the ArcGIS web and native SDKs, it is possible to build 3D mapping applications using Web Scenes. Q: What is the benefit of using DevLabs over Web AppBuilder? A: Web AppBuilder is a web-based app for interactively building customized web applications. DevLabs are a series of tutorial modules for learning how developers can use ArcGIS Online to create and prepare data, design web maps, and build applications. At the moment there are no DevLab learning modules that cover the Web AppBuilder product, but we are working on them. If you want, here is a DevLab-style tutorial for building your first app using Web AppBuilder: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/web-appbuilder/create-apps/make-first-app.htm Q: What type of file is a 'JSON file'? A: JSON stands for "JavaScript Object Notation". It is a way of formatting JavaScript objects in a simple standard human-readable way, for transmission and storage of this kind of data. Structurally however, it is simply a plain ASCII text file. Q: Is there a dev lab on how to use the Google maps basemap and display data from Esri layers?  A: At the moment, there is not a DevLab for this. However, in the ArcGIS API for JavaScript, there is a class called WebTileLayer which can be used to load and view non-ArcGIS tiled basemaps, and the help provides sample code for how to use it. It is important however to keep in mind that non-ArcGIS datasets have their own licensing requirements and usage restrictions. Please refer to the latest version of Google's Terms of Service to determine whether your desired use is allowed. Q: How can I upload a map for you all to see? A: The Map Viewer available on ArcGIS.com gives you the ability to create web maps, and then use the Share button to control who can see and use that map. Q: Instead of copying the script from examples, what programming skills do you suggest to have before attempting these labs? A: The DevLabs cover developer techniques across many different app development platforms, such as JavaScript, Android, iOS, .NET, and others. In order to get the most from these labs it is expected that you have at least a novice to intermediate level of skill and experience with the underlying developer technology and related programming language. Q: How will I be able to share the JS Bin output to an external client and share it to public? A: When you're in JSBin, use the "File > Save Snapshot" menu item, which creates a unique URL for your bin. You can copy that URL out of your browser's address bar, and paste that URL into, say, a text message or email, and the person you send it to can use that URL to see your bin. It's best if your register and log into JSBin. That gives you the ability to save these bins in your account. Now, if what you mean is, that you created a web app with JSBin, and how can you publish that as a standalone web app, you can do that too. But to do so you will need a web server. You can take the code you wrote in JSBin, save it out to HTML, CSS, JS files, and upload those to your web server, and host that application there. Q: Using the existing developer account tools, is it possible to develop Interactive 3D urban planning, or landscape? A: Yes. An ArcGIS developer license allows you to create interactive mapping applications that contain maps that display in 2D and 3D. Q: Is it possible to populate a popup window with data fetched from a SQL DB instead of a feature layer's attribute table? If so, is there a DevLab that can guide you? A: There is not a DevLab module for this, but you can find more information on that on the ArcGIS for Developers website, depending on which specific SDK you are using. Q: Is it free, or do I need a license? A: The ArcGIS Developer Program is free at the lowest level, called "Essentials". More information about what is included at all levels of the ArcGIS Developer Program, please refer to this page: https://developers.arcgis.com/pricing/ Q: Is there any workshop for DevLabs? A: ArcGIS DevLabs are designed so that you can do them yourself, at your own time and pace. We do not have in-person instructor-led training that use the DevLabs, but we have dozens of other instructor-led courses that cover a variety of ArcGIS developer topics. For more information please see: http://training.esri.com Q: Is there a full training for how to create a custom map? A: There are a few dozen DevLabs that cover topics related to creating custom maps. For more information, use this URL: https://developers.arcgis.com/labs/browse/?topic=Maps-and-Layers&product=any Q: I am from state transmission utility (Gujarat India) and we have lat long data of each tower location in Oracle dB.  Can I use this tool to develop web-based and mobile applications? A: Yes. ArcGIS Server and its Enterprise Geodatabase tools provide an excellent way for connecting to spatial data in an Oracle DBMS, then serving that data up as web services accessible to web and native applications you build using the various ArcGIS SDKs.  Q: Do you know of any custom tool that would allow me to GROUP layers in the legend in an ArcGIS Online 2D map like I can with a SCENE? A: The answer to this varies a bit. It depends on which ArcGIS SDK you are using. For that, I'd like to refer you to the ArcGIS for Developers website, then click into the part of the site that covers the SDK you are using. Q: Once you develop something in DevLabs, how does licensing work for using the content in production? A: To deploy web applications into commercial production, you must be at a subscription level above the free "Essentials", or you must purchase credits at a level above the free 50. For more information see this page: https://developers.arcgis.com/pricing/credits/  As for native applications built with one of the ArcGIS Runtime SDKs, here is information on how to deploy apps into commercial production: https://developers.arcgis.com/pricing/licensing/ Q: Can we develop an app for survey purposes using this? A: Yes. It is possible to use ArcGIS to build applications that can be used for surveying. Q: Is it possible to publish map services from ArcGIS Pro to ArcGIS Server on prem? A: Yes. You can use ArcGIS Pro to create a wide variety of web services, and host them on prem using ArcGIS Server. For other questions and answers that were addressed in the webinar itself, or just to view the webinar because you missed it, please head over to https://go.esri.com/geodev. We have many other webinars you can check out, so keep checking back for more! ... View more

We decided to propose some changes to this year's GeoDev Meetup at UC and see how they went for developers who are used to hanging out on Wednesday evenings on the Coronado Terrace at the Marriott Marquis and Marina. The change was not only in location (over to the Grand Terrace Ballroom at the Marriott), but we also decided to change it over to Tuesday evening. Read on to see how it went! Developers came over from the convention center to the Marriott, and as most went up the escalator, passing the temptation of Starbucks, they were able to follow the strategically placed signs and arrows, making it surprisingly easy for anyone to find the meetup. While it was a bit of a walk, we're happy to report that most people met their FitBit step requirements for the day.                     Upon arrival, attendees were to check in. There were so many developers in attendance from all over the world. We saw a lot of new faces, but also recognized quite a few as well! The meetup gave the developer community an opportunity to join other developers as they networked and enjoyed some beverages and appetizers outside on the terrace facing the westward San Diego sunset. This was a great opportunity for developers to meet wither others who are also working with some of the same SDKs and APIs that others have come to learn more about. With music from DJ Carey playing in the background, attendees were able to relax and unwind from the second day's worth of Esri UC goodness. Towards the end of the meetup, attendees thanked us for having the event and were able to leave with a nice goodie bag of popcorn or chips as they ventured over to meet with their teams/friends/own selves for dinner. Everyone had a really nice time, and we look forward to hosting this again next year! For any suggestions or recommendations on improvement to this event, please utilize the comments section below. ... View more

What a great lightning talk event this year! With over 40 submissions, it was really tough to choose the top 20 that would be invited to present on Monday 7/9 from 4:30 - 6:00pm in Ballroom 20D. With topics ranging from smart communities to weather as a service, the attendees filled the room to hear our user community from around the globe share their work with Esri tools.  Here is a list of the speakers and their topics: Presenter(s) Title Elizabeth Irvin-Barnwell and Chris Maniglier-Poulet Operational ArcGIS Online: Survey123 Use During a Disaster Response Chris Blinn At a Glance: Dashboards Done Right Tilmann Steinmetz Weather as a Service Dadan Daihani Electoral Monitoring System : Indonesian Case Amir-IT Ziv Advanced GIS Applications: Herzliya Smart City Project Omer Ben Asher Making the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture GIS Oriented Jhon Brayan Valencia Risk Modeling to Evaluate the Impacts of Climate Change on the Colombian Páramo Abdo Abdelrasoul GIS for resurfacing roads and pavement management, and maintenance Jamie Christensen Outdoor Access Tareefa Saad Alsumaiti Soil Characterization of Avicennia Marina In Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park, Abu Dhabi Jaydeep Mistry Azure App Water Level Rises Natalie Campos Using GIS To Monitor The Homeless Problem in San Bernardino County Diana Borda-Beltran GIS Applied to Decision Making Moses Kamau The Power Behind a Map Darren Conly SACOG Project Performance Assessment Tool Noam Raffel Esri Tools Bridge the Gap of Environmental Subject Matter Experts and Offer Unique Solutions to Impact Assessment Studies Steve Mulberry Innovations for Smart Communities - GeoIoT: Working Smarter with IoT Andrew Walker Supporting Biodiversity with GIS Gregor Patsch Utilizing GIS to Address the Impacts of Urban Stormwater Weibo Liu Graph-based Identification, Representation, and Analysis of Storm Events We thank the user community for submitting such great lightning talk presentations, and we look forward to another awesome year of lightning talk amazement. ... View more

On Wednesday, June 6th, the Developer Outreach team headed up to PDX to support the Esri Portland R&D team to host a HackerLab during the day and their first theme-based GeoDev Meetup in the evening! The theme was Web GIS, and they had Rene Rubalcava host the HackerLab as well as keynote the Meetup. Here's how the events shook out: HackerLab This free, hands-on self-guided training was focused on our Data > Design > Develop model, and this was led by both Rene and Mara Stoica. They started out focused on introducing the ArcGIS Platform and the role of web maps and web scenes. They moved into covering the basics of the ArcGIS API for JavaScript which included how to get it and how to use it. The team then worked with the class on web maps, pop-ups, searching/geocoding, directions, and styles and Smart Mapping. They moved into Arcade First Aid, which seemed to be useful to the class. To finalize the training, Rene and Mara covered authentication and the cream on top, building apps.   Overall, the training was successful, as we had 18 attendees - with many of them having never even heard of Esri's capabilities! Can you believe it? Well, they came to the right spot to learn about building apps using our ArcGIS Platform! Meetup After the HackerLab, most people decided to stay to join the rest of the PDX developer community that came out for the GeoDev Meetup! We saw some familiar faces and some brand new ones. The new attendees had never been to our office and enjoyed seeing our setup and meeting some of our key developers in the office.   Eli Gregory welcomed everyone to the meetup and provided a great deal of information on what the Portland, OR team has been working on and what the Developer Outreach has accomplished in their efforts. Click here to see Eli's slide deck.  Rene came back to give his "Web GIS and JavaScript" keynote talk and demo. The audience loved seeing new features and ways to use some of Esri's tools. He was kind enough to share his slides. They can be found here. Allison Davis and Nate Bedortha demo'd some really cool base maps as part of the Vector Tile styling tool we recently introduced. They were kind enough to provide a way for you to see it here.  Aside from enjoying the developer networking atmosphere over pizza and beverages, they were also given the opportunity to share a project of theirs with the PDX community. This meetup was unique in that we made it based on a Web GIS and JavaScript theme. Here are those who decided to share their work with others based on this theme: We had a great time listening and learning from our speakers, and we appreciated how they came through with some awesome content for a theme-based meetup! After stumping a lot of our attendees with some really cool Portland, OR trivia, we randomly selected our DevSummit winner, Kevin Hill, who will be attending the DevSummit in Palm Springs in 2019. Thank you to everyone for making this event a fun and fruitful event. We have made some new connections and rekindled previous ones. Please keep your eye out for our next meetups in September and November. We welcome any suggestions you may have for themes. Leave some in the comments below! ... View more

On Wednesday, May 16th, Ken Gorton and Morakot Pilouk‌ took the hour to cover a fast-paced introduction to GeoEvent Server, which is the server role that brings real-time capability to developers' ArcGIS Enterprise. During the webinar, questions were asked that we ran out of time addressing during the recording, so we are featuring them here. Be sure to comment at the bottom of this blog post should you have additional questions or just want to compliment the presenters for their awesome webinar! Q: Other than GeoEvent Server, can we use Stream Layer? A: A stream layer can be used to connect directly to a web socket so no stream service is necessary. The only thing necessary is that the JSON messages sent out must be the same format as the JSON that returns from a query to a feature service. It’s documented at https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/3/jsapi/streamlayer-amd.html#streamlayer2.   Q: Is there a connector to store data to a traditional data warehouse such as MSSQL Server? A: There are out-of-the-box connectors to write features to feature services. A non-spatial data repository, such MSSQL Server, can be the datasource for a feature service if you publish a map with a query layer that references data in that data repository. GeoEvent Server could then send features to that feature service. Q: Can feature services use a big data store as its source or is it required to be a a traditional EGDB? A: The data in a spatiotemporal big data store are exposed as feature services and map services and can be used as layers in ArcGIS applications, web maps, etc. Q: Is GeoEvent Server a component of ArcGIS Enterprise? A: ArcGIS Server is part of ArcGIS Enterprise. GeoEvent Server is an optional server role of ArcGIS Server. More info here: http://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/get-started/latest/windows/what-is-arcgis-enterprise-.htm Q: Is GeoEvent Server part of Server for ArcGIS? A: GeoEvent Server is an ArcGIS server role. Perhaps one way to look at it is that GeoEvent Server IS ArcGIS Server, but specifically configured to handle real-time data and processing exclusive of other types of ArcGIS Server capabilities (e.g. Geoprocessing services, Locator services, etc). Q: Can this be used with Operational Dashboard? A: GeoEvent Server can send data to feature and map services in ArcGIS Enterprise Data Stores, Spatiotemporal Big Data Stores, ArcGIS Online feature services, stream services, etc, all of which can be added as layers to web maps and visualized in Operations Dashboard, Web AppBuilder apps and other clients. Q: How do you suggest handling data streams that have duplication of data or data that comes in out of order? A: Some input connectors have the ability to only ingest data that is newer than previous data but apart from that GeoEvent Server does not provide any tools for validating data order or for de-duplication of data.  Q: Can you update labels at a static position on the map? A: The values of feature labels in web maps are determined by the values in the attribute field that backs them. GeoEvent Server can update attribute values of records in a feature service. Thus when the value of an attribute changes, any labels that reference that attribute field should reflect the latest updates. Q: What is the cost of deploying GeoEvent Server? A: The cost of deployment will vary widely depending on your system architecture, licensing requirements, and many other factors. I suggest you reach out to your Esri account representative for an answer specific to your use case. Q: Does the 3DFx widget in ArcGIS Web AppBuilder support stream service? A: Stream Services are not yet supported in web scenes and therefore not available as a source layer in a 3D Web AppBuilder app. The 3DFx widget is not available in a 2D Web AppBuilder app. Q: Can I export data from Spatiotemperal data store as a feature class or CSV table? A: One way to do this is to add the feature service from the big data store as a layer in ArcGIS Pro, then right-click the layer and select Data > Export Features. The resulting output is subject to the maxRecordCount setting of the big data store source, by default 10,000 records. Q: Is there a processor that can enrich a EGDB feature class of events with values from other feature classes or rasters? For example, elevation from a DEM at an event's location. A: The Field Enricher Processors essentially do a 1:1 JOIN operation between the geoevent and a record in an external feature service or file based on a common ID. In order to enrich a geoevent with a value that comes from a spatial query of an external data source at the geoevent's location you would need to develop a custom processor. Q: Is the GeoEvent Server available in ArcGIS Online or only on ArcGIS Server? A: GeoEvent Server is not available in ArcGIS Online. Here are the system requirements for installing it in your on-premises or cloud environment: http://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/geoevent/latest/install/windows/system-requirements.htm  Q: Can I run an input with a specific time of day? A: You can set certain connectors to run at specific intervals, but there is no way to set the exact time of day. Q: You showed a GeoTab input connector in your partner list, but we can't find it. Can you send a URL? A: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=cf02f3b8564042db8de60f582e1ad2a3  Q: Using a stream service, are the point objects selectable such that a user can view attribute values (in Operations Dashboard or web app)? A: Web maps support pop ups on stream layers which allow you to view the attributes of a selected feature. While Web AppBuilder and Ops Dashboard maps can display stream layers, other Web AppBuilder and Operations Dashboard widgets cannot yet leverage the attribute data from stream layers. Q: Does GeoEvent Server come with connector? A: GeoEvent Server includes several connectors out-of-the-box: http://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/geoevent/latest/process-event-data/input-connectors.htm, output connectors: http://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/geoevent/latest/process-event-data/output-connectors.htm, and processors: http://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/geoevent/latest/process-event-data/processors.htm, Additional components are available for download from the following ArcGIS Online Groups: ArcGIS GeoEvent Server Gallery: http://www.arcgis.com/home/group.html?id=cdb23c8bd5ef42feb5fe74483a676844#overview, ArcGIS GeoEvent Partner Gallery: http://www.arcgis.com/home/group.html?id=3433c67e98384f9089a1f853ed74ddd5#overview, ArcGIS GeoEvent User Community Gallery: http://www.arcgis.com/home/group.html?id=9a41985604ec4301a21d6cd375e5762e#overview Q: What happens if you're polling or subscribing to an external service, and an extra field gets added that you aren't expecting (i.e., it isn't present in the definition)? A: Input connectors—Real-time Data Feeds and Sensors (10.6) | ArcGIS Enterprise  Q: My organization has AVL data on a fleet of school buses. The GPS data is on a non-Esri SQL DB. What connector would be the best for connecting to this data? Both the DB and the portal are on our servers behind a firewall.  A: One approach is to create a map document with a query layer that queries data from the database. Then you can publish that map document to ArcGIS Server as a feature service which will expose the query layer a feature layer. GeoEvent Server can then poll the data via that feature layer. Q: Is stream service preferred compared to Feature service? Is that an extra cost or just another option? A: Sending data to Stream Services is generally faster than sending to Feature Services and typically generates less network traffic. However Stream Services do not persist data in any sort of permanent storage. Thus each has its advantages and best use relative to the other. They are a core capability and do not require additional expenditures to enable.  Q: Can I export the stream service data from Spatiotemporal data store as a feature class or CSV table? A: One way to do this is to add the feature service from the big data store as a layer in ArcGIS Pro, then right-click the layer and select Data > Export Features. The resulting output is subject to the maxRecordCount setting of the big data store source, by default 10,000 records. Still have questions, or did this Q&A get you thinking about more? Leave us a comment, and we'll get back to you! Interested in questions asked during the webinar? Check out the webinar here: Real-time GIS: Mapping and Analytics - YouTube  Don't miss our next GeoDev Webinar on Data > Design > Develop on June 13th! Follow us on Twitter @EsriGeoDev to keep your fingers on our pulse! ... View more

If you missed out on DevSummit this year, or are just looking to re-live it, the following are the top 20 technical sessions you want to check out. 1 - ArcGIS Indoors: An Introduction   Bring the Science of Where indoors. Learn about indoor position, and how to collect and assemble indoor datasets, then how to make them available to your users to solve a wide variety of tasks.   2 - ArcGIS Enterprise and SSL Considerations   This video simply has to be near the top of the Top 20 this year, if only because the rooms in which we held these workshops were far too small. Way too many DevSummit attendees who wanted to be there simply could not get in. Securing your Web GIS from server to client is a big topic, and this is a great session to learn what you need to know.   3 - Optimizing your JavaScript app for Performance   Have a need for speed? This one is yet another perennial favorite at DevSummit. End users of web apps have a notoriously low tolerance for apps that respond and perform slowly. Learn techniques for gaining the speed you need.   4 - Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) with ArcGIS   Sure, they look cool, but VR and AR provide ways to interact with your maps, spatial data, and tools in a very natural way. Watch real-world examples of how VR and AR are making users more productive.   5 - ArcGIS Enterprise: Architecting Your Deployment   This was the most heavily attended session at DevSummit this year. The title says it all. Optimizing your resources, storage, and performance starts with a solid architecture that fits the needs of your organization, apps, databases, and users.   6 - Leveraging 3D Across the ArcGIS Platform   Web Scenes bring a consistent 3D visualization experience across all desktop, web, and native apps. Learn how to use the latest capabilities and design your 3D maps for high effectiveness and natural usability.   7 - ArcGIS Runtime: An Introduction to the API and Architecture   This was the most heavily attended Runtime SDK session. Whether you want to build native apps from scratch, or include ArcGIS in apps you're already building, here is where to get started.   8 - ArcGIS API for JavaScript: Tips and Tricks for Developing and Debugging Apps   Development environments and browser-based developer tools are more useful than ever. Code fast, find fast, fix fast. This is a session that is more and more popular every year. You know what you want to build, so use the best tools to get it built, debugged, tested, and into production more effectively.   9 - ArcGIS API for Python: Introduction to Scripting your Web GIS   Automate and administer your Web GIS, and its content, tools, groups, and users using a Jupyter Notebook.   10 - Introduction to GeoAnalytics Server   Learn how parallelizing your analytical processes across an array of commodity hardware can help you make better more timely decisions faster than ever before, so that you can keep up with and react to data that changes often.   11 - ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET: Beginning Pro Customization and Extensibility   Make your desktop GIS end-users more productive and standardize UI/UX and workflows by building, then quickly and easily deploying custom add-ins and solution configurations.   12 - Real-Time GIS: Best Practices   When it comes to getting the most use from streaming data, there can be lots of "gotchas" along the way. Prepare for and prevent them, so that your end-users can visualize and analyze your streaming data for the most timely, actionable information possible.   13 - Using TypeScript with ArcGIS API for JavaScript   You've heard of it, you might already be developing web apps with it, so in this session learn how to get the most of your ArcGIS development by learning the basics, and techniques for setting up your development environment using the ArcGIS definition files for TypeScript.   14 - ArcGIS API for JavaScript: Using Arcade with your Apps   Arcade is a relatively new expression-based scripting language for getting a lot more from the data stored in your layers, whether it be for thematic rendering symbology rules, flexible and formattable labels, or custom popup design, use Arcade to improve your data layers in a very simple way that's portable and reusable across the ArcGIS platform: desktop, web, and native.   15 - ArcGIS API for JavaScript: What's New   This API for web developers is not only the most popular in the ArcGIS platform, but its capabilities grow very fast. This "What's New" session is the best way to learn how to use the latest and sneak peek at what is next.   16 - ArcGIS API for Python: Advanced Scripting   Are you already using the new Python API for ArcGIS and thinking that there's a lot more you could be learning and doing? Good chance you are right. Learn about the rich ecosystem of Python packages out there and ideas for how to use them with ArcGIS for improved visualization, statistical analysis, and data science.   17 - Building Your own Widget with ArcGIS API for JavaScript   Well-designed widgets make you a more efficient developer - plain and simple. Common tasks, even complicated ones, designed and built into reusable widgets, allow you to spend the bulk of your productive coding time solving new or one-off problems, and creative time innovating new ways to make your users more productive.   18 - Customizing Hub and Open Data   Learn what developers need to know about Hub, Open Data, and how apps and workflows can be designed to maximize collaboration and standardization, throughout your organization, and through citizen engagement.   19 - Improving Your Web App Through UI/UX Best Practices   It can take a lot of work to make things easy for your users. They're demanding, and want your apps to work for them, powerfully, intuitively, correctly, and right now. Learn some UI/UX design principles you can put to use right away to meet their expectations.   20 - ArcGIS Monitor: An Introduction   Learn how to use this system administration tool, designed so that you can watch the health of ArcGIS throughout the lifecycle, with alerts, notifications, metrics, reports, and more.    We hope you enjoy viewing the top 20 tech sessions. More videos are rolling out soon. Stay tuned! Should you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the thread below. ... View more

While being the largest Developer Summit ever, it was hard not to let the excitement of all of the developer community activities go to our heads. With Lightning Talks, SpeedGeeking, and User Presentations, our developer community was given opportunities to share, network, and learn from each other. Lightning Talks Taking place on Monday afternoon, the Lightning Talks opened up multiple ideas and projects to the developer community as the presenters shared their unique ways of incorporating Esri tools into their every day tasks. Check out our presenters below: First name Last name Organization Lightning Talk Title Jacob Stark SAP Why it All Matters Brandon Payne Trihydro Thinking Outside the Map: Combining Technologies for Deeper Understanding Jo-Anne  Antoun USC Development of a User-Centered and Agile Software Development design and development framework for Web GIS Nicholas Romano University of Maryland, College Park Extending ArcGIS Web Applications With Component Based Design Juan Vasquez City of Los Angeles Office of Finance Build for Politicos: 5 Protips for Appealing Government Maps Lawrie George Assetic Inc. Asset Lifecycle Modelling in ArcGIS Pro Eric Shook University of Minnesota XSEDE and the GISandbox Raj Singh IBM Speed up the development of your ArcGIS applications using IBM Data Science Experience Yu Zhou Bowling Green State University Teaching World Geography with Story Maps  SpeedGeeking On Tuesday, we continued our developer community events with SpeedGeeking. SpeedGeeking is just like SpeedDating but with developers. There were 14 developers who were ready to share five minutes on a tool, tip or trick, or some feature for users to learn about. After five minutes, the users change stations and learn something new! See some of our presenters and their topics below! Presenters Topic Aaron Pulver Dude, where’s my breadcrumbs? Allan Laframboise 10 ArcGIS Developer Tools and Techniques You Didn't Know You Needed David Vitale Automating Workflows with Python Deelesh Mandloi Building Routing and Directions Apps Eli Gregory Designing iOS UI for a map Jacob Wasilkowski Canvas-Flowmap-Layer Jayson Ward Repo-mining: Mining AppStudio templates and public repos. Jeff Jackson Strategies for Accurate, Battery-efficient Location Tracking on iOS Kelly Hutchins Make your map accessible Ken Field  So You Want to Make a Map? Nicholas Furness A Modular Example Maps App Niklas Koehn Using TypeScript for JavaScript Widget Development Sandie Peters  Explore Nearby Scott M. MacDonald Automating your ArcGIS Deployment using ArcGIS Chef Cookbook User Presentations On Wednesday and Thursday, we hosted the User Presentations in Mesquite B and C. Attendees were able to stop by during any of the 25-minute slots and listen to their community members share their stories at greater length.                 Wednesday                                                                          Thursday Mesquite B Mesquite C Mesquite B Mesquite C Mapping Item Dependencies Across ArcGIS Seth Lewis FTTx Network Design in ArcGIS Using Clustering Chandra Reddy Esri ArcGIS Online and Serverless Computing: So Long Bare-Metal Kevin M. Gooss Everything But the Kitchen Sink: Supporting Large Mobile Maps Offline Aaron Crary Creating a Custom Table of Contents in Angular Brandon Payne Geek Perspectives: Lessons from Hybrid Mobile GIS Adnan Bilwani Building Highly-Scalable, Mobile Apps with ArcGIS Runtime, ArcGIS Enterprise and AWS S3 Jake Shapley Reservoir Surface Area Mapping in the Lower Mekong Region using Esri Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS Aekkapol Aekakkarrungroj Real-Time GIS and IOT for Public Safety: A Business Process Model Reza Nourjou Visualizing ArcGIS Services with Potree and Three.js Renardi Tanuwidjaja Put the “You” in UI: Creating Intuitive User Interfaces using ArcGIS and Survey123 Leah Newman ArcGIS API for JavaScript: 3.x or 4.x - Why Not Both? Ian Schmitz Real-Time Municipal Snow Plow Tracking with GeoEvent Server Chris Dougherty Extend Python with ArcGIS Runtime for Qt Mark Cederholm So You've Gotten an ArcGIS Insights License…Now What?? Bryan Chastain No Second Chances: Revolutionizing Archaeological Recording Using the ArcGIS SDK for Java Sandra Schloen Chrome Plugin for ArcGIS Server REST Services Ken Doman PG&E Digital Catalyst - Building User-Centric iOS Apps for the Enterprise Mobile Workforce using the ArcGIS Runtime SDK for iOS John Ngoi Rosey Baune Releasing ArcGIS Runtime Apps with Confidence - a Unit Testing Story Rebecca Zeckoski Smart Palettes: Editing in the ArcGIS Runtime for .NET David Chambers City of San Diego’s Story of Undergrounding Sameera Rao Pipeline Spill Modelling with ArcGIS Pro, .NET and Python Donnacha Fitton Leveraging the Power of Databases for Spatial Analysis and Processing John Reiser Controlling the Chaos: Establishing Best Practices for Python Scripting Erica Pfister-Altschul Connecting Dashboard To Collector Data For Monitoring Appraiser Progress After Harvey Flooding Tiffany Selvidge Developing a Web AppBuilder Widget with React and Webpack Bryan Grill Integrating Beacon Infrastructure Through Python and ArcGIS Enterprise for Indoor/Outdoor Navigation Brent Dell Spatiotemporal Risk Estimation of Traffic Accidents Using Python Benjamin Acker Hearing Evidence Mapping Application: The Evolving Life Of Harris County Appraisal District's Collaborative Custom GIS Application Tiffany Selvidge Fully Offline Mobile Apps with AppStudio for ArcGIS Adam Drackley We had a great time this year and cannot wait for next year's developer events during DevSummit! If you attended any of these events, feel free to share any comments, questions, and/or suggestions you may have! We're all ears and would love to hear of ways we can improve.  ... View more

Back in January, David Martinez and Gavin Rehkemper hosted a GeoDev Webinar on Extending Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS. During the webinar, questions were asked that were not able to be addressed during the recording, so here they are with complete answers: Q: How do you confine a URL search to only search original map extent or map features? A: See step "J" here: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/web-appbuilder/create-apps/widget-search.htm - "Optionally check the Only search in current map extent box if needed". Q: Where are you getting all the information that you are pasting into the editor? A: That was example code that we had pre-written - similar to a cooking show, the webinar would be boring if you just watched us type the entire time! We instead copy/pasted code snippets so that you could see the full process of building a widget. You can go back and re-watch the webinar if you'd like, and all the code is available on GitHub: https://github.com/gavinr/web-appbuilder-find-restaurants Q: Is there anyway to make the widgets available to the WAB version on the portal for ArcGIS .. like not only for the version on the PC for development? A: Yes, this is possible for certain versions of Portal. Please see this documentation page for more information: https://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2017/06/30/web-appbuilder-for-arcgis-now-supports-custom-widgets-in-arcgis-enterprise-10-5-1/ Q: Within the widgets there are functions, such as analysis widget, that has the buffer and overlay functions. Is there a way I can use both the buffer and overlay at the same time?  A: You should be able to call ArcGIS Online tasks from a custom widget and have them run at the same time. Feel free to post on GeoNet if you'd like to expand on this question and we will try to help you out! Q: I need to open another widget from a custom widget link. A: This is possible using WidgetManager https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/api-reference/widgetmanager.htm - see "openWidget" function. Q: How does Web AppBuilder handle the customized popups, for example, displaying some charts with labels while clicking? A: Your custom pop-ups that you define in your web map in ArcGIS Online should display the same way in Web AppBuilder. Q: Can the theme include an additional fixed panel, e.g., footer pane? A: Yes, you can include a fixed panel; it is all about the position. What is the purpose of your panel footer? Q: You said there's a way to push the theme to Portal, I believe? Is there a way to do the same with Widgets? A: Yes, this is possible for certain versions of Portal. Please see this documentation page for more information: https://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2017/06/30/web-appbuilder-for-arcgis-now-supports-custom-widgets-in-arcgis-enterprise-10-5-1/ Q: Do the Web AppBuilder versions line up? It seems that the Developer Edition lags behind the ArcGIS online version. A: Please see this documentation page that shows what versions align with what versions of Portal: https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/guide/about-versions.htm Q: How do we download the application from Esri site? Is it a free or to be paid for? A: Go to https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/ and click the "Download SDK" button. You must log in with an ArcGIS Online named user account. Q: Can we customize Portal with Web AppBuilder? A: Yes, this is possible for certain versions of Portal. Please see this documentation page for more information: https://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2017/06/30/web-appbuilder-for-arcgis-now-supports-custom-widgets-in-arcgis-enterprise-10-5-1/ Q: What would be the best approach to add engineering record drawings (as-builts approximately 6GB) to an app? I added a URL within a layer, which my field workers must copy the path and search within documents. How can I have an image popup using an Apple Device? A: These questions are very general and to really answer them ,we would need a few more details. Please open up discussions on GeoNet. Q: What are the advantages of the "config URL parameter" approach that Gavin showed for custom widget development, over other approaches? I've been developing widgets in "Launch"ed apps, then copying my custom widget back into stemapp when it's working as expected... but I'd happily switch to the "config URL parameter" approach if there are clear advantages!  A: I think that method is ok too. Whatever works for you and gets you going the quickest! Don’t forget to check out our pattern of using a Grunt script to copy to BOTH locations automatically: https://github.com/Esri/generator-esri-appbuilder-js Q: Would it be easy to create a widget for a data collection form for SQL Server? A: Collector for ArcGIS might fit your use-case (http://www.esri.com/products/collector-for-arcgis). Otherwise the Web AppBuilder out-of-the-box "Edit" widget may meet your requirements. If none of those work for you, building a custom widget might be your best option. Q: Will Web AppBuilder require any license to use in an organization?  A: To use Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS, you must have an ArcGIS for Developers account or an ArcGIS organizational account and be a level 2 member. If you don't have an ArcGIS account, you can sign up for an ArcGIS free trial. https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/guide/xt-system-requirements.htm Q: What does jimu stand for? A: "building block" Q: Is ArcGIS JavaScript API source code available in a readable non-compressed format? A: Not currently. You can see information about including the ArcGIS API for JavaScript in your builds and from NPM here: https://github.com/Esri/jsapi-resources Q: Can we configure widget that not yet exist at the list of widgets? How can we do that? A: You can add widgets manually through the app's "config.json" file if you need more control than the builder provides. https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/api-reference/app-configuration.htm Q: What is a good compiler to customize code for widgets? I am using Notepad++ to write codes now. But when I add to the WAB online-map, it shows the error message but no details info to show which line is wrong or cause it stop. I would like to know which is a good compiler to write a code.  A: There are lots of options for a code IDE other than NodePad++, and mostly the choice is a subjective personal preference. We happen to like Visual Studio Code currently. If you include linting in your project (like ESLint or Prettier) that will help you catch errors quicker. Q: Could you share this custom Web AppBuilder Theme on Github? A: Code samples have been posted here: https://community.esri.com/groups/geodev/blog/2018/01/17/geodev-webinar-extending-web-appbuilder-for-arcgis-resources Q: Will this sample code be available to download? A: Code samples have been posted here: https://community.esri.com/groups/geodev/blog/2018/01/17/geodev-webinar-extending-web-appbuilder-for-arcgis-resources Q: What is the credits impact when creating custom widgets? A: There are no credits required to create custom widgets. The only time you need credits if you're performing a task that requires credits such as batch geocoding, geoenrichment etc. Please visit https://developers.arcgis.com/pricing/credits/ Q: Will an existing ArcGIS Online account work for developers? A: You must have an organization account or developer account (which is free) to work with the developer edition of Web AppBuilder. Q: Do we have to use ArcGIS online map services? Or can we use local REST APIs as map services for WebApp Builder? A: Yes, you can use map services with Web AppBuilder. Q: Can the widget position be relative instead of absolute? A: Yes, take a look at the Splash Widget that is positioned relative to the browser. Q: Is there a formal Web AppBuilder Esri training course? A: Yes, please go to https://www.esri.com/training and search for Web AppBuilder there is an instructor lead course. Q: What composes a Web AppBuilder widget? A: Here is some documentation that explains the required components https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/guide/required-files.htm. Q: Are there any plans to allow deploying custom themes to Portal? A: We currently have this as a feature request but no timeline is set. Q: We also use Angular 2.0. Can this be used within Web AppBuilder? A: Yes, you can use Angular with Web AppBuilder. Q: Which IDE do you use for coding? How do you enable the code snippets? A: We were using Visual Studio Code https://code.visualstudio.com/ and to launch the code snippets you would use ctrl + space.  Q: Can I try out making a widget using ArcGIS Desktop 10.5 or do I need the enterprise edition of ArcGIS? A: Yes, all you need is the directory of the files that make up the application.  Q: Can the pages built by Web AppBuilder be published as html and js only or does it need Node.js in order to work in a production environment? A: Yes, you can download the application you created and publish it on your own Web server. Please review https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/guide/xt-deploy-app.htm Q: Is there a way to put a link on the pop-up that would execute a feature action? A: You can extend the BaseExtendFeature class to help you accomplish this functionality.  Q: How about TypeScript support? A: You can use TypeScript in Web AppBuilder. Please check out this repo https://github.com/gavinr/web-appbuilder-typescript-examples  Q: Do you know of a class or seminar that is more basic, or perhaps one that just revises existing widgets for now: For example: Query widget: we want to have query Criteria under “Only return feature that have spatial relationship with features in another layer” A: Yes, please visit our training site and search for Web AppBuilder courses https://www.esri.com/training/catalog/search/ Q: First, in order to share them, can I build them on my local machine, or do I have to do this on our server?  Also, we are a utility, and by necessity are therefore still at ArcGIS 10.2.1. Our ArcGIS Server is also 10.2.1. I am confused about the requirements for custom widgets – do you have a link to some introductory explanations on this?   A: Please review the get started section for custom widgets https://developers.arcgis.com/web-appbuilder/guide/get-started.htm We welcome you to leave comments below if you have any additional questions. We're happy to help! ... View more

Welcome to the new year with another webinar to kick off a great start! This month we introduce you to the webinar, "Extending the Web AppBuilder for ArcGIS". David Martinez and Gavin Rehkemper will help you to learn how to extend Webb AppBuilder for your own custom workflows. They will dive into the Web AppBuilder framework to demonstrate how you can create your own widgets and design the look and feel of your app using a custom theme. They will also discuss patterns and techniques to streamline their Web AppBuilder development.  We welcome you to register for this webinar by going to http://go.esri.com/geodev. Be sure to continue checking this site for future webinars. ... View more