My day was challenging as I faced issues converting strings to Geometry while adding a stream service via JSON. It consumed my entire day, and I even skipped lunch. After rewriting a class to manually implement the FromJson and ToJson methods, the problems were resolved.
Additionally, with my colleagues' help, we successfully connected to the on-premises version of S123, which was a relief.
2025-02-26 TIL: Quid Pro Quo and Self-Adhesive Label Stickers
/ˌkwɪd prəʊ ˈkwəʊ/
Also known as index paper, self-adhesive label stickers were originally coated with glue, requiring users to lick them before sticking them to ledger pages or documents for notes or numbering. This practice led to the name 口取纸, which refers to licking before use.
Did you know?
ArcGIS Earth allows you to add and customize labels to improve map clarity and interpretation. Whether you’re labeling cities, infrastructure, or geographic features, using clear, well-styled labels enhances your spatial analysis and presentation.
🛠️ How to Apply and Customize Labels in ArcGIS Earth:
1️⃣ Enable Labels for Your Data 📍🔤 Right-click a supported layer in the Table of Contents, select Labeling, and click Enable Labeling to turn on visibility. KML users can now label lines and polygons with a simple toggle switch in the Layer Properties window.
2️⃣ Configure Label Properties for Clarity 🎛️ In the Labeling Properties window, choose which attribute field to display, control placement relative to features, and prioritize key labels for better readability.
3️⃣ Customize Label Appearance for Better Readability 🎨 Adjust font, size, color, halo, and background transparency to ensure labels clear over different basemaps and terrain.
🚀 Pro Tips:
1️⃣ Label KML Lines & Polygons Easily – No more workarounds! Just use the Label toggle switch in Layer Properties to turn KML labels on/off. 2️⃣ Enhance Readability – Apply halo effects and backgrounds to make labels stand out over complex maps.
This morning, after dropping off Hamer, I arrived at the office early to work on the Stream Service’s add and save functionalities, making significant progress.
In the evening, I enjoyed a relaxed badminton session. Hamer called to ask permission to dine out with classmates; despite my initial hesitation, she made the decision to join them, responsibly consulting us beforehand.
2025-02-25 TIL: On-Premises Software and NewsNow
On-premises software is installed and runs on computers within the premises of the person or organization using the software, rather than at a remote facility such as a server farm or the cloud (SaaS).
Elegant real-time news reading.
Did you know?
ArcGIS Earth provides powerful symbology tools for clearer spatial analysis and data visualization. Whether tracking public health trends, environmental changes, or demographic data, choosing the right symbology enhances insights and decision-making—in both 2D and 3D.
🛠️ How to Apply Symbology in ArcGIS Earth:
1️⃣ Choose the Right Symbology 🎛️ Right-click a feature layer, select Symbology, and pick the method that best represents your data:
2️⃣ Customize Symbols for Enhanced Visualization 🎨 Modify color, transparency, classification, and stroke properties to refine your map’s clarity. Adjust symbol size and style to highlight key insights.
3️⃣ Use 3D Symbol Extrusion for Deeper Analysis 📊 Extrude points, lines, or polygons to represent numerical attributes in 3D, making spatial relationships more apparent. This technique is ideal for tracking pandemic cases, visualizing urban expansion, or modeling elevation changes.
🚀 Pro Tips:
1️⃣ Track Changes Over Time – Use graduated colors and 3D extrusion to visualize trends such as COVID-19 spread, pollution levels, or deforestation rates. 2️⃣ Standardize Symbology for Interoperability – Use Dictionary Symbology to ensure consistent representation across defense, emergency response, and security operations. 3️⃣ Create Custom Symbology – Import mobile style files (.stylx) to define unique symbology styles that fit your organization’s needs.
2025-02-24 TIL: One for the Money Rhyme and Its Use in Popular Music
“One for the Money” is an English-language rhyme. Children have used it as early as the 1820s to count before starting a race or other activity.
The full rhyme reads:
One for the money,
Two for the show;
Three to make ready,
And four to go.
The rhyme has been used or referenced in popular music since the 1950s. Here is a Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0DPCAFpstp5pQneqJasAoa
This morning after Hamer woke me up, I prepared breakfast while she got ready.
Work was fragmented; I intended to work on the Stream Service feature but spent unplanned time on the S123 feature due to pending tasks and discussions.
A table tennis session with colleagues at noon left me a bit tired since I skipped my usual nap.
In the evening, Hamer hadn’t planned on doing homework, ended up working on her math assignments instead of taking a bath as intended.
Did you know?
ArcGIS Earth allows administrators to customize and share configuration settings, providing users with a predefined GIS environment that eliminates manual setup. By modifying the config.xml file, admins can preset portal connections, basemaps, GIS services, authentication settings, and UI preferences, reducing setup time and enhancing workflow efficiency across teams.
🛠️ How to Configure and Deploy Custom Settings in ArcGIS Earth:
1️⃣ Customize Configuration Files for a Tailored Experience 🛠️📂 Edit the config.xml file (located in C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Earth\bin\config.xml) to: ✔️ Preload ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise portals. ✔️ Set startup layers, basemaps, and elevation services for consistency. ✔️ Customize startup behavior, UI preferences, and security settings to align with organizational needs.
2️⃣ Share Custom Configurations Across Your Organization 🔗📤 After modifying config.xml, deploy it across your organization by replacing the default configuration during installation. This ensures users can immediately access predefined services, layers, and settings without additional setup.
3️⃣ Optimize the User Experience for Faster Adoption 🚀📊 By providing a preconfigured ArcGIS Earth environment, administrators help users focus on GIS tasks rather than setup, flattening the learning curve and streamlining workflows.
🚀 Pro Tips:
1️⃣ Standardize Portal Access – Preload ArcGIS Online & Enterprise connections to ensure seamless integration. 2️⃣ Preconfigure Workspaces – Define basemaps, layers, and datasets to maintain organizational consistency. 3️⃣ Customize UI Elements – Modify banner messages, feedback links, and acknowledgment text to align with your organization’s branding.
Xiaoyan is figuring out a way to let kids practice badminton with just one racket.
Today, Hamer and I had a busy day filled with activities.
After getting fissure sealants for Hamer’s teeth, she saw pictures of her classmates making pizza and decided to join them. Initially shy, she was encouraged by Linlin’s mom and ended up having a great time. Later, the kids played in the park for a while.
In the evening, Hamer and her classmates joined us for a badminton game, and though it started a bit chaotic, everyone gradually found their rhythm. Xiaoyan enjoyed the physical activity and plans to continue next week.
Today, Hamer made her own version of “pizza” for breakfast and was very proud of it. After depositing money in a fixed account, we went to the library.
In the afternoon, I took Hamer to dance, after which I handled errands for Xiaoyan and myself. Hamer seemed a bit disappointed when she didn’t see us after class but later shared that dancing was the most stressful part of her day. She then asked why both parents always accompany her after class.
At home, I continued learning about large language models and tidied up the house. In the evening, Hamer got excited about having her own phone, feeling grown-up.
It was freezing today, and even the short walk to drop Hamer off at school felt tough.
I worked on Stream Service support, and discussions with PE helped clarify things. In the evening, I started on S123, and after that, I got home at 8:30 PM—my first overtime this year.
I enjoyed classical music in the morning and kept my headphones on all day. At noon, I hit the gym and focused a lot on my leg muscles.
Did you know?
The ArcGIS Earth Automation API enables seamless app-to-app communication, allowing third-party applications to control navigation, automate tasks, and manage workflows. Introduced in ArcGIS Earth 1.6 and enhanced with a RESTful API in ArcGIS Earth 1.11, this API provides a fast, reliable, and extensible way to integrate ArcGIS Earth into enterprise GIS systems.
🛠️ How to Use ArcGIS Earth Automation API:
1️⃣ Enable and Configure the API ⚙️📡 Activate the Automation API in Advanced Application Settings or configure it via the settings.json file. Adjust autoStart and baseUrl parameters to allow local or remote connections.
2️⃣ Control Navigation and Data Operations 🌍📂 Use the API to set camera positions, automate fly-through navigation, and load KML, KMZ, and WMS/WMTS layers. Manage workspaces dynamically by adding, updating, or removing layers via automation scripts.
3️⃣ Extend GIS Workflows with REST API Integration 🔗🚀 Integrate ArcGIS Earth with enterprise GIS platforms, web applications, or custom .NET extensions. Synchronize 3D scene views with ArcGIS Pro, capture snapshots, and enhance cross-application interactions.
🚀 Pro Tips:
1️⃣ Automate 3D Navigation – Use camera positioning and fly-through animations to create smooth GIS presentations. 2️⃣ Synchronize with ArcGIS Pro – Connect scene views between ArcGIS Earth and ArcGIS Pro for real-time geospatial analysis. 3️⃣ Use Ready-to-Use Samples – Access the sample page in Advanced Application Settings to explore the API. Check ArcGIS Earth Automation API GitHub repository for integration samples.
Finished reading: Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go by Richard Scarry 📚. The gold bug is the most attractive part when I first read it to Hamer and Yoyo. Both of them love it.
Finished reading: 春晖 by 阮筠庭 📚. This is a great bedtime book that I read with Hamer, and Hamer loves it very much.
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.
After finishing her planned workload, Hamer eagerly went to pick up her My Melody stationery package. She was beyond excited while unboxing it.
