Creating a layer: Geometry

If your layer uses complex geometry (that is, if your geometry is defined by text that contains Esri Feature Geometry Json instead of X and Y coordinates), you must specify the kind of geometry that the layer displays. It is important that this field be specified correctly; if the wrong geometry type is specified, your layer will appear incorrectly on maps.

If your PI system contains no geometry information, follow the steps in Procedure to follow when PI System lacks geometry information.

1. In the Geometry field, select the appropriate geometry from the drop-down list.

2. In the Spatial reference field, select the most appropriate coordinate system for the data you intend to display.

   You can choose from among more than 5,000 coordinate systems. To make finding a specific coordinate system easier, you can enter part of the name in the search box, which limits the displayed coordinate systems to those that contain the search words. The number in parentheses shown after the coordinate name is an ID assigned by Esri, called the well-known ID. If you are familiar with coordinate systems you can simply enter the well-known ID number.

   The most widely used coordinate system is World Geodetic System 84, or WGS_1984, which is the coordinate system used by most GPS receivers. WGS_1984 is the default coordinate system when you create a layer with geometry. You should check with your GIS expert about which coordinate system to use.

   To find out more about coordinate systems, see these Esri sites: What are geographic coordinate systems? and What are projected coordinate systems?.

3. Click the Create Layer button.

   The layer is created.

After completing the previous steps, you are presented with one of two options. If you had enabled the checkbox for the time-enabled feature layer, then the layer description page displays and the layer configuration is complete. If you had checked Connect through ArcGIS GeoEvent Server or if you had checked both Time-enabled Feature Layer and Connect through ArcGIS GeoEvent Server, then the ArcGIS Feature Service and GeoEvent Server Configuration Wizard displays.

If the ArcGIS Feature Service and GeoEvent Server Configuration Wizard displays, follow the steps here: Run the ArcGIS Feature Service and GeoEvent Server Configuration Wizard.

If the layer description page displays, you can view your map immediately by clicking View in Map Viewer or you can specify map options in ArcGIS Online by clicking View item in ArcGIS Online. See View a time-enabled map for details.