Specify a location of interest (LOI)

Available with Workflow Manager license.

The location of interest (LOI) represents the geographic extent of a job. It can be used to provide a spatial context for work or to restrict work to a specific geographic area or point. It also indicates where edits are being made to help prevent conflicts, prioritize jobs, and coordinate activities among many users and groups. The LOIs for jobs are stored in Workflow Manager (Classic) in two feature classes, one for the area of interest (AOI) and one points of interest (POI). The LOI can be a single-part polygon, multipart polygon, single point, or multipoint. If the job's LOI is a polygon, it's stored in the AOI feature class. If the job's LOI is a point, it's stored in the POI feature class.

You can create a polygon for the job's LOI using any of the following methods:

• Select an existing polygon feature.
• Create a polygon feature.
• Buffer lines.
• Buffer points.

You can create points for the job's LOI using any of the following methods:

• Select an existing point feature
• Create a point feature

Note:

Exported ArcGIS Pro maps (.mapx) can be configured using ArcGIS Workflow Manager (Classic) Administrator and can later be used as template maps for defining locations of interest (LOIs) in ArcGIS Pro.

Define an LOI

Running the Define AOI step in the workflow opens a workflow LOI map based on the map template defined for the job type. The layers marked as selectable in the LOI map template appear in the workflow LOI map, and all map layers (except the AOI and POI layers) are read-only in the workflow LOI map.

The Define LOI tab provides common tools to navigate the map and add supplementary basemap or feature layers. It also contains tools that allow you to define the LOI using one of the following methods:

• Select one or more features in the map.
• Select features by attributes.
• Select features by location.
• Create new features using drawing tools.

If an LOI already exists when you run the Define AOI step, the map view automatically zooms to the job's existing LOI.

Tip:

The LOI can also be accessed as a bookmark from the Bookmarks drop-down list or pane in the map.

If you select or draw multiple features for the LOI, they will be combined into a multipart feature LOI. You can clear the LOI by clicking the Clear LOI button on the Define LOI tab, and you can cancel without defining an LOI by clicking the Close button . When you close the LOI map view, you are prompted to save the LOI. The workflow LOI map closes and the active view returns to the job view. If you save without closing, all changes in the workflow LOI map are discarded, and the active view returns to the job view.

Note:

Define AOI is controlled through privileges. If you are unable to execute the step, contact your Workflow Manager (Classic) administrator.

Define an LOI using polygons, points, and lines

If polygons, points, and lines are defined without any buffers, only the polygons are saved as the job's AOI. If the selected points and lines are to be used to define the AOI, you must buffer them manually or check the Buffer Points/Lines check box and on the Define LOI tab and specify the buffer distance and unit of measure.

To manually buffer the point and line features, complete the following steps:

1. Define the polygons, points, and lines you want to use for the job's AOI.
2. Click the Close button on the Define LOI tab.
3. Buffer the points and lines.

   Learn more about creating an AOI by buffering point features and buffering line features.

4. Click the Save and Close button on the Define LOI tab.

   The LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class.

Define an LOI by selecting features in the map

To define the job's LOI by selecting features in the LOI map view, complete these steps:

1. Navigate to the location that contains the features you want to select to define the job's LOI.
2. Use the selection tools on the Define LOI tab to select features in the LOI map view.

   If you selected polygons, points, and lines, you must buffer the points and lines to include them in the job's LOI.

3. Click the Save and Close button .

   If polygons were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class. If points were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the POI feature class.

Define an LOI by selecting feature attributes

To define the job's LOI by selecting feature attributes, complete these steps:

1. Click the Select by Attributes button on the Define LOI tab.

   The Select Layer by Attribute dialog box appears in the Geoprocessing pane.

2. For the Input Rows parameter, choose the layer or table that contains the features that you want to select.
3. Click the Selection Type drop-down arrow and choose a selection method.
4. Use the expression builder to create a selection query.
5. Click Verify to confirm that the expression is valid.
6. Click Run at the bottom of the Geoprocessing pane.

   Features based on your selection expression query are selected in the map. If your query selected polygons, points, and lines, you must buffer the points and lines to include them in the job's LOI.

7. Click the Save and Close button after you've selected the features that will define the AOI or POI.

   If polygons were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class. If points were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the POI feature class.

Define an LOI by selecting features by location

One or more features can be selected by location and used to define a job's AOI or POI.

1. Click the Select by Location button on the Define LOI tab.

   The Select Layer by Location dialog box appears in the Geoprocessing pane.

2. For the Input Features parameter, choose the feature layer that contains the features you want to select.
3. Click the Selection Relationship drop-down arrow and choose a relationship type.
4. For the Selecting Features parameter, choose the feature layer that contains features that are related to the features you selected for the Input Features parameter.
5. Type a value for the Search Distance parameter.
6. Click the Search Distance drop-down arrow and choose a unit of measure.
7. Click the Selection Type drop-down arrow and choose a selection method.
8. Click Run at the bottom of the Geoprocessing pane.

   Features based on your query are selected in the map. If your query selected polygons, points, and lines, you must buffer the points and lines to include them in the job's LOI.

9. Click the Save and Close button after you've selected the features that will define the AOI or POI.

   If polygons were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class. If points were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the POI feature class.

Define an LOI by drawing features

To define the job's LOI by drawing features, complete these steps:

1. On the Define LOI tab, in the Draw LOI group, click the Create button .

   The Editing pane appears with the AOI and POI feature class for editing.

2. Click the AOI or POI feature template in the Editing pane.
3. Choose a drawing tool.
4. Use the tools in the Navigation group to navigate to the location you want use to define the job's LOI.
5. Create AOI or POI features.

   If you created polygons, points, and lines, you must buffer the points and lines to include them in the job's LOI.

6. Click the Save and Close button after you've created the features that will define the AOI or POI.

   If polygons were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class. If points were selected, the LOI is saved and stored in the POI feature class.

Define an LOI by buffering point features in the map

To define the job's LOI by buffering point features in the map, complete these steps:

1. Select or create one or more point features in the map.
2. Check the Buffer Points/Lines check box.
3. Provide a buffer distance value.
4. Click the Buffer Points/Lines drop-down arrow and choose a unit of measure.
5. Click the Save and Close button .

   The LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class.

Define an LOI by buffering line features in the map

To define the job's LOI by buffering line features in the map, complete these steps:

1. Select or create one or more line features in the map.
2. Check the Buffer Points/Lines check box.
3. Provide a buffer distance value.
4. Click the Buffer Points/Lines drop-down arrow and choose a unit of measure.
5. Click the Save and Close button .

   The LOI is saved and stored in the AOI feature class.

Restrict editing features outside the AOI

The editing of features outside the AOI can be restricted, as required, and helps to ensure that the correct data is being edited for a job. The settings to restrict edits outside of the AOI are defined in the Workflow Manager (Classic) system settings. However, once applied, these settings are consumed by ArcGIS Pro. These settings apply to the modification of existing features as well as the creation of new features. The following options are available:

• Warn users when selecting features outside the job AOI—A message warns that the selected features are outside of the AOI. The editor can choose to continue editing by clicking Yes. If the editor clicks No, the features are automatically deselected, and the editor can continue editing features inside the AOI.
• Prevent users from selecting features outside the job's AOI—A message warns that the selected features are outside the AOI, and the features are automatically deselected.

  

• Allow edits to features outside the job AOI—The editor can select and create features outside of the AOI.

The following operators control how these rules are applied to features:

• Outside—Applies the rules to edited features within the job's AOI as well as features that intersect or touch the AOI.
• Completely Outside—Applies the rules to edited features that are entirely outside of the job's AOI. This operator ignores features that intersect or touch the AOI.

Note:

Currently, creating features using a feature service cannot be restricted with the AOI settings.