Mapping tools

What are mapping tools?

Mapping tools are applications in a portalArcGIS portal, also known as a portal, is a website with applications and tools that can be used to create, manage, access, and share geospatial content and data. It supports security and authentication, developer credentials, content and data service management, user and group management, and site administration. A portal can be hosted in Esri's infrastructure or your own infrastructure.Learn more that you can use to create, visualize, analyze, and prepare geospatial content and data for your applications. They allow you to save content in your portal such as web mapsA web map is a map stored as a JSON object that defines properties such as the basemap layer, data layers, layer styles, and pop-up styles. Its JSON structure is defined by the web map specification.Learn more, web scenesA web scene is a scene stored as a JSON object that defines properties such as the basemap layer, data layers, layer styles, and pop-up styles. Its JSON structure is defined by the web scene specification.Learn more, and hosted layersA hosted layer is an item in a portal that contains the properties and settings for a hosted data service or a layer in a hosted data service.Learn more. You can create web mapsA web map is a map stored as a JSON object that defines properties such as the basemap layer, data layers, layer styles, and pop-up styles. Its JSON structure is defined by the web map specification.Learn more by adding layers, customizing symbology, and configuring pop-ups. These tools support various data formats and offer functionalities for spatial analysis, such as buffering and hotspot analysis. Users can use basemapsA basemap is the foundational layer and data that provides the overall visual and geographic context for a map or scene. It typically includes geographic features and labels for land, water, roads, buildings, cities, places, and administrative boundaries, but can also include raster data such as satellite and areal images.Learn more, perform real-time data editing, and share maps through web apps, dashboards, and story maps.

The three main mapping tools in a portal are Map Viewer, Scene Viewer and Vector Tile Style Editor.

Map Viewer

Map ViewerMap Viewer is a browser-based mapping tool that can view, create, and save web maps. It can also perform mapping, visualization, and spatial analysis operations.Learn more is a web mapping tool that allows you to create, explore, style, and share web maps. Here are some key features and capabilities:

• Map Authoring and exploration: Create new web maps, explore and visualize data, and navigate maps using pan, zoom, rotate, and bookmarks.
• Layer Management: Manage properties of map layers, access layer styling tools to customize properties symbology, and apply smart mapping styles like dot density and heat maps.
• Data Visualization: View and interact attribute in charts, filter and cluster point features for better visualization, and Create data-driven visualizations using charts like bar charts and scatter plots.
• Mapping Tools: Search and locate places on the map, measure distances and areas, and view time-enabled data animations.

Scene Viewer

Scene ViewerScene Viewer(™) is a browser-based mapping tool that can view, create, and save web scenes.Learn more is a web-based tool that allows you to create, explore, and share interactive 3D web scenes. Here are the key features and capabilities:

• 3D Scene Authoring: Create new web scenes, define basemaps and configure layer styles in 3D, and render realistic 3D visualizations of buildings, cities, and terrain features.
• 3D Data Visualization: Display and interact with 3D data like buildings and infrastructure models, visualize global and local scenes for different use cases like urban planning and environmental analysis, and utilize smart mapping styles like heat maps and dot density in a 3D environment.
• Interactive Scene Exploration: Navigate scenes using pan and zoom tools, explore data with pop-ups displaying attributes and charts, and use tools like measurement, daylight simulation, weather effects, elevation profiles, and slicing planes.

Vector Tile Style Editor

Vector Tile Style Editor (VTSE)The ArcGIS Vector Tile Style Editor is a web-based application used to create, edit, and save a custom style for vector tile basemap layer.Learn more is a web-based application that allows users to create, edit, and save custom basemap styles for vector tile layers. You can interactively design and customize the appearance of individual layers such as land, water, and buildings. You can also apply pre-defined themes or use the quick editor to style multiple layers simultaneously with a consistent look and feel.