February saw releases and updates across several parts of the ArcGIS system, so we wanted to provide a summary of all the updated products and share key links so you can find out more. I know it wasn’t quite spring, but the crocuses are out even in Edinburgh and the first skylark was calling on the hills so I’m going with it. The ArcGIS Online update is the headline news, with attendant updates to the apps and app builders.
Before we get into ArcGIS Online, I want to draw your attention to the release of ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript 4.32. Even if you’re not a developer these updates can be a first look at features that could find their way into core web apps in later updates. If you are a developer, you should check out the Calcite 3.0 release and you may also be interested in the updates to the new services in the ArcGIS Location Platform.
ArcGIS Online updated
The update came in overnight last week and brought changes across several areas. I’ve included links to blogs about the different components that were updated but remember to check the What’s new page for the full list.
Map Viewer
You can now add animated symbols to your maps to draw attention to key features – perhaps using them for the most severe incident reports.
Highlighting earthquakes over a certain threshold using animated symbols in a duplicate layer.
If your features have multiple attachments you can now choose how they are sorted to make them easier to access. Layer owners can now configure the layer’s feature templates in the Map Viewer. If you work with imagery, there is now an option to zoom to the layer’s source resolution to ensure you are getting the optimal view. Find out more about the other changes here.
Scene Viewer
In the Scene Viewer, slides are a great way to help users navigate your scene and you can now enhance this experience with captions and the option to display the legend automatically. If your organisation is developing a Digital Twin, you might appreciate now being able to add multiple Building Scene Layers – allowing detailed models of key buildings to be accessed from a single web scene. See it in action here.
Analysis
Subtype sublayers from subtype group layers are now supported when running an analysis tool from the Map Viewer tool pane. There are also two new raster analysis tools: Tabulate Area and Zonal Geometry as Table. You can see examples of these and find out about other enhancements to working with imagery in this blog post.
Development of the ArcGIS Online ModelBuilder (beta) continues with options added to share models and “save as” to create alternative copies. The Enrich Layer and Generate Travel Areas tools are now available as well. Read more here.
ArcGIS Data Pipelines
This update marked the first birthday for Data Pipelines and saw a new tool added that allows you to Summarize attributes for a data set. This could be used to output a summary table for features being processed, or to add summary statistics from another data source to features – as shown in this blog on the enhancements. The Filter by attribute tool now supports dynamic date queries like “Is this month” and “Is this year”.
ArcGIS Web Editor
Esri Community Idea boards are a great way to feedback to our development teams about the changes that will make the biggest difference and one of the top requests for the Web Editor has arrived with bulk attribute updating.
ArcGIS Instant Apps
The Instant Apps team have been overhauling the landing page where you start your app configuration. This includes a My Apps tab to make it easier to manage and update your existing apps. You’ll also notice new thumbnails for the app templates, designed to give a high level sense of what they offer, and you can access more information via the ellipses icons (three dots) on each card. If you launch Instant Apps from a map, the templates that are compatible with your map are listed first and the incompatible ones are show in the Additional Apps section with the reasons noted. The what’s new blog is here.
ArcGIS Dashboards
The most exciting new feature in Dashboards is the addition of dual-axis charts, allowing you to show two data series against a common axis. There are also some nice usability additions to elements, which you can learn more about here.
ArcGIS Experience Builder
This release of Experience Builder has lots of enhancements and updates – including three new templates. It’s well worth taking time to go through the full What’s new page as it’s sometimes the small updates that make the biggest difference – like being able to set the min and max zoom scale on a map widget. Or maybe, for you, being able to view and manage attachments in the Table widget will be the highlight. Personally, I like the sound of the new Flow Row widget layout container but I also want to see what the new data actions offer.
ArcGIS StoryMaps
ArcGIS StoryMaps is updated monthly so it’s always checking on What’s new. This update includes enhancements to laying out your stories with the theme builder and a new Categorized map tour. Learn more about the updates in this blog. In the ArcGIS StoryMaps Briefings app enhancements you gain the ability to view charts.
ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World
ArcGIS Living Atlas is another part of the system that receives regular updates so keep an eye on the What’s new section. A new Sentinel-2 Explorer app launched this month and other recent additions include data from the Global Wind Atlas and Global Fishing Watch.
Global Fishing Watch
Mobile apps
ArcGIS Field Maps
With the Online update, the new version of Field Maps Designer has improved support for working with feature templates and setting up your map for offline working. If you are creating a new map in the Designer you can now choose the coordinate system. If you missed it, the 2024 Release Roundup for Field Maps is worth a read.
ArcGIS Survey123
The new version of Survey123 web designer now includes an option to create Z-value enabled feature layers, allowing users to capture points with elevation values. With this release of Survey123 Connect, a new submission feature layer view is now generated automatically the first time you publish your form. Hosted features layer views can improve data security, protecting the source feature layer. You can then control what the submitter can do using a new option in the share results section of the Survey123 web page. Read more about this and the other updates here.
That’s not quite all folks…
ArcGIS Excalibur, an imagery management and analysis web app, is coming to ArcGIS Online. The Online version is now available in beta and you learn more here.
ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App has had a bunch of enhancements and data updates which are covered in this blog post.
ArcGIS Workflow Manager for ArcGIS Online has a number of enhancements, with a big improvement to the process of adding information from the rest of your Online account – using the new Data References tab. Catch up on all the updates here.
ArcGIS Velocity enhancements include new Feeds and Outputs, and you can read about them in this blog.
Esri Demographics users can catch up with the latest changes here.
We also wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that Map Viewer Classic and ArcGIS Configurable Apps have been deprecated and will retire at the beginning of 2026. All versions of ArcGIS Web AppBuilder will also retire then. The ArcGIS Maps SDK for Local Server has also been deprecated and will be retired in 2030.
Stay up-to-date
In quieter months we’ll keep you informed about ArcGIS updates via our newsletter – GISt News – which you can sign up for here. You can also register for the next GISt Live webinar, where you can see some of these new features in action.