ArcGIS Online Publishing Shapefiles and Layers

[JeremyMurfitt]

Hi

I need advice!!  I use ArcGIS Desktop, for one client I have car sales every month. They send me an excel spreadsheet, I import it into ArcGIS into a shapefile and I have about 80 "layers" each with there own specific definition query and symbology. Works well as all set up and within minutes of completing the import I can analyse the data as necessary. Either I am at their office or they like pdf's. I would like to give them "on line access" and therefore keen to move to ArcGIS Online.

Publishing the shapefile straight forward (even better if you didn't have to zip it) but there doesn't seem any easy way to re-create the layers I have set up in Desktop. I have looked at Map Packages and unless I am missing something doesn't seem to be straight forward either. Seems you can query in Map Explorer but again that is not as convenient for the client.

I have logged call with ESRI Help (UK) and to my surprise they didn't have an instant answer, "Looking into it".

I had the impression that ArcGIS Online was ideal for SME's who don't have the ArcServer resource, I am either misguided, misinformed or maybe just not doing something right.

Any help appreciated.

Jeremy

[TimWitt]

Jeremy,

Your best bet would be to purchase an ArcGIS Online organizational account. With this account you can upload hosted feature services through ArcGIS Desktop,looking just like you use them in ArcGIS Desktop.

Remember using the ArcGIS Online free account is only allowed for private non commercial use.

Also with 10.2 you will receive 1 free Organizational account with each ArcGIS Desktop license you posses.

Hope this helps!

Tim

[JeremyMurfitt]

Tim

Thanks for that, I haven't uploaded 10.2 yet. So far I have been using the 30 day trial of ArcGIS Online. When you say you can "upload hosted feature services" would this include the layer files I have created? 

Regards

Jeremy

[TimWitt]

Jeremy,

you don't have to create layer files.

Open your mxd with the shapefile you want to upload. Symbolize the shapefile like you want it to look once uploaded.
After that do the following.

Click on "File" -> "Sign in..." and sign into your organizational account.
Click on "File" -> "Share As" -> "Share as Service" -> "Publish a service"

Choose My Hosted Services (My Account) and as Service name use for example Auto_Data

In the Capabilities tab uncheck Tiled Mapping and check Feature Access.

In the Item Description tab fill in the required fields.

Once you are done with that, click on Publish. This will upload your shapefile as a feature service. Now in your content you can create a map from that.

Let me know if you get the results you would like.

Also, once you have added the feature service to your map, you can use analysis tools on that feature service. In your content tab of your map click on the little triangle next to your feature service and click on "Perform Analysis".

Tim