Frequently asked questions about Esri Redistricting Online

Data and formats

• Esri Redistricting Online cannot connect to my local GIS services. How do I fix this?
• What formats are the State Attorney Generals looking for in the redistricting summary reports?
• Are PDF, Excel, and HTML the only outputs formats for reports?
• Can you overlay old district data?
• Can the line thickness be changed on the block and block group layers?

Mark-up features

• I added mark-up annotation text to my district plan; however, I cannot see all the text. Why does it look like not all the text is displayed?
• I want to move mark-up annotation text to a new location. When I select Move text, select the text, and pan the map, the map moves but the text stays still. How do I pan the map to move my mark-up annotation text?

Sharing plans

• I have shared a plan with groups and everyone in the Esri Redistricting Online community. However, the plan is now out of date. How do I unshare a plan?
• A read only plan has been shared with me. I can view the plan, but how do I edit it?

Esri Redistricting Online cannot connect to my local GIS services. How do I fix this?

To access data from a different server than the one hosting your Flex application, the remote server needs to have a cross-domain file in the root directory. For security reasons, the Web browser cannot access data that resides outside the exact Web domain where the SWF file originated. For more information on how to add a crossdomain.xml file on the remoste server, see Using crossdomain.xml.

What formats are the State Attorney Generals looking for in the redistricting summary reports?

The format is typically not an issue unless the redistricting occurs in a Section 5 jurisdiction. If the district is in Section 5, the redistricting plans are submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. With Esri Redistricting Online, you can export to a block equivalency file, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Are PDF, Excel, and HTML the only outputs formats for reports?

Yes; however, from Excel, a host of other formats are supported using the Save As option.

Can you overlay old district data?

Yes, you can overlay old district data using Esri Redistricting Online. You can create an overlay of district data using any of the following options:

• Add a map service overlay from ArcGIS Online or from a URL hosting the map service.
• Uploading a shapefile. You must be using Esri Redistricting Online version 1.1 or later to be able to use the upload shapefile feature.
• Importing a plan's block equivalency file and using the plan comparison feature.

Can the line thickness be changed on the block and block group layers?

With Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), you will not be able to control line thickness. If you have purchased a SaaS subscription, Esri will consider the desired thickness request. If the request works for all customers/users of the SaaS deployment, the change can be implemented.

Alternately, you can purchase a Managed Service or Onsite deployment model, where modifications can be made to the specific deployment.

I added mark-up annotation text to my district plan; however, I cannot see all the text. Why does it look like not all the text is displayed?

Mark-up annotation text is contained in a text box that is set to a fixed size. Therefore, long text is not immediately visible.

Use the Resize tool to change the text box size. When you adjust the text box size, you will be able to see the whole text.

Note:

The Resize tool does not change the font size of the text; only the viewing window is changed. See Modifying mark-up attributes for more information.

I want to move mark-up annotation text to a new location. When I select Move text, select the text, and pan the map, the map moves but the text stays still. How do I pan the map to move my mark-up annotation text?

When you select Move text and click the mark-up annotation text, mark-up is the active layer. You must click outside the mark-up annotation text to make the map the active layer. Doing so will allow you to select the Pan tool and pan to the desired location.

I have shared a plan with groups and everyone in the Esri Redistricting Online community. However, the plan is now out of date. How do I unshare a plan?

To unshare a plan that you have shared with a group or everyone in the Esri Redistricting Online community, you would do the following:

1. Open the plan you want to unshare.
2. On the Plan ribbon, click Share Plan.
3. Uncheck the groups or options you no longer want to have access to the plan.
4. Click Update to save your changes.

A read only plan has been shared with me. I can view the plan, but how do I edit it?

A shared plan that is read only can be opened for viewing; however, you cannot save any edits. To save edits, you must perform a Save As function to create a copy of the plan to your user account. You can then make updates and share your plan with other users. To learn more about using the Save As feature, see Saving a plan to a new name. To learn more about sharing, see Sharing a plan.