First off, I typed "add custom icons to arcexplorer" in search and found nothing, so if there's other threads on this topic, please forgive me.
Second, what a great tool for people to use! Thank you ESRI!
Now down to the bones.
I've created custom icons 64 x 64 with transparent backgrounds, saved as "name of image".png and have no problem loading them one at a time to maps.
I can set them up on an offline tablet (surface pro 2), send a crew out with the tablet in airplane mode, and they can use landmarks to put a fire hydrant icon smack dab as close as most gps units can place it. They can comment on it, then create a folder for this new placemark, share the folder as either a layer package or a kmz file, put it on a thumbdrive, and voila, I can bring it up on my ArcMap, and use it to update my information, and have the icon as close as it can be until our engineering department goes out and shoots the exact spot with their gps unit.
This is working great for us! We don't have to spend money on 4g or anything for the tablets we use in the field, which means we can afford to pursue this on a large scale. Thanks for this great tool, ESRI!
But, My problem is, the custom icons are only custom for the map.nmf they are physically associated with. (with which they are associated, or whatever) No problem here. they work great! But I want them to be available specific to the program, not the map.
How can I make the custom icons available to all maps? Or can I?
Before answering, I am running build ArcMap 10.2.1.3497 and have no extra modules, etc whatever added, and want to know how to get these in explorer desktop USING explorer desktop. I say this because in searching google, I saw what looked like a way to use ArcMap's capabilities to create new styles or something, and my setup was not at all like what was mentioned in the thread I was looking at.
So, can I take the custom icons I've added to ArcExplorer Desktop 2500 on a windows surface pro 2 and make them available for each and every new map I might want to create on my surface pro without having to add each ... icon ... one ... at ... a ... time?
We want our guys in the field to be able to use this new tool to its fullest capability. Besides, there's hydrant, valve, water tank, etc etc etc icons for explorer, and I've yet to find add on icons anywhere.
Also, I've seen where you can write a script to give folders custom icons, but this has nothing to do with that.
Then there's also another problem: anything added to a custom icon, once placed, as far as comments seems lost when the icon is moved to arcmap. I try to look at any information (hydrant number, pressure, flow, was it 10 feet from the black dog or the oak tree, etc etc etc) is nowhere to be found. Can this be remedied in future builds? I've tried it in lpk and kmz files, and can't find any information. If these would carry over any comments made, it would be super helpful, thank you.
Thank you all, I hope I've explained adequately what I am trying to accomplish and am posting this in the right place.