Layers, maps, and scenes shared from ArcGIS Pro are stored as items in your content in your active portal. These items can be consumed across the ArcGIS platform, including ArcGIS Pro and Map Viewer and Scene Viewer.
Web layers
Web layers shared from ArcGIS Pro are portal items that expose a service or service layer to be easily shared and consumed. Depending on the type of service being exposed, a different layer type is created.
Web layers and their corresponding services
| Web layer | Web service |
|---|---|
Feature layer | Feature service |
Tile layer | Cached map service, hosted |
Vector tile layer | Vector tile service |
Map image layer | Dynamic or cached map service |
Scene layer | Cached scene service |
Imagery layer | Dynamic or cached image service |
Elevation layer | Cached image service that uses a LERC compression tiling scheme |
Stand-alone table | Feature service |
Web layers can store configured settings such as symbology, pop-up information, and permissions for who can access the layer. Because these settings are stored with the layer instead of the service, you can have multiple layer items referencing the same service with different configurations. See the Configured settings section for more information on where these settings are stored.
Web maps and scenes
Web maps and web scenes are composed of web layers. Web maps are used to visualize 2D data, while web scenes are used with 3D data. When existing web layers are shared as part of a new map or scene, any changes in the configuration of the layer are stored with the new web map—the original web layer is not modified.
Configured settings
When sharing from ArcGIS Pro, layer configurations (such as labels, symbology, and pop-ups) are stored at the lowest possible level. From lowest to highest, configurations can be stored at the service, web layer, and then web map or web scene level. Basic settings, such as visibility range, that are supported by the service will be stored there. If the setting is not supported by the service, it will be saved with the layer, and if the setting is not supported by the layer, it will be saved with the map or scene.
The following are examples of when configured settings may appear differently between services, layers, and maps:
-
When sharing a point layer with labels as a web feature layer, the labeling settings will be saved to the web layer because labels are not supported by the service. In this case, the labels are maintained when interacting with the feature layer but not the service.
-
When sharing a scene with points symbolized as 3D model markers to ArcGIS Online, the symbology is stored with the web scene because 3D model markers cannot be stored with the service or layer. When the shared scene is opened in the scene viewer, it will look the same as the scene shared from ArcGIS Pro. Conversely, if you add the service or web layer to a new scene, the 3D model markers will not be present.