Product Guide
Table of Contents
Accomplish Even More with Esris ArcGIS Platform
Core Components
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Feature Matrix
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Web:
Phone (Worldwide):
Toll Free (North America):
Email:
www.geocortex.com
1 (250) 381-8130
1-888-578-5545
info@latitudegeo.com
End-users benefit from an effective, intuitive web-mapping experience while taking advantage of
innovative features that allow them to get work done efficiently.
GIS professionals can create powerful, productive end-user experiences through straightforward,
well-documented configuration instead of engaging in custom software development.
Developers can leverage the Geocortex Essentials platform, core elements and developer tools to
efficiently create sophisticated, customized applications in less time.
Managers can deliver quantifiable success with their mapping programs and provide a compelling
return-on-investment, with a substantially reduced risk profile.
Consulting firms can jumpstart their customer projects using the worlds premier mapping
development foundation for the ArcGIS platform. By refocusing efforts, superior results can be
delivered faster, with less risk, and with better returns.
Geocortex Essentials components are provided through an integrated Spatial Application Infrastructure (SAI). The
SAI framework features a variety of integrated pre-built components, an underlying data model, and infrastructure
and development tools. There are many advantages to adopting a framework-based software design, such as
increased productivity, a more reliable application and a shorter cycle time to implementation.
Core Components
Geocortex Essentials offers the core components you need to jumpstart any ArcGIS platform implementation.
Production quality reports, non-spatial data, enhanced security and search features can be easily incorporated
into your applications. With Geocortex Essentials, you can print large-format, high-resolution maps with data and
mark-up using print templates that you can easily author. Tailor custom reports to meet the evolving needs of your
stakeholders by using the report designer and search data from third-party systems not traditionally accessible to
spatial applications, enabling you to do more with your ArcGIS software.
Data Linking
With Geocortex Essentials you can link to external non-spatial databases, files or web services and embed this data
in reports, searches and forms. Data Linking also provides the ability to retrieve data from external data sources
and link it to attributes of spatial data, extending the reach and capability of your applications.
Charting
When we visualize attribute information on a map we gain a new understanding of our data. Charts also help us
discover patterns and learn about the nature of the data. Administrators can configure data to display in bar charts,
pie charts or via a variety of line charts.
When summary charts are displayed in a Geocortex viewer alongside associated map features, applications can
deliver insight like never before. Charts are highly configurable and customizable: you can summarize and display
data in one or more charts that dynamically update as selections and results change.
Security
Geocortex Essentials includes advanced security features that provide you with the ability to grant or deny access
to specific components. Configurable authentication providers give access to users and roles stored in your Active
Directory, LDAP, ArcGIS Online, Google, or other stores you can take advantage of the security thats already used
by your organization.
Anonymous access enables users without logins to gain limited access to applications (if you choose). For example,
anonymous/guest users might have access to base layers and simple read-only workflows without signing in,
whereas authenticated users may access protected layers and external databases, as well as edit workflows.
Reporting and Printing
Manage normal or large format, highresolution printing requests with Geocortex
Essentials. Template-based printing allows you
to create printable maps with customized and
out-of-the box layouts.
Template-based reporting enables you to
easily generate commonly used reports that
have been pre-configured by an administrator.
Each template defines a standard layout
for reporting a layers features, attributes,
linked and computed data. Save your
organization valuable employee time, budget,
andresources.
Instant Search
Geocortex Essentials includes a highly-scalable, extremely fast, indexed search engine. Define and index attributes
from multiple map services and feature services to provide an intuitive search capability across millions of
mapfeatures.
End-users will see search suggestions as they type, and results will be plotted on the map instantly. When listed,
search results are sorted by relevance the most relevant results are displayed on the top to help users find what
theyre looking for.
You can also use Geocortex Essentials to customize advanced searches by creating your own search forms and
query tasks. Instant Search is an integral part of Geocortex Essentials for finding, displaying, and reporting data
collected through ArcGIS for Server, ArcGIS Online or external data sources. Greater search capabilities mean better
results when you need them.
Forms
Forms are a simple way to create interactive dialogs that prompt end-users for input through web or mobile
applications. A form designer allows you to add input items such as text boxes, auto-complete entries, date pickers
and drop-downs, then associate validation rules and control the forms layouts.
Workflow Activity Library
The Activity Library consists of over 170 pre-built functions that help you avoid having to write thousands of
lines of code to do common tasks. For example, there are activities that perform buffering, geocoding, querying,
geoprocessing, routing, emailing and other activities that prompt the user for form inputs or to draw geometries
on the map. Using pre-made activities helps decrease the time it takes to get workflows implemented for your
organization; you can also create custom activities and extend workflows to execute whatever business functions
you like.
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Geocortex Viewer for Silverlight delivers advanced mapping capabilities for organizations seeking to deploy
feature-rich, user-centric web applications.
Our viewers are fully integrated with other Geocortex Essentials components, are highly configurable and use visual
administration tools to make development, customization and upgrades easier. Our viewers offer the underlying
platform capabilities of Geocortex Essentials, while allowing the integration of custom/third-party widgets.
In the Office or in the Field, Online and Offline
Geocortex Viewer for HTML5 allows you to take data with you into the field in areas without network coverage.
While working with map data offline, you can perform geometry edits, collect inspection data and attach photos.
When you return online, the data edits can be synchronized with the geodatabase, so the updates are immediately
available to your collegues using Geocortex viewers on desktop workstations.
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Edit
Edit
Align To
Add Vertices
Geometry Attributes
Edge
at Intersections
Edit Features
Select
Clear
Selection
Select Features
Deselect
Delete
Cut
Reshape Union
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Organizations are using Workflow to build simple, targeted, purposeful applications that focus on specific user
needs, and replacing traditional, all-inclusive viewer applications that overwhelm users with tools and features.
Geocortex Workflow Designer is a desktop developer application that you can use to create a visual
representation of your workflow. Using drag and drop, you can sequence a series of activities that represent a
business process.
Workflow Engine manages the client-server and human interactions in Workflow. It is exposed to external systems
through the REST API as part of the SAI framework-based design.
Administrators can create workflows using Workflow Designer, and test the workflows either during the design
process or upon completion using the built-in Workflow Simulator. The Simulator provides a debugging
interface where administrators can supply values to forms, perform user interactions and step through the
workflow one activity at a time while inspecting inputs and outputs.
Create custom activities and extend pre-built workflows for most common tasks by taking advantage of the
Workflow Activity Library, which contains interactive map functions as well as processes for common activities
like emailing, printing, buffering and geocoding.
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CLIENT
http
http
http
TypeScript API
http
http
REST API
Portal REST API
http
ArcGIS Online
http
Geocortex
Essentials
.NET
API
Geocortex Essentials
http
http
http
REST API
.NET API
ONLINE
XML
Config
Geocortex Core
SERVER
Figure 8: API interactions overview
All of the features that are delivered with Geocortex Essentials are supported by a rich set of documented
application programming interfaces (APIs) that developers use to build specific applications. The APIs provide
developers with bundles of prewritten code, saving development time and leveraging the framework architecture
to provide access to core components.
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For example, you can use the JavaScript API to consume application configuration and access large-format
printing, or you can use the Silverlight API to connect to non-spatial databases with the Data Linking feature. APIs
can be used as standalone components to bring into custom applications you are building, or you can leverage
APIs within out-of-the-box viewer applications. When developing on top of Geocortex Viewer for Silverlight, for
example, you can access the Geocortex Essentials Silverlight API, the REST API and the .NET API to extend any part
of the platform to accommodate your business needs.
Geocortex Essentials architecture also includes an optional Services Enhancement Proxy to handle communication
with ArcGIS for Server, providing support for coded value domains in your applications and standardized
presentation of date and time data.
With the help of our resellers, we sell to organizations worldwide. We understand that every environment has its
own way of conducting business, which is why internationalization is featured in all of our products. Geocortex
Essentials is designed to be localized, which means that resellers can adapt the software to the currency, language
or date format of their choice.
Any site that you create with Geocortex Essentials will be a technology-neutral configuration of your GIS
application. Geocortex Essentials supports ArcGIS for Server (cached services, imagery services, feature services
and dynamic services), ArcGIS Online, OGC WMS, WFS, WMTS, Open Street Map, Bing Maps and other map
services. A single map can combine map services from all supported services.
Are you currently using ArcGIS for Server and/or ArcGIS Online REST APIs to serve up your GIS capabilities? Why
not use Geocortex REST APIs to help serve up your application capabilities?
GIS Capabilities
ArcGIS Online
Application Capabilities
Geocortex Essentials
Hosted Services
Map Server
Security
Integration
Hosted Data
Feature Server
Reports
Web Maps
Geocode Server
Charting
Search
Configuration
Workflows
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http
http
CLIENT
ArcGIS Online
Geocortex Essentials
http
http
http
http
http
http
Geocortex Cor e
read
ONLINE
SERVER
read
read
Site
Config
Viewer
Config
edit
edit
Geocortex Essentials
Manager
RPX
XAML
File
GDB
LPK
edit
edit
Geocortex
Report
Designer
Arc SDE
edit
Geocortex
Workflow
Designer
Geocortex
Language
Tool
ADMINISTRATION
Geocortex Essentials consists of a suite of components that can run on web servers, application servers, desktop
workstations and within web browsers on desktops, tablets and handheld devices.
The System Architecture diagram above illustrates the interactions among Geocortex Essentials components,
between Geocortex Essentials and components of the ArcGIS platform, and between Geocortex Essentials and
third-party products. All primary communication happens over HTTP. This is especially important when describing
communication between Geocortex Essentials and the ArcGIS platform; by interfacing with ArcGIS only via the
REST specification, Geocortex Essentials ensures maximum compatibility across various versions of ArcGIS software.
New versions of ArcGIS are readily and easily supported, ensuring that your Geocortex Essentials implementation is
compatible with the latest releases of Esris software.
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Custom Code
Map Services
Database Connections
Charting
Custom Tools
Hosted Services
Map Server
Integration
Hosted Data
Feature Server
Reports
Web Maps
Geocode Server
Search
ArcGIS Online
Workflows
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The SAI approach is superior to the traditional, custom way of designing, building and implementing mapping
applications. Applications with significant custom code tied to specific viewer technologies and exist independently
of other applications in the system require direct developer intervention to update, modify and test over time.
Geocortex Essentials allows organizations to easily and quickly adopt and deploy purpose-specific applications.
Custom code is minimized or entirely eliminated. Because Geocortex follows a path of least divergence from the
ArcGIS platform, organizations can be assured that, over time, applications they have implemented will not only
remain very relevant and useful to a wide user base, but will evolve in parallel with Esri technology changes.
The other, key aspect of Geocortex and SAI that enables purposeful applications is the power of workflow
technology.
ArcGIS Online
Geocortex Essentials
Hosted Services
Map Server
Security
Integration
Hosted Data
Feature Server
Database Connections
Reports
Web Maps
Geocode Server
Charting
Search
Configuration
Workflows
Figure 15: The Geocortex SAI approach reduces the need for custom code
Traditional all-in-one applications are overly complex because they attempt to expose even the most casual user to
all functionality (whether needed or not). These applications are generally overly complex, with a myriad of widgets,
toolbars and navigation tools, and result in a steep learning curve.
The workflow-centric design of Geocortex Essentials allows administrators to model and automate everyday GISrelated business processes that end-users can follow by doing simple, step-by-step interactions.
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Workflow provides an approach to model business processes to improve efficiency and increase ease of use.
You can standardize and easily redesign steps in GIS-related processes to your specific needs by designing and
delivering reusable, cross-system workflows that combine spatial and non-spatial processing.
Users can interact with a simple, clean I want to interface, which can lead them through various interactions in
order to complete a task. Rather than a cluttered screen with complex tools that a user must first memorize and
learn how to use, they are instead guided through the process, step-by-step.
Geocortex Workflow Designer allows for a visual representation of workflows, showing the sequence of a series
of activities in a business process. A powerful Visual Simulator allows you to simulate your workflow as youre
designing it, providing inputs and inspecting outputs. An Activity Library creates custom activities as well as
extending interactive map functions and pre-built workflows for common tasks and processes, such as emailing,
printing, buffering and geocoding.
Keep Up with the Pace of Technology Change
A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) includes metadata, a schema, standards and a framework. SAI can be viewed as
a subset of SDI, with additional thinking around addressing the inevitability of technological change over time and
potential complications that stem from providing improved, more targeted application options to end-users.
No matter how well applications are designed, costs and risk will often increase if they are not engineered as part
of a cohesive, structured approach to connecting stakeholders with geographic information and the ability to work
with that information.
Geocortex Essentials offers not only a beautiful, modern user experience, but it also addresses how these
applications are designed, built and maintained through the support of an SAI approach. Over the short and long
term, SAI enables organizations to better maximize the value of their overall technology investment.
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Minimum
Preferred
4 GB
8 GB or higher
1 GB
5 GB or higher
CPU
2 GHz, x64
Minimum
Preferred
6 GB
8 GB or higher
100+ GB SSD
Notes
Table 2: Minimum hardware requirements for a Geocortex Essentials server running Instant Search
Software Requirements
Geocortex Essentials relies on third-party software. There are multiple components necessary in order to install and
run Geocortex Essentials.
Windows Operating System
Geocortex Essentials is a 64-bit application built using Microsoft .NET technologies. As such, it may only be
deployed on Microsoft Windows 64-bit operating systems. The following Windows operating systems are
supported:
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GVS
GVH
FUTURE
GVS
GVH
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Feature Matrix
The matrix on the following pages can help you further evaluate Geocortex HTML5 and Silverlight technologies.
Many organizations choose to deploy both HTML5 and Silverlight to solve a variety of business needs. Geocortex
enables sharing components between these technologies to eliminate overhead and redundancy.
Before you dive in.
When contemplating the matrix, please consider the following:
This is simply a comparison of viewer features; it doesnt consider architecture or deployment, and it doesnt take
into account the depth (richness, usability, configurability, etc.) to which a given feature has been implemented.
Also, its not exhaustive there are features not listed, and there are certainly capabilities and benefits of the
broader Geocortex Essentials product that arent addressed at all. In other words, were exclusively focusing on
the viewer aspect of Geocortex Essentials here, and there are many other aspects to consider before choosing an
implementation technology and approach. With that said, have a look and please get in touch at any time if you
have questions.
Silverlight
HTML5
Current Version
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Management Tools
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Device Support
Support for desktop browsers on Windows and Mac OS X
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Browser Support
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Firefox on Windows
Chrome on Windows
Safari on Mac OS
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Chrome on Android 4+
Upcoming HTML5
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HTML5
Security
Current Version
Silverlight
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Application Integration
HTML5
Support for launching external maps (Google StreetView, Bing Maps, etc.)
Support for bi-directional navigation with viewer and Bing or Google StreetView
Links to share URL and state with Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+
URL Parameters
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Developer APIs
Current Version
Silverlight
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Extensibility framework
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Logging
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Internationalization
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
ArcGIS for Server dynamic, tiled, feature, raster and image services
OGC WFS layers (find, identify and query support - not visualization)
OpenStreetMap layers
End 2015
KML layers
Upcoming HTML5
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Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Search for Web Maps and services hosted on Portal for ArcGIS
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
Dynamically symbolize layers based on attributes with class breaks and unique
value renderers
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Silverlight
HTML5
Tile-based maps
Zoom animations
Continuous panning
Keyboard navigation
Navigation
Current Version
HTML5
Automatically pan when tools are used close to the edge of the map
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Silverlight
Current Version
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Scale bar
Status indicator
End 2015
Scale slider
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Organize and re-order layers and services into a custom structure with folders
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Group multiple layers into a single composite layer to toggle visiblity of multiple
layers at once
Support radio button style layer visibility so only one layer can be visible at a
time within a group
Upcoming HTML5
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Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
I Want To Menu
Configure data region and reporrt region width and heigh using percentage
values
Multiple views to support a variety of form factors (desktop view, tablet view, and
handheld view)
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Identify / Selection
Current Version
Upcoming HTML5
Silverlight
HTML5
Identify tool
Identify by rectangle
Identify by polyline
Identify by polygon
Zoom to selection
Identify by radius, point, rectangle, polyline, freehand polygon, circle and oval
Identify by radius
Identify by circle
Identify by oval
End 2015
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Search / Find
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Routinely scan map services and feature services for data to index
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Markup / Drawing
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
XY Coordinate Markup
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Measurement tools
Zoom-to-coordinate tools
Re-project coordinates
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Geoprocessing
End 2015
Analysis Tools
Upcoming HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Reporting
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Multiple output formats (PDF, TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, CSV)
Workflows
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Charting
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Support for linear charts (scatter plot, line, bar, spline, etc.)
Upcoming HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Editing
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Add, edit and delete related records associated with editable feature layers
Snapping
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
End 2015
Printing
Upcoming HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
End 2015
Save graphics / markup / drawings / map extent / map service visibility &
transparency
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Extract feature geometry and data workflow (clip, zip & ship)
Current Version
Silverlight
Upcoming HTML5
HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upload address file (Excel or CSV) and plot resulting points on map
Search, discover, dynamically add WMS layers, ArcGIS for Server map services
and feature layers
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Data Linking
HTML5
Support for all ADO.NET data sources (Oracle, SQL Server, XML files and others)
Current Version
Silverlight
Current Version
Silverlight
HTML5
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
Upcoming HTML5
End 2015
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