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Create route layers

In this topic

  1. Create a route layer
  2. Configure the route
  3. Save the route

Note:

If the Directions button is not present in Map Viewer, your portal is not configured to view directions. Contact your administrator if you need this functionality.

If the portal is configured to use the ArcGIS Online network utility service, credits are consumed when the initial route is generated, destinations are modified, or the order is optimized.

As a member of an organization with privileges to perform network analysis, you can use Map Viewer (formerly a separate beta installation but now included with the portal automatically) to get a set of turn-by-turn driving or walking directions and see the route on the map. You can set the travel mode, add multiple stops, and choose a departure time. You can also configure the route and, if you have the appropriate privileges, save and share the route with others.

Create a route layer

To create a route layer on the map, do the following:

  1. Confirm that you are signed in to your organization with privileges to perform network analysis.
  2. In Map Viewer, on the Settings (light) toolbar, click Map tools Map tools and choose Directions Directions.
  3. In the Directions window, specify an origin and one or more stops as follows:
    Tip:

    If a drop-down arrow is available next to the stops, you have multiple search resources for finding destinations. These resources can include locators configured by the organization and layers enabled by the map author to find features on the map. By default, the search is performed on all available resources. Alternatively, select the resources you want to use to find stops for your route.

    1. In the Directions pane, enter the route origin and a stop.

      A route summary and turn-by-turn directions appear in the Directions pane, the route is displayed on the map, and a route layer appears in the Layers pane.

      Tip:

      To use your current location as the origin or a stop, click in the empty field and click Use current location.

    2. Optionally, click Add stop and enter an address in the new field to add a stop to the route. Repeat this step for each stop you want to include.

      You can also add stops from pop-ups with location information such as points from feature layers and addresses and places you find with the search box. A route can include up to 49 stops (and an origin).

  4. Do any of the following to make changes to the stops:
    • Click Reverse stops Reverse stops to reverse the order of stops in the route.
    • Drag the address fields using the Reorder handles Reorder to reorder a route with an origin and two or more stops.
    • Hover over a stop and click Remove stop Remove to remove a stop if your route includes an origin and two or more stops.
  5. Optionally, choose a travel mode from the drop-down menu to change it. The default travel mode is set by your organization. The following options are available:

    • Driving Distance—Models the movement of cars and other similar small automobiles, such as pickup trucks, and finds solutions that optimize travel distance. Travel obeys one-way roads, avoids illegal turns, and follows other rules that are specific to cars.
    • Rural Driving Time—Models the movement of cars and other similar small automobiles, such as pickup trucks, and finds solutions that optimize travel time. Travel obeys one-way roads, avoids illegal turns, and follows other rules that are specific to cars but does not discourage travel on unpaved roads. Dynamic travel speeds based on traffic are used where it is available when you specify a start time.
    • Rural Driving Distance—Models the movement of cars and other similar small automobiles, such as pickup trucks, and finds solutions that optimize travel distance. Travel obeys one-way roads, avoids illegal turns, and follows other rules that are specific to cars but does not discourage travel on unpaved roads.
    • Trucking Time—Models basic truck travel by preferring designated truck routes and finds solutions that optimize travel time. Routes must obey one-way roads, avoid illegal turns, and so on.
    • Trucking Distance—Models basic truck travel by preferring designated truck routes and finds solutions that optimize travel distance. Routes must obey one-way roads, avoid illegal turns, and so on.
    • Walking Time—Follows paths and roads that allow pedestrian traffic and finds solutions that optimize travel time. The walking speed is set to 5 kilometers per hour.
    • Walking Distance—Follows paths and roads that allow pedestrian traffic and finds solutions that optimize travel distance.

  6. Choose a departure option as follows:
    1. Choose Leave now, Depart by, or Time unspecified from the drop-down menu.
    2. If you chose Depart by, specify a departure date and time.

    7. The departure time is set in the time zone of the place of departure. The time zone of the final stop is used for the arrival and departure times displayed in the turn-by-turn directions.

    The route and directions are updated according to the options you specified. The information displayed in the route summary depends on several factors: the travel mode selected, the departure option chosen, and whether your route is in a supported network coverage area. If you selected a travel mode that supports traffic (Driving Time or Rural Driving Time) and your route is in a supported network coverage area, the route summary displays a time estimate. If you also chose the Leave now option, current traffic is used to calculate the travel time shown. If you instead chose Depart by, predictive, observed, or historical traffic calculations are used (depending on the start time specified).

  7. Optionally, do any of the following to use the route:
    • Review the directions and make changes to the route as needed, including adding stops, changing the travel mode, and so on.
    • To see a specific segment of the route, click the segment in the turn-by-turn directions. The map centers on the selected segment. Click the route summary to return to the full extent of the route.
    • To print the route map, on the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Print (the route map does not include driving directions).
    • Click Clear the route to start over and create a new route.

Configure the route

After you create a route using the Directions pane in Map Viewer or add an existing route layer to your map, you can configure the route in various ways, such as applying effects or transparency. You can then save the route layer for reuse in other maps or share it with others if you have the appropriate privileges.

Do the following to configure a route:

  1. Create a route using the Directions pane, or add an existing route layer to your map.
  2. In the Layers pane, select the route layer if it is not already selected.
  3. Do any of the following to the route layer:
    • Apply a blend mode.
    • Adjust the layer transparency.
    • Adjust the visible range.
    • Apply effects, such as a bloom or drop shadow effect.

Save the route

If you have privileges to create content, you can save your route as a route layer item in My Content. You can also save the layer with the map.

Tip:

After saving the route, you can get more information about each route segment by clicking the segment on the map to display its pop-up information. You can also click Zoom to on the pop-up to get a closer look at the segment.

Do the following to save the route layer:

  1. Confirm that you are signed in with privileges to create content.
  2. Create a route using the Directions pane, or add an existing route layer to your map.
  3. In the Layers pane, click Options Options next to the route layer and click Save as.
  4. Provide the following information for the new route layer item:
    • Type a title.
    • Choose a folder in My Content where you want to save the layer.
    • If your organization has set up content categories, select categories to help people find your layer.
    • Type tags and a summary that describe your layer.
  5. Click Save.

    The route layer is saved with the specified name in My Content.

    Tip:

    To change the name of the layer in the Layers pane, click Options next to the layer and click Rename. Type a title for the layer and click OK.

  6. To save additional changes to the route, click Options next to the layer in the Layers pane and click Save.

    If you have sharing privileges, you can share the route after saving it. In the Directions pane, click View layer details and click Share on the item page. Depending on their privileges and the way you shared the item, others can add the route layer to a new or existing map, configure it, and save the updated route as a new route.

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In this topic
  1. Create a route layer
  2. Configure the route
  3. Save the route