Measure a distance in 3D | ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift

Learn how to evaluate the horizontal, vertical, and direct distances between two points in a 3D Scene.

A distance measurement analysis is a type of measurement analysis that calculates and displays the distance between start point and end point locations. The analysis evaluates the vertical, horizontal, and direct distances between the two 3D points and renders a measurement visualization on-screen.

In this tutorial you will perform and display a distance measurement analysis in a web sceneA 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. Using the distance measurement analysis you will measure distances between hotspots in the Yosemite Valley.

Prerequisites

Before starting this tutorial:

You need an ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account.
Your system meets the system requirements.

Develop or Download

You have two options for completing this tutorial:

Option 1: Develop the code or
Option 2: Download the completed solution

Option 1: Develop the code

To start the tutorial, complete the Display a web scene tutorial. This creates a scene to display the trails, trailheads, and parks in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Continue with the following instructions to evaluate the horizontal, vertical, and direct distances between two points in a 3D Scene.

Get the web scene item ID

You can use ArcGIS toolsTools, also known as developer tools, are ArcGIS software applications such as portal and ArcGIS Pro that developers can use to prepare content and data for custom applications they are building.Learn more to create and view 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. Use the Scene ViewerScene Viewer(™) is a browser-based mapping tool that can view, create, and save web scenes.Learn more to identify the web scene item IDAn item ID is a unique identifier representing a single item stored, managed, and accessed in a portal, such as a web map, hosted layer, or file.Learn more. This item ID will be used later in the tutorial.

Go to the Yosemite Valley Hotspots web scene in the Scene Viewer in ArcGIS OnlineArcGIS Online is a GIS mapping, analytics, data hosting, and content management software as a service (SaaS) product. It includes applications, tools, APIs, and location services for users and developers. It is subscription-based and requires an ArcGIS Online account.Learn more. This web scene displays terrain and hotspots in the Yosemite Valley.
Make a note of the item IDAn item ID is a unique identifier representing a single item stored, managed, and accessed in a portal, such as a web map, hosted layer, or file.Learn more at the end of the browser's URL. The item ID should be 7558ee942b2547019f66885c44d4f0b1.

Update the scene

In Xcode, in the Project Navigator, click ContentView.swift.

In the editor, modify the scene variable to create a Scene for the web scene. To do this, create a portal item providing the web scene's item IDAn item ID is a unique identifier representing a single item stored, managed, and accessed in a portal, such as a web map, hosted layer, or file.Learn more and a Portal referencing ArcGIS Online.

ContentView.swift
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Change lineChange lineChange lineChange line    // The Yosemite Valley hotspots scene.
    @State private var scene: ArcGIS.Scene = {

        let portalItem = PortalItem(
            portal: .arcGISOnline(connection: .anonymous),
            id: Item.ID("7558ee942b2547019f66885c44d4f0b1")!
        )

        return Scene(item: portalItem)
    }()

Create a distance measurement analysis

Use a LocationDistanceMeasurement to perform and display a distance measurement analysis using 3D points to define the start and end locations.

Create a private class named Model of type ObservableObject and an accompanying State Object reference in the ContentView struct. See the programming patterns page for more information on how to manage states.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.private class Model: ObservableObject {

}

struct ContentView: View {

    // An ObservableObject containing the scene, and analysis overlay.
    @StateObject private var model = Model()

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Create an AnalysisOverlay named analysisOverlay to contain and display the distance measurement analyses.

An analysis overlay is a container for Analysis objects, such as the LocationDistanceMeasurement. It is used to render visual analyses on a sceneA scene is a collection of layers that are displayed in 3D. It is typically composed of a basemap layer, data layers, and 3D data.Learn more in a scene viewA 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. You can add more than one analysis overlay to a scene view. Analysis overlays are displayed on top of all other layersA layer is a reference to a collection of geographic data that is used to access and display data. The data for layers are typically provided by the basemap layer service and data services.Learn more and graphics overlaysA graphics overlay is a client-side, temporary container of graphics to display on a map view or scene view.Learn more.
ContentView.swift
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Add line.Add line.
```
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private class Model: ObservableObject {

    // The analysis overlay to be added to the scene.
    let analysisOverlay = AnalysisOverlay()

}
```
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Create a LocationDistanceMeasurement named measurement. Upon launch, the distance measurement visualization should not be visible.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.private class Model: ObservableObject {

    // The analysis overlay to be added to the scene.
    let analysisOverlay = AnalysisOverlay()

    let measurement: LocationDistanceMeasurement = {
        let point = Point(x: -119.5968, y: 37.7567, z: 58.5011, spatialReference: .wgs84)
        let measurement = LocationDistanceMeasurement(startLocation: point, endLocation: point)
        measurement.isVisible = false
        measurement.unitSystem = .metric
        return measurement
    }()

}
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In init(), add the distance measurement to the analysis overlay.

The distance measurement analysis is added to a scene view using an analysis overlay. An analysis overlay is a container for analyses. It can be used to display visual analyses in a scene view. You can add more than one analysis overlay and they are displayed on top of all other layersA layer is a reference to a collection of geographic data that is used to access and display data. The data for layers are typically provided by the basemap layer service and data services.Learn more.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.private class Model: ObservableObject {

    // The analysis overlay to be added to the scene.
    let analysisOverlay = AnalysisOverlay()

    let measurement: LocationDistanceMeasurement = {
        let point = Point(x: -119.5968, y: 37.7567, z: 58.5011, spatialReference: .wgs84)
        let measurement = LocationDistanceMeasurement(startLocation: point, endLocation: point)
        measurement.isVisible = false
        measurement.unitSystem = .metric
        return measurement
    }()

    init() {
        analysisOverlay.addAnalysis(measurement)
    }

    func moveDistanceMeasurement(point: Point) {
        if measurement.startLocation == measurement.endLocation {
            measurement.startLocation = point
        } else {
            measurement.endLocation = point
        }
        measurement.isVisible = true
    }

    func clearMeasurement() {
        measurement.isVisible = false
        let point = Point(x: 0, y: 0, z: 0, m: 0, spatialReference: .wgs84)
        measurement.startLocation = point
        measurement.endLocation = point
    }

}
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Define a method named moveDistanceMeasurement(point:) that receives a pointA point is a type of geometry containing a single set of x,y coordinates and a spatial reference.Learn more as a parameter. This method is used to set the distance measurement analysis and make it visible, if it's not visible already.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.    func moveDistanceMeasurement(point: Point) {
        if measurement.startLocation == measurement.endLocation {
            measurement.startLocation = point
        } else {
            measurement.endLocation = point
        }
        measurement.isVisible = true
    }

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Define a private method named clearMeasurement(). This method is used to hide and clear the distance measurement analysis. Set the measurement's visibility to false and reset the start and end locations to allow new measurements.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.    func moveDistanceMeasurement(point: Point) {
        if measurement.startLocation == measurement.endLocation {
            measurement.startLocation = point
        } else {
            measurement.endLocation = point
        }
        measurement.isVisible = true
    }

    func clearMeasurement() {
        measurement.isVisible = false
        let point = Point(x: 0, y: 0, z: 0, m: 0, spatialReference: .wgs84)
        measurement.startLocation = point
        measurement.endLocation = point
    }
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Display the distance measurement analysis with touch events

Touch events determine where to perform and display the distance measurement analysis. A user can tap to add start and end points or long-press and drag to move the distance measurement analysis' location around the screen.

The first step to displaying the analyses is to add the analysis to the scene view. Modify the scene view to add the analysis overlay.

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Change linestruct ContentView: View {

    // An ObservableObject containing the scene, and analysis overlay.
    @StateObject private var model = Model()

    // The Yosemite Valley hotspots scene.
    @State private var scene: ArcGIS.Scene = {

        let portalItem = PortalItem(
            portal: .arcGISOnline(connection: .anonymous),
            id: Item.ID("7558ee942b2547019f66885c44d4f0b1")!
        )

        return Scene(item: portalItem)
    }()

    var body: some View {
        VStack {

            SceneView(scene: scene, analysisOverlays: [model.analysisOverlay])

        }
    }

}
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When a user performs a single touch or a long-press touch event, call moveDistanceMeasurement(point:).

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.    var body: some View {
        VStack {

            SceneView(scene: scene, analysisOverlays: [model.analysisOverlay])

                .onSingleTapGesture { _, scenePoint in
                    guard let scenePoint else { return }
                    model.moveDistanceMeasurement(point: scenePoint)
                }
                .onLongPressGesture { _, scenePoint in
                    guard let scenePoint else { return }
                    model.moveDistanceMeasurement(point: scenePoint)
                }

        }
    }
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Add a UI to control the distance measurement analysis

To control the distance measurement analysis, some UI is required.

Add a toolbar and create a "Clear" button. The button hides and clears the distance measurement analysis from the scene. When the button is selected, call the ClearMeasurement method.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.    var body: some View {
        VStack {

            SceneView(scene: scene, analysisOverlays: [model.analysisOverlay])

                .onSingleTapGesture { _, scenePoint in
                    guard let scenePoint else { return }
                    model.moveDistanceMeasurement(point: scenePoint)
                }
                .onLongPressGesture { _, scenePoint in
                    guard let scenePoint else { return }
                    model.moveDistanceMeasurement(point: scenePoint)
                }

            .toolbar {
                ToolbarItemGroup(placement: .bottomBar) {
                    Button("Clear") {
                        // Resets the distance measurement.
                        model.clearMeasurement()
                    }
                }
            }

        }
    }
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Format measurements for readability

Display the distance measurement results in a reader-friendly format.

In the ContentView, add three @State variables to contain the text measurements.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.    // The Yosemite Valley hotspots scene.
    @State private var scene: ArcGIS.Scene = {

        let portalItem = PortalItem(
            portal: .arcGISOnline(connection: .anonymous),
            id: Item.ID("7558ee942b2547019f66885c44d4f0b1")!
        )

        return Scene(item: portalItem)
    }()

    @State private var directDistanceText = "--"
    @State private var horizontalDistanceText = "--"
    @State private var verticalDistanceText = "--"

    var body: some View {
        VStack {

            SceneView(scene: scene, analysisOverlays: [model.analysisOverlay])
Expand

Create a private extension outside of the ContentView struct named FormatStyle. Create a variable named distance and set the format style to abbreviated, used as provided, and 2 decimal places.

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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.private extension FormatStyle where Self == Measurement<UnitLength>.FormatStyle {
    /// The format style for the distances.
    static var distance: Self {
        .measurement(width: .abbreviated, usage: .asProvided, numberFormatStyle: .number.precision(.fractionLength(2)))
    }
}

Add a task function to the SceneView that produces formatted measurements as the values change.

ContentView.swift
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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.            SceneView(scene: scene, analysisOverlays: [model.analysisOverlay])

                .onSingleTapGesture { _, scenePoint in
                    guard let scenePoint else { return }
                    model.moveDistanceMeasurement(point: scenePoint)
                }
                .onLongPressGesture { _, scenePoint in
                    guard let scenePoint else { return }
                    model.moveDistanceMeasurement(point: scenePoint)
                }

                .task {
                    for await measurements in model.measurement.measurements {
                        directDistanceText = measurements.directDistance.formatted(.distance)
                        horizontalDistanceText = measurements.horizontalDistance.formatted(.distance)
                        verticalDistanceText = measurements.verticalDistance.formatted(.distance)
                    }
                }
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Add text above the toolbar to display the measurements.

ContentView.swift
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Add line.Add line.Add line.Add line.            Text("Direct: \(directDistanceText)")
            Text("Horizontal: \(horizontalDistanceText)")
            Text("Vertical: \(verticalDistanceText)")
            Spacer()

            .toolbar {
                ToolbarItemGroup(placement: .bottomBar) {
                    Button("Clear") {
                        // Resets the distance measurement.
                        model.clearMeasurement()
                    }
                }
            }
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In the Project Navigator, click MainApp.swift. Change the ignoresSafeArea(_:edges:) method to specify the top edge. This will make the text visible.

MainApp.swift
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Change line    var body: some SwiftUI.Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()

                .ignoresSafeArea(edges: .top)

        }
    }

Run the app

Press Command + R to run the app.

If you are using the Xcode simulator your system must meet these minimum requirements: macOS 14 (Sonoma), Xcode 16, iOS 18. If you are using a physical device, then refer to the system requirements.

You should see a scene of hotspots in the Yosemite Valley. Tap to set start and end locations. Long-press and drag to display and move a distance measurement analysis to evaluate the horizontal, vertical, and direct distances between two park locations.

Alternatively, you can download the tutorial solution, as follows.

Option 2: Download the solution

Click the Download solution link under Solution and unzip the file to a location on your machine.
Open the .xcodeproj file in Xcode.

Since the downloaded solution does not contain authentication credentials, you must first set up authentication to create credentials, and then add the developer credentials to the solution.

Set up authentication

To access the secure ArcGIS location servicesArcGIS 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 used in this tutorial, you must implement API key authenticationAPI key authentication is a type of authentication that uses an API key to authenticate requests to ArcGIS services and secure portal items.Learn more or user authenticationUser authentication is a type of authentication that allows users with an ArcGIS account to sign into an application and allow it to access ArcGIS content, services, and resources on their behalf. The typical authorization protocol used is OAuth2.0.Learn more using an ArcGIS Location PlatformAn ArcGIS Location Platform account, formerly known as an ArcGIS Developer account, is an identity associated with an ArcGIS Location Platform subscription.Learn more or an ArcGIS OnlineAn ArcGIS Online account, also known as an ArcGIS Organization account, is an identity associated with an ArcGIS Online subscription. It can be used to access ArcGIS tools and develop applications with ArcGIS location services for an organization.Learn more account.

You can implement API key authentication or user authentication in this tutorial. Compare the differences below:

API key authenticationAPI key authentication is a type of authentication that uses an API key to authenticate requests to ArcGIS services and secure portal items.Learn more

Users are not required to sign in.
Requires creating an API key credentialAPI key credentials are an item that contains the parameters used to create and manage long-lived access tokens for API key authentication. They are a type of developer credential.Learn more with the correct privileges.
API keysAn API key is a long-lived access token created using API key credentials. They are valid for up to one year and are typically embedded directly into client applications.Learn more are long-lived access tokens.
Service usage is billed to the API key owner/developer.
Simplest authentication method to implement.
Recommended approach for new ArcGIS developers.

Learn more in API key authentication.

User authenticationUser authentication is a type of authentication that allows users with an ArcGIS account to sign into an application and allow it to access ArcGIS content, services, and resources on their behalf. The typical authorization protocol used is OAuth2.0.Learn more

Users are required to sign in with an ArcGIS accountAn ArcGIS account is an identity with a user type and set of privileges that can access specific ArcGIS products, tools, APIs, services, and resources. The main account types that can be used for development are an ArcGIS Location Platform account, ArcGIS Online account, and ArcGIS Enterprise account. ArcGIS Location Platform and ArcGIS Online accounts are also associated with a subscription.Learn more.
User accounts must have privilegePrivileges are a set of permissions assigned to ArcGIS accounts, developer credentials, and applications that grant access to secure resources and functionality in ArcGIS.Learn more to access the ArcGIS servicesA service, also known as an ArcGIS service, is software that supports an ArcGIS REST API and provides geospatial functionality or data. A service can be hosted by Esri or in ArcGIS Enterprise.Learn more used in application.
Requires creating OAuth credentialsOAuth credentials are an item that contains parameters required to implement user authentication or app authentication, including a client_id, client_secret, and redirect URIs. They are a type of developer credential.Learn more.
Application uses a redirect URL and client ID.
Service usage is billed to the organization of the user signed into the application.

Learn more in User authentication.

To complete this tutorial, click on the tab in the switcher below for your authentication type of choice, either API key authentication or User authentication.

Create a new API key access tokenAn access token is an authorization string that provides access to secure ArcGIS content, data, and services. Its capabilities are determined by the privileges it supports. It is obtained by implementing API key authentication, User authentication, or App authentication.Learn more with privilegesPrivileges are a set of permissions assigned to ArcGIS accounts, developer credentials, and applications that grant access to secure resources and functionality in ArcGIS.Learn more to access the secure resources used in this tutorial.

Complete the Create an API key tutorial and create an API key with the following privilege(s)Privileges are a set of permissions assigned to ArcGIS accounts, developer credentials, and applications that grant access to secure resources and functionality in ArcGIS.Learn more:
- Privileges
  - Location services > Basemaps
Copy and paste the API key access token into a safe location. It will be used in a later step.

Create new OAuth credentials to access the secure resources used in this tutorial.

Complete the Create OAuth credentials for user authentication tutorial to obtain a Client ID and Redirect URL.

A Client ID uniquely identifies your app on the authenticating server. If the server cannot find an app with the provided Client ID, it will not proceed with authentication.
The Redirect URL (also referred to as a callback url) is used to identify a response from the authenticating server when the system returns control back to your app after an OAuth login. Since it does not necessarily represent a valid endpoint that a user could navigate to, the redirect URL can use a custom scheme, such as my-app://auth. It is important to make sure the redirect URL used in your app's code matches a redirect URL configured on the authenticating server.
Copy and paste the Client ID and Redirect URL into a safe location. They will be used in a later step.

All users that access this application need account privilegesPrivileges are a set of permissions assigned to ArcGIS accounts, developer credentials, and applications that grant access to secure resources and functionality in ArcGIS.Learn more to access the ArcGIS Basemap Styles serviceThe ArcGIS Basemap Styles service, also referred to as the Basemap Styles service, is a location service that provides basemap styles and data for the world. It returns styles as Mapbox styles and web maps, and data as vector tiles and/or map tiles. It supports all of the styles in the ArcGIS Basemap style and Open Basemap style family. An ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account is required to use the service.Learn more.

Set developer credentials in the solution

To allow your app users to access ArcGIS location servicesArcGIS 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.

Pass your API Key access token to the ArcGISEnvironment.

In the Project Navigator, click MainApp.swift.

Set the AuthenticationMode to .apiKey.

MainApp.swift
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    // Change the `AuthenticationMode` to `.apiKey` if your application uses API key authentication.

    private var authenticationMode: AuthenticationMode { .apiKey }

Set the apiKey property with your API key access token.

MainApp.swift
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    // Please enter an API key access token if your application uses API key authentication.

    private let apiKey = APIKey("<#YOUR-ACCESS-TOKEN#>")

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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.

Use the Authenticator toolkit component to manage your OAuth credentialsOAuth credentials are an item that contains parameters required to implement user authentication or app authentication, including a client_id, client_secret, and redirect URIs. They are a type of developer credential.Learn more and pass it to the ArcGISEnvironment.

In the Project Navigator, click MainApp.swift.

Set the AuthenticationMode to .user.

MainApp.swift
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// Change the `AuthenticationMode` to `.user` if your application uses OAuth credentials.

private var authenticationMode: AuthenticationMode { .user }

Set your portalURL, clientID and redirectURL values.

MainApp.swift
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    // Setup an `Authenticator` with OAuth configuration if your application uses OAuth credentials.
    @ObservedObject var authenticator = Authenticator(
        oAuthUserConfigurations: [
            OAuthUserConfiguration(

                // Please enter OAuth credentials for user authentication.

                portalURL: URL(string: "<#YOUR-PORTAL-URL#>")!,
                clientID: "<#YOUR-CLIENT-ID#>",
                redirectURL: URL(string: "<#YOUR-REDIRECT-URL#>")!

            )
        ]
    )
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Best Practice: The OAuth credentials are 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 solution

Press Command + R to run the app.

What's next?

Learn how to use additional API features, ArcGIS location services, and ArcGIS tools in these tutorials: