Configuring Synthetic Map Services

How to:

Most GIS software supports a concept of a free-form layer. In ArcGIS Server, this is known as an acetate layer. Acetate layers allow the developer to place any map related information where the user can view it. An acetate layer by itself is not capable of supporting end-user interaction. WebFOCUS Synthetic Layers take acetate support to the next level by supporting end-user selection of features to be used as filter values for report and graph requests.

Synthetic layer information is obtained via database queries that retrieve unique feature values along with the latitudes and longitudes of the features. An example of this uses data that is collected by the U.S. Geological Service about recent earthquakes. This information is published in a variety of formats on the USGS website. WebFOCUS can read this information across the Internet and use the latitude and longitude of the earthquake epicenter to display those locations on the map.

WebFOCUS also supports the drawing of lines between multiple points on the map. When the latitude and longitude data is retrieved along with a common data value for multiple points, WebFOCUS will instruct ArcGIS Server to connect those points together. An example of this is the multiple points along the current and projected path of a hurricane. All the points share the same storm name, which will be used to link them together.

And finally the last type of synthetic layer that is supported is a polygon. Polygons are also collections of latitude and longitude values for a common data value. The difference between a synthetic line and synthetic polygon is that WebFOCUS will instruct ArcGIS Server to complete the polygon shape between the last point and the first point of each unique grouping of points.


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Procedure: How to Configure a Synthetic Map Service

To configure a synthetic map service:

  1. Click the Synthetic Map Services tab located at the top of the ESRI Configuration Utility.

  2. Click Add synthetic map service in the left pane.

    The Create New Synthetic Map Service dialog opens, as shown in the following image.

  3. Enter a name for the synthetic map service in the Label field.
  4. Enter the path to the icon that is used to represent the map service by the WebFOCUS GIS Flex Viewer in the Icon field.

    The Visible check box determines if the map is visible by default. The default value in the Alpha field is 1.

  5. Click OK.

    The new synthetic map service is added to the Services pane in the ESRI Configuration Utility, as shown in the following image.

    You must now define a synthetic layer for the synthetic map service.

  6. Click the Layers tab and then New synthetic layer.

    The Create a New Synthetic Layer dialog opens, as shown in the following image.

  7. Enter a name for the synthetic layer that is easy for the end user to understand in the Layer Name field.
  8. Select one of the following shapes from the drop-down list:
    • Point
    • Line
    • Polygon
  9. Click Next.

    The following FOCEXEC selection dialog opens, which allows you to specify a FOCEXEC to draw a synthetic layer.

  10. Browse to and select an available FOCEXEC from your application directory.
  11. Enter a column name that provides the unique identifier to link to the FOCEXEC.
  12. Enter an X coordinate column name that will contain the longitude value from the output of the specified FOCEXEC.
  13. Enter a Y coordinate column name that will contain the latitude value from the output of the specified FOCEXEC.
  14. Select the Use the same focexec to select from the synthetic layer check box if you want to use the same FOCEXEC for the selection.
  15. Click Next.

    The following FOCEXEC selection dialog opens, which allows you to specify a FOCEXEC to select from the synthetic layer.

  16. Browse to and select an available FOCEXEC from your application directory.
  17. Enter a column name that provides the unique identifier to link to the FOCEXEC.
  18. Enter an X coordinate column name that will contain the longitude value from the output of the specified FOCEXEC.
  19. Enter a Y coordinate column name that will contain the latitude value from the output of the specified FOCEXEC.
  20. Click Finish.

    The new synthetic layer definition is listed in the Layers tab of the synthetic map services configuration area, as shown in the following image.

  21. Define new attributes for the synthetic layer definition based on the output of the FOCEXEC that was used to create the synthetic layer. The attributes should correspond to the BY fields in the Foxexec.


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