GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online – A Mobile GIS App for Tablets

GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online is a free mobile app we launched in July 2012 to the Android Market. In August it will be released in the Apple market. The app allows users to access their ArcGIS Online maps on their iPad and Android tablets. Multiple maps can be accessed, when users set up and host their own configuration file. The mobile ArcGIS app goes beyond what is available in the excellent ESRI mobile app. We are actively extending the functionality of GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online for our clients.

Working with GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online

There are a number of simple steps needed to use GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online:

Step 1 – Setup an ArcGIS Online standard map service

Standard map services are available at no cost for internal (personal or within an organization) and noncommercial, external use.

1) Sign up for a new account or if you have an ESRI global account, register to become a member of ArcGIS Online:

https://www.arcgis.com/home/signup.html

Note, if you already have an account and have published webmaps skip to 7 below; the webmaps unique reference number.

2) This will give you access to a free account with the following features:

– Access, Share, and Manage Content (Details)
– Browse maps, apps, and data
– Access basemaps, image services, and Bing Maps
– Access maps from browsers, mobile devices, ArcGIS for Desktop
– Embed maps in web pages, blogs, applications
– Create groups and share items with groups
– Keep content private, share it publicly, or within groups
– Add your own data to maps or create mashups
– Access ArcGIS Web Mapping APIs
– Add World Geocoding Service
– Add World Routing Service
– Add Geometry Service
– Store maps, apps, and data in Esri’s cloud

3) When logged into arcgis.com open the map tab

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1

4) Add a shapefile

5) Save the map

6) Make a web application, in this example we selected ‘Basic Viewer’

7) You will now see your data in a web map viewer.

Note the url. In our case:

http://www.arcgis.com/apps/OnePane/basicviewer/index.html?webmap=492cce45fa144edd95d3f511302ce074

The long alphanumeric at the end of the url ‘webmap=’ is the unique reference to this map. This is what will be included in the configuration file for GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online

Ok, that is it for publishing your data. Very simple. But what about mobile access?

Step 2 – Download GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online.

This is now available in the Android market at this link:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.GeoMobileforArcGISOnline

Step 3 – Use GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online

We have put together a video which gives a quick overview of how to use GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online:

Step 4 – Set up you own configuration file

When you open GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online you will see the following welcome screen:

The mobile app loads the configuration file shown above the ‘Load ArcGIS Online maps’ button in the welcome screen:

http://webmapsolutions.com/arcgisonline.xml

You can change this url to point to your own configuration file. To do this you will first need to generate your own configuration file, with your webmaps, and host this file on your (public facing) server:

http://myserver.com/myGeomobileforArcGISOnlineConfig.xml

This will allow you interact with your webmaps in GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online. Select the ‘How to Add Your Maps’ tab in the opening welcome screen in GeoMobile for ArcGIS Online on your mobile for a guide on editing and hosting your own configuration file.

Tags: Android, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS.com, custom mobile GIS tools, GIS, IOS, mobile, mobile arcgis, tablets

Categories: Mobile ArcGIS, Mobile GIS

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 4:59 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.