Initial Considerations

Before you create a map with atlasFX, you have to consider a few things first.

Scale levels and projections

The basemap specifies at what scale levels and in which projection the map application will be presented. Therefore, you should choose your basemap based on the the data that you wish to display, and how the finished map application is going to be used. For example, you need a different scale level for the representation of country boundaries than for the presentation of school buildings.

If you would like to use Bing or OpenStreetMap basemaps, you should use their standard scale levels and coordinate system. When you create a basemap from your own data, you can chose your own scale levels, coordinate system and projection.

If you would like to use your own basemap, you have to create it with ArcGIS and publish it with ArcGIS Server as a MapService. In this process you set up in which scale levels the map tiles are rendered and therefore "cached" in advance. Afterwards, this MapService can the simply be added to atlasFX.

Layer arrangement in Flex and JS map

The layer stack with the different layer types differs between Flex and JS map.

Layer stack in the JS map

In the JS map the layers are displayed in the following order:

  • vector layer passepartout

  • cluster layer

  • point layer

  • polyline and polygon layer

  • raster layer passepartout (none basemap content)

  • sandwich top layer (reference layer)

  • raster layer (none basemap content)

  • basemap

Layer stack in the Flex map

In the Flex map the layers are displayed in the following order:

  • raster layer passepartout (none basemap content)

  • vector layer passepartout

  • sandwich top layer (reference layer)

  • cluster layer

  • point layer

  • polyline and polygon layer

  • raster layer (none basemap content)

  • basemap