Creating Effective Web Maps

Went to a free seminar hosted by ESRI titled “Creating Effective Web Maps“. The handout (PDF) and slides (PowerPoint) are available from the seminar’s website. Here’s what I got out of it:

• Layer Packages : this helps solve one of the classic problems of sharing data and layer cartography by exporting both into a single file (LPK) that can be shared. These files can then be automatically loaded into ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Explorer Release 900 from a download link.
• ArcGIS Online Sharing Web : This is a new portal still in beta form that will allow users to upload and share maps, data, and services in addition to the aforementioned layer packages.
• Map Templates : These are professional-grade quality templates for cartography and data models developed by ESRI’s own mapping center as well as the user community to serve as standardized symbology and storage if wanted.
• Map Service Publishing Toolbar : Available with ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1, this new toolbar includes tools to analyze and help optimize map documents destined for map services and for the creation and publishing of Map Service Definition (MSD) files.
• ArcGIS Server : At 9.3.1, enhancements have been made to the ArcGIS Server map service engines for faster creation of cached services and high-performance rendering of dynamic map services (with an emphasis on cartography & symbology). Four Analyst Extensions (3D, Spatial, Networks, & Geostatistical) are now included with the Advanced Server Edition while Editing is now included with Standard. There’s also a new licensing option named “Web Map API” which I’ll need to learn more about.
• Virtual Earth : ArcGIS Desktop users now have direct access to Virtual Earth basemaps while ArcGIS Server licensees can purchase blocks – 100,000 transactions for $250.
• ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs: Learned more about the JavaScript, Flex, and Silverlight API’s for building web applications. There was talk on the existing sample viewers available for the JavaScript and Flex, the latter being demonstrated more fully including the addition of downloadable Flex widgets, with mention of one coming soon for Silverlight when that API is out of beta.
• Live User Sites : Lot of promotion for several live (and impressive) user sites such as the City of Greeley, Colorado’s “ORIGIN Property Information Map“, the State of Maryland’s “StateStat” showing the dispersion of stimulus money, Virginia Emergency Operations Center’s “VIPER” (which is not a public-facing site), and “Solar Boston Map“.
• Building Web Maps Using the ArcGIS API for JavaScript : A new instructor-led class from ESRI specifically aimed at creating modern-looking, high-performance web maps using the JavaScript API. As of the date of this post it’s only being offered in CA, MO, GA, & AZ.

All in all, a very worthwhile half-day seminar especially considering it was free. Many people, including myself, would have gladly paid for the content. Thank you ESRI!

~ by bwsd on June 2, 2009.