The October 2020 update to the Community Maps Editor app included improvements and new features.
Users can now add their own image services in the CM Editor application. Many users have their own services that are newer or higher in resolution than the World Imagery Service in ArcGIS Online. These services are accessible in the Layers section and used to create features. See the help article on how to add an image service to the Editor application.
Similar to image services, a user may have some functionality in an existing functionality service to add to the CM Editor application. Add an existing feature service to the CM Editor application, and then use it to copy and paste features into layers in the application. A feature service can also be used as a reference layer that the feature can be snapped onto in the CM Editor application. See the help article on how to add feature services to the app.
Blueprints are drawings or documents that can be used as a reference image to create features in the Editor application. These plane images, such as JPEG, TIFF, PNG, do not need to be georeferenced and can be geotagged in the application by tilting or distorting the image on the basemap.
If you were familiar with the latest UI, you need to learn a few changes to get your bearings.
- The “Create” button is now the “New” button. This button will activate the panel on the right to select the types of features.
- Toggling layers on / off in the Layers panel uses an eyeball symbol instead of a check mark. When the eyeball is grayed out and crossed by a line, the layer is not visible.
- Favorites – Layers you use often can be saved by clicking on the star
- Cut / Cut is now Cut / Trim. To toggle between Cut and Cut, the button is now to the right of the app instead of being a hidden menu under the Create button.
- You can change the theme in the app if you prefer a different look. Click on your avatar in the upper right corner, click on Settings and select a new theme.
- Copy and Paste – Copy and paste of a feature is slightly different, but includes the ability to edit the target layer. If you copy a building but are about to paste it into Grass, you can just edit the target layer and paste it into the appropriate layer.
These new educational resources include videos for getting started, getting started, and building features.
About the Author
Shane Matthews
Shane is a senior product engineer for the ArcGIS content team at Esri. It curates and recruits content for the ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World through Esri’s Community Maps program, and explores and implements new and innovative delivery methods to deliver geospatial information.
