Get started with Map Viewer Classic
Build a web map and web app of Hawaii's volcanoes, lava hazard zones, and emergency shelters.
Duration
1hr(s) 30mins
Difficulty
Intermediate
Map Viewer Classic allows you to create and interact with online
maps. First, you'll explore an existing web map that
shows Hawaii's volcanoes, volcano
shelters, and volcano hazard zones. Next, you will reconstruct the web map you
explored by searching for and adding layers to an empty web map. Once you add the necessary layers, you will
modify symbology and customize other map properties, such as the organization of attributes that display when
you click a feature on the map. Last, you'll share your map as a
professional-looking web app so other users can
explore it.
This lesson was last tested on March 1, 2022.
Requirements
Publisher or Administrator role in an ArcGIS organization: ArcGIS Online (get a free trial) or ArcGIS Enterprise
(learn more)
Lesson Plan
Explore a map
Learn about volcanoes and lava flow risk on the island of Hawaii.
15 minutes
Create a map
Create your own web map by adding layers and setting their properties.
15 minutes
Add a layer from a CSV file
Turn a table of address information into spatial data in your web map.
15 minutes
Configure pop-ups
Customize attributes to display in pop-ups.
15 minutes
Make an app
Create a custom web app using your Hawaii web map.
30 minutes
VIEW FINAL RESULTVIEW FINAL RESULT
Explore a map
First, you'll open a web map and learn how to navigate and work with it using map tools as you explore volcanoes
and the risk of lava flow on the island of Hawaii.
Open the map
You'll start by opening a map of lava flow hazard zones on the island of Hawaii using Map Viewer Classic.
1. Go to the ArcGIS Online group Get Started with Map Viewer Classic.
Note:
A group is a collection of content on ArcGIS Online.
This group contains a .csv file and a web map for use in the lesson.
2. On the Hawaii Island Lava Flow Risk web map item, click the ellipses and choose Open in Map Viewer
Classic.
Note:
If you are prompted to use another version of Map Viewer, click Not Right Now
The map appears and shows the island of Hawaii.
Instead of beaches and greenery, you see a geologic classification of the island into lava flow hazard zones of
varying severity. The map also shows volcanoes, emergency shelters, and highways.
Explore the map
The map contains layers, and each layer contains features. For example, each volcano is a feature in the Volcanoes
layer. Next, you'll get information about features and navigate the map.
1. On the map, click a volcano, such as Mauna Loa.
A pop-up appears with more information about the volcano.
Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984, is one of three active volcanoes on the island. (Mauna Kea is extinct.)
2. On the pop-up, click the thumbnail image.
A large, captioned version of the image opens in a new browser tab or window.
3. Close the tab or window with the detailed image.
4. At the bottom of the pop-up, click Zoom to.
The map zooms in on the feature and you can see the terrain.
5. Close the pop-up.
6. In the upper left corner of the map, click the Default extent button.
7. On the map, click a lava flow hazard zone.
Another pop-up appears with information about the feature and a thumbnail image that links to a larger
picture.
8. On the pop-up, click the thumbnail image to see the large, captioned image.
9. Close the browser tab with the detailed image, and on the map, close the pop-up.
10. On your own, learn more about the volcanoes, hazard zones, and emergency shelters. Use the map
navigation tools or your mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
Tip:
Press the Shift key and draw a box on the map to zoom in on a particular area.
11. When you're finished, click the Default extent button to return to a full view of the island.
Now that you know something about how the map works, you'll look at how it's put together.
View the map contents
To work directly with the map layers, you need to switch to the Contents view of the map.
1. At the top of the Details pane on the left, click the Content button.
The order of layers in the Contents pane is the order in which they are drawn on the map. At the bottom,
every map has a basemap layer that covers the entire world. Every layer, except the basemap, can be turned
on or off.
2. In the Contents pane, check the box next to the Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer to turn the layer off.
You see the Terrain layer underneath. (The Terrain layer was already partially visible because of a
transparency setting on the Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer.)
3. Turn off the Terrain layer to see the Topographic basemap.
4. Turn both layers back on.
You can adjust the transparency of any layer to enhance the map display and see underlying features,
without having to turn layers off. Next, you'll set a transparency for the Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer.
5. In the Contents pane, point to the Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer. Click the More Options button and
choose Transparency.
The Layer Transparency pane appears and the layer is set to approximately 40 percent transparent.
6. Drag the Transparency slider left and right.
When the layer is completely opaque, the terrain is obscured. At the other extreme, the Lava Flow Hazard
Zones layer is invisible.
7. Move the Transparency slider to a position you like. Click a blank space in the Contents pane to close the
Layer Transparency pane.
Now that you've explored the map, you'll assemble it in the next lesson.
Use map tools
You can also work with the map using tools on the ribbon.
1. On the ribbon, click the Measure button and click the Distance tool. Click the existing units and choose
Miles.
2. On the map, click Mauna Loa to start a measurement.
3. Move the pointer to another volcano, such as Hualalai, and double-click to end the measurement.
4. Make a few more measurements. When you're finished, close the Measure tool.
Tip:
During a measurement, click to change the direction of the line.
5. Close the web map.
You've explored a map that somebody else made and became familiar with its layers and data. Next, you'll use
similar data to create your own map of Hawaii and its lava flow zones.
Create a map
Every new map starts with a basemap. In an ArcGIS organization, the administrator chooses the default basemap
and sets its extent. This lesson assumes that your default basemap is the Topographic basemap and that its default
extent is the world. If your settings are different, you'll make changes as needed in the first section.
Create the map
To create a map, complete the following steps:
1. If a map is already open in your browser, on the ribbon, click Modify Map.
2. Click New Map and click Create New Map.
3. In the Open map window, click Yes, Open the Map.
4. Sign in to your ArcGIS organizational account or into ArcGIS Enterprise using a named user account.
Note:
If you don't have an organizational account, you can sign up for an ArcGIS free trial.
5. If a map is not open in your browser, go to ArcGIS Online and click Map at the top of the page.
The new map opens to the extent of the world. (Your extent may differ depending on your administrative
settings.)
6. On the ribbon, in the Find address or place search bar, type Island of Hawaii. In the list of suggested
locations, choose Island of Hawai'i, HI, USA.
The map zooms to Hawaii.
7. Close the Search result pop-up.
8. Zoom in on the island. If necessary, pan (drag) the map to center Hawaii in the view.
One way you can set the map extent of your map is to save the map. The map extent at the time of saving
becomes the extent used by the Default extent button. It can also be useful to add spatial bookmarks to
navigate to specific map locations. You will create a bookmark for the island of Hawaii.
9. On the ribbon, click the Bookmarks button. In the Bookmarked places list, click Add Bookmark.
10. Type Island of Hawaii and press Enter.
11. Close the Bookmarked places window.
12. At the top of the Details pane, click the Content button.
13. If necessary, click the Basemap button on the ribbon and choose Topographic.
Add layers to the map
You're ready to start adding layers to the basemap.
1. On the ribbon, click the Add button and choose Search for Layers.
A default list of search results appears.
2. Click My Content and choose ArcGIS Online.
3. In the search box, type Hawaii. To limit the search results to layers owned by the Learn ArcGIS administrator
account, add owner:Learn_ArcGIS and press Enter.
The search results are narrowed to a more relevant list.
4. In the list of results, locate HawaiiTerrain by Learn_ArcGIS. Click Add to add the layer to the map.
5. In the same way, add the following layers from the search results to the map (all layers are by Learn_ArcGIS):
Volcanoes
Hawaii Lava Flow Hazard Zones
Hawaii Island Major Highways
6. At the top of the search pane, click the Back button.
The layers are drawn, with their default symbols, in the order in which they were loaded into the map. (This is
usually, but not always, the same order in which you add them.) You don't see the volcanoes on the map
because they are underneath the lava flow hazard zones.
Set layer properties
In this section, you'll change some of the properties of the layers. You'll give them shorter names, change their
position in the list of layers, add labels, and adjust transparency. Layer properties are always accessed in the same
way: by pointing to the layer name and clicking an appropriate button or clicking the More Options button and
choosing the property you want to change.
1. In the Contents pane, point to the Hawaii Island Major Highways layer, click the More Options button,
and choose Rename.
2. In the Rename window, change the layer name to Highways and click OK.
3. In the same way, rename the Hawaii Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer to Lava Flow Hazard Zones.
4. Rename the HawaiiTerrain layer to Terrain.
5. In the Contents pane, point to the Volcanoes layer, click the More Options button, and click Move up.
The layer moves up one position, above the Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer. The volcanoes are now visible
on the map.
6. Move the Volcanoes layer up again.
Now the Volcanoes layer is at the top of the list. The usual practice is to put points (such as volcanoes)
above lines, and lines (such as highways) above polygons. Points, lines, and polygons are all feature layers:
they usually represent discrete geographic objects that have more or less precise locations and boundaries.
The Terrain layer, like the Topographic basemap, is a tile layer. Tile layers are images and cannot be
manipulated in the same ways as feature layers. They typically represent large, continuous surfaces rather
than discrete objects. Tile layers cannot be moved above feature layers in a map.
7. In the Contents pane, point to the Volcanoes layer. Click the More Options button and choose Create
Labels.
Each volcano is labeled with its name.
8. In the Label Features pane, change the label size from 13 to 14 and click OK.
9. In the Contents pane, point to the Lava Flow Hazard Zones layer, click the More Options button and
choose Transparency. Make the layer about 40 percent transparent, or whatever looks good to you.
10. In the same way, make the Highways layer about 50 percent transparent.
You have re-created the appearance of the map you explored in the last lesson, except for the emergency
shelters.
Define the map legend
When you start a new map, or open a saved map of your own, it opens with the Contents pane showing. When
anyone else opens your map, however, it opens with the Legend pane showing. You should think about how you
want the legend to look.
1. At the top of the Contents pane, click the Legend button.
Legend entries are created for all layers except the basemap. The entry for the Terrain layer (which shows
grayscale values) is not useful for interpreting the map.
2. At the top of the Legend pane, click the Content button.
3. Point to the Terrain layer, click More Options, and choose Hide in Legend.
4. View the legend again to see the effect, and then go back to the Contents pane.
Change a symbol
You were able to re-create the map's appearance without too much effort because the symbols, such as yellow
diamonds for volcanoes and shades of red and orange for hazard zones, were already set when you added the
layers. A layer's default display settings, including its style and pop-up configuration, are made by its owner. Once
you add a layer to your own map, however, you can change those settings.
1. In the Contents pane, point to the Highways layer and click the Change Style button.
In the Change Style pane, the currently selected style is Location (Single symbol), which is indicated by
the check mark.
In this style, all features in the layer are drawn with the same symbol. The Location style is appropriate when
you want to see the features on the map but you're not interested in their particular characteristics, such as
names or speed limits.
2. For Select a drawing style, under Location (Single symbol), click Options.
3. Under Showing Location Only, click Symbols to change the symbol.
4. On the color palette, choose a dark purple color (such as #4C0073) and click OK.
The new color is applied to the map. (If you don't like it, click Symbols again to open the color palette and
choose a different color.)
5. At the bottom of the Change Style pane, click OK and click Done.
Save the map
Next, you'll save your map and update some of its item details.
1. On the ribbon, click the Save button and choose Save.
2. In the Save Map window, for Title, type Hawaii Island Lava Flow Hazard Zones and add your initials.
Note:
To ensure all names are unique, you will add the initials for your name at the end of the map name. YN
is a generic placeholder to represent the initials for your name.
3. For Tags, type words that will help people find the map through searches. After each tag, press Enter.
4. For Summary, type a brief description of the map's content, such as: Volcanoes and lava flow hazard zones
on the island of Hawaii.
5. Click Save Map.
The map is saved to My Content, which you can access from the content page in the organization.
Edit item details
Next, you'll edit the information that describes your map (also known as its metadata). The metadata changes you
make to your map will carry over to your web app. In particular, you'll edit your map's description, which will allow
users to learn about the map's content.
1. At the top of the page, click Home and choose Content.
On the My Content tab of the content page, the map is listed by its name and other details.
2. Click the map title to view its item details.
The item details page for your web map appears. The item details page contains information about your
map. From this page, you can also share the map, monitor map usage to gauge its popularity, and edit
settings such as the map extent.
3. On the item details page, for Description, click Edit.
Note:
You can also edit by clicking the blue text below the heading.
4. In the Edit Description box, type (or copy and paste) the following text: The classification of lava flow hazard
zones on the island of Hawaii was made by the United States Geological Survey in 1974. The risk levels are
based on the location and frequency of historic eruptions.
Tip:
If you copy and paste the text, it may be formatted in the description box. You can remove the
formatting by highlighting the text and clicking the Remove Format button on the Description
toolbar or paste with no formatting by pressing Ctrl+Shift+V.
5. Click Save.
Your map is saved to your content and its item details are updated.
You've almost re-created the appearance of the map you explored earlier. Next, you'll add a layer of emergency
shelters from a .csv file.
Add a layer from a .csv file
Previously, you became familiar with the locations of volcanoes and high-hazard lava flow zones on the island of
Hawaii. For planning purposes, it might be useful to know where these areas are in relation to highways (which are
already on your map) and emergency shelters (which are not).
A lot of information that is potentially spatial in nature is locked away in spreadsheets and text files. If this
information is properly formatted, it can be added to ArcGIS and turned into map layers. All you need are welldefined
street addresses or pairs of latitude-longitude coordinates.
Download and view a .csv file
Next, you'll add a .csv file of emergency shelter addresses to your map. A .csv (comma-separated values) file stores
table data in a plain text format. It's an import/export format commonly supported by spreadsheet and database
applications.
1. Go to the Get Started with Map Viewer Classic group.
Caution:
If you didn't create an ArcGIS organizational account to save your work in the previous lesson, be sure
to keep your map open. If you close your map, you may lose your work.
2. Click the Hawaii Emergency Shelters CSV thumbnail to download the file.
Depending on your browser, the .csv file may appear on your downloads bar or you may be prompted to
open or save the file.
3. Open the file with your default application for opening .csv files, such as Microsoft Excel.
4. If necessary, widen the columns by dragging or double-clicking their edges.
Each row in the table represents an emergency shelter. (On the island of Hawaii, most shelters are schools.)
The address columns allow the table to be interpreted as spatial data.
If you're viewing the file in a text editor, you'll see the same information formatted as text separated by
commas. ArcGIS will accept it either way.
5. In the application in which the .csv file is open, click the File menu and choose Save As. Save the file as
EmergencyShelters.csv to a location on your computer.
6. If the file is open in Microsoft Excel, you'll be asked whether you want to keep the workbook in CSV format.
Click Yes.
7. Close the application in which the .csv file is open. (If you're prompted to save changes again, click Don't
Save.)
Add the .csv file as a layer
You can get .csv files from many other public servers or convert them from other file types. You can also make
them by copying and pasting information from web pages or other sources.
1. Return to the browser window with your Hawaii map.
Note:
If you created an account and saved your map, you can open your map from the My Content tab of
the content page.
2. On the ribbon, click the Add button and choose Add Layer from File.
3. In the Add Layer from File window, click Choose File (or your browser's equivalent command). Browse to
the location where you saved EmergencyShelters.csv.
4. Click the file to select it and click Open.
5. In the Add Layer from File window, click Import Layer.
Tip:
You can also drag a file directly into a web map from your computer.
When you add a .csv file with location information (street addresses or coordinates), the features are located
on the map. If you add a .csv file that doesn't contain location information, a table is added instead. In this
case, the file is recognized as containing street addresses.
In the table, the Field Name column lists the field names (column headings) from the .csv file. In the
Location Fields column, these field names are matched to appropriate categories of address information for
the specified country. The ADDRESS field, for example, is correctly interpreted as containing street addresses.
The CITY field is correctly interpreted as containing city names.
6. Click World and choose United States.
7. Scroll to the bottom of the window to confirm all the field names are being interpreted correctly.
Tip:
Your .csv file may contain street addresses stored under field names that aren't recognized as address
fields. You can apply the interpretation yourself by clicking the value for Location Fields next to the
field name and choosing the appropriate location information from a drop-down list.
8. Click Add Layer.
On the map, a point symbol is drawn at the address of each shelter. Most of the shelter locations are
schools, which is common for emergency shelters because they have space for many people. In the legend,
you can see the name of the shelter. By default, the points are assigned unique colors based on their name.
Other drawing options are shown in the Change Style pane.
For this map, the individual names aren't important. You're interested in the shelters as shelters, so you want
to give them all the same symbol.
9. In the Change Style pane, under Select a drawing style, for the Location (Single symbol) style, click
Select.
In the Change Style pane, the Location (Single symbol) style now has a check mark to show that it's
selected. On the map, the shelters are drawn with a single symbol.
In the next section, you'll apply a different symbol that more specifically represents emergency shelters, but
this symbol will do for the moment.
10. At the bottom of the Change Style pane, click Done.
11. In the Contents pane, point to the Emergency Shelters layer. Click the More Options button and choose
Rename. Rename it Emergency Shelters with a space between the words.
Symbolize the shelters
You'll change the default symbol to something that better represents emergency shelters.
1. In the Contents pane, point to the Emergency Shelters layer and click the Change Style button.
In the Change Style pane, the currently selected drawing style is Location (Single symbol). This is the style
you selected in the last section.
2. For the Location (Single symbol) drawing style, click Options.
3. Under Showing Location Only, click Symbols to change the symbol.
A symbol palette appears, showing a variety of symbols that belong to the default Shapes category of
symbols. ArcGIS also has many other symbol categories.
4. Click the arrow next to Shapes and choose the National Park Service category.
5. In the National Park Service category, find the symbol with a white cross on a black background and click
it to select it.
6. Change the symbol size to 12 px (pixels) and click OK.
The symbols are updated on the map.
7. In the Change Style pane, click OK and click Done.
The new symbols are intuitively recognizable as emergency shelters. Their strong black and white colors help
them stand out from the reds and oranges of the hazard zones.
You've added a layer of emergency shelters from a .csv file. When you explored the Hawaii Lava Flow Risk map in
the first lesson, you began by opening pop-ups for the volcanoes and lava flow hazard zones. Configuring pop-ups
to present useful information is an important part of making good maps. Next, you'll configure the pop-ups.
Configure pop-ups
Previously, you worked with many different layer properties. An important layer property that you haven't worked
with is pop-up configuration. With pop-ups, you can provide relevant and contextual information for your data.
Configure emergency shelter pop-ups
Earlier when you explored the web map, the pop-ups for the Volcanoes and Lava Flow Hazard Zones layers were
prepared for you. Next, you'll see how those configurations were done. You'll start, however, by working on the
pop-ups for the Emergency Shelters layer.
1. If necessary, open your Hawaii map.
2. Click a shelter to open its pop-up.
The basic configuration of a pop-up is just what you see: a list of fields and values. The information should be
familiar to you because it comes straight from the .csv file. Most pop-ups are essentially stylized views of a
table of attributes associated with a layer.
In this case, the default configuration has a few minor problems. For example, the shelter name appears
twice: first as the pop-up title, and again in the list of fields. Also, it's probably unnecessary to show the state
name—anyone using the map will know that this is Hawaii.
3. Close the pop-up.
4. In the Contents pane, point to the Emergency Shelters layer, click the More Options button, and choose
Configure Pop-up.
The default pop-up title is a field name, usually the NAME field, in braces. Field names in braces work like
variables: when you click a shelter on the map, you see the name of that particular shelter.
Under the Pop-up Contents heading, the Display property is set to A list of field attributes and
represents the list format that you saw in the pop-up that you opened earlier.
5. Under the list of attributes, click Configure Attributes.
In the Configure Attributes window, attributes are listed by their display status (on or off), field name, and
field alias.
6. In the Display column, uncheck the box for the {NAME} field.
7. Uncheck the Display box for the {STATE} field and click OK.
8. At the bottom of the Configure Pop-up pane, click OK.
9. On the map, click an emergency shelter to see its updated pop-up.
The fields that you unchecked in the Configure Attributes window no longer display in the pop-up.
10. Close the pop-up.
Explore pop-ups for other layers
You'll look again at pop-ups for the other layers in the map.
1. Click a lava flow hazard zone on the map to open its pop-up.
The pop-ups for this layer are configured just as they were in the map you explored in the first lesson. The
layer owner has saved this configuration as a default property of the layer. You don't need to do anything
with it.
2. Click a highway.
Pop-ups for the Highways layer have been turned off. You can open pop-ups for lava flow hazard zones
underneath highways, but not for highways themselves.
3. In the Contents pane, point to the Highways layer, click the More Options button, and choose Enable
Pop-up.
4. Click a highway again.
The pop-up isn't clearly configured. You could improve it, but it's not necessary. Map layers that are used for
general reference or background may be better off without pop-ups.
5. Close the pop-up.
6. In the Contents pane, point to the Highways layer. Click the More Options button and choose Remove
Pop-up.
7. Click a volcano feature to open its pop-up.
The Volcanoes layer doesn't have the same configuration that you saw earlier. That configuration was saved
in the map, but it was not saved as a default property of the layer. So now you see a more typical list of fields
and values. It will take some effort on your part to make the pop-up look good again.
With the Emergency Shelters layer, you saw that the information in the pop-up came directly from the .csv
file. The same is true for other layers: their pop-ups are formatted presentations of table data.
8. In the Contents pane, point to the Volcanoes layer and click the Show Table button.
The information in the table matches the information in the pop-up.
In the table, two of the fields have URLs as values. URLs enable pop-ups to display images and other web
resources. In the default pop-up configuration, these URLs are represented by More info links.
9. Close the table.
Configure volcano pop-ups
Configuring pop-ups is the process of specifying which information from a layer's table is shown in the pop-up and
how that information is displayed. Part of this process involves formatting attribute names and values. Part of it
involves choosing a pop-up style: information can appear in a list, for example, or in a customized paragraph form.
The final part involves enhancing the pop-up with images, charts, and links.
1. In the Contents pane, point to the Volcanoes layer, click the More Options button, and choose Configure
Pop-up.
2. In the Pop-up Title box, delete any text before the {NAME} field.
The title will now show only the volcano name, not the layer name as well.
3. In the Pop-up Contents section, keep the display set to A list of field attributes. Below the list of
attributes, click Configure Attributes.
4. In the Configure Attributes window, uncheck the Display boxes for the following fields:
{NAME}
{VolcanoPicture}
{VolcanoThumb}
{PhotoCredit}
The {NAME} field doesn't need to be displayed because it's already used in the pop-up title. The other three
fields will be used in the Pop-up Media section. Only the {ELEVATION}, {TYPE}, and {Last_eruption} fields
should be checked to display.
5. In the Field Alias column, click ELEVATION to make the text editable. Replace it with Elevation (m).
6. On the right side of the window, change Format to 0 decimal places.
An alias is a display name that replaces the field name in the pop-up. By default, the alias and field names
match, but you can change the alias to something more informative or familiar. In this example, the
parenthetical m means that the values are in meters—this may not be self-explanatory, and you can use a
more descriptive alias if you want.
7. In the Field Alias column, click TYPE. Replace it with Type and press Enter. Double-click the Field Alias
named Last_eruption, type Last eruption, and press Enter.
8. Again in the Field Alias column, scroll down and click Last_eruption. Replace it with Last eruption and press
Enter.
Changing case and replacing underscores with spaces are small improvements to the pop-up display.
9. Click OK.
Now you'll configure the thumbnail image to display in the pop-up window and link to the large captioned
image.
10. In the Configure Pop-up pane, under Pop-up Media, click Add and choose Image.
11. In the Configure Image window, delete the default title (Image 1). Type Photo: in its place, and press
Spacebar.
12. To the right of the Title box, click the Add field name or expression button. In the list of fields, scroll down
and choose PhotoCredit {PhotoCredit}.
Remember that field names work like variables. In the media part of each pop-up, the correct photographer's
name will appear.
Note:
When you use the Add field name or expression button, the list shows both the field name and its
alias. When these are the same, as they are by default, you see entries such as PhotoCredit
{PhotoCredit}.
13. For Caption, type Click image to learn more.
14. For URL, click the Add field name or expression button. In the list of fields, scroll down and choose
Volcano_Thumb {Volcano_Thumb}.
The URL box must contain paths to images that are stored on a publicly accessible server, such as your
account on a photo-sharing site. These images will be displayed in the pop-up and, when clicked, will open
the items referenced in the Link box.
15. For Link, click the Add field name or expression button. Scroll down and choose VolcanoPicture
{VolcanoPicture}.
Unlike the URL box, the Link box doesn't have to refer to images, although it does in this case. It can go to
web pages, PDFs, or any resource with a URL.
The Configure Image window is configured.
16. Click OK.
17. In the Configure Pop-up pane, click OK.
18. On the map, click a volcano.
The pop-up reflects your configuration—some text formatting, along with the horizontal separator lines, is
applied automatically.
19. Click the thumbnail image to test the link. Close the browser tab or window when you are done reviewing
the larger picture.
20. Open pop-ups for some other volcanoes.
21. When you’re finished, close any browser tabs or windows with large volcano pictures. Close the open pop-up
on the map.
22. On the ribbon, click the Bookmarks button and click the Island of Hawaii bookmark.
Your map is complete. Next, you'll acquire an ArcGIS organizational or public account and publish your map as a
web mapping app. A web app allows you to customize the appearance and functionality of your map to create an
professional user experience.
Make an app
You can add value to your map by publishing it as a web app. A web app is a customized user interface that
enhances your map's appearance, adds (or removes) functionality, and helps you integrate the map with other
media. You can choose from several predefined configurable templates, or use ArcGIS Web AppBuilder to design
your own.
Next, you'll publish your lava flow risk zone map in the Basic template. This web app allows you to choose color
schemes, add descriptive text, and decide which map tools you want to make available to users. To create a web
app, you'll need either an ArcGIS organizational account or a public account to save and share your map. You can
sign up for a free trial account if you do not have one. Before you create the app, you will save the Emergency
Shelters layer into your content, because it is currently only saved in the web map but not as its own item.
Save the shelters as a layer
The Emergency Shelters layer exists in your map but nowhere else. Nobody would be able to find it, for instance, by
searching the organization's layers. By saving it as a layer to My Content, you can share it and add it to other
maps. You'll be its owner, and the properties you give it will be its defaults. When someone else adds the layer to a
map (assuming you share it), it will display with the symbology you chose.
1. Near the top of the item page, click Open in Map Viewer Classic.
Note:
If you do not see the Open in Map Viewer Classic option, click the drop-down arrow and choose
Open in Map Viewer Classic.
2. In the Contents pane, point to the Emergency Shelters layer, click More Options, and choose Save Layer.
Note:
This menu choice is only available for layers that you've created. You won't see it in the properties for
other layers in this map. (If you're an administrator of the organization that owns the content, you'll
also see this menu choice.)
3. In the Create Item window, for Title, add your initials at the end of Emergency Shelters so the layer is
named Emergency Shelters_yn.
4. For Tags, type emergency and press Enter, type shelters and press Enter, and type Hawaii and press Enter.
5. For Summary, type or copy and paste Emergency shelter locations on the island of Hawaii.
6. Click Create Item.
7. Save the map.
8. At the top of the page, click Home and choose Content.
The My Content page appears and the Emergency Shelters layer you just created is visible.
Create a web app
Now, you'll create your web app. The first step is to share your map so others can see it.
1. Open your Hawaii Island Lava Flow Hazard Zones web map.
2. On the ribbon, click the Share button.
3. In the Share window, for Choose who can view this map, click Your Organization. You can also choose
Everyone (public) if you want share it with everyone.
Tip:
If you want to share the map through social media accounts such as Facebook or Twitter, share it with
everyone.
4. If necessary, click Update Sharing to adjust the settings of the listed layer so it can be viewed in the web
map.
Note:
If you are not prompted to update the sharing, you can move to the next step
Now that the map is shared, you'll make the web app.
5. In the Share window, click Create a Web App.
The Create a New Web App window appears, presenting a gallery view of the available templates. Some
are designed for specific purposes; others are for general use.
The templates are in alphabetical order. You can use the scroll bar to review the full gallery, or you can filter
the templates by using the tabs on the left or the search box at the top.
6. In the side menu, click Showcase a Map.
Note:
If your organization has configured custom galleries, you may not see these same configurable apps.
7. Click the Basic template.
8. Click Create Web App.
It won't be a problem that the web app has the same title as the map it's based on, because the two items
are of different types.
9. Accept the default title and add the initials for your name after it. For Tags and for Summary, type a brief
description of the app.
By default, the web app is given the same sharing properties and Title as the web map. You are including
your initials to ensure unique names for the items that you share.
10. Click Done.
The Instant Apps Configuring window appears.
11. If necessary, close the Welcome to the app setup page.
The Configuring window shows a preview of the app.
Configure the app
The app opens and shows the Express mode. Express mode shows only the most essential settings to consider for
your app. You can change the web app's configurable properties to give your app the look and feel that you want.
Some of these properties, such as the title, theme, and text color, have default settings. In this section, you'll make
changes to some of these settings.
1. In the Express pane, click Step 1. Map.
You can see the web map that is used in the app. If you want to use a different map, you can change it here.
2. Leave the default setting for the title, or type a new title of your own.
The About panel gives a short description of the map. This text comes from the item summary you created
for the web map. You can override this text.
3. Scroll down to the Map accessibility section, and for Map description, copy and paste the following text:
This map contains volcano locations, lava hazard zones, highways, and emergency shelters for the island of
Hawaii.
4. Above the web map thumbnail, click View item details.
The item details page for your web map appears.
5. For Description, click Edit.
6. Place your cursor after the last sentence and press Enter twice. Paste the following text: Click a map feature,
such as a volcano, shelter, or hazard zone, for more information.
7. Highlight the sentence you just typed and click the Italic button to italicize the sentence. Click some white
space to deselect the text.
8. In the first line of text, highlight the word classification. On the toolbar, click the Create Link button.
9. In the Link box, for URL, copy and paste https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/7000036.
This link will take the user to a United States Geological Survey page that describes the hazard zones in more
detail.
10. In the Link box, click Update.
When you update the link, the text for classification appears as a hyperlink.
11. Click Save.
12. Return to the browser tab that has your web app in it. In the Express pane, click Next.
The next panel shows the legend that will display. This is what you want, so you will go to the next panel.
13. Click the Next button.
The purpose of your web app is to inform people about volcanoes and areas of lava flow risk. They probably
don’t need to look for specific addresses or places on the map. You'll disable the search options.
14. In the Source section, for ArcGIS World Geocoding Service, under Edit, click the options button. Click
Delete.
15. Click Next. For Select a theme, choose Dark.
In the Manage widget positions section, notice that the widget placement in the panel matches the widget
placement in the app preview.
16. At the bottom of the Express pane, click Publish and click Confirm.
The preview of your configured web app updates to show your changes. The About panel takes up a lot of
space on the map, and the legend is hidden. You'll change the layout so the legend appears when you first
open the app.
17. In the Share window, click Launch.
18. At the bottom of the Express pane, click Exit twice.
You're taken to the web app's item page.
Edit the app's item details
The item title, summary, and tags are already completed from when you created the web app. You will update some
information for your app.
1. On the item details page, for Terms of Use, click Edit and type None. Public domain data and images. Click
Save.
2. In the lower side of the page, for Credits (Attribution), click Edit and type Hawaii State GIS Program; United
States Geological Survey.
3. Click Save.
Tip:
If you later decide to make changes to the way the web app is configured, open this item page and
click Configure App.
View the app
Next, you'll explore the app you created.
1. At the top of the item page, click the thumbnail image to open the application. You can also click View
Application.
2. Explore the app by navigating the map and opening pop-ups.
The pop-ups behave the same in the web app as they do in the web map.
3. Click the Default map view button to return to the original view of the map.
Note:
Any changes you make to the source web map, such as adding or removing layers, changing
symbology, or configuring pop-ups, will be reflected automatically in the app. If you change the sharing
properties of the map (or if you delete it), this will affect the app as well.
Make a thumbnail image
The last thing to do is replace the default generic thumbnail image in the item details with one that shows your
app.
1. Capture an image of the app with your image editing software.
Tip:
If you're not sure how to do that, capture the image with the PrtScr key on your keyboard and paste it
into the Windows Paint accessory. In Windows 7, you can open Paint by clicking Start > All Programs
> Accessories.
2. Resize the image to a width of 600 pixels, but don't alter the aspect ratio.
Tip:
The ideal aspect ratio is 3:2. When the image width is 600 pixels, the height should be about 400 pixels.
If your height value is substantially different, crop the image to avoid distortion in the thumbnail.
3. Save the image in PNG file format to a folder on your computer.
4. Return to the web app's item details page.
5. Above the default thumbnail image, click Edit Thumbnail.
Acknowledgements
Hawaii Statewide GIS Program
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6. In the Create Thumbnail window, click Browse (or your browser's equivalent command). Browse to the
folder where you saved the thumbnail and upload the image, select the image, and click Open. Click Save.
The new thumbnail image appears.
You now know how to make a map, add layers to it, create your own layers from file-based data, configure popups,
and publish your map as a web app and share your work with others.
You can find more lessons in the Learn ArcGIS Lesson
Gallery.
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