Quick Start guide to the ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight
This topic provides a brief overview of getting started with the ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight including starting the application, changing the basemap, adding layers, and deploying the application.
Start the Application Builder
Once you have installed the ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight, open the Application Builder as follows:
- Click the Start menu > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight. This opens the Application Builder component of the ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight in your default browser.
- In the browser window, click Create New Application.
Select a map
After clicking Create New Application on the Welcome screen, you must choose a map to begin building your Viewer application. The following screen shot shows that you can create a New Map, which includes a configurable basemap and options for adding layers; or alternatively, you can create a map based on an existing Web Map created on ArcGIS Online.
Create a new map
To create a Viewer application using a new map, click the Open link next to the default map in the New Map section. This map contains only a single Topographic basemap layer from which you can begin building your Viewer application. Once you load this map, you can change the basemap and add operational layers as desired.
Create a map from an existing web map
To create a map from an existing ArcGIS Online web map, click the Open link next to the desired map in the Web Maps section. By default, the Featured Maps from ArcGIS Online show. Use the tabs at the bottom of the Web Maps section to select from Recent maps or Search for a particular map.
If you want to view content associated with your ArcGIS Online account, click the Sign In link to sign in to your ArcGIS Online account.
Once you have signed in, additional tabs for My Maps and My Groups appear at the bottom of the Web Maps section. They can be used to browse to and use content associated with your account.
Click Open on any of the Web Maps to use it as a starting point for creating a new Viewer application.
Customizations made in your Viewer application when working with a Web Map as a starting point, do not alter the original Web Map.
Configure your application
After clicking open to select a map from which to begin developing your Viewer application, the main configuration page of the Application Builder appears and the Getting Started dialog box displays in the lower right corner. Click any of the Show Me buttons on the Getting Started dialog box to highlight the area in the application. If you want to disable the Getting Started dialog box so that it doesn't appear with each application you build, check the Disable Getting Started check box in the bottom left corner. Close the Getting Started dialog box by clicking the Close (X) button in the upper right corner of the dialog box.
When you first start using the Application Builder, you'll notice that most of the functionality is organized in the toolbar. The toolbar helps you quickly find the buttons and menus that you need to complete an operation by organizing related items into logical groups. These groups are collected together under the different tabs: Map, Tools, and Layout.
The following screen shot shows the main components of the Application Builder including the Map Contents panel, Configure Layers panel, and attribute table. See the Application Builder section in the help for additional information on these components.
Select basemap
A basemap provides geographical context for the content that you want to display in a map. The basemap of the current map displays at the bottom of the Map Contents panel. The ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight comes with several basemaps from which to choose suitable backgrounds for your data. By default, an ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight application that is based on a new map uses the World Topographic basemap. Once you have created your application, you can change the basemap at any time. For more information, see Configuring basemaps.
- Only ArcGIS Tiled layers, Bing Maps, and OpenStreetMap are supported in the Basemap gallery.
- Dynamic map services are not supported for use as basemaps.
In the Tools toolbar, click the Basemap gallery drop-down menu. Select the desired basemap by clicking it.
Add layers
The ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight provides the ability to add layers to the map by searching and browsing for services. Use Search if you are interested in finding places or discovering layers to add. Use Browse to view data provided by an ArcGIS Server instance or ArcGIS Spatial Data Service endpoint that you already know about. See the Layer types topic for more information on layers that can be added to the ArcGIS Viewer for Silverlight.
Click the Browse button on the Map tab.
Deploy application
Once you have configured your Viewer application by selecting a basemap and adding layers, click the Deploy button in the upper right corner of the Application Builder. The Viewer application deploys to the location specified during the installation process, for example, c:\Inetpub\wwwroot\Apps\Hurricanes. The new Viewer application automatically opens in a new window, showing what you have created for your users.
If you want to make additional changes, close the new window and return to the Application Builder window you were working in previously. After deploying the map for the first time, the Deploy button changes to a Save button. Click Save when necessary as you are updating your application configuration. Click Save As to create a new version of the Viewer application instead of updating the one you were already working on.
All deployed applications are listed on the Application Builder home page under the Current Viewer Applications area. From this page, you may edit, copy, delete, and view each application. The Application Builder home page displays each time you open the Application Builder. If you have no saved Viewer applications, you only see the introductory text and the Create New Application option.