Accessing and Utilizing Salem's Internal GIS system

OVERVIEW (this document is currently being updated 1-19-2024)

Salem has an internal GIS system where staff can access GIS layers, Maps and datasets that are provided. All of these items are known to be the authoritative version of the data, validated by department staff and known to be good for everyone to use.

This portal is set up so that there are some entire maps that can be used, or a staff member can create new maps, or do analysis in the system with individual layers of data.

The portal is located at: https://arcgis.salem.com/hub and to use the data therein does not require a log in. This is only available on the internal network.

This document is not designed to set up user to start off on their own, this is a simple walk through of the options, and basic use of the site and the items inside of it. GIS training may be provided as departments deem necessary. There are GIS staff available to produce all kinds of GIS products for the city.

Any user can utilize the site without an account, some data might be only be available to a logged in account though.

Any city of Salem staff can have an account in this system that allows for access to more data and also the ability to save GIS products created. The user can hit the "Sign In" button in the upper right of the screen and then choose "City of Salem". This action will use the credentials that the user has logged into the computer with.

PROCEDURE

The portal works best in Chrome or Firefox.

Navigate to https://arcgis.salem.com/hub:

Across the top left section is a menu bar that has the following options:

Gallery - this is the collection of items in the portal that are available to be reviewed and used. These might be a full map that is ready to be used, or they could be individual layers of data
Map - this button opens up a web map that you can add layers to, and data you may have from other source (internet locations, file locations on the network, etc..)
Scene - this tool allows you to render 3d images and maps of the city, there is no data in the portal yet for this feature
Groups - this shows user groups that accounts might be set up in, this is not in use at this time

There is a Featured Maps and Apps section in the middle of the screen, this is populated with certain maps that are most used, or have been identified as being appropriate to promote on the front page.

Gallery

The Gallery, "City of Salem's Internal portal Featured Content", is the most important section of the portal as it shows what are the options of data and maps that are available to use. The Gallery is growing daily with more datasets that are brought in and published in the Portal, and also by map creation that users might find useful. If the user hovers the mouse cursor over them, a pop up will open that has easily identifiable description, creator, date for the item so that the users can see what the item shows or is used for; there is also a thumbnail image of the map itself, currently those are being cleaned up to be more useful.

To learn more about the item the user can click on the "DETAILS" button; this will open a page that has all the description and other metadata for the file.

To use the item the user simply needs to click on the "OPEN ▼" button and is offered two methods to use the data; the data can be opened in an online web viewer (this is the best option) or if the user has ArcDesktop installed the file can be downloaded and opened in that program.

If the item has been opened in the browser based viewer a map will appear along with the legend showing what the colors and lines indicate. At this moment the previous Menu bar across the top (Home, Gallery, Map, Scene, Groups) transitions into a drop down list at the very upper right of the page titled "Home ▼".

To change what the user is seeing click on "Content" and that allows the user to go and toggle on/off a layer, or go into the symbology to change how the data is shown.

To change the Basemap that the data is laid upon, the user can click on "Basemap" in the upper left and has a few options to choose from for their use.

If the user would like to add more data to what they are seeing on the upper right corner they will click on "Modify Map" and this allows a user to change their map as they see fit.

The user can then choose to "Add" more data to their GIS session. Data from other online GIS servers (the Mass GIS Oliver, or ARCGIS OnLine are good examples), add more data from files on their computer or also search for other layers that may be published in Salem's Portal.

In the following example other published layers will be added to the current GIS session. Just like in the Gallery, if the mouse cursor is over an Item the details will pop up, click on "Add to map" (or "Add" in the list view).

Once the user has identified all of the layers they wish to add to their current session the button at the bottom of the list "DONE ADDING LAYERS" needs to be clicked, this will refresh the GIS session viewer and show the new layers.

The new layer can be enabled, some layers will have multiple layers inside them and those not necessary can be disabled by checking the blue box.

To review the data in the layer the user can click on the small table icon under the layer name; this is helpful during the investigation of the session to know what data is available.

Choosing the Style icon allows the user to change the way the data is visualized, different symbology is available in there depending on the type of data in the layer, the label can be amended at this point as well and that changes the Legend of the map as well.

After changing the style and data sets in the session sit back and let the system reveal the map that was created!

The maps at this stage are not able to be saved, each session is individual, but if there is a standard map that is needed often please submit a service request through help.salem.com to have that map item created and always available.

REFERENCE

ESRI has a good introduction to Portal and users here: https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/arcuser/portal-for-arcgis-101/ (The good stuff starts about halfway down the page)

Another good section on Portal and online GIS mapping: https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/portal/10.6/use/create-maps-and-apps.htm

Applies to:

General Type of Articles > How-To
GIS
Systems > ESRI/ARCGIS

Article ID: KB000126

Modified Date: 1/19/2024 11:28:39 AM

Version: 2.0

Knowledge Base