I have been brainstorming all the different ways one can share GIS data with the public who does not own/have knowledge about the software. In bullets:
- ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Explorer Online display individual shapefiles well, but do not seem like great options for quickly displaying a finished map product from ArcMap (with all of the symbology, layering, etc. intact). One would have to essentially re-do the project in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Explorer Online, I think.
- Exporting finished maps as JPEGs or PDFs don't allow the public user to interact with data layers (turning layers on and off). Exporting as a .svg file is nice because the image is rescalable, but it still doesn't allow much interaction (I believe). I suppose I could add animation to a map product and interact with the map for the public viewer, but I'd rather give the public viewer control (and I'm brand new to animation...).
- Options like Google Earth Pro and Open Street Maps are out there, but they have flaws for displaying a finished map product.
I'll cut it off there, but my question is this: Is there a way to efficiently share a finished map product from ArcMap with the general public and have them be able to interact with the map (simple things like turning layers on and off, scrolling across the map, zooming in and out, etc.)? Is ArcGIS Online the best option?
Thank you very much in advance for any advice. I'm thinking that starting over in one of the free online products is the answer...
