ArcWatch: GIS News, Views, and Insights

April 2018


Back to Basics

By Carla Wheeler
ArcWatch Editor

If you use ArcGIS in any way, shape, or form, Scott Morehouse had a big hand in bringing your software to life. But after more than 30 years leading software development at Esri, Morehouse has turned his attention to leading Esri's effort to craft civic engagement and urban systems that use GIS technology. Read the interview with Morehouse.


Morehouse says that in the future, planning and managing cities will be done in 3D.

The Tip

Make an Earthquake Map in a Minute
Want to make maps of earthquake locations just after the quakes occur? Esri technology evangelist Bern Szukalski shows how using the tools in ArcGIS Online and the data available in ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World. Read the tip.

Join the Conversation

    Tech Time

    The Basic Steps of Making a Map

    Esri product engineer Heather Smith provides a checklist of the things you need to do to make a map, from finding your data to proofing the final product. Her short tutorial will help you avoid common errors and save time. Read the blog.

    Maps, George Washington Style

    George Washington was the first American president and a cartographer. Esri's John Nelson provides Washington's map textures, which you can download and use in your ArcGIS Pro projects. Read the blog.

    Update Web Map Layers to Use HTTPS Protocol

    A recent update to ArcGIS Online gives you the ability to update web map layers using HTTPS protocol, thereby making your geographic information more secure. Read the blog to learn how.

    Storytelling with Maps

    Everyone loves a good story and a good map. Esri offers a new one-day course on how to combine maps with story text and multimedia and create Esri Story Maps apps. Register for the class.

    Maps & More

    Peaks That Pique Interest

    Which peaks comprise the Seven Summits? Compare mountains such as Everest, Aconcagua, and Denali side by side in a 3D scene created using ArcGIS Pro. View the story map.

    Use Military Tools for ArcGIS in Historic Lesson

    Could planning tactical operations with GIS have reduced casualties during a historic World War I battle? Find out when you use Military Tools for ArcGIS in this Learn ArcGIS lesson. Read more.

    Hardware Offer

    Esri offers to US customers only the Trimble TDC100. It's an all-in-one rugged GNSS handheld receiver and smartphone that supports Esri field apps such as Collector for ArcGIS. Read more.

    The Last Word

    Enter the Esri Storytelling with Maps Contest

    The clock is ticking. You only have two more weeks to enter the Esri Storytelling with Maps Contest. Submit up to three preexisting or new story maps between now and May 7, 2018, for a chance to win recognition and prizes. Enter today.

    In Memoriam

    Well-known cartographer Waldo R. Tobler, professor emeritus of geography at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB), died recently. Tobler was best known for articulating what he called the "first law of geography," meaning near things were more closely related than distant things.
    Read the article from UCSB.
    View his animated cartography of Detroit.