Customization is a developer’s superpower. A simple modification of a basemap layer or tile can shape how users think spatially, analyze geographic information, and ultimately make decisions. In the real world, what developers map and the context they provide to users can be crucial.
ArcGIS Basemap Styles (v2) has been designed to enhance the way developers tell stories with basemaps. With the introduction of two exciting new features, Basemap Places and Worldview, app creators now have greater control over their basemaps. This empowers them to offer more insightful location-based context and cater to diverse mapping, analysis, and decision support needs.
Basemap Places. With Basemap Places, you can effortlessly control the presentation and interaction of Places data within your basemaps. This feature unlocks a world of possibilities, including these:
Extended Geospatial Insights
You can choose to show or hide places in your basemaps, providing users with valuable location-based context for areas worldwide.
Curated Maps and Apps
By filtering a subset of places based on selected categories such as food and drink, lodging, or transportation, you can create curated maps and apps. This allows you to tailor your maps to specific user needs and preferences.
Enhanced Interactivity
Basemap Places introduces new levels of interactivity with Esri’s basemaps. Users can now obtain additional details about a place by simply clicking on point-of-interest (POI) features within the basemaps. Imagine accessing rich attributes such as street addresses, ride share drop-off locations, business hours, and user ratings, all supported by the new ArcGIS Places service.
Worldview
Worldview is an innovative feature that puts you in control of how international boundaries are displayed. In Esri vector basemaps, recognized international boundaries, such as the Norway-Sweden border, are typically represented with solid lines, while disputed boundaries, such as parts of French Guiana and the Suriname border, are often displayed as dashed lines.
With Worldview, developers can adjust the presentation of boundary lines based on user preferences. By providing an enumeration value or an array of values, they can create a worldview of boundaries. Boundaries are a fundamental element of basemap styles and play a crucial role in customizing the display of maps. Developers can choose which dashed lines to retain, offering map viewers a more tailored experience.
Get Started with Basemap Styles Service (v2)
Basemap Places and Worldview provide heightened control and greater flexibility for developers. Learn more about these features. To experience these new features, join Esri’s Early Adopter Community and try out the beta version of Basemap Styles service (v2). By participating in the community and providing valuable feedback, you can help shape the future of this service and contribute to its continuous improvement.
About the authors
Elizabeth Ole
Robert Jensen
