Tutorial: Create data sources for feature analysis

Learn how to create, import, and enrich hosted feature layers for use in feature analysis.

To perform feature analysis, you need an input data source that contains feature data. The easiest format to use is data stored in ArcGIS as a hosted feature layer.

This tutorial shows you how to prepare data for feature analysis using ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Map Viewer. You can create a hosted feature layer by importing your own data, defining a new layer from scratch, or generating one programmatically. After creating a dataset, you can use Map Viewer to enrich it with information from the ArcGIS enrichment service.

Prerequisites

How to create data

There are different ways to create and enhance your data for use in feature analysis:

1. Import data
2. Create data
3. Generate data
4. Enrich data

1. Import your data

You can convert existing data into a hosted feature layer by uploading it to your portal. This will allow you to use the data for spatial analysis and include it in your applications.

You can define the feature geometry of your data using either coordinate locations or street addresses. Supported file formats include CSV, GeoJSON, GPX, GeoDatabase, Shapefile, and Scene Layer Package.

The general steps to import your data are:

1. Format your data as CSV, GeoJSON, or one of the other supported formats.

2. Sign in to your portal:

   • ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online: Go to https://www.arcgis.com/home/signin.html.
   • ArcGIS Enterprise: Learn more at ArcGIS Enterprise > Use > Get started > Access.

3. In the top navigation bar, click Content.

4. Click New Item and upload your data from your computer.

5. Select the Add file and create a hosted feature layer option to publish your file as a hosted feature layer.

6. Specify the data fields to include in the feature layer as well as the type of data they contain.

7. If necessary, identify the location information in your data by selecting fields containing coordinates or street addresses.

8. Provide a title, summary, and other properties for your new layer.

9. Click Save to create a new hosted feature layer.

10. Set the access permissions on the new item page by clicking Share.

11. Copy the layer URL from its item page to use the feature layer in a feature analysis.

See the examples below to learn how to import specific file types.

2. Create new data

You can use ArcGIS tools to create a new feature layer and populate it with data interactively in your browser. To do this, use the portal to make an empty feature layer, then edit it using ArcGIS Map Viewer to add features. This method of data creation is a great way to make personalized datasets, such as trail photoshoot locations or countries that you've visited.

The following steps explain how to create an empty feature layer and populate it with data:

Create an empty feature layer

Use data management tools to create a new feature layer that is powered by a feature service. The feature service will not initially contain geometries or attributes.

1. Sign in to your portal:

   • ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online: Go to https://www.arcgis.com/home/signin.html.
   • ArcGIS Enterprise: Learn more at ArcGIS Enterprise > Use > Get started > Access.

2. In the top navigation bar, click Content.

3. Click New item > Feature Layer > Define your own layer.

4. Set the geometry type and name of the layer.

5. Provide a summary, tags, and other properties for your new layer.

6. Click Save to create a new hosted feature layer.

7. Navigate to the new layer's item page and set the following properties:

   • Set the layer access permissions by clicking Share.
   • Enable editing under Settings > Feature Layer (hosted).

Add features with Map Viewer

Map Viewer can be used to add and edit feature layer data. Use it to populate your new feature layer with feature data. You can also use this process to edit features in existing layers.

1. Open the ArcGIS Online item page of the hosted feature layer you created in the previous step.

2. Click the dropdown next to Open in Map Viewer and choose Open in Map Viewer Classic with full editing control.

3. In the Details pane, find your new feature layer and click Show Table.

4. In the feature layer data table, click the more options button and select Add Field to create a new data field.

5. Enter the name, display name, and data type of your new field and click Add New Field to add it to your layer. You can create as many data fields for your layer as you want.

6. When you have finished preparing data fields, zoom to the desired extent of your map. Click Edit to open the feature editor.

7. Click New Feature in the Add Features panel. Click on the map to create a new feature record.

8. Populate the field values and attachments for your new feature. When you are ready to add the feature, click Close. You can create as many features for your layer using this method as you want.

9. When you are finished adding features, Save your feature layer in order to write your changes to the feature layer.

10. Copy the feature layer URL from its item page to use the feature layer in a feature analysis.

See the examples below to learn how to create different types of feature layers.

3. Generate data

Another method of creating data is to generate it programmatically with the Generate Tessellations analysis tool in Map Viewer. The Generate Tessellations tool covers a specified area in tessellated geometries of equal size. The tessellated shapes can be squares, hexagons, triangles, or diamonds, and their size is customizable. You can use tessellation layers in subsequent analyses such as aggregation, summarization, enrichment, and visualization.

The general steps to generate tessellations are:

1. Sign in to your portal:

   • ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online: Go to https://www.arcgis.com/home/signin.html.
   • ArcGIS Enterprise: Learn more at ArcGIS Enterprise > Use > Get started > Access.

2. Open Map Viewer Classic.

3. Zoom to your desired analysis extent and add any data layers you will use as boundaries to the map.

4. In the Analysis menu, click Manage Data > Generate Tessellations.

5. Set the geometry shape of the analysis to Square, hexagon, triangle, or diamond.

6. Set the extent of the operation based on a shapefile or the current map extent.

7. Set the bin size and units of each tessellated shape.

8. Click Show credits to view the credit estimate for the operation.

9. Click Run Analysis to perform the operation and wait for it to complete.

10. Open the item page of the new tessellation layer by clicking the ellipsis under the layer name and selecting Show Item Details.

11. Copy the layer URL to use the feature layer in a feature analysis.

See the examples below for different types of tessellations you can generate.

What's next?

To learn how to perform feature analysis using the layers you created, go to a tutorial:

ToolsAPIs

Find data sources

Discover data in ArcGIS that you can use for feature analysis.

ArcGIS OnlineArcGIS Living AtlasArcGIS Hub

Enrich data sources

Enrich data with demographic information and local business facts using the spatial analysis service.

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Find and extract data

Find data with attribute and spatial queries using find analysis operations.

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Combine data

Overlay, join, and dissolve features using combine analysis operations.

Map ViewerPython APIREST JSREST API

Summarize data

Aggregate and summarize features using summarize analysis operations.

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Discover patterns in data

Find patterns and trends in data using spatial analysis operations.

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Perform a feature analysis

Perform a feature analysis using ArcGIS REST JS.

Esri LeafletMapLibre GL JSOpenLayersREST JSREST API