Create a new map
ArcGIS Explorer Online offers a range of maps for you to open and explore, and you can save your own copies of these maps and change the basemap or content of the map. Alternatively, you may want to create your own map from scratch, by choosing a basemap, or by starting with a map or image service.
If you are not viewing the home screen, click Home at the left of the toolbar to go to the home screen. (If you already have a map open with unsaved changes, you may want to click Save before opening a different map.)
To create a new standard map
Click the New Map button on the left of the toolbar.
A new map with default settings is created and opened.
To create a new map by choosing a basemap or defining data as a basemap
Esri provides a range of preconfigured basemaps, available from ArcGIS Online, for you to choose from when creating new maps. Alternatively, you can also choose an existing map or image service to use as the basemap for a new map.
If you are not viewing the home screen, click Home at the left of the toolbar to go to the home screen.
Click the New Map split button to the left of the toolbar, and choose Advanced, then use one of the options below depending on whether you want to start by choosing a basemap, or by browsing or searching for content to define as a new basemap.
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To create a new map using one of the provided basemaps
By default, when creating a new map using the advanced new map options, the Basemaps choice will be selected in the Sources list on the left hand side of the screen.
- In the gallery of basemaps in the center of the screen, select the basemap you want to use. To the right of the gallery you'll see details about each basemap when you select it.
- Click the Create Map button to create and open a new map using the basemap you selected.
Alternatively, double-click the basemap in the gallery to create the new map.
To create a new map based on a map or image service found in your content or groups
- In the Sources list on the left side of the screen, click My Services. This shows a list of services you have added.
- Choose an item from the list of your services that you want to use as the source of the basemap. To the right of the list, you will see details about the selected service.
If the service you want to use is part of a group of which you are a member, click the Show services from list and select the group in the list of services in that group that is shown in the lower half of the screen.
- Click the Create Map button to create and open a new map that uses the specified service as its basemap.
Alternatively, double-click the service in the gallery to create the new map.
Note:You cannot currently create a map with a basemap based on a feature service or WMS service, and therefore any feature or WMS services you have added to My Content will not be displayed here.
To create a new map based on content found by a search string
- In the Sources list on the left side of the screen, click Search.
- In the search box, enter a search string, for example California, and press ENTER or click the Find button
. - In the list of items that meet the search criteria, shown in the center of the screen, select an item by clicking on it. To the right of the list you will see details about the selected item.
- Click the Create Map button to create and open a new map that uses the specified service as its basemap.
Alternatively, double-click the service in the gallery to create the new map.
To create a new map based on a known URL of a map or image service
- In the Sources list on the left side of the screen, click Service URL.
- In the URL box, enter the URL of an map or image service.
- Click the Test to check that you have entered the URL correctly and that it points to an accessible service. If the URL is valid, a thumbnail and description of the service, and the Create Map button, will appear at the right of the screen.
- Click the Create Map button to create and open a new map that uses the specified service as its basemap.
Note:
- By default, an empty layer called Map Notes will be included in every new map, to which you can add shapes or text.
- In all of the cases above, the new map will be created and opened. Before the new map displays, if you've made changes to the current map, you'll be prompted as to whether you want to save any changes you've made to the current map.
- If the spatial reference of the basemap is not Web Mercator, the basemaps in the Basemap gallery will be disabled.
- Each new map is displayed using the spatial reference of the basemap source. If you later want to add a tiled map service to the map, it must match the spatial reference of the basemap; if it doesn't it will be added as a dynamic map service. Dynamic map services will be projected on the fly.