Developers

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps at DevSummit 2023

DevSummit 2023 is fast approaching, and the Native Maps SDK team is looking forward to hearing all about your work and sharing with you details of what we’ve been working on. Between Tuesday, March 7th and Friday, March 10th, we’ll be hosting technical sessions, demo theaters, and more.

To help you plan your time at DevSummit, below you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the opportunities to learn about the Native Maps SDKs (previously known as the Runtime SDKs), to engage with the development team directly, to get answers to your questions, and to give us your feedback.

Planning your schedule

Foundation sessions

We have two foundational sessions dedicated to giving you a look at the Native Maps SDKs as a whole. The first is an introductory session that will give an overview of the Native Maps SDKs and bring you up to speed with the latest releases. If you’re new to the Native Maps SDKs or need to evaluate whether these SDKs are the right tool to help you build your project, then this session is for you. The second session will provide a preview of upcoming capabilities and give you a sense of the Native Maps SDKs future roadmap.

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: An Introduction to the API and Architecture

Tuesday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

This session will present an introduction to ArcGIS Maps SDKs for .NET, Java, Kotlin, Qt, and Swift, advantages of using them, and an overview of the common API across these SDKs. This session is ideal for new developers and managers or program managers evaluating the technology.

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: The Road Ahead

Thursday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Join the ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps development team to learn about what’s coming next in ArcGIS Maps SDKs for .NET, Java, Kotlin, Qt and Swift.

Development strategies

We have three sessions that will help address your questions around popular strategy topics: reviewing your range of development options for mobile and desktop platforms, reviewing how you can plan your migration from ArcGIS Engine to the Native Map SDKs, and discussing how you approach multi-platform development to build apps for both iOS and Android.

Strategies for Mobile and Desktop Development

Tuesday, 2:30pm – 3:30pm

In this session, we will explore no-code/low-code tools such as AppStudio, extending ArcGIS software with the ArcGIS Pro SDK for .NET, and building your own custom apps with ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps. We will also tour resources such as: location services, usage analytics, samples, open-source projects, training, videos, and community forums.

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: Migrating from ArcGIS Engine

Tuesday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Attend this session to learn about tips and techniques you’ll need to move your apps from ArcGIS Engine to one of our ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps.

Native App Development in a Multiplatform World

Wednesday, 10:30am – 11:30am

In this session we will explore a strategy for building native apps for iOS and Android that maximizes the similarity in system architecture, testing, and yes, even coding. Learn how we are using this approach to develop the next generation of ArcGIS mobile apps.

The SDKs

We built each Native Maps SDK to feel 100% natural to developers working with their chosen developer tools, while delivering identical capabilities across .NET, Swift, Kotlin, Java, and Qt. The ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: An Introduction to the API and Architecture session above provides an overview of how we deliver that consistency, but we have sessions on Wednesday and Thursday that get into the weeds of developing with each specific SDK.

ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET: Building Apps

Wednesday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

ArcGIS Maps SDK for Kotlin: Building Apps

Thursday, 10:30 am – 11:30am

ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift: Building Apps

Thursday, 10:30am – 11:30am

ArcGIS Maps SDK for Java: Building Apps

Thursday, 1:00 pm – 2:00pm

ArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt: Building Apps

Thursday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Working with the latest developer technologies

December saw the release of  version 200.0 of the Native Maps SDKs, beginning the next phase of the SDKs formerly known as Runtime SDKs. Continuing on from the 100.x series of Runtime SDKs, these 200.x SDKs bring support for the latest developer tools such as MAUI, Qt 6, Swift, Kotlin, and modern JavaFX. We have a number of sessions dedicated to helping you update and migrate your existing Runtime apps to these latest SDKs.

Rebuilding ArcGIS Field Maps with Swift UI

Tuesday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET: Building .NET MAUI Apps

Wednesday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Migrating to ArcGIS Maps SDK for Kotlin

Thursday, 1:00pm – 1:30pm (Demo Theater)

Introduction to SwiftUI

Thursday, March 9 1:00pm – 1:30pm (Demo Theater)

Migrating to ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift

Thursday, 1:45pm – 2:15pm (Demo Theater)

Capability Sessions

We also have a series of sessions that will help you understand how you can implement fundamental capabilities of the ArcGIS system within your apps built with the Native Maps SDKs.

Maps

Leveraging a Common Operating Picture Across All Apps

Wednesday, 2:30pm – 3:30pm

In this session, we will show how you can build applications that leverage a web map with only a few lines of code, including how to take them offline and access them in disconnected or limited bandwidth environments.

Location

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: Harnessing the Power of Location

Wednesday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

This session will cover how ArcGIS Maps SDKs let you work directly with on-device GPS, high accuracy external GNSS receivers, and Indoor Positioning Systems to collect and edit data from a service or from files and packages stored locally on your device.

Real-Time

Coming at 200.1 in April are exciting new capabilities around real-time data and a powerful new concept that we call Dynamic Entities. Taking real-time data feeds to the next level, Dynamic Entities will allow you to build sophisticated applications that visualize, interrogate, and interact with fast-changing real-time data. We don’t typically have sessions involving technology that we haven’t released yet, but with these powerful new capabilities coming to you right after DevSummit, we’ve got a whole session dedicated to introducing this new technology and showing you how to develop with it.

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: Real-Time

Thursday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Leveraging Real-Time Capabilities in Your Apps

Friday, 10:00am – 11:00am

Utilities

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps are perfect for building applications for the utility industry, including support for utility network, annotations, dimensions, display filters, alternate symbol, scale based symbols, offline workflows, and much more:

Network Management with ArcGIS: Using ArcGIS Developer APIs to Build Utility Network Applications

Tuesday, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: Utility Network

Wednesday, 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Indoors

The Native Maps SDKs have excellent support for indoor maps, from floor awareness APIs to indoor location data sources and integration with ArcGIS Indoors. We have a number of sessions that cover working with indoor maps and IPS setups with the Native Maps SDKs:

Indoor GIS: Using ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Applications to Build Indoor Mapping Apps

Wednesday, 5:30pm- 6:00pm (Demo Theater)

Indoor GIS: Developing Indoor Positioning in Native Mobile Applications

Thursday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

We also have a session that covers Indoor mapping across a number of ArcGIS developer tools, including the Native Maps SDKs.

Indoor GIS: Developer Options for Building Indoor Mapping Apps

Thursday, 10:30am – 11:30am

Geotriggers

Geotriggers are an exciting and powerful part of the Native Maps SDKs that make it a breeze to build applications the respond to your movement and your current location. Think of Geotriggers as geofencing taken to the next level:

ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps: Geotriggers

Wednesday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

OGC Services and APIs

The Native Maps SDKs also have great support for OGC standards. We have a session that will cover our broader developer support for OGC standards across the ArcGIS system and will discuss OGC’s recent move from services to an Open API, including support for API Features in the Native Maps SDKs:

From OGC Web Services to OGC APIs

Thursday, 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Demo Theaters

In addition to those mentioned above, we will also present the following 30-minute demo theaters:

Jumpstart Your App Development with Toolkits

Wednesday, 10:30am – 11:00am

Deploying Java Apps with Native Installers Using jPackage

Thursday, 3:15pm – 3:45pm

User sessions

DevSummit has always been about you, and alongside the Technical Sessions and Demo Theaters presented by Esri staff we have a number of user sessions presented by your peers and colleagues. This year, we have one session focusing specifically on the Runtime SDKs and integrating them with Flutter:

A Flutter ArcGIS Runtime API Plug-in to Rapidly Develop Cross-Platform GIS Apps

Thursday, 2:30pm – 3:00pm (Dem Theater)

Esri Showcase

Maps SDK team members will be available at the Esri Showcasewhich runs from Monday afternoon through Thursday afternoon, and we have a dedicated area for each Native Maps SDK. Stop by to ask specific questions, to learn more about the Maps SDKs, and to show us what you’ve built or are building. This is your chance to meet the people that build the technology you use, and we love learning about how the Native Maps SDKs and Runtime SDKs are working for you.

Meet the Teams

Team members will also be attending the Meet the Teams social after the showcase hours end on Tuesday. Drinks and food will be served.

Tuesday, 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Code Reviews

In 2019 we introduced the Developer Clinic to assist customers with strategic questions about development projects and solutions that involve many parts of the ArcGIS system. This was incredibly successful and so we’re continuing to support it this year through Code Reviews, which you can schedule here. With the choice between the Native Maps SDKs area at the Esri Showcase and scheduling a Code Review, you might be wondering which option is right for you…

See you in Palm Springs!

As you can see, between the technical sessions, demo theaters, code reviews, and Esri showcase, there will be many opportunities to learn more about the Native ArcGIS Maps SDKs from the very people building them. We hope you can make it and we’re looking forward to seeing you at the 2023 Dev Summit!

About the authors

Rex Hansen is a Product Manager for the ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps and ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Game Engines. He has over 25 years of experience in GIS, spatial analytics, and computer mapping. Currently, he guides the development of native technologies in the GIS industry to use authoritative geospatial content and analysis in offline workflows, photorealistic experiences, and immersive, extended reality solutions.

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Mike Branscomb is a Product Manager for the ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps and ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Game Engines. With over 20 years of experience working in the Esri ecosystem, he specializes in .NET, Local Server, and 3D Scene Layers. Mike is also a Scrum Product Owner with over 10 years of experience guiding teams through the product development lifecycle.

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Nick Furness

Nick Furness is a Product Manager for the ArcGIS Maps SDKs for Native Apps, and Game Engines, specializing in Swift and iOS. He's spent over 20 years working in the GIS space building projects ranging from small mom-and-pop solutions all the way up to enterprise utility and national government deployments. Nick presents at various Esri Developer Summits, the User Conference, and many other events, almost always talking about something to do with the Native Maps SDKs although you might find the odd bit of JavaScript thrown in there.

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