Maps (2D)

Maps and scenes provide interactive displays of geographic data that enable you to visualize and explore patterns, answer questions, and share insight. They can be opened, edited, and shared across the ArcGIS system and beyond. Maps are designed for interaction in two dimensions (2D) and scenes for interaction in three dimensions (3D).

See Scenes (3D) in this guide for more information about working with scenes.

You can use a map to:

• Display a basemap layer such as streets or satellite imagery.
• Access and display data layers based on files or services, including data you have authored.
• Provide context for temporary points, lines, polygons, or text displayed as graphics.
• Inspect data layers and display information from attributes.
• Measure distance and explore spatial relationships between geometries.
• Save a collection of layers as a web map to be shared across ArcGIS.

How a map works

A map works together with a map view to display geographic content in two dimensions. A map contains a collection of layers including multiple data layers from online or local sources, and a basemap layer that gives geographic context. A map can also contain datasets that enable searches for addresses or place names, networks for solving routes, utility networks for tracing the flow of services such as water and electricity, and non-spatial tables. Maps can be created, displayed, edited, and saved. Because the format is based on the ArcGIS web map standard, these maps can be shared uniformly across the ArcGIS system.

For offline workflows (when you don't have network connectivity), you can open a map stored in a mobile map package. Mobile map packages can be created using ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Enterprise, or ArcGIS Online. See Offline maps, scenes, and data for more information about implementing offline workflows in your apps.

Map

A map contains a collection of layers displayed in the order in which they were added, with the most recently added layer being displayed above existing layers. You can use the map to change the display order of layers as well as to control which layers are visible, and expose this functionality with user interface controls such as lists, check boxes, or switches. A map also contains a collection of bookmarks, which, similar to a web browser bookmark, allow you to quickly navigate to a predefined area of the map.

You can open an existing map or create one entirely with code. To create a map, you typically first add a basemap layer and then one or more data layers.

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      // An API key: a permanent key that allows your app to access Esri location services.
      // Replace YOUR_API_KEY with a *string* containing your actual API key.
      // In general, it is not best practice to store your API key in source code.
      ArcGISEnvironment.apiKey = ApiKey.create(YOUR_API_KEY)

      // Create a map with an ArcGIS basemap style.
      val map = ArcGISMap(BasemapStyle.ArcGISTopographic)

You can also open a map stored in a portal (such as ArcGIS Online) using its URL.

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      // create an ArcGIS Map instance from a web map URL
      val webMap = ArcGISMap("https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=acc027394bc84c2fb04d1ed317aac674")

You can define the initial extent at which the map will display by setting the ArcGISMap.initialViewpoint property.

Layer

Each layer in a map references geographic data, either from an online service or from a local dataset. There are different types of layers that can be added to a map, each designed to display a particular type of data. Some layers display images, such as satellite imagery or aerial photography, while others are composed of a collection of features to represent real-world entities using point, line, or polygon geometries. In addition to geometry, features have attributes that provide details about the entity it represents.

The Layer class is the base class for all types of layers. The type of layer you create depends on the type of data you want to display. For example, to display feature data you can create a FeatureLayer that references an online service (such as a feature service) or a supported local dataset.

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    ArcGISEnvironment.apiKey = ApiKey.create(YOUR_API_KEY)

    val map = ArcGISMap(BasemapStyle.ArcGISTopographic)

    val trailheadsLayer = FeatureLayer.createWithFeatureTable(
        ServiceFeatureTable("https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Trailheads_Styled/FeatureServer/0"))

    val trailsLayer = FeatureLayer.createWithFeatureTable(
        ServiceFeatureTable("https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Trails_Styled/FeatureServer/0"))

    val openSpacesLayer = FeatureLayer.createWithFeatureTable(
        ServiceFeatureTable("https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Parks_and_Open_Space_Styled/FeatureServer/0"))

    map.operationalLayers.addAll(listOf(openSpacesLayer, trailsLayer, trailheadsLayer))

    // set the map to be displayed in the map view
    mapView.map = map

MapView

A map view is a user-interface control that displays a single map in your app. It contains built-in functionality that allows the user to explore the map by zooming in and out, recentering the map display, or getting additional information about elements in the map. It also manages graphics in one or more collections of graphics overlays. The graphics managed by the map view always display above all layers displayed in the map.

A map view control also allows you to:

• Access data for data layers and graphics.
• Display the current location as a point on the map.
• Identify and select features at a specified location.
• Export an image of the current display.
• Rotate the map display.
• Apply a time extent to filter the display of features.
• Filter layer data using attribute and spatial criteria.

Add a map to a MapView control to display it. Changes you make to the map, such as adding, removing, or reording layers, will immediately be reflected in the map view display. The ArcGISMap.initialViewpoint property will determine the area of the map shown when the map loads. You can also use MapView.setViewpoint() and MapView.setViewpointRotation() to programmatically change the map area or orientation shown in the display.

Assume that in your onCreate() lifecycle method, you add your map view to the lifecycle scope:

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      val mapView = activityMainBinding.mapView
      // Add the mapview to the lifecycle scope.
      lifecycle.addObserver(mapView)

After creating a map, you can add it to map view and then set a view point:

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      // Set the map to be displayed in the layout's map view.
      mapView.map = map

      val latitude = 34.0270
      val longitude = -118.8050
      val scale = 72000.0

      // set the viewpoint of the map view
      mapView.setViewpoint(Viewpoint(latitude, longitude, scale))

Examples

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      // create a map with a topographic night basemap style
      val map = ArcGISMap(BasemapStyle.ArcGISTopographic)

      // set the map to be displayed in the layout's map view
      mapView.map = map
      // set the viewpoint of the map view
      mapView.setViewpoint(Viewpoint(34.0270, -118.8050, 72000.0))

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      // create a Portal instance for ArcGIS Online (https://www.arcgis.com) and then a PortalItem
      // instance with an item Id
      val portal = Portal("https://www.arcgis.com", Portal.Connection.Anonymous)
      val portalItem = PortalItem(portal, "41281c51f9de45edaf1c8ed44bb10e30")
      // create a map using the portal itemq
      val webMap = ArcGISMap(portalItem)

      // set the map to be displayed in the layout's map view
      mapView.map = webMap

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        // get the file path of the (.mmpk) file
        val filePath = provisionPath + getString(R.string.yellowstone_mmpk)

        // create the mobile map package
        val mapPackage = MobileMapPackage(filePath)

        lifecycleScope.launch {
            // load the mobile map package
            mapPackage.load().getOrElse {
                // mobile map package failed to load
                showError(it.message.toString(), mapView)
            }
            // add the map from the mobile map package to the MapView
            mapView.map = mapPackage.maps.first()
        }

Use API keys

An API key can be used to authorize access to ArcGIS Online services and resources from your app, as well as to monitor access to those services. You can use a single API key for all requests made by your app, or assign individual keys for classes that expose an API key property.

Refer to API keys in the security and authentication topic for details.

Tutorials

Display a map

Add a point, line, and polygon

Display a web map

Samples

Style graphics with renderer

Show device location

Manage operational layers

Display composable MapView

Services

• Try a tutorial

  Step-by-step code examples

• Visit the samples

  Learn what is possible

• Explore the API

  Read more about classes