Display a map

Before starting this tutorial:

• You need an ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account.

• Ensure your development environment meets the system requirements.

Optionally, you may want to install the ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET to get access to project templates in Visual Studio (Windows only) and offline copies of the NuGet packages.

Option 1: Develop the code

Create a new Visual Studio Project

ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET supports apps for Windows Presentation Framework (WPF), Universal Windows Platform (UWP), Windows UI Library (WinUI), and .NET MAUI. The instructions for this tutorial are specific to creating a WPF .NET project using Visual Studio for Windows.

1. Start Visual Studio and create a new project.

   • In the Visual Studio start screen, click Create a new project.
   • Choose the WPF Application template for C#. If you don’t see the template listed, you can find it by typing WPF Application into the Search for templates text box.
   • Click Next.
   • Provide required values in the Configure your new project panel:
     • Project name: DisplayAMap
     • Location: choose a folder
   • Click Next.
     • Choose the framework: .NET 8.0 (Long Term Support)
   • Click Create to create the project.

More info

If you are developing with Visual Studio for Windows, ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET provides a set of project templates for each supported .NET platform. These templates follow the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) design pattern. Install the ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET Visual Studio Extension to add the templates to Visual Studio (Windows only). See Install and set up for details.

Add a reference to the API

1. Add a reference to the API by installing a NuGet package.

   • In Solution Explorer, right-click Dependencies and choose Manage NuGet Packages.
   • In the NuGet Package Manager window, ensure the selected Package source is nuget.org (upper-right).
   • Select the Browse tab and search for ArcGIS Maps SDK.
   • In the search results, select the appropriate package for your platform. For this tutorial project, choose the Esri.ArcGISRuntime.WPF NuGet package.
   • Confirm the Latest stable version of the package is selected in the Version dropdown.
   • Click Apply.
   • The Preview Changes dialog confirms any package(s) dependencies or conflicts. Review the changes and click OK to continue installing the packages.
   • Review the license information on the License Acceptance dialog and click I Accept to add the package(s) to your project.
   • In the Visual Studio Output window, ensure the packages were successfully installed. If you see an error about the target Windows version, you will fix that in the next step.
   • Close the NuGet Package Manager window.

2. You may see an error like this in the Visual Studio Error List: The 'Esri.ArcGISRuntime.WPF' nuget package cannot be used to target 'net9.0-windows'. Target 'net9.0-windows10.0.19041.0' or later instead.. If so, follow these steps to address it.

   • In Solution Explorer, right-click the project entry in the tree view and choose Edit Project File.
   • Update the <TargetFramework> element with net9.0-windows10.0.19041.0 (or higher).

   <PropertyGroup>
     <OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
     <TargetFramework>net9.0-windows10.0.19041.0</TargetFramework>
     <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>
   </PropertyGroup>
   • Save the project file and close it.

Create a view model to store app logic

This app is the foundation for many following tutorials so it’s good to build it with a solid design.

More info about the MVVM design pattern

The Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) design pattern provides an architecture that separates user interface elements, and related code, from the underlying app logic. In this pattern,model represents the data consumed in an app, view represents the user interface, and view model contains the logic that binds model and view together. The framework required for such a pattern might initially seem like a lot of work for a small project, but as your project’s complexity increases, a solid design foundation will make your code more flexible and easier to maintain.

In an ArcGIS app designed with MVVM, the map view A map view is a user interface that displays map layers and graphics in 2D. It controls the area (extent) of the map that is visible and supports user interactions such as pan and zoom. Learn more or scene view A scene view is a user interface that displays scene layers and graphics in 3D. It uses a camera to control the visible area of the scene and supports user interactions such as pan, zoom, tilt, and rotate. Learn more usually provides the main view component. Many of the classes fill the role of model (representing data as maps, scenes, layers, graphics, features, and others). Much of the code you write will be for the view model component, where you will add logic to work with ArcGIS objects and provide data for display in the view.

1. Add a new class that will define a view model for the project.

   • Click Project > Add Class ….
   • Name the new class MapViewModel.cs.
   • Click Add to create the new class and add it to the project.
   • The new class will open in Visual Studio.

2. Add required using statements to the view model.

   MapViewModel.cs

   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Mapping;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Geometry;

3. Implement the INotifyPropertyChanged interface in the MapViewModel class.

   More info

   This interface defines a PropertyChanged event that is used to notify clients (views) that a property of the view model has changed.

   MapViewModel.cs

   namespace DisplayAMap
   {
   
       internal class MapViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
       {

4. Inside the MapViewModel class, add code to implement the PropertyChanged event.

   More info

   When a property of the view model changes, a call to OnPropertyChanged will raise this event.

   MapViewModel.cs

   27 collapsed lines
   //   Copyright 2021 Esri
   //   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   //   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   //   You may obtain a copy of the License at
   //
   //   https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
   //
   //   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   //   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   //   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   //   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   //   limitations under the License.
   
   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Mapping;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Geometry;
   
   namespace DisplayAMap
   {
   
       internal class MapViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
       {
   
           public event PropertyChangedEventHandler? PropertyChanged;
           protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = "")
           {
               PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
           }
   
       }
   2 collapsed lines
   
   }

5. Define a new property on the view model called Map that exposes a Map object. When the property is set, call OnPropertyChanged.

   MapViewModel.cs

   27 collapsed lines
   //   Copyright 2021 Esri
   //   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   //   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   //   You may obtain a copy of the License at
   //
   //   https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
   //
   //   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   //   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   //   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   //   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   //   limitations under the License.
   
   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Mapping;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Geometry;
   
   namespace DisplayAMap
   {
   
       internal class MapViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
       {
   
           public event PropertyChangedEventHandler? PropertyChanged;
           protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = "")
           {
               PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
           }
   
           private Map? _map;
           public Map? Map
           {
               get { return _map; }
               set
               {
                   _map = value;
                   OnPropertyChanged();
               }
           }
   
       }
   2 collapsed lines
   
   }

6. Add a function to the MapViewModel class called SetupMap. This function will create a new map and use it to set the Map property. The map will use one of the secured ArcGIS basemap styles and center on the Santa Monica Mountains in California.

   More info

   Scale is an integral part of creating a viewpoint. It determines how closely you view your map. Scale is a ratio between measurements on a map view and measurements in the real-world. Use this conversion tool to see how scale works relative to zoom level and learn more about their relationship.

   MapViewModel.cs

   47 collapsed lines
   //   Copyright 2021 Esri
   //   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   //   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   //   You may obtain a copy of the License at
   //
   //   https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
   //
   //   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   //   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   //   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   //   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   //   limitations under the License.
   
   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Mapping;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Geometry;
   
   namespace DisplayAMap
   {
   
       internal class MapViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
       {
   
           public event PropertyChangedEventHandler? PropertyChanged;
           protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = "")
           {
               PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
           }
   
           private Map? _map;
           public Map? Map
           {
               get { return _map; }
               set
               {
                   _map = value;
                   OnPropertyChanged();
               }
           }
   
           private void SetupMap()
           {
   
               // Create a new map with a 'topographic vector' basemap.
               var map = new Map(BasemapStyle.ArcGISTopographic);
   
               // Set the initial viewpoint around the Santa Monica Mountains in California.
               var mapCenterPoint = new MapPoint(-118.805, 34.027, SpatialReferences.Wgs84);
               map.InitialViewpoint = new Viewpoint(mapCenterPoint, 100000);
   
               // Set the view model's Map property with the map.
               Map = map;
   
           }
   4 collapsed lines
   
       }
   
   }

7. Add a constructor to the class that calls SetupMap when a new MapViewModel is instantiated.

   More info

   When you write code like MapViewModel newMapVM = new MapViewModel();, the class constructor runs. This is a good place to add code that needs to run when the class is initialized.

   MapViewModel.cs

   24 collapsed lines
   //   Copyright 2021 Esri
   //   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   //   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   //   You may obtain a copy of the License at
   //
   //   https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
   //
   //   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   //   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   //   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   //   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   //   limitations under the License.
   
   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Mapping;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.Runtime.CompilerServices;
   using Esri.ArcGISRuntime.Geometry;
   
   namespace DisplayAMap
   {
   
       internal class MapViewModel : INotifyPropertyChanged
       {
   
           public MapViewModel()
           {
               SetupMap();
           }
   36 collapsed lines
   
           public event PropertyChangedEventHandler? PropertyChanged;
           protected void OnPropertyChanged([CallerMemberName] string propertyName = "")
           {
               PropertyChanged?.Invoke(this, new PropertyChangedEventArgs(propertyName));
           }
   
           private Map? _map;
           public Map? Map
           {
               get { return _map; }
               set
               {
                   _map = value;
                   OnPropertyChanged();
               }
           }
   
           private void SetupMap()
           {
   
               // Create a new map with a 'topographic vector' basemap.
               var map = new Map(BasemapStyle.ArcGISTopographic);
   
               // Set the initial viewpoint around the Santa Monica Mountains in California.
               var mapCenterPoint = new MapPoint(-118.805, 34.027, SpatialReferences.Wgs84);
               map.InitialViewpoint = new Viewpoint(mapCenterPoint, 100000);
   
               // Set the view model's Map property with the map.
               Map = map;
   
           }
   
       }
   
   }

Your MapViewModel is complete!

An advantage of using the MVVM design pattern is the ability to reuse code in a view model. Because this API has a nearly-standard API surface across platforms, a view model written for one app typically works on all supported .NET platforms. This view model could be used in a .NET MAUI app, a WinUI app, or a UWP app with little or no modification.

Set developer credentials

To allow your app users to access ArcGIS Location Services ArcGIS Location Services, also referred to as Location Services, are services hosted by Esri that provide geospatial functionality for developing mapping applications. They include the ArcGIS Basemap Styles service, ArcGIS Static Basemap Tiles service, ArcGIS Places service, ArcGIS Geocoding service, ArcGIS Routing service, ArcGIS GeoEnrichment service, and ArcGIS Elevation service. An ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account is required to use the services. Learn more , use the developer credentials that you created in the Set up authentication step to authenticate requests for resources.

API key authentication User authentication

1. In the Solution Explorer, expand the node for App.xaml, and double-click App.xaml.cs to open it.

2. In the App class, add an override for the OnStartup() function to set the ApiKey property on ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.

   App.xaml.cs

       public partial class App : Application
       {
   
           protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
           {
               base.OnStartup(e);
   
               // Set the access token for ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET.
               Esri.ArcGISRuntime.ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.ApiKey = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
   
           }
   
       }
   }

3. Replace “YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN” with the API key access token you created earlier.

4. Save and close the App.xaml.cs file.

Best Practice: The access token is stored directly in the code as a convenience for this tutorial. Do not store credentials directly in source code in a production environment.

Next, you will set up a view in your project to consume the view model.

Add a map view

A MapView control is used to display a map. You will add a map view to your project UI and wire it up to consume the map that is defined on MapViewModel.

1. Add required XML namespace and resource declarations.

   More info

   • Open MainWindow.xaml and switch to the XAML view
   • Inside the existing namespace declarations, add an esri XML namespace for the ArcGIS controls
   • Add XAML that defines a MapViewModel instance as a static resource
   MainWindow.xaml

   <Window x:Class="DisplayAMap.MainWindow"
           xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
           xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
           xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
           xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
           xmlns:local="clr-namespace:DisplayAMap"
           xmlns:esri="http://schemas.esri.com/arcgis/runtime/2013"
           mc:Ignorable="d"
           Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
   
       <Window.Resources>
           <local:MapViewModel x:Key="MapViewModel" />
       </Window.Resources>
   6 collapsed lines
   
       <Grid>
   
       </Grid>
   
   </Window>

2. Add a MapView control to MainWindow.xaml and bind it to the MapViewModel.

   More info

   • Add XAML that defines a MapView control named MainMapView
   • Use data binding to set the Map property of the control using the MapViewModel resource.
   MainWindow.xaml

   14 collapsed lines
   <Window x:Class="DisplayAMap.MainWindow"
           xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
           xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
           xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
           xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
           xmlns:local="clr-namespace:DisplayAMap"
           xmlns:esri="http://schemas.esri.com/arcgis/runtime/2013"
           mc:Ignorable="d"
           Title="MainWindow" Height="450" Width="800">
   
       <Window.Resources>
           <local:MapViewModel x:Key="MapViewModel" />
       </Window.Resources>
   
       <Grid>
   
           <esri:MapView x:Name="MainMapView"
                         Map="{Binding Map, Source={StaticResource MapViewModel}}" />
   
       </Grid>
   2 collapsed lines
   
   </Window>

Run the app

Click Debug > Start Debugging (or press <F5> on the keyboard) to run the app. If your app uses user authentication, enter your ArcGIS Online credentials when prompted.

You will see a map A map is a collection of layers that are displayed in 2D. It is typically composed of a basemap layer and data layers. Learn more with the topographic basemap layer A basemap layer is the layer in a map or scene that displays basemap data. The data source for a basemap layer is typically a basemap service. Learn more centered on the Santa Monica Mountains in California. Double-click, drag, and scroll the mouse wheel over the map view to explore the map.

Option 2: Download the solution

1. Click the Download solution link in the right-hand panel of the page.

2. Unzip the file to a location on your machine.

3. Open the .sln file in Visual Studio.

Since the downloaded solution does not contain authentication credentials, you must add the developer credentials that you created in the Set up authentication section.

Set developer credentials in the solution

To allow your app users to access ArcGIS location services ArcGIS Location Services, also referred to as Location Services, are services hosted by Esri that provide geospatial functionality for developing mapping applications. They include the ArcGIS Basemap Styles service, ArcGIS Static Basemap Tiles service, ArcGIS Places service, ArcGIS Geocoding service, ArcGIS Routing service, ArcGIS GeoEnrichment service, and ArcGIS Elevation service. An ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account is required to use the services. Learn more , use the developer credentials that you created in the Set up authentication step to authenticate requests for resources.

API key authentication User authentication

1. In Visual Studio, in the Solution Explorer, click App.xaml.cs to open the file.

2. Set the ArcGISEnvironment.ApiKey property with your API key access token.

   App.xaml.cs

           protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
           {
               base.OnStartup(e);
   
               // Set the access token for ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET.
               Esri.ArcGISRuntime.ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.ApiKey = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
   
               // Call a function to set up the AuthenticationManager for OAuth.
               UserAuth.ArcGISLoginPrompt.RegisterOAuthConfig();
   
           }

3. Remove the code that sets up user authentication.

   App.xaml.cs

           protected override void OnStartup(StartupEventArgs e)
           {
               base.OnStartup(e);
   
               // Set the access token for ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET.
               Esri.ArcGISRuntime.ArcGISRuntimeEnvironment.ApiKey = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
   
               // Call a function to set up the AuthenticationManager for OAuth.
               UserAuth.ArcGISLoginPrompt.RegisterOAuthConfig();
   
           }

Best Practice: The access token is stored directly in the code as a convenience for this tutorial. Do not store credentials directly in source code in a production environment.

Run the app

Click Debug > Start Debugging (or press <F5> on the keyboard) to run the app. If your app uses user authentication, enter your ArcGIS Online credentials when prompted.

You will see a map A map is a collection of layers that are displayed in 2D. It is typically composed of a basemap layer and data layers. Learn more with the topographic basemap layer A basemap layer is the layer in a map or scene that displays basemap data. The data source for a basemap layer is typically a basemap service. Learn more centered on the Santa Monica Mountains in California. Double-click, drag, and scroll the mouse wheel over the map view to explore the map.