Geography 292: Geospatial Analysis with Web GIS

Chapter 3 introduces the ‘Experience Builder’, an ArcGIS component that allows for app to be configured with more functionality than what is typical, such as dynamic content, charting, and reporting. Chapter 3 also introduces the various terminology of the Experience Builder component. The chapter also explains the workflow for creating web apps with the Experience Builder, and how to understand widgets and their contents. Chapter 3 also explains how to configure widgets and use things such as filtering. Finally Chapter 3 discusses ‘triggers’ and ‘actions’, and how to utilize them. The Experience Builder is a multi-step process which starts by using a template or by starting from scratch. From using the Experience Builder maps can be made in 2D or 3D, and allow you to configure the various widgets, themes, layouts, and presets. The tutorial went smoother than the ones in chapter 1 and 2, but it was still a bit difficult and technical and took a while to complete. That being said, I love learning about natural disasters so this is right up my alley. Also at least this one worked and despite it being a bit difficult it did ultimately end being a little bit fun.

Chapter 4 introduces a mobile version of GIS software, the approaches to building mobile apps. collecting data, and the configuration of feature layers. I have never been a particular fan of mobile apps, something you can thank the constant spam of mobile app ads for. However, I see how mobile applications of GIS could be utilized to an advantage. A mobile system also potentially allows for more people to access the software and make data collection easier. The features listed are also compatible with numerous different operating systems, and with ArcGIS only being operable on Microsoft and Windows systems, collaboration and the sharing of data becomes easier. As for the tutorial, it had some of the same problems as tutorials 1 and 2, with serious mismatches between the book and website that made completion of 4.1 and 4.2 impossible as once again the option to add an expression was not there, or rather it was there but the options the book instructed me to select were not. The majority of 4.3 was doable until it asked to me to find a ‘change style’ button which could not be found. With 4.4 being a follow up to 4.3, this made it impossible to proceed with that as well. I was apprehensive with 4.5 as I’ve never been a fan of downloading apps onto my phone for academic reasons as it always signs me up to some email newsletter. In addition my app store account is linked to my fathers email which I don’t have the password for so I was unable to download the app to begin with. I had the same problem with 4.7 and 4.9 being unable to access the app store and with it being late in the evening I was unable to contact my father. 4.6 was also broken as I was unable to uncheck a ‘only search in your organization’ button and this part of the tutorial relied on data that would’ve been created with 4.3 and 4.4 but because those could not be completed, I was also stuck here. 4.8 had the same issue and 4.6 with no option to uncheck the ability to only search within the organization and multiple results turning up when I input what the book asks me to search. In short, while the reading portion of Chapter 4 was interesting, the tutorial was a nightmare to sit through and try to go back through things to see what I missed. Dr Krygier if you see this, I don’t know what you can do about this, but these books are somehow severely out of date already. At the very least parts of it were doable compared to tutorials 1 and 2 which effectively blocked me from the start.

Application Idea: Attempting to go off something I enjoy and using what information I was able to learn in Chapters 3 and 4, as an avid angler, it might be an interesting idea to create a 2D/3D map using a hydrology dataset which shows various fishing locations on bodies of water in a given location, such as within Delaware County. This application could not only give a better view of the area from both a 2D and 3D perspective, and then customized to show what species can be caught in x location and if said location has a history behind it. For example, a 2D/3D view of a spillway beneath a major dam, what species can be caught in the spillway, and the history of the dam itself.

Data Inventory: The instructions say to include it in the posting so not sure if this will transfer over correctly. If it does, fellow students, I apologize for the wall of text. Not sure how else I’m supposed to turn this in.

• Delaware County E911 Data: Contains all certified addresses within the county. Supports emergency services and geocoding. Updated daily and published monthly.
• Township: Shows different townships in Delaware county. Updated on a need-as basis and published monthly.
• PLSS: Shows all Public Land Survey System polygons in military districts. Shows boundaries between PLSS systems. Updated on a need-as basis and published monthly.
• Dedicated ROW: Consists of a map of roadways designated ‘right of way’ within Delaware County. Updated on an as needed basis and published monthly
• Zip Code: Shows all ZIP codes in Delaware county based on a 2003 census. Updated on an as needed basis and published monthly
• School District: Shows all school districts in Delaware county based on parcel records. Updated on an as needed basis and published monthly.
• Street Centerline: Depicts the center of the pavement of public and private roads within Delaware County. The data is intended to support appraisal mapping, 911 emergency response, accident reporting, geocoding, disaster management, and roadway inventory. Layers are updated daily but 3D fields are updated annually
• Recorded Document: Dataset consists of points that represent recorded documents in the Delaware County Records. Documents include vacations, subdivisions, centerline surveys, surveys, annexations, and other miscellaneous items. The dataset was created to facilitate the process of locating miscellaneous documents within Delaware County. The dataset is updated on a weekly basis and is published monthly.
• MSAG: MSAG (Master Street Address Guide) is a featureset of the 28 different political jurisdictions that make up Delaware County. created to ease the process of locating the boundaries between cities and towns. The data is updated on an as-needed basis and is published monthly.
• Survey: Shows points of land surveys with Delaware County. Most of the data was recorded before 2004 but is still being updated on a daily basis and is published monthly.
• GPS: Identifies GPS points as established in 1991 and 1997. Published monthly and updated on an as needed basis.
• Parcel: Shows all polygons that represent cadastral parcel lines within Delaware County. This data is maintained by the Delaware County Auditor’s Office. The data is maintained on a daily basis and is published monthly.
• Tax District: This set of data consists of all tax districts within Delaware County. The data is defined by the Delaware County Auditor’s Office. The data is updated on an as needed basis and is published monthly.
• Subdivision: Shows all subdivisions in Delaware County. The data is updated daily and published monthly.
• Precinct: Shows all of the Voting Precincts within Delaware County. The data is maintained by the Delaware County Auditor’s Office. The data is updated on an as needed basis and is published as needed by the Delaware County Board of Elections.
• Annexation: Data contains Delaware County’s annexations and conforming boundaries from 1853 to present year. The data is updated on an as-needed basis and is published monthly. 
• Municipality: Shows all municipalities within Delaware County.
• Building Outline 2021: The data here consists of building outlines for all structures in Delaware County, Ohio as of 2021. Updated on an as needed basis.
• Address Point: Shows the data from the Location Based Response System (LBRS) and shows all addresses in Delaware County. The data is intended to support appraisal mapping, 911 Emergency Response, accident reporting, geocoding, and disaster management. The data is updated on a daily basis, and is published monthly.
• Condo: Dataset consists of polygons representing condominiums in Delaware County that have been recorded by the Delaware County’s Recorder’s Office.
• Farm Lot: The data here consists of all the farm lots in both the US Military and the Virginia Military Survey Districts of Delaware County. created to facilitate in identifying all of the farm lots and their boundaries in Delaware County. The data is maintained on an as needed basis.
• Original Township: This data consists of the original boundaries of the townships in Delaware County, Ohio before tax district changes affected their shapes.
• Hydrology: Shows all major waterways in Delaware County.
• ROW: Consists of all lines designated as right of way.
• Delaware County Contours: Shows the contours of the terrain in Delaware County.

Application idea: I think it would be interesting to create an application using the School District data set from the Delaware Data Inventory and use it to highlight the school districts in Delaware County and some of their accomplishments, mascots, facts, history, etc. I didn’t go to school around here, but I think this would be an interesting app for locals who are interested in the high schools around Delaware. If I could find it (if it’s even available), I could also do this using schools from the county where I am from so that it would feel a little more personal and relevant. This could be turned into something unique using the Experience Builder feature!

Chapter 3: Chapter 3 is all about learning to use the Experience Builder, which as I understand it, is a feature in ArcGIS Online that allows people to make unique and interactive web experiences without having to worry about too much coding! I think this a really cool concept that makes app building much more accessible and allows for more information to be shared. The book explains that you can choose from a template and pick the theme of your web experience, and then you can use multiple tools to design it the way you want. 

Tutorial 3: This tutorial was an overview of how to use the ArcGIS Experience Builder to map an application about natural disasters. For the most part, it was pretty easy to follow and understand, but like other people, I ran into a few problems. It was interesting to see all the different widgets that are available to customize the web experience. I wasn’t able to link my Views Navigation to the 2D and 3D map, so there might be something buggy with this feature since other people appeared to have issues as well. I thought that the Dynamic Content feature in the Text widget was really cool to use. I had a little trouble with the SQL builder and I’m not quite sure I did it correctly. Tutorials 3.5 and on were a bit difficult because it built on stuff in 3.5 which I couldn’t quite get to work. However, I was able to do 3.1-3.4 easily, so I’m glad I got the basics of the Experience Builder so I can use it in the future because it is a really useful tool!

Chapter 4: This chapter is about Mobile GIS and some of the other ways you can utilize ArcGIS Online to reach a broader audience through phones, tablets, laptops, etc. Some of the terms they use in the introduction are a little out of my realm of knowledge, but I mostly understood that Mobile GIS is a very powerful and versatile tool. The ArcGIS Field Maps is a really interesting concept that could probably be used for some of the biology field labs that we offer here at OWU since it gives tasks and assignments based on locations. It is also interesting to see how VAR and AR can be incorporated into these applications for a very visual concept. 

Tutorial 4: It’s a little hard to begin with all of the different GIS features because they all seem to have different names for the Panes and all of the tools are in new places each chapter. For example, in tutorial 4.1 I couldn’t find the Add Tab button in the location the book said it was. It’s a little frustrating when you can’t find something because then I had to skip most of the rest of 4.1 since it builds on the Add Tab direction, which wasn’t there. I wonder if sometimes they just update the names of the items on ArcGIS, but the book is a bit older. Sometimes I can work around the little differences, but since I’m not familiar with Survey123, I couldn’t find another feature to replace the Tab with. I also didn’t publish this Survey since it didn’t even have most of the things from the tutorial. I think this is an interesting concept, but I wish I was able to find the option to add the actual survey parameters. There were also a few things I couldn’t find in 4.3 like the Change Style button, but this was mostly doable. Some of the things I could find on a different tab than what the book specified. I wasn’t able to do the Expression builder in this chapter. I struggled with this in a previous chapter because the book has different directions than how the Expression builder is set up now, so I have no idea what I should be doing. The bad thing about this chapter is that every other tutorial requires you to try out the app you just built in the previous tutorial, but I haven’t been able to complete an entire app without some sort of issue, so I’m never able to try it out with the mobile app. The AR app was very cool! I was testing it out in my room, so I couldn’t completely see some of the POIs I put in, but it was still fun to test out.

Chapter 3:
The beginning of this tutorial was pretty straightforward. I encountered an issue with the Data Summary part because there was no URL to type in to insert an image. I tried to use a random natural disaster image from Google, but it didn’t work. I don’t know if I missed something but I didn’t see a key for either the 2D/3D maps so I wasn’t sure how to interpret them correctly. Despite that, I thought the process of adding the 2D/3D maps to the builder was fairly easy. I like the animations you can add to the maps because they really add to the storytelling aspect. The next configurations were a little more complicated but I figured out how to add all of the triggers. The rest of the tutorial went well with a few obstacles.

Chapter 4:
The survey part was very easy and I will be thinking about how to add that to my ideas for the final project. The other parts of tutorial 4 gave me more trouble and I couldn’t navigate them well. I am not sure if it was more parts missing in the PDF or if my software looked different than expected. Specifically, 4.3 and 4.4 were just not cooperating so I skipped over the majority of those parts. Because the other parts went wrong the mobile app was all off too. I decided to explore the app without strictly sticking to the tutorial to move through it. I am disappointed that I struggled with this tutorial, but I still feel I learned some valuable information about the features.

Delaware Data:
There is data on School districts, zip codes, condos, and PLSS, and more. I looked at the condo data and it had all the areas in Delaware County that have condominiums polygons. I clicked through a couple of them and it showed more data about each. I also created a new folder in my drive and added the data needed.

Idea:
I still like the idea I had from last week about the different grocery stores, local vs. chain. However, I can incorporate what I learned from Tutorial 3 into it. I can use the app builder from tutorial 3 and create more of a flowing story about the stores. I can also use the animation/trigger features to make it more engaging and visual. I don’t know how much the 2D/3D visuals will play a role, but I could add both to make it more visually appealing.

Chapter 3:

• This chapter was a lot easier to follow because it only focused on one topic.
• The tutorial was a bit confusing because I could not find the 3D map that was required to use in the tutorial so mine did not turn out as it should have.
• The 3D maps look very interesting and I am looking forward to learning more.

 

Tutorial

• It does seem more difficult to do these tutorials on my personal computer than in the GIS lab. I assume it’s because my computer can not hold all the data I need. 
• These tutorials are much longer than the ones in the last class so attention to detail is very important when doing these.
• I also can not find the button to switch it to 2D and 3D.
• I completed the tutorial but did have some difficulty due to missing some key pieces like the 3D map.

 

Chapter 4: 

• Using Web GIS on your phone is very interesting, I am not sure how people can use it on their phones efficiently as there are so many parties to making these maps.
• Having WebGIS being mobile does open up a lot of doors for people that need maybe a very specific location. Having your phone being able to access the data will help with GPS and location specific issues. 

 

Tutorial:

• I had many challenges with this tutorial and after reading other peoples posts it seems like it was a common trend. 
• The instructions were very confusing and I could not follow or find everything that was being asked. 

Chapter 3-

• So now we have web experiences and storymaps. I wonder if there’s situations where its best to use one over the other, or which one is best or a specific situation?
• This chapter was a lot shorter than the other ones, and I appreciate focusing on only one topic instead of multiple, I think it makes the concept more understandable.

Tutorial 3-

I can’t figure out how to get the 3D map. You can’t search for it, and I can’t find the button to make the 2D into 3D if there even is one.

Well, there’s no URL available for me to type. So I can’t do that either. Annoying.

I did the rest of the tutorial to the best of my abilities. I think it’s going to take me awhile to fully get this web experience thing because there are a lot of aspects to it, and since the right and left ribbon layouts are similar to the map viewer ones, I keep on getting confused and thinking one things in one spot when its not.

Chapter 4-

• I’m interested to learn about mobile GIS because of its different uses. For any surveying this is a great resource and I wonder how easy it is for a common user to use it for that or other easier concepts.
• Having different hosting layers, one for group members to share and edit, and another for the public to see, without one seeing the other, is a good idea and makes this concept much more applicable for wider audiences.
• I also like the different approaches that can be used for different reasons and audiences, like for websites only or for apps only on mobile.
• Being able to literally create assignments for field workers is really useful. I used to work an admin job for a restoration company and I wonder if they could’ve made their own software for assigning jobs like this.
• I feel like the ARCGIS indoor mobile app would be of good use on a college campus.

Tutorial 4-

Based on the chapter, I was missing information on certain questions so I couldn’t complete it yet again. Because again there were so many little pieces missing that added up and overall the instructions make no sense.

I had really no problems otherwise. Just me being annoyed at how the chapter is for me.

Overall, these were all really interesting concepts to me! It just sucks that I wasn’t able to comprehend them all the way right now. I’ll definitely look into it for later though. I also did the Delaware Data Inventory in 291 so I don’t have to worry about that right now.

Chapter 1-

• I really like how Web GIS was designed with every user in mind, and making it accessible for people who aren’t familiar on the subject or the best with technology to use.
• I also appreciated a definition of GIS- the science of locations, and the explanation that the “science” is both GIS as a science and GIS being used for science. A bit more complicated than I would’ve originally thought.
• When I think of who uses GIS, I think of Government Orgs, like 911, businesses, and such. The fact that it can be used by whoever to help decide things like shop, eat, stay, and get from place to place is interesting.
• Johns Hopkins using ArcGIS Online to make a real time Covid tracker that is widely used and sourced is actually really cool and important.
• The attachment viewer seems like a good way to quickly and easily provide information, and is easily accessable as well.

Tutorial 1-

I’ve learned that getting the data will be a little different for me because I’m using a Macbook, and right now mine is being glitchy with uploading files for some reason, so I have to drag them in to upload, like the picture shows.

Once I was in the map viewer, I started having some trouble. I’m used to ArcGISPro from GEOG 291, so everything being in a different place took some getting used to. There are so many buttons on those side tabs that they’re confusing me a little and I’m having trouble locating certain things.

As you can see in the screenshot, sometimes the tutorials are missing information for me. I’m not sure if its the format I’m using or what. So take that into consideration when reviewing my work.

I can’t seem to select the “instant apps” button, even though I am clicking it, so I am unable to do 1.4.

Chapter 2-

• Arcade seems really complicated. Expressions (I think thats what those codes are) are things not easily comprehended to me. We had to deal with a little bit of that in 291 and I was confused, so it’ll be interesting to see how much different (and hopefully easier) this web version will be.
• I am familiar with Living Atlas already from 291. I really like how easy it makes to find a bunch of information types, including basemaps, boundaries, etc. I’ve found that it makes map making so much easier in the past.
• In 291 I found storymaps to be a different than usual way to get information across. When I made one, it was a bit complicated to make, but since it acts like a mini website I’d say it’s easy enough in the long run. I wonder what ways you could potentially use storymaps without maps, like with just images or something.

Tutorial 2-

Again, the tutorial is leaving out parts, as seen by the screenshot below. I made the Y offset 5, idk why. Made the opacity 25 too since I wasn’t given any directions. I just thought it looked nice.

I am very surprised I managed to do that coding section. Some things seemed to fill in for me instead of me manually having to do them so that helped.

I actually really liked the create a map portion of this tutorial. I found it to be very useful for figuring out how the map viewer works with a relevant and interesting topic.

Of course, I can’t find the data for the storymap. Anywhere. And what they’re telling me in the tutorial is slightly confusing. Typically I can infer but its nowhere. Lovely! It’s possible the data is from an already existing map anyways and I just didn’t know. So yet again, I can’t do a section. Sorry.

 

Overall, I think these two chapters and tutorials are a good introduction to what can be done with WebGIS.

Chapter 3: 

• This tutorial was harder to understand. I don’t know if it was the book or the program. However I was able to work with the program and get some information from the tutorial. Personally I am finding these tutorials harder than the desktop version maybe its because the small screen on my computer or the book is not updated as it should be. 

Chapter 4: 

• This tutorial was interesting. I liked seeing a different program that stems from ArcGIS. Again some of the information wasn’t clear so I didn’t get the full understanding but made it through the majority of the tutorial. I thought it was cool to see the new applications and a new way to express data and gain more knowledge about topics through surveys. 
•  

Chapter 3 

One cool feature that I like about WebGIS is the variety of ways that users are able to customize their experiences. One example of this is what WebGIS calls Experience Builders to build apps. Experience Builders have multiple steps with options in order to utilize app building with them. The first step is to either pick a premade template or to start building your app from scratch. If  you choose to use a template, you are picking to use what is essentially a premade app layout with preconfigured widgets (placed in certain areas with certain styles). If you don’t choose to use a template, you would do this step from scratch. The next step in using an Experience Builder is to then choose a theme for your app. This theme will be a preset style for how your app appears. However, one thing to note is that the theme will not impact the layout of your app. After choosing the layout and theme of your app, you then begin to add data. This data can be anything. It can be 2D maps, 3D scenes, or even feature layers that you create or import from elsewhere. Once your data is imported, you then will configure your widgets. When using Experience Builders, you have the option to use two different kinds of widgets. One of the options is a basic widget, and the other is a functional widget. After adding the widgets, you then add the relevant data sources, styles, and actions. The next step is to refine layouts for all of the devices, this is simply just making sure that the app will be correctly formatted on any device that it is used on. The final step is to just save, preview, publish, and share. 

For 3.1 the URL did not show up in the online book, so i couldn’t insert the proper image 

I also had trouble linking a section to the Data Summary Views Navigation; due to this issue, I was not able to successfully complete 3.3 

Chapter 4 

I think the fact that WebGIS is mobile to be used on a phone is really interesting. ArcGIS is only able to be utilized on a desktop, which was really hard for me during that class. However, WebGIS can be accessed anywhere, including phones. Being able to be mobile gives WebGIS a lot of advantages. For example, it is easier for the software to utilize location awareness. It allows for the use of GPS, cellular networks, WiFi, bluetooth, compasses, and way more. It also allows for the collection of data to be done easier. It erases the human error risk with paper data collection. ArcGIS does this as well, but instead of using a desktop, users are able to just use their phones or other mobile devices. There is also the added benefit of live connection to mobile networks adding near-real-time information. WebGIS has a greater ability to monitor spatial and temporal information. Being mobile also allows the software to be able to be used by more users, therefore, there is a greater demand. Some examples given in the book of devices WebGIS works on are: smartphones, tablets, smart watches. These features are compatible with a number of different operating systems as well, these include Android, iOS, and Microsoft. This is different from ArcGIS as it only worked on Microsoft/Windows. Along with this concept, WebGIS also makes it easier to communicate. There is an added feature of communication and collaboration with professionals and consumers.They are able to communicate in many ways compared to ArcGIS, such as voice notes, texts, photos/videos, email, social media, calling/video calling. There is also the options for wireless communication. This can be done via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 5G networks, satellites, etc.

IDEA:

I think for my final project chapters 1-4 app, I want to create an app about educating the users about something within the Delaware Data, and then create a survey about when they want to include more or have it act as like a quiz and have it linked on the app

Week 3

 

Ch. 1

     Web GIS to me is a little more user friendly as opposed to desktop GIS. Web GIS is more widely used by scientists and even governments to collect data and share information. This first chapter is meant to show you how to develop a Web GIS app, but I’m not entirely sure how to do that yet. 

     WebGIS is meant to be an easier way to work with GIS from anywhere. I find this application easier to work with than what we were doing in 291. There are some similarities, but this one seems just a little bit easier to understand. 

Ch.2

     This next chapter goes over the map layers and what they are. The “feature layers” are used most often to show similar points of interest like buildings, roads, and cities. Hosted feature layers are the most used operational layers (they are a reference to feature layers stored in the GIS system). 

     By reading this tutorial (and googling for confirmation), you’re able to upload your own feature layer data from ArcGIS in the form of a shapefile like we worked a little with in 291, a CSV file, or a file from the geo database. You just have to click on “new item” on ArcGIS online content and upload from google drive. This looks easier to do than I expected, given that you have the files and such ready to upload.

 

notes:

• C1
  • in 1.3 number 4 is that I do not see a basemap that is labeled “Community Map” which is strange as I remember using that same basemap for some story maps that I have recently made. I decided to use the “Streets” basemap instead as it looked like the closest one to community map.
  • The configure pop-ups button is just called pop-ups in the settings toolbar
  • It was pretty cool making a web map that can previewed with mobile phone dimensions, especially considering how useful it could be as so much information in the past 5 or so years has been consumed simply on our phones

• C2
  • Page 41 shows all of the smart-mapping styles; I love these so much i cant put my finger on why but they are just so interesting to read and especially to play around with them when deciding which one to use to represent data and even what type of data suits each style the best
  • 2.1 number 6 there is no state location type, only a region location type that uses the state field instead
  • I am not a fan of the color theory of red being gains, as i often see in media that red can also effectively be used as losses and blue for gains as well, instead i like a color like green for gains
    • As protest i changed my gain arrows to pink !!!
  • 2.3 number 5 globals is not a button, it is called profile variables
  • Despite backtracking the settings and rechecking the csv sheet, the bargraph in the city pop-up menu does not want to show, even when i selected it in the configure chart, it shows the space where it should be but it does not show any information
  • 2.5 number 21 there is no place map button, just click save
  • 2.5 number 24 there is no map action option in the block palette, there is adding a map and media action but no map action
    • Oh okay it wants us to use the media action button!!!

My story map!!!!: https://arcg.is/1ubG1n

An application that could be created from these two chapters would be a story map based on a compilation of birding trips and what you saw, heard, and felt during the trips! Maps could be inserted into the story map using spreadsheet data of bird sightings over an extended period of time with location data on where you went birding, where you spotted specific birds, pictures of the birds (or even if you got your own in the field), a description and overview of the specific birds that you saw (linking to other informational websites), and possibly a comparison to the amount of birds that are commonly and uncommonly found in the areas versus what you saw!

Point data on where specifically you saw each bird based on external devices like ebird.org or by simply placing points on a map and running a story map through each of the points, explaining the amount and different types of avians seen at each location, and maybe a link to recent research about the birds hast were seen or just links to website explaining their range or behaviors in greater detail.