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We have had a busy few months, not just with conferences, but also with onboarding a number of new clients from both near and far to the Cloudpoint roster; all while helping returning clients with their ongoing GIS needs. Here are a few highlights from our recent work: XAVIER UNIVERSITY Xavier University came to us for help with setting up ArcGIS Pro, learning the ins-and-outs, common workflows, best practices, and all the other high -level knowledge our dedicated staff has to offer. And shout out to a great organization, Jon first met representatives from the University at the Campus FM Technology Association Conference . WOODFORD COUNTY, IL Well we can’t get much closer to home than working with the county our office is located in. We couldn’t be happier to be providing our county with not only a land records kickstart but also land records managed services. Step 1: Migrate from ArcMap to ArcGIS Pro. Step 2: Migrate to the Parcel Fabric in ArcGIS Pro. Step 3: Train ‘em up on both ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Pro Parcel Fabric . Step 4: Step back and watch them soar (under our watchful eye of managed support services of course). TIPPECANOE COUNTY, IN Tippecanoe County previously entrusted Cloudpoint to upgrade their Enterprise GIS , and now has asked us to move their land records data to Esri's ArcGIS Parcel Fabric solution in ArcGIS Pro. The goal of this project is to allow the Client to use the latest industry-standard parcel mapping tools, optimize their parcel workflows, and take advantage of existing software licensing. The happy outcome is the Client will in return be able to save money on long-term software expenses from legacy systems. KANKAKEE COUNTY, IL Kankakee County is Cloudpoint’s newest SignOps  Client. SignOps is our in-house sign inventory management software. A web-based application for tracking and managing an inventory of traffic signs: utilizes barcodes, compatible with mobile devices for field work, ensures compliance with MUTCD requirements, easy-to-use, and capable of supporting thousands of signs. MENDOTA, IL As anyone working in the water industry should know, replacing old lead service lines is a crucial, and required, task for the safety and health of the people that they service. The best way to track this is through the deployment of Esri’s Lead Service Line Solution. And that is exactly what the City of Mendota has contracted Cloudpoint to do: deployment of the solution, configuration of the City’s data and mobile apps, and training on the use of the solution for both field and office staff. Get the lead out! OAK LAWN REGIONAL EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS As the effort continues to get the entire state of Illinois into the Next Generation 9-1-1 system, Oak Lawn met our representatives at the Illinois Public Safety Telecommunicators conference  this fall. Staying up-to-date with the standards as they continue to evolve can be a daunting task in and of itself, to speak nothing of the focus it takes in correcting the data to meet those requirements. Data clean-up and Boundary Coordination are on the plate for this round of work. By utilizing Cloudpoint Geospatial’s professional services, Oak Lawn is able to remove the burden of these tasks from internal staff to allow them to keep their focus on other needed areas. Cloudpoint stands ready and waiting to help your municipality, county, township, or even private business get your GIS clean and efficient to give you the best return on your investment. Contact us  today, or call 877.377.8124, to set up a meeting and explore your options.

There are multiple ways to establish an efficient editing workflow in both ArcGIS Online and Portal for ArcGIS. The choice of workflow depends on the specific use case and user preference. One effective approach is to generate dynamic URLs within pop-ups, allowing users to seamlessly transition from a web map to an Experience Builder application for feature editing. Why Use Dynamic URLs in Pop-ups? Web maps allow custom configuration of pop-ups to efficiently display critical feature information. However, pop-ups can be further enhanced by embedding URLs that incorporate attributes of features, like their Object ID or Global ID. These dynamic URLs in pop-ups allow users to click a hyperlink and be easily directed to an Experience Builder application, with the corresponding feature automatically selected for editing. This functionality is particularly useful when users are primarily interacting with view-only applications, such as dashboards designed for data visualization. While these applications are excellent for exploring data insights, occasional edits may be required. Instead of manually navigating to a separate editing application and searching for the feature, a dynamic URL within the pop-up provides direct access to the editing interface, ensuring a seamless workflow. Example Use Case Consider a dashboard displaying highway structures like bridges. When a structure is selected, the pop-up displays a hyperlink named "Edit Structure". Clicking this link opens a new tab in the browser with an Experience Builder-based structure editor, where the selected structure is already preloaded and ready for editing. Constructing the Dynamic URL The process of setting up a dynamic URL involves configuring the Experience Builder application and modifying the web map’s pop-ups accordingly. Step 1: Configure the Experience Builder Application Open the Experience Builder application, where the editing will take place. Add and configure the Editing  widget to enable modifications to the relevant layer. Save and publish the Experience Builder application. Navigate to the application's overview page and select View  to open it outside of edit mode. Select a feature from the editable layer; observe how the URL changes when a feature is selected. The digits at the end of the URL (after "A") represent the Object ID of the selected feature. Copy this URL for use in later steps. Step 2: Configure the Web Map Pop-Up Open the web map that is used in the dashboard or other view-only applications. Access the pop-up settings for the relevant feature layer. Add text to the pop-up (e.g., "Edit Structure") and format it as a hyperlink. Paste the copied Experience Builder URL into the hyperlink field. Switch to Source View  (HTML mode) to edit the link’s structure. Locate the Object ID digits at the end of the URL and replace them with {OBJECTID}. Exit Source View  and confirm the changes. Now, the hyperlink will dynamically insert the Object ID of a selected feature, ensuring that the Experience Builder app will open with the corresponding feature preselected for editing. By implementing dynamic URLs within ArcGIS Online pop-ups, users can enjoy a streamlined editing experience, reducing manual searches and improving workflow efficiency. This approach enhances the integration between viewing and editing applications, making GIS workflows more intuitive and productive. Reach out to the Cloudpoint experts for help with ArcGIS Online and Experience Builder!

The ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension, available from Esri as an add-on for ArcGIS Pro, is a powerful tool for GIS professionals. It offers an impressive suite of features for data integration, transformation, and automation. Built on Safe Software’s Feature Manipulation (FME) technology ( https://www.safe.com/ ) , this extension provides a Visual Development Environment (VDE) for designing custom Export, Transform, and Load (ETL) workflows. FME has been continually developed since 1993, when it was first created to convert Canadian forestry data from CAD to GIS format. Since then, it has grown to include hundreds of data formats, database types, cloud platform integrations, and a large user community contributing custom data integration tools to the FME Hub. The ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension is essentially a version of FME licensed by Esri, integrated within the ArcGIS platform, and tailored for GIS users. It can be launched from within ArcGIS Pro, via the analysis toolbar, as a new Spatial ETL Tool, or opened as a standalone application. The FLE Workbench application allows you to create custom Export, Transform, and Load (ETL) workflows and run them as geoprocessing tools within ArcGIS Pro. You can also share these tools with other ArcGIS Pro and FME users. It allows for seamless data integration across multiple formats, enabling users to: Read and write over 400 spatial and non-spatial data formats Transform data by merging, filtering, reformatting, reprojecting, and converting Automate ETL workflows using Python scripting While the full FME software (FME Form) supports over 500 formats and offers additional advanced processing capabilities, the Data Interoperability extension includes the essential tools required for most GIS ETL processes. ArcGIS Data Interoperability and FME Form: Key Differences Key Features and Benefits Easy-to-Use FME Workbench Application If you’re familiar with Model Builder in ArcGIS, you’ll appreciate the drag-and-drop interface of the FME Workbench. It allows users to visually construct workflows by adding transformers that process data in sequence. Data Transformation Capabilities Beyond simple format conversions, the extension provides extensive data transformation tools, including: Attribute manipulation: adding, renaming, grouping, and summarizing values Spatial operations: converting geometry types, integrating data from multiple sources Automation validation: checking for errors in geometry and attributes Automation with Python Python scripting enhances ETL automation capabilities, enabling: Scheduled execution of FME workflows Email notifications for completed tasks Custom scripts embedded within ETL processes Use Cases for GIS Professionals The extension’s capabilities extend beyond simple data conversion. Here are some real-world applications: Data Quality Control & Validation Geometry and attribute validation, checking against rules and standards Topology checks to ensure spatial integrity CAD & BIM to GIS Conversion Converting CAD and BIM layers to GIS objects Validating polylines and snapping features Schema Migration Transforming and migrating between GIS data schemas Mapping attributes to new field names Data Enrichment Merging multiple spatial and non-spatial sources Spatial and joins for enriching datasets Integration with Enterprise Systems Live connections to databases like Oracle, SAP, and IBM among others Real-time data updates into GIS Data Cleanup & Reformatting Removing duplicates, ensuring uniqueness, rounding, trimming, concatenating and extracting sub-strings Filling in null values based on criteria Overview of the FME Workbench Application Interface The basic operation of the FME Workbench application is to add a data reader (or multiple readers) to the left side of the workbench, then add some transformers that interact with and transform the data, and finally add a data writer or multiple data writers to export the data to the format you require.  The Visual Preview panel and Graphics panel are essential for investigating the content of your data at every step of the process. A more detailed inspection can be made by opening the FME Data Inspector (a separate application also included with Data Interoperability) that provides a full-screen data review interface, including a map window. Example Workbench converting Building footprints and Building Points from CSV and XML format to Geodatabase format, with attributes filtered, renamed, and created along the way. Recommended Transformers for GIS Workflows Here are some recommended FME Transformers that support typical GIS workflows: Final Thoughts The ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension is an invaluable tool for GIS professionals, streamlining data integration and transformation processes. Whether you’re cleaning up datasets, automating workflows, or integrating online or enterprise data, this extension provides a robust solution within the ArcGIS environment. If you need assistance implementing this tool, feel free to   reach out  - Cloudpoint is here to help optimize your GIS workflows!

ArcGIS Field Maps and Survey123 are some of the most common applications users leverage to digitize their inspection processes. Field Maps makes it easy for users to create and edit new features, while Survey123 is often specifically used to publish surveys that serve as digital inspection forms for those individual features. When used in tandem in this way, the strengths of both applications can be available for users in the field. This means all of the more advanced survey functions – including the ability to use JavaScript – can be retained for Survey123 forms, while the simplicity of creating new features can be retained in Field Maps. This post will explain how to link these applications together, to create one all-in-one Web Map users can access in the field. Getting Started Launch ArcGIS Pro. Ensure the user has been assigned the appropriate licenses for accessing the desktop software, as well as the appropriate user type and role for publishing to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. Create a feature class representing the authoritative features to be inspected, and a data table representing the inspections that will be performed for each feature. Be sure to create GlobalIDs for each of these layers. Additionally, create a GUID field on the data table (we prefer to name this field “Parent_GUID”)  – this field value will match the GlobalID of the related parent feature, establishing the link between the two. Create a relationship class between the parent feature class, representing the authoritative features, and the child data table, representing the inspections that will be submitted through Survey123. Be sure to set the Origin Primary Key as the parent feature class GlobalID field and the Origin Foreign Key as the child data table GUID field. This will ensure that the GlobalID from the parent feature will be populated into the GUID field in the child data record. Ensure the web layers have editing enabled and add them to a new Web Map. This map will be used in ArcGIS Field Maps. With the layer now set up in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise, the Survey123 form can be created. A previously-created survey can be used, or a new one can be designed around the feature layer. The survey must be created using  Survey123 Connect  for this process to function properly. In order to open a Survey123 form  tied to a specific feature in ArcGIS Field Maps, a new URL needs to be constructed. The Item ID for the Survey123 form will need to be provided, and the GUID field in the inspection form will need to be mapped to the parent feature GlobalID. The general format of the URL  is provided below. Additional fields can be mapped by adding “&field” to the URL. arcgis-survey123://?itemID= &field: ={ } For example, in the following link, the Item ID for the survey is provided and the GUID field is mapped to the GlobalID field. The Name field of the feature layer is also mapped, so it will be auto-populated into the inspection entry once it is created:  “arcgis-survey123://?itemID=abcdefghijklmno123456pqrstuvwxyz&field:parent_guid={GlobalID}&field:liftStationName={NAME}” Once this link is built out, it can be used as a hyperlink for text inside the feature’s pop-up in Field Maps. Using this link will ensure that any inspection created from it will always be tied to the specific parent feature. Once the web map is shared properly, it will be accessible to users in Field Maps. When users select a feature, the pop-up will now have a link that will take the user to a Survey123 form with the mapped fields prepopulated. The inspection entry will also be related to the parent feature in the map. Taking it a step further… To track the progress of inspections, a join layer can be created and then symbolized to show only the most recent inspections. Navigate to the item page of the hosted feature layer in ArcGIS Online. Click “Create View Layer” and then “Joined view layer”. Choose the parent feature layer as the Target layer and the child data table as the Join layer. When configuring the join, ensure the Target field of GlobalID is mapped to the Join field of GUID. A one-to-one join operation should be used, keeping only the first matching record, and sorting descending by Inspection Date, or any equivalent field. The resulting joined view layer will only show one inspection record on the data at any given time – and it should be the most recent one. Once the join layer is created, add it to a web map and use the “New to old” symbology option on the Inspection Date or equivalent field to show which features are most in need of inspection. Alternatively, an ArcGIS Arcade expression can be used to create more specific categories. Because this layer retains all of the fields from the original layer, the pop-up that leads to Survey123 described in the steps in the previous section can be created in this layer instead, allowing inspection crews to see their inspection progress in real-time. *Note: The process for creating view layers in ArcGIS Enterprise Referenced Feature Services is more complicated, but can still be accomplished using query views created on the underlying Relational Database Management System of choice. Contact us   for help implementing these workflows for your organization!

Hi, my name is Megan! I am a Senior GIS Analyst at Cloudpoint, working remotely from Chicago, Illinois. My work days are filled with maps, spatial analysis, client collaboration, and plenty of coffee! Here’s a look at my typical workday. Morning Routine: Emails and Coffee My day kicks off at 8 AM with coffee #1 and my inbox. Some mornings, I breeze through emails in 5-10 minutes, while other days require an hour to carefully respond to client inquiries, coordinate with my team, and review project updates. Client Meetings and Project Reviews Today, I had a monthly check-in with a client, so I spent some time preparing beforehand, I reviewed the ArcGIS Online maps and apps I’ve been working on over the past month, ensuring they were ready for discussion. This month’s highlight was a public-facing ArcGIS Online app designed to help residents find important community information, such as their trash collection day, school district, and voting precinct based on their address. The meeting provided a great opportunity to showcase progress and gather feedback. Deep Work: Enhancing an ArcGIS Online App After the meeting, I grabbed coffee cup #2 and dove into focused work. I incorporated client feedback into the ArcGIS Online app, adding a new data layer, adjusting the language for clarity, and refining the app’s appearance to improve usability. This kind of detailed work requires uninterrupted time and is one of my favorite parts of my job. Midday Walk Around Chicago If the weather cooperates, my husband (who also works remotely) and I take a midday walk together. Living in Chicago offers great options for a quick reset - sometimes we head to Lake Michigan, stroll past Wrigley Field, or just wander our neighborhood on the lookout for cute dogs. It’s a refreshing break before diving back into work. Afternoon Tasks: Emailing, Scheduling, and Training Prep Post-lunch, I tackle any new emails that have come in. Today, this took a bit longer since I needed to coordinate and schedule multiple fieldwork events, ensuring they aligned with client availability. With the remaining time in my day, I shifted gears to prepare for an upcoming client training session on ArcGIS Pro. I developed a PowerPoint presentation and created hands-on exercises to help participants get comfortable with the software. I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping clients build their GIS skills and get the most out of their data. Logging off and Wrapping Up the Day At 5 PM, I shut down my laptop and transitioned into my evening routine. Today, that meant heading to the kitchen to start prepping dinner. Every day in GIS is different, but that’s what makes it exciting. Whether I’m problem-solving in ArcGIS Online, prepping for a client meeting, or developing a training session, I love the variety and impact of my work at Cloudpoint.

The “ Traveling Salesman Problem ” refers to an optimization problem originating from the plight of salespeople struggling to plan a route between all of their door-to-door stops for the day. In the world of computer science, computational time for solving problems can vary vastly depending on the complexity of the problem. For a traveling salesman making upwards of 50 stops per day, it can be tough to calculate the fastest possible route among every single possible option. Thankfully, GIS can often provide the best practical solution in a world where everyone is always on the move. ArcGIS Online has several built-in tools that can be used for drive-time analysis. The Use Proximity suite of tools available directly in Map Viewer can be a great resource for planning routes and determining the best location for new facilities. There’s a wide range of implications and use cases for these tools too. Drivers in the parcel delivery industry come to mind as the “modern” traveling salespeople but even emergency response and aid delivery can have strict deadlines. Simply click on the “Analysis” icon on the right side of Map Viewer, and then choose “Tools” and “Use proximity” to get started. Please note that these tools will consume ArcGIS Online credits. Plan out the route The Plan Routes tool is ideal for situations where a driver needs to hit multiple stops, perhaps even alongside multiple drivers traveling simultaneously. Input your starting and stopping points, any time restraints or barriers you might have and Esri’s algorithm does the rest. These can include the time spent at each stop and the overall maximum time allowed for travel.  The output of this tool is always in lines, representing the most efficient Routes calculated by the algorithm. This tool will also generate the Assigned Stops and any Unassigned Stops if the parameters are too strict to allow for any of the vehicles to reach their destinations. Each Assigned Stop, as well as the starting point, will be numbered in the output to indicate the order in which each stop should be made. Check the directions One of the available options in the Plan Routes tool is to “Include route layers.” This setting will additionally generate a Route Layer, which can be used for navigation. Once a Route Layer is pulled into Map Viewer, the option to “Launch Directions” becomes available, providing users with turn-by-turn directions to each of the stops in the generated route. Get those areas covered When conducting site suitability analyses for future infrastructure, many factors are often considered. One of the most important for facilities where travel to and from the facility is integral to the facility’s primary function – like a shipment processing facility – is the distance that can be traveled within a certain amount of time. These “coverage areas” or “drive-time areas” can be generated using the Generate Travel Areas tool.  This tool outputs polygons representing the distance traveled within a certain time frame either toward or away from the input layer’s features. For example, with the input of a fire station feature layer, one could calculate polygons representing the maximum distance traveled by fire engines within a 4-minute drive time in any direction away from that fire station. Such an output would have implications for the overall availability of fire stations and their ability to cover regions within a municipality. Barriers Both the Plan Routes and Generate Travel Areas tools have the option to include barriers as part of the algorithm used to calculate the travel route or area. Points, lines, and polygons can be valid barrier inputs representing any number of real-world scenarios. During a natural disaster or other emergency situation, roadways may be shut down and this can drastically change what the quickest and most efficient route is between locations.  Barriers can be enabled in the Proximity Tools suite by first opening the “Optional barrier layers” section in the individual tool and selecting the desired feature layers to serve as barriers for the route-solving process. New routes or travel areas will be generated as though the pathways blocked by these barriers are no longer accessible, creating outputs that are more true to the current conditions of the world. Don’t get lost The world has never been more interconnected. It’s easy to see how such analyses can be conducted at a global scale and have much broader implications for how people and items move throughout the world. For a problem thought to be so computationally intensive to solve, GIS makes it look easy.  Contact us  for help implementing these tools for your organization!

Thomas joined Cloudpoint recently as a bookkeeper! Megan holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and has previous experience as a Senior Staff Accountant/Inventory Accountant at Keplr Vision. Megan’s creativity and organizational skills shine through in her community involvement. She’s actively engaged in her daughter’s school PTO, planning classroom events and supporting school staff, and is a member of the Hudson Women's Club, where she plans local activities. Outside of work, Megan loves spending time with her husband Jarod and their two daughters, Palmer and Halston.

School districts and Statewide 9-1-1 administrators across the country are recognizing the need to increase the accuracy of floor plan data for their school buildings to provide vital information to ensure effective emergency planning and response. Many states are providing funding to help school districts transition away from static hard copy maps and floorplans towards dynamic, interactive GIS maps. To this end, Cloudpoint Geospatial is conducting surveys of K-12 school properties to create up-to-date floor plans in GIS format which can be integrated into 9-1-1 Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems. Key objectives of these initiatives include: Creating detailed, standardized, accurate, and complete internal/external mapping of school buildings and surrounding structures - including all floors, stairwells, and outbuildings to provide clear orientation and navigation for first responders, 9-1-1 dispatch, and public safety officials in an emergency. Identifying rooms by number and use such as a library, gym, storage closet, classroom, etc. Include all internal and external doorway locations and windows. Provide 3D data to enable first responders to efficiently and accurately locate a 9-1-1 caller within a building level. Provide mapping data in a format compatible with existing CAD and public safety systems. Existing architectural plans such as hard-copy drawings and blueprints or AutoCAD files, can be used as source data for GIS maps. However, they typically require scanning, georeferencing, or a data format conversion from AutoCAD to GIS. If plans are available, they can be many years or decades old, and often no longer reflect the current layout and configuration of the building. Existing floor plan data also needs to be verified by onsite walk-throughs to confirm accuracy. An alternative approach is to scan buildings using handheld Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors. These LiDAR sensors can create highly detailed 3D representations of built spaces by collecting millions of data points representing the surfaces of objects. The LiDAR scan data is then used to create updated 2D floorplans representing each building level. Over the last few years, LiDAR technology has been integrated into iOS mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads (Pro and Pro Max models of the iPhone 12, 13, 14, and 15, as well as the iPad Pro models from 2020 and later). While these mobile devices offer a cost-effective way to scan small-scale projects, creating residential property floor plans, or mapping furniture and other assets in a room, they have limited range (around 5 meters or 15 feet) and limited storage, which make them unsuitable for outdoor use or large open interior spaces. To achieve the level of accuracy and data quality required for public safety mapping, Cloudpoint Geospatial utilizes professional-grade LiDAR scanning equipment which can achieve sub-inch accuracy, with a range of up to 100 meters (328 ft). With these devices, a typical 70,000-square-foot middle school can be scanned in three scans, each taking under 30 minutes to complete. GPS survey control points are recorded around the exterior of the buildings and used to georeference the scan data to real-world coordinates. The scanning equipment also captures front and back photographs at regular intervals during the scan, approximately every 10 feet. These images are stitched together during post-processing to create 360-degree panoramic views of the interior and exterior spaces. The scan data is processed into high-resolution point clouds made up of millions of points containing elevation values and RGB color values. Interior scans are aligned to georeferenced exterior scans to create a merged point cloud. The point cloud data is further processed to extract floorplan information into vector GIS features. The data is attributed with building level IDs to enable floor filtering, which allows emergency services to visualize building levels one floor at a time. The final product is a set of hierarchical GIS data layers that represent each building and the relationship between sites, facilities, levels (floors), and units (spaces), with linework details that depict room layouts, walls, partitions, doorways, and stairwells. These data layers form the basemap upon which school safety plan maps can be designed, such as emergency evacuation maps, lockdown procedure maps, storm/shelter-in-place maps, medical emergency maps, accessibility maps, and first responder orientation maps. Schools can also leverage this data to manage their facilities, map their building assets, manage interior spaces, produce maps for student orientation, traffic management, event planning, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility compliance, and more. Publishing this data to state 9-1-1 data hubs puts this critical information into the hands of dispatchers and first responders improving the accuracy and efficiency of response, and ultimately improving the safety and security of students and staff. For more information on how to enhance mapping information for your school district, contact Cloudpoint Geospatial’s professional services team .

Esri’s Web AppBuilder application is on its way out, so now is the time to find a way to recreate apps and workflows using their Experience Builder application. One popular widget in Web AppBuilder is the Smart Editor Widget. The Smart Editor  allows for advanced editing configurations like creating auto calculations between different layers and dynamically configuring attributes to be hidden, required, or disabled. The solution to transition this widget to Experience Builder lies with the smart forms. What are Smart Forms and Where are they Located? Smart forms provide a place to build out extensive forms tailored for editing operations. By utilizing Arcade expressions within the smart forms, the user can streamline editing processes and customization. Smart forms are available across various applications on the ArcGIS platform including ArcGIS Field Maps, Survey123, Web Map Viewer, and Web Apps utilizing the JavaScript 4x Editor Widget such as Experience Builder. To use smart forms in Experience Builder, the forms must first be configured in the web map connected to the Experience Builder app. For more on creating forms in the map viewer click here .  Transitioning the Smart Editor to the Smart Forms The Smart Editor’s two main functions are Smart Actions and Attribute Actions. Smart Actions use expressions to determine different aspects of a field, like the field's visibility. Attribute Actions allow the configuration of expressions for auto-calculating field values. These are the functions that will be replaced by smart forms. Smart forms can be accessed in the web map by selecting the layer to be edited and clicking the lightning forms icon on the right. Fields can be added to the form section, reordered, renamed for better clarity in the editor, and supplemented with descriptions. Transition Smart Editor’s Smart Actions  To replicate Smart Actions, the desired field must first be selected. The logic section of the form, located in the bottom-right, allows designers to configure logic using Arcade expressions for when certain fields should become editable, require an input, and be shown/hidden. Clicking the gear icon next to one of these options opens the Arcade expression builder. For example, a visibility expression can be set to make a "Purchase Date" field visible only when the "Owner" field is not empty.  Transition Smart Editor’s Attribute Actions  To replicate the Attribute Actions, Arcade expressions are utilized. These can be added to fields by selecting the field and navigating to the bottom-right corner to configure a calculated expression. While working with Arcade may initially appear complex, sample code  is available to simplify the transition. Using Arcade, a wide range of automatic calculations can be implemented, far exceeding the four attribute action options previously available in the Smart Editor. For instance, it is now possible to auto-calculate a field with a feature’s related data utilizing Arcade. The Arcade expression below is auto-calculating a field within a Graves layer with its related burial records data.  Download sample arcade expressions To utilize the smart forms in Experience Builder, the app needs to contain a Map widget and an Editor widget. The Map widget must contain the web map with the configured smart forms and the Editor widget should be configured in the settings to “Interact with a Map widget”. This will ensure the Editor will interact with the web map and the associated smart forms. After adding these two widgets and configuring them, the smart form configurations should be present in the Editor widget within Experience Builder.  To talk more about our services or get help transitioning from Web AppBuilder to Experience Builder, contact us . The team at Cloudpoint Geospatial is always ready to help.

Enterprise Asset Management systems (or EAM) help organizations manage their physical assets throughout their lifecycle. ArcGIS Indoors enables those assets to be located, queried, tracked, and navigated to in a centralized map database. Integrating these two technologies provides a single pane of glass through which to visualize and manage an organization's building assets. EAM systems support scheduled maintenance, work order management, asset inventories, performance monitoring, compliance and risk management, and cost control. Examples of EAM systems include IBM Maximo, Infor, SAP, Oracle, AssetWorks, and UpKeep. These EAM systems typically manage data in structured relational databases and include open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to provide other business systems with real-time access to asset data. EAM’s are the authoritative source of record for asset information in most organizations, in the same way that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases are the authoritative source of spatial information. Integrating GIS data with EAM systems is critical to providing the geographic context for assets to support decision-making, plan maintenance, allocate resources, and reduce costs. Integration between GIS data and other business systems to provide geographic context is nothing new. However, advancements in indoor mapping and the development of ArcGIS Indoors mean that an organization’s GIS can now serve as the single source of truth for spatial information down to the room level and below, in 2D and 3D space, while also taking into account floor-level information. Advances in Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) mean that more and more smart devices report not only their status and sensor readings, but also their location. GIS platforms are uniquely positioned to integrate data from various business systems into a consolidated, centralized view connected by the common denominator - location. GIS - The single source of truth for geospatial data, integrating real-time data from enterprise business systems via the common denominator: location. For facility managers in charge of maintaining and managing building assets, GIS provides the following capabilities: Map of asset locations : Provides a spatial overview, showing assets categorized by type, condition, age, status, service history, and other characteristics. Geographic context : Data regarding assets, such as utility networks, natural features, transportation routes, and structural, topographic, and demographic features. Proximity analysis : Data to help answer questions like - How far is the nearest fire extinguisher, AED unit, emergency exit, smoke alarm, or control panel, from a given location? How many assets are within a given radius of a position, or within a building or campus? Where is the nearest pump station or shutoff valve? Maintenance Planning:  Ability to prioritize maintenance based on areas with most needs, and optimize routes for maintenance crews. Risk Management & Emergency Planning:  Mapping of critical assets, and identifying areas at risk from natural disasters and other hazards.  Suitability Analysis:  Review of asset locations for required space, and compliance with environmental and safety regulations Public Engagement:  Interactive maps for the public and other stakeholders showcasing asset allocation and distribution. Facility managers looking to leverage the integration of GIS and Asset Management systems should consider the following key data management strategy recommendations: Avoid Data Silos : Eliminate data redundancy, identify systems of record Leverage of APIs : Allows real-time data integration Automate Data Synchronization : Scripting and automated data workflows Establish Common Data Standards : Universal Unique Asset IDs, domains, etc. Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QAQC) : Set and enforce data standards and validation rules Data Governance : Establishment of roles and responsibilities Change Management : Develop documentation and communication standards regarding data management strategy changes, provide training to the organization and new members Data integration between EAM systems and GIS can be achieved in a number of ways, with the optimal solution depending upon the specific data types and business systems and practices already in place within an organization. Highly customized solutions are typically a requirement, so it’s important to make use of the widest range of tools available.  When dealing with spatial data in particular, Safe Software’s Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) software and the ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension, in conjunction with Python scripting, are extremely powerful for creating configurable and scheduled data Export, Transformation, and Load (ETL) tools to synchronize data from various sources. Linking asset data to ArcGIS Indoors A standardized, universal, unique identifier (UUID) is an essential component for integrating asset data with GIS. The asset ID should be unique not only within the EAM, but across all other business systems. The asset ID should be created when the asset is first defined, either at the design stage or during procurement, and stay assigned to the asset throughout its lifecycle. As assets change location or designation during their lifecycle, the unique IDs often do not contain any location information or descriptive classification, although this depends upon the organization's preferences. An example of a non-descriptive, non-spatial asset ID solution are hexadecimal UUIDs.  These are made up of 32 digits and 4 hyphens, for example: 123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000. These IDs are highly unique, with exceptionally small chances of duplication. See more on Global IDs/UUIDs here . The asset ID is the key connecting thread of information linking the spatial data in GIS to the non-spatial data in EAM. Data should not be duplicated between systems where it can be avoided, however certain key data fields such as name, type, and description are often copied across for labeling and performance purposes during data synchronization. By connecting asset data to the ArcGIS Indoors Information Model (AIIM), indoor mapping datasets can be enhanced by making asset information “floor aware” . This is the concept of attributing each feature with a building level ID in order to filter by floor when visualizing and querying indoor mapping data. The end result is a GIS database containing mapped building assets that can be filtered by floor, and connected to real-time asset information from the organization's EAM. This integration opens up asset data to be explored within GIS applications and dashboards, providing dynamic, interactive geospatial context for an organization's asset data.  (Data from screenshots shown courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin) For more information on how to enhance asset management for your facilities using ArcGIS Indoors contact Cloudpoint Geospatial’s professional services team .

Cloudpoint Geospatial is excited to welcome our new Regional Account Manager, Anthony Mourey. He brings expertise, energy, and a passion to serve our clients in Ohio, Indiana, and beyond. With seven years of experience as an Area General Manager overseeing seven cemeteries and a funeral home, Anthony brings a wealth of operational and managerial expertise to the team. Anthony has traveled across 28 states playing basketball and continues to share that passion by coaching. When not on the court, you might find him on the golf course or spending time with his family. Anthony and his wife Courtney are proud parents to three active kids. Whether cheering for their son in basketball and flag football or supporting their daughter in cheerleading, their family stays busy with sports and is deeply involved with their local community and church. Please join us in welcoming Anthony to the Cloudpoint team! We’re thrilled to have his enthusiasm and experience on board. Stay tuned for more great things to come!

2024 was a great year for Cloudpoint. As we begin 2025, we wanted to look back at some of the highlights from this past year!