Getting Technical - February 2021

February 19, 2021

George Kouroupis

How can you build (and enhance) amazing apps that will set you apart from your competition using Esri’s new PaaS product ArcGIS Platform? What’s new in ArcGIS StoryMaps? How do you migrate from ArcMap? What's new in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence 2.7? Find out these and more in February’s Getting Technical blog post.

Features

Introducing ArcGIS Platform
We are very excited to announce our new product called ArcGIS Platform. ArcGIS Platform is a location-focused platform-as-a-service (PaaS) for when you need to integrate location capabilities into your apps, business systems, and products. ArcGIS Platform provides access to Esri’s powerful location services using your APIs of choice—including open-source APIs. It also allows you to create apps using ArcGIS APIs, SDKs, and app builders. ArcGIS Platform delivers, as discrete services, the technology that powers Esri’s own industry-leading mapping and spatial analytics products, which are used by thousands of organizations worldwide. With this level of access, you can build innovative solutions using the most comprehensive, high-quality set of location services, data, and mapping tools available. Check out the video to learn more.

Removal of ArcMap-based runtime from ArcGIS Enterprise
With a new year comes change! And one of those changes involves publishing and consuming services from ArcMap. Specifically, ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.x, part of the ArcGIS 2021 releases, will be the last release series that supports publishing new services from ArcMap. If you are an ArcGIS Enterprise administrator, read on to see how this might affect you and your organization.

Make 2021 the year that you move to ArcGIS Pro!
How hard is it, really, to migrate from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro? Let’s be honest: it requires effort. But rest assured, many customers have already made the switch and found that the benefits vastly outweigh the drawbacks. If you’re still trying to figure out whether the time is right for your organization, consider this: 2020 made us go through so many changes that migrating to a new GIS desktop application in 2021 would be a cinch in comparison. Could 2021 turn out to be the best year ever?

What's new in ArcGIS StoryMaps (February 2021)
The first major update for ArcGIS StoryMaps in 2021 is here, and it’s a BIG one! There are several impactful features in this release, and we can’t wait for you to dive in and start using them. Read on for all the details.

Introducing ArcGIS Field Maps
Esri has been busy creating multiple ArcGIS applications that can be used in the field. Many companies have been adopting these field apps, however, they are finding that deploying these apps to complete a workflow can be overwhelming as it requires downloading each app, connecting, re-linking and in some cases, downloading copies of data multiple times. As a solution, ArcGIS Field Maps was created. This new app consolidates the functionality of ArcGIS Collector, ArcGIS Explorer, ArcGIS Tracker, ArcGIS Navigator and ArcGIS Workforce all in one app. This article describes the web app component. Stay tuned for the mobile section coming soon.

Introducing the Attachment Viewer Native App Template for ArcGIS AppStudio
We are excited to introduce our newest AppStudio native app template, “Attachment Viewer”. Many of the apps built with AppStudio put the map front and center as the primary focus of the app. The Attachment Viewer template is a little different, it’s for situations when you want to emphasize the data, and more specifically the media attachments. This template provides a simple user experience to review media attachments, attribute information, and feature layer locations in a native app.

Change in dates for Esri Developer Summit
The Esri Developer Summit (DevSummit) is now scheduled for April 6-8, 2021. The Summit is designed to show you how to build cutting-edge apps using advanced mapping technology. Explore hundreds of hours of learning in one location with technical workshops and sessions, learn development best practices, and get the latest on new technology. Register for DevSummit

FAQ: How do I work with images in ArcGIS StoryMaps?
Adding images to your story is both easy and popular. Whether it’s a beautiful photograph for your cover, a static map exported from ArcGIS Pro, or a series of data-driven charts, there are many ways images can enhance your story. If you’ve been wondering how to get crisp, clear images throughout your story without having to sacrifice speedy load times, keep reading.

Hot tip: Time-saving tips for managing members in ArcGIS Online
If you’re an administrator of your ArcGIS Online organization, member management is likely an important part of your work. To ensure you have enough time for everything on your to-do list, efficiency is key. The organization page Members tab provides a central location for managing members. Whether you need to assign add-on app licenses, add members to groups, or perform any other member management task, ArcGIS Online includes time-saving capabilities such as filters and bulk actions to help you get the job done.

Videos: Community Maps Member Spotlight - Ville de L'Assomption, Quebec

Meet David Richard, the Geomatics Technician at Ville de L'Assomption, Québec and a Community Maps contributor. David shares how he used ArcGIS Online to digitize the city's data and create a seamless basemap that powers their interactive maps series - all with the support of the Community Maps program.

Follow @EsriCanada on Twitter and check out more technical videos using the hashtag #HowtoArcGIS

COVID-19 Resources

Visit the ArcGIS Solutions site to learn more about Esri’s suite of coronavirus recovery solutions.

COVID-19 Canada Resource Hub
Esri Canada’s resource hub includes bilingual maps, apps and other COVID-19 resources for the public, customers and media. The hub is constantly updated with case and vaccination data. It features dashboards on economic recovery, family structure, household dynamics and mental health, COVID-19 open datasets, additional GIS training videos and other resources. Check out our COVID-19 Recovery Solutions.

Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution Solutions
Achieving high coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rates requires a robust and transparent public education campaign that provides accurate vaccine information, progress on the distribution plan, and guidance needed to access a vaccination. A series of new ArcGIS Solutions designed to help communities communicate vaccine distribution plans and monitor the effectiveness of those plans are available for ArcGIS users. The new solutions align with recommendations provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), support plans developed by communities to execute the CDC recommendations, and leverage your location-based data to increase public confidence and monitor key vaccine distribution metrics.

Announcements

What's new in ArcGIS Pro Intelligence 2.7

Search for SafeGraph Places data using ArcGIS World Geocoding

ArcGIS for Power BI now ships in Power BI Report Server

Advancing Utility Apps with ArcGIS Platform Location Services

Welcome to ArcGIS Runtime 100.10

Removal of ArcMap-based runtime from ArcGIS Enterprise

ArcGIS Hub says goodbye to Internet Explorer and Edge Legacy

Introducing Landsat Collection 2 and Retiring Collection 1

Look at Mobile Geodatabases go! (What’s new in Pro 2.7)

ArcGIS Dashboards Beta 2 Now Available

Update to ArcGIS Enterprise Product Lifecycle

View more announcements in the ArcGIS Blog | My Esri Blog on GeoNet

Service Packs, Patches & User Resources

Mapping and Charting Solutions 10.7.1 Patch 9 (Desktop | Server)
This is a general cumulative maintenance patch for the Mapping and Charting Solutions including; ArcGIS for Aviation (Desktop), ArcGIS for Maritime: Bathymetry (Desktop), ArcGIS for Maritime: Charting (Desktop), ArcGIS for Maritime: Server, Esri Defense Mapping for (Desktop, Server), and Esri Production Mapping for (Desktop, Server). Please download and install this patch at your earliest convenience.

ArcGIS Business Analyst Desktop 10.8.1 Dataset Folder Names Patch
This patch resolves an ArcMap crash if an installed Business Analyst dataset contained non-English characters in directory path folder names.

ArcGIS Insights 2020.3 Update Patch
If you are using ArcGIS Insights in ArcGIS Enterprise where ArcGIS Server and Portal for ArcGIS are both using web-tier authentication, this patch resolves an issue with editing workbooks. This patch also resolves an issue where the y-axis could not be synchronized in combo charts created from different datasets, and an issue that prevented users from scheduling updates to shared pages in an ArcGIS Enterprise setup where ArcGIS Server, Portal for ArcGIS and Web Adaptor are on different domains.

Esri Maps for Salesforce Documentation
Esri Maps for Salesforce works directly with your organization's ArcGIS subscription to allow you to access geographic content to enhance your business data.

View more security patches

Web Watch –White Papers, Blogs and Useful Resources

App of the Month: Eastern Charlotte Waterways Climate Data Viewer
For February’s App of the Month, we look at how Eastern Charlotte Waterways, a resource and research centre promoting environmental health in southwestern New Brunswick, built the Eastern Charlotte Waterways (ECW) Climate Data Viewer. This app makes it easy for multiple stakeholders to access and interact with in-depth climate data and help communities develop a regional response to climate change in a way that best suits their use-case.

Map of the Month - Caribou Herd Ranges of the Dawson Planning Region
This map by Yukon Land Use Planning Council depicts the Dawson region’s caribou herd ranges and is part of a larger collection of information about the region helping to make land and resource decisions. Check out the calendar hub for more details and related content.

Geographical Thinking Podcast: The (Re)Creation of a Caring Community
Twelve years ago, Dovercourt Recreation Association decided to try something new by mapping the community they serve. What the maps revealed validated their assumptions and provided them with the confidence to take on new challenges. Join Guan and her co-host Emilie Rabeau for an inspiring conversation with John Rapp, the Executive Director of the Dovercourt Recreation Association. John shares what he learned from that first mapping exercise and tells us why it was worth doing it all over again.

My Esri Video Series: Using My Esri to grant access to self-paced learning resources

This video describes how to use My Esri tools to grant access to self-paced training resources, for current and future users in your organization. This simple 3 step process will unlock e-learning items from the Esri Academy that have a "Require Maintenance" notation, for users of organizations with qualifying licenses under maintenance.

My Esri Video Series: Managing your ArcGIS licenses using My Esri

This video describes what is My Esri and how to get started with your newly purchased, ArcGIS license. We will review the steps to access and connect to My Esri and create a license file that will allow you to activate your new license.

What’s in a name?
Poor or incorrect map labelling will not only detract from your map but render it useless to your users. Learn what the Community Map of Canada is doing to ensure that the correct labels are being used across the country.

2021 Esri Partner Conference – Call for Images
Your GIS work has the power to inspire people. We would love for you to share your images for potential use in Jack Dangermond’s Plenary Session for 2021 Esri Partner Conference and in Esri marketing materials.
Submission deadline: Wednesday, February 24, 2021

ArcMap Continued Support
ArcGIS 10.8.1 is the current release of ArcMap and will continue to be supported until March 1, 2026, as established in the ArcGIS Desktop Product Life Cycle. We do not have plans to release an ArcMap 10.9 with the ArcGIS releases in 2021. We understand there may be questions as to what’s next for ArcMap inside ArcGIS Desktop. By viewing the ArcMap Continued Support page, you will be able to find the answers to most, if not all, of your questions regarding continued support of ArcMap as well as resources to help you transition your work moving forward into several Esri products such as ArcGIS Pro.

Deprecation Notice for Explorer, Collector, and Tracker
ArcGIS Field Maps was launched in October 2020 and replaces the functionality of ArcGIS Collector, ArcGIS Explorer, and ArcGIS Tracker on the iOS and Android mobile platforms. These products (Collector, Explorer, Tracker) are currently available to download and are fully supported; however, they will be retired in December 2021.

View more articles in ArcUser | ArcNews | ArcWatch

Training

Creating Maps and Visualizations with ArcGIS
Learn fundamental cartographic design principles and a standard workflow to produce print and online maps tailored to their purpose, medium and intended audience. This course teaches ArcGIS Pro techniques to create and share a variety of professional-quality information products including print maps, web maps, 3D scenes, animations and charts.

View training solutions