Geocortex adds support for Arcade scripting and ArcGIS Online smart mapping

Photo: Latitude Geographics

Latitude Geographics (a VertiGIS company) has released the 4.12 version of its flagship product Geocortex Essentials to make it easier for developers of mapping applications to take advantage of Esri’s ArcGIS technology.

Smart mapping. Using Esri’s smart-mapping functionality, GIS departments around the world are creating eye-catching, informative maps in ArcGIS Online. Smart mapping allows analysts to visualize and review their data in unique ways to discover trends and solve complex problems. By styling data and displaying it in a thematic map, hidden meaning can be found.

For example, a map can now be created that uses clustering, opacity and varying color schemes to display:

• the most prevalent level of education in a county by neighborhood,
• the incidence of that level of education in that neighborhood, and
• the variance from that mean level of education in that neighborhood.

Web maps output from ArcGIS Online can now be imported into Geocortex Viewer for HTML5 (GVH) exactly as they are, meaning that all smart mapping symbology, legends and other information will be preserved and appear in GVH in the same format.

Scripting. The Arcade expression language adds powerful scripting capabilities to the ArcGIS platform. By writing simple scripts, users can manipulate their map data on the fly in several ways.

For example, a user could use an Arcade script to set up an identify parcel operation that also returns a summary of both the population density and communications infrastructure in the area, along with any other variables of interest. The portability of these scripts allows them to now be used within Geocortex applications.

“The new functionality added in this release provides even stronger support for developers using the ArcGIS platform, particularly those familiar with creating smart maps in ArcGIS Online,” said Drew Millen, chief technology officer for Geocortex. “It’s now easier than ever to build a mapping application that pulls data from various sources and uses it creatively to improve decision making.”

To learn more about the latest version of Geocortex Essentials, visit the company’s product release page.