Important Security Updates to the ArcGIS Platform

January, 2019

Esri have recently announced upcoming improvements to ArcGIS Online in order to maintain the highest industry standards for data integrity and network security. Starting on 16 April 2019, ArcGIS Online will only accept TLS 1.2 connections for ArcGIS Online services. Some software, like ArcGIS Pro, are already TLS 1.2 enabled. Other Esri software, such as ArcGIS Desktop, uses TLS 1.0—this software requires a patch or configuration change to support TLS 1.2 connections. Esri is releasing patches and instructions to update existing software to support these connections.

What is TLS?
TLS or  “Transport Layer Security” is a widely deployed network security protocol. It provides privacy and data integrity between communicating applications over a network. You use TLS whenever accessing ArcGIS Online services, such as basemaps, geoprocessing services, and the Living Atlas, from ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Enterprise, and other applications.

Creating 3D Story Maps using data from Esri CityEngine.

In the last couple of years Story Maps have become quite popular with ArcGIS Desktop / Online users. They provide a quick and efficient way to deliver important information or a message in a form of an easily-configurable web application that uses geographic data and can be enriched by adding various types of media content. There are thousands of story maps that you can access through ArcGIS online and it’s very easy to create your own.

One of my areas of expertise is 3D GIS and from time to time people ask me whether it’s possible to display 3D information in a Story Map. Well, the answer is yes. This functionality has been available for more than a year and I believe it’s time to write a blog about the workflow that will make your story maps 3D –enabled.

In this blog I will demonstrate how to use CityEngine 3D scenes to publish your 3D data to ArcGIS Online and create an interactive Story Map that uses 3D web scenes.

For the purpose of this demo, I used one of the CityEngine Examples provided by Esri Inc. on their CityEngine Gallery web page, available here:>>

Cutting-edge cartography

During my Directions LIVE presentation, I wanted to highlight some of the new and interesting functionality in both ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, specifically around the areas of cartography and map design.

Using Fiddler to Troubleshoot ArcConundrums

My work in our Technical Support team here at Esri Australia has exposed me to a variety of web traffic related incidents. You can find many useful resources to track and disseminate this web traffic online, but I have found one (free) program to be more useful and intuitive than the rest – Fiddler. Fiddler is a fantastic tool that provides information on any web interaction within your ArcGIS Enterprise system, web mapping and mobile applications. This can empower you with a better understanding of your problem, deployment or user workflows.This post will not explore the ins and outs of Fiddler, as this has been well documented by a large and involved community (including Esri), but I would like to introduce you to an easy and tangible way you can look ‘under the hood‘ of web GIS.

A Brief Look at the Query and Search Widget for Web AppBuilder

While delivering Arc 2: Essential Workflows, I was enthusiastically describing the wonders and practical uses of the search widget in the Web App Builder for ArcGIS Online or Portal and the capability it has to search content within your feature layers. When asking my students, “which widget should I use?” Some referred to the functionality of the query widget which I had previously demonstrated, while others preferred the power of a search widget. Hopefully by the end of this post you will be well placed to make an informed decision as to whether you should use and configure a query or search widget for your web apps in ArcGIS Online or Portal.

Updating ArcGIS Pro with a checked out license

So there has been a new release of ArcGIS Pro and you want to update to the latest version so you can begin using all the new tools and tricks. However, when you access the licensing window within ArcGIS Pro you are met with a similar sight to the below.

Introducing: ArcGIS Online – smart mapping

Smart mapping emerged with this year’s March release of ArcGIS Online, providing a smarter, more sophisticated approach to symbolising data. Replacing the formerly available ‘change symbols’ option, smart mapping is available to a variety of ArcGIS Online layer types (feature services, dynamic layers, stream services and CSV, SHP and GPX map added data, to name a few), and is accessed via a layer’s change style control () in the map viewer contents display.

The smart mapping toolset presents logical symbology options to the ArcGIS Online map maker. These options are derived based on a subject layer’s characteristics, the data type (point, line or polygon), as well as the spatial distribution of the layer’s features together with the variation of values across a subject display field.

Additionally, other evident display characteristics are assessed, such as symbology used by an underlying basemap. Consequently aesthetic, meaningful and size appropriate symbology options are proposed in this data driven, ‘smart’ approach to layer symbolisation.