Today is Thursday, and time has flown by quickly. Though I’ve made progress, I still don’t see the end. Sprint 3 has begun, and it’s moving fast. By the way, I noticed that RT group has a practice of congratulating promotions, which is something we could improve in our Beijing office.

I played ping-pong with colleagues at noon, and it was fun.

In the evening, I let Hamer choose which poems to recite, allowing us both to relax.

A special thing today was our agreement to speak only in English every Thursday at home. Hamer and Xiaoyan fully supported this.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth Mobile launched in September 2019, bringing powerful 3D GIS visualization and field mapping to iOS and Android. Whether you’re exploring 3D maps, performing interactive analysis, or recording GPS tracks, ArcGIS Earth Mobile provides seamless access to geospatial data—online or offline.

🛠️ How to Use ArcGIS Earth Mobile for Field Operations:

1️⃣ Access 2D & 3D Content from Anywhere 🌍📂 Connect to ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, or load local datasets to explore terrain, vector layers, and 3D content in real time.

2️⃣ Capture and Share Field Observations ✏️📌 Create points, lines, and polygons, annotate maps with drawings, labels, and geotagged photos, and export findings as KMZ files for easy sharing and GIS integration.

3️⃣ Record GPS Tracks and Conduct 3D Analysis 📍📊 Enable GPS tracking to log movement paths, generate location-based tours, and perform interactive 3D analysis for deeper spatial insights.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Go Offline with Preloaded Maps – Download KML files and 3D scene data for uninterrupted access in disconnected environments. 2️⃣ Create and Share Tours – Combine GPS tracks, drawings, and geotagged images for immersive storytelling. 3️⃣ Enhance Navigation – Use tap-to-identify, geolocation tools, and search functionality for quick access to critical data.

During the day, I continued working on developing new features. While I’ve managed to get part of the process working, the connection and loading parts still need rethinking, and time is running out.

After work, Xiaoyan shared that she might be moving abroad for an extended period, and the company’s management has approved it. Now, it’s just a matter of how to proceed. This will be a new experience for her.

Recently, I’ve been reading A Road to Classical Music and trying to follow its suggestions by listening to some classical music.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth’s Workspace feature allows you to save, restore, and share your entire mapping environment, ensuring seamless continuity between sessions. By preserving basemaps, terrain layers, operational data, bookmarks, and custom settings, Workspaces streamline project management and enhance collaboration across teams.

🛠️ How to Use Workspaces in ArcGIS Earth:

1️⃣ Save and Restore Your Workspace 💾🔄 Keep your work organized by saving a Workspace directory, which stores your active layers, bookmarks, basemap settings, and movie tracks. Enable Autosave to automatically update your progress and prevent data loss.

2️⃣ Import, Export, and Share Workspaces 📤📂 Use the Import Workspace option to load a previously saved workspace or Export Workspace to share it with colleagues. This is especially useful when working on ongoing projects or collaborative mapping efforts.

3️⃣ Manage and Customize Your Workspace Settings ⚙️🔧 Reset a workspace to start fresh, clear all content, or revert to default settings as needed. Workspaces are stored in Documents by default, but you can set a custom directory for better organization.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Use Shared Workspaces – Export workspaces to a shared directory so teams can collaborate seamlessly. 2️⃣ Keep Multiple Workspaces – Save different Workspaces for various projects, regions, or analysis types to streamline workflow switching. 3️⃣ Optimize for Version Compatibility – Workspaces from older versions of ArcGIS Earth may not be fully supported in the latest release.

In the morning, Hamer was confused about the early lights but went back to sleep. Before she fell asleep, I said, “I’m sorry,” and she immediately replied, “It’s okay.” When I said, “I love you,” she got a little shy, buried her head, and went back to sleep.

During the day, I focused entirely on developing new features, resolving TOC display issues, but realizing much of the code needs rewriting.

In the evening, Xiaoyan was worried because Hamer skipped dinner after eating too many snacks. They argued again, and their recent conflicts seem to have become more frequent over the past week.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth supports real-time GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) integration, allowing you to track your live location, record movement paths, and capture high-accuracy observation points in a 3D environment. Whether for field data collection, navigation, or situational awareness, GNSS ensures precise positioning—even in disconnected environments.

🛠️ How to Use Real-Time GNSS in ArcGIS Earth:

1️⃣ Connect to a GNSS Receiver for Live Tracking 📡📍 ArcGIS Earth supports built-in GPS sensors and external GNSS receivers using the NMEA messaging protocol. Connect your device via USB, Bluetooth, or a virtual COM port, then activate Real-Time GNSS to display your live location in the scene.

2️⃣ Visualize and Record GNSS Movement in 3D 🌎🚶‍♂️ Once connected, ArcGIS Earth can zoom to your location, show altitude, accuracy, and satellite signals, and record movement in real-time. You can log positions as observation points or track movements over time to analyze routes and playback past paths.

3️⃣ Import, Export, and Share GNSS Data 📥📤 Review historical movements by importing NMEA files, then replay the recorded track in ArcGIS Earth. Export GNSS observations and tracks as KML files or share them to your organization’s GIS portal for further analysis and collaboration.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Customize Location Display – Enable speed, altitude, and positional accuracy for real-time situational awareness. 2️⃣ Optimize Fieldwork – Combine offline basemaps with GNSS tracking to ensure seamless navigation in remote areas. 3️⃣ Analyze Past Movements – Replay recorded tracks or import NMEA logs to review field activities and historical routes.

Today was Hamer’s first day of school for the new semester. She woke up early and prepared a lot of things on her own.

During the day, I focused on work and finally started diving in new feautres.

Hamer spent the evening organizing her supplies until 9:30 PM. After losing a shirt and feeling exhausted, she fell asleep. Later, I noticed she had left some books for her classes. When I reminded her, she became upset and cried, fearing I would take them. I comforted her and had her finish organizing, but she remained upset and eventually fell asleep at her desk.

Seeing her so sad made me feel guilty, realizing I had overlooked her feelings and needs.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth’s Movie Tool lets you create professional-quality animated videos using geospatial data, camera effects, and environmental settings. With an intuitive interface and advanced editing tools, ArcGIS Earth Movie turns GIS storytelling into a seamless experience, whether you’re showcasing urban development, environmental changes, or GIS analysis.

🛠️ How to Create a Movie in ArcGIS Earth:

1️⃣ Capture Key Scenes for Your Movie 🎬📌 Use Bookmarks or manually navigate to define keyframes in your animation. Choose from Fly-To, Rotate, or Zoom effects to control the camera motion, ensuring smooth scene transitions.

2️⃣ Customize Animation and Effects 🎞️✨ Enhance your movie by adding daylight changes, underground views, basemaps, elevation exaggeration, and markers. Adjust speed, transitions, and camera paths to create professional-quality animations.

3️⃣ Export High-Quality Videos for Sharing 📤🚀 Once finalized, export your ArcGIS Earth movie as a high-quality video file. Share it with stakeholders, decision-makers, or the public to communicate geographic insights effectively.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Use dynamic markers (GIFs, videos, and billboards) to make your scenes more engaging. 2️⃣ Enhance storytelling with in-app voice-over recording for real-time narration. 3️⃣ optimize export time and video clarity from Efficiency, Balanced, or Quality modes.

In the morning, Hamer made breakfast for us. She cut apples, brewed coffee, and kneaded dough, thoroughly enjoying the process. She looked adorable in her apron, completely immersed in preparing the meal. Later, she finished hand-copying her poster and eagerly anticipated visiting my office—mainly to pick up her beloved My Melody stationery.

In the afternoon, she broke down over the workload, but I reassured her, and she eventually completed everything.

At night, she excitedly unboxed her package, we ate instant noodles, and we laughed at a comedy show. Now, she’s fully prepared for the new semester tomorrow.

In the morning, we accompanied Xiaoyan to renew her passport, which was quick and hassle-free.

Instead of visiting the crowded Yonghe Temple, we explored the Confucius Temple and Imperial College, which she visited for the first time. Lunch at La Casa Verde was delightful—spacious and delicious. The “Deep Water, Danger!” sign in a dry lake amused her. After playing in the park, we napped until 6 PM

In the evening, we worked together to organize Hamer’s school prep, sorting through materials and working on time-consuming hand-copied posters.

Today, I finally completed my Performance Review and felt the relief of Friday.

Hamer seemed better in the morning but still wasn’t feeling well during the day.

In the evening, Xiaoyan and I went to a live house event featuring Taylor Swift’s greatest hits. The music was captivating, and we had a great time. However, on the subway ride home, I unintentionally said something that completely ruined the mood of the night.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth supports App Links, allowing you to launch the app from a hyperlink, web service, or external application. You can open specific locations, web services, or portal items instantly, making App Links a powerful tool for field operations, GIS dashboards, and collaboration across desktop and mobile platforms.

🛠️ How to Use App Links in ArcGIS Earth:

1️⃣ Open ArcGIS Earth with a Custom URL 🌍🔗 Launch ArcGIS Earth directly using earth.arcgis.app on Windows, Android, or iOS. Customize the URL with parameters to open predefined locations, adjust viewpoints, and set camera angles.

2️⃣ Automate Workflows with Deep Linking ⚙️🚀 Integrate ArcGIS Earth with GIS platforms, field applications, and enterprise systems by embedding App Links in dashboards, reports, and web services. Configure links to load specific portal items, tile services, or hosted layers instantly.

3️⃣ Share Direct Links for Collaboration 📤👥 Generate and share App Links to ensure consistent navigation and scene views across teams. Embed links in GIS applications, internal portals, or fieldwork reports to provide quick access to key locations and datasets.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Embed App Links in reports, dashboards, and mobile apps for one-click access. 2️⃣ Use Encoded URLs to ensure compatibility across different platforms and systems.

The day was packed with challenges. While addressing unresolved issues from yesterday, we discovered flaws. Analyzing differences in data requests from the previous version required extensive testing, which consumed most of my time.

In the afternoon, Hamer called me in tears, saying she missed me. Likely overtired from skipping her nap, she later fell asleep in a shop near my office. By evening, she felt unwell, skipped dinner, and developed a slight fever.

On our way home, the moon appeared unusually large—even grander than last night’s full moon.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth allows you to download web tile and vector tile layers for offline use, ensuring uninterrupted access to basemaps and operational layers even in remote locations. This feature is essential for fieldwork, disaster response, and mobile GIS workflows, allowing users to work without an internet connection.

🛠️ How to Download Map Tiles for Offline Use:

1️⃣ Choose a Tile Layer for Offline Use 🌍📌 Ensure the web tile or vector tile layer supports tile export before downloading. Only layers configured for offline use can be taken offline.

2️⃣ Define the Download Area and Zoom Level 🎯📏 Select the target layer, then specify the extent by dragging the handles on the map or manually entering coordinates. Adjust the Max Download Level to control the resolution and file size—higher levels provide more detail but require more storage.

3️⃣ Download and Use Offline 📥🚀 Set the download path and click Download Map Tiles to save the layer. Enable Auto Add to TOC Once Exported to have the tiles automatically appear in the Table of Contents for easy access. Once downloaded, the tiles will be used automatically when offline.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Plan Ahead – Download tiles before going offline to ensure uninterrupted access in remote locations. 2️⃣ Balance Detail & Storage – Choose an appropriate Max Download Level to avoid excessive file sizes. 3️⃣ Work Seamlessly with GPS – Combine offline maps with GPS tracking to enhance field navigation.

Today, we discovered that our previous fix for the identify issue was only partial and might not address the root cause. After discussions and testing various solutions, a late-day conversation with a colleague led me to identify and resolve the underlying problem, potentially improving related performance issues.

In the evening, Hamer called about purchasing a backpack she found on Taobao and reminded me of our planned shopping trip.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth connects directly to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise, giving you seamless access to your organization’s maps, layers, and 3D content. Whether in the field or the office, integrating with your GIS portal streamlines workflows and enhances collaboration.

🛠️ How to Connect ArcGIS Earth to ArcGIS Online & Enterprise:

1️⃣ Sign In for Instant Access 🔑🌍 Click Sign In and enter your ArcGIS Online or Enterprise credentials to unlock web maps, feature services, and 3D scene layers—no manual file imports needed.

2️⃣ Browse and Add Your Organization’s Data 📂🔎 Explore hosted feature layers, tiled basemaps, and 3D scenes from your portal. With just a few clicks, you can integrate authoritative GIS data directly into ArcGIS Earth and visualize it in 3D space.

3️⃣ Share Your Work Back to the Portal 📤✨ Export projects as KMZ files and upload them to ArcGIS Online or Enterprise, ensuring your team can access the latest updates across ArcGIS Earth, ArcGIS Pro, and Web GIS applications.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Choose the Right Authentication – ArcGIS Earth supports multiple authentication options, including Built-in, IWA, PKI, SAML, and Kerberos security. 2️⃣ Manage Multiple Portals – Use Portal Manager to add, switch, or remove ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise connections with ease. 3️⃣ Sign In via Web Browser – ArcGIS Earth allows browser-based authentication, providing an alternative to direct login methods for added flexibility.

The second workday remained busy, with meetings, debugging, and issue reporting. Two new colleagues joined the Movie project, and I resolved the “identify” bug, preparing a minimal reproducible case for submission.

In the evening, I played badminton, expecting to struggle but feeling surprisingly at ease. Later, we had dinner at Hamer’s friend Liuliu’s house, where her parents served a delicious meal with hometown specialties. The lively conversation and good food made for a delightful evening.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth’s Daylight Tool lets you visualize sunlight and shadow movement across any location at different times of the day and year. Whether you’re analyzing building shadows, planning solar energy installations, or assessing seasonal daylight impact, this tool brings a new level of realism and insight to your 3D scene.

🛠️ How to Use the Daylight Tool for Advanced Analysis:

1️⃣ Simulate Sunlight at Any Time & Date 🌞⏳ Activate the Daylight Effect and use the time slider or calendar selector to observe how the sun’s position changes throughout the day and across seasons. This is crucial for urban development, solar potential studies, and landscape design.

2️⃣ Animate Sunlight to Show Changes Over Time 🌅🎥 Enable Animate Sunlight and Shadows to visualize daily or yearly cycles. This helps analyze how shadows shift over time, which is key for protecting parks from high-rise shading, ensuring optimal daylight exposure, and improving building placement.

3️⃣ Fine-Tune Visibility with Shadows and Time Zones ☁️🕰️ Turn on Show Shadows to understand how terrain and structures interact with sunlight. Adjust the time zone for accurate sun positioning worldwide, ensuring reliable analysis for global projects.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Use daylight animation to create seasonal shadow impact studies for urban planning. 2️⃣ Bookmark specific daylight settings to compare sun angles across different seasons. 3️⃣ Adjust atmospheric effects for more realistic lighting and shading.

Returning to Beijing marked the start of a new year.

The train ride felt short for Hamer, who hadn’t slept enough. My night was restless, waking up from station noises or checking on her.

The workday was packed—clearing emails, handling invoices, picking up my passport, and debugging an identify issue.

Hamer spent the day playing with her friend. In the evening, Hamer’s friend’s parents joined us for dinner, and we had a great time chatting over the meal.

Did you know?

ArcGIS Earth’s Underground Mode allows you to explore and analyze subsurface environments, helping you visualize tunnels, mines, pipelines, and geological formations with ease. Whether for mining safety, utility inspections, or subterranean navigation, this tool provides a new dimension to GIS mapping.

🛠️ How to Use Underground Mode for Visualization & Analysis:

1️⃣ Navigate Seamlessly Below the Surface 🔍

Activate Underground Mode to make the terrain transparent and reveal subsurface features like abandoned mines, underground utilities, and geological structures. Use 3D navigation tools to move through tunnels and passageways as if you were underground.

2️⃣ Conduct Interactive Subsurface Analysis 👁️

With tools like Line of Sight, simulate what a miner, engineer, or emergency responder would see within an underground system. Visualizing sightlines in mine shafts, sewer systems, or disaster response zones ensures better situational awareness and safety planning.

3️⃣ Integrate High-Precision 3D Data for Realism 📡

Load LIDAR point clouds and 3D scene layers to enhance the accuracy of underground modeling. Detailed underground visualizations assist in mine inspections, structural integrity assessments, and environmental impact evaluations.

🚀 Pro Tips:

1️⃣ Adjust Terrain Transparency to balance surface and subsurface visibility.

2️⃣ Use Elevation Exaggeration to emphasize subtle underground formations.

3️⃣ Enhance Safety Planning by integrating mine layouts and tunnel blueprints into your scene.

After a busy day, it was time to head back to Beijing.

In the early morning, I decided to travel through Changsha instead of the original plan to Beijing. We visited Xiaoyan’s aunt at the hospital, where we were relieved to find her recovering well.

Later, Hamer and I had a great time playing with her cousin. After dinner, I visited Xiaoyan’s aunt again with her siblings.

At night, Hamer was excited to travel by sleeper train, though she was initially nervous about sleeping on the top bunk—yet fell asleep peacefully soon after.

The Last Day at Home: A Warm Farewell

This morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the weather felt perfect. I brought my uncle outside to walk and soak up the warmth.

After lunch, I took my mom and Hamer into town to buy groceries for dumplings and snacks for our train ride. In the afternoon, the sun gradually disappeared, and the air grew colder and colder.

In the evening, the whole family gathered to prepare dumplings, with the kids enthusiastically joining in.

I woke up late today after staying up watching Family Matters, making the day feel much shorter. In the morning, my dad kept calling for me repeatedly, which frustrated me.

In the afternoon, I napped while Hamer went to town with her aunt, returning happily with new toys. Later, I struggled while changing my uncle’s bandages and discussed adjustments with my dad.

The day ended warmly with a family dinner, bringing back a comforting sense of togetherness.