ArcGIS Maps (Tech Preview) Map Control

ArcGIS Maps Tech Preview is a new type of map control for InfoWorks ICM and requires use of an ArcGIS Online account from ESRI.

The main features of this integration include:

• Adding various GIS layers in the GeoPlan including:
  • Shapefile
  • Raster image
  • File Geodatabase
• Importing data from shapefile GIS layers.
  • In the Open Data Import Centre dialog, select GeoPlan Layer from the Source Type dropdown. Shapefile layers selected in the Feature dropdown can be used to import data. See Open Data Import Centre for import information.
• Importing/Exporting to Enterprise Geodatabases hosted on a Microsoft SQL Server.

Getting started

To use the ArcGIS Maps map control:

1. Login to your ArcGIS Online account:
   1. Select Tools Options to display the Options dialog.
   2. Click the ArcGIS tab.
   3. Click the Login button to display the ArcGIS Login dialog, and sign in to your account.
2. Change the Map Control:
   1. Click the GeoPlan tab in the Options dialog.
   2. Select the ArcGIS Maps (Tech Preview) option from the Map Control dropdown.
   3. Click OK to save your changes and close the Options dialog.
3. Close any open GeoPlan windows.
4. Open a new GeoPlan window, then set a coordinate system for it by selecting GeoPlan Set coordinate system. See Selecting the Co-ordinate System for details.
   • Only projected coordinate systems are supported by the application.
5. Add additional GIS Layers using the GIS Layer Control dialog.

To Import or Export to “Enterprise Geodatabase (Tech Preview)”:

1. Ensure that an GeoPlan window that uses the ArcGIS Maps map control is open. See Getting Started (above) for details.
2. Display the Open Data Import Centre dialog or Open Data Export Centre dialog as applicable.
3. Select the Source Type as “Enterprise Geodatabase (Tech Preview)”. This option will only appear in the dropdown if your are logged in to ArcGIS Online.
4. Select an MPKX file (ArcGIS Pro Map Package) that contains the details of the connection to the Enterprise Geodatabase. This file will need to be created in ArcGIS Pro.

Using File Geodatabases with ArcGIS Maps: Required MPKX File

A File Geodatabase (.gdb) loaded through the ArcGIS Maps (Tech Preview) control requires a matching MPKX file to ensure that geometry is read in the correct spatial reference.

Without the MPKX file, imported objects may appear shifted or misaligned due to ArcGIS Local Server using a default or incorrect spatial reference when reading the FileGDB.

To prepare the MPKX file:

1. Open ArcGIS Pro.
2. Create an empty map.
3. Set the map’s spatial reference to match the projection of your FileGDB feature class.
4. Export the map as an MPKX file using the standard Package Map workflow used for Enterprise Geodatabase MPKX creation.
5. Place the MPKX file in the same folder as the .gdb.
6. Rename the MPKX so the filename exactly matches the FileGDB name, for example:
   1. Dbo_Langley_Subcatchment.gdb
   2. Dbo_Langley_Subcatchment.mpkx

This MPKX is mandatory when:

• Adding a File Geodatabase layer to the GeoPlan.
• Importing objects using Open Data Import Centre → GeoPlan Layer → File Geodatabase.

Effect of missing MPKX

If no matching MPKX is found in the same folder:

• File Geodatabase layers may load in the wrong projection.
• Imported objects may be shifted or not align with displayed GIS layers.
• "Find in GeoPlan" highlights may appear in the wrong location.

Why the MPKX is required

ArcGIS Local Server uses the MPKX to determine:

• The spatial reference of the FileGDB
• The transformation pipeline
• Whether to reproject features or return them in native coordinates

Without an MPKX, Local Server often defaults to Web Mercator, causing coordinate drift when projected into model coordinates.

Limitations in this release

• Importing from data directly from GIS Layers is not fully supported:
  • Not supported for Raster layers and File Geodatabases.
  • Not working everywhere for Shapefiles.
• Attributes can only be viewed for Shapefile and File Geodatabase GIS layers. Editing is currently not supported.
• ArcGIS Maps (Tech Preview) is not available for the 32-bit version of InfoWorks ICM.

Map control known issues

• The “ArcGIS Maps” map control does not fully support “Import from GIS Layers” functionality throughout the application. There is partial support for Shapefiles and no support for File Geodatabases yet.
• There are some issues with extreme zooming in. When zooming in further than the Map Control supports, GIS layers will not be drawn accurately with respect to the network and may appear to drift as the zoom level increases.
• Theme Properties are not yet implemented for File Geodatabase layers.
• In the GIS Layer Control dialog, Raster Image layers show the Selectable, Editable and Properties controls, but these do nothing.

Enterprise Geodatabase import/export known issues

• Only Enterprise Geodatabase hosted on Microsoft SQL Server are currently supported.
• Column Name length should be less than 31.
• On export, strings with spaces will have their spaces converted to +. This is due to a bug in ArcGIS Local Server, and is expected to be fixed in a future release.
• Features and fields must exist in the Enterprise Database to export to them.
• Slow performance when exporting to Enterprise Geodatabases with large datasets.
• Date fields do not export correctly to Enterprise Geodatabases in InfoAsset Manager.