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Interact with layers in the canvas

Users can easily enhance their analysis by adding layers directly to the canvas or to their project. Layers can be added from their organization’s content or from shared web maps. Once added, these layers become part of the active workspace, allowing users to visualize imagery or video alongside feature layers such as points, lines, and polygons for richer context and analysis.

The Layers List provides a centralized panel for managing and interacting with all layers in the canvas. From this panel, users can toggle layer visibility, adjust transparency, reorder layers, and access layer-specific tools or properties. This makes it easy to control how information is displayed, focus on relevant data, and dynamically refine the visual experience.

Add layers

Use the Add Layers menu allows to add layers to your map that can be used to provide additional context to the imagery or video you are viewing. The supported layer types that can be added to the map include the following:

  • ArcGIS Feature Layers

  • ArcGIS Imagery Layers

  • ArcGIS Knowledge Graph Spatial Entities (only available in ArcGIS Enterprise)

  • ArcGIS Map Image Layers

  • ArcGIS Tile Layers

  • ArcGIS Tiled Imagery Layers

  • ArcGIS Oriented Imagery Layers

  • ArcGIS Video Layers

  • Web Map Services (WMS)

  • Web Map Tile Services (WMTS)

  • Web Coverage Service (WCS)

  • Markup Layers

  • Media Layers

To add layers to a map using the Add Layer menu, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Add Layers in the canvas.

    The Add Layers window appears.

  2. Filter and sort the layer cards in the list, search layer names, select layer types, or select layers shared with your organization.

  3. Click Add next to the layer cards to add to the map.

  4. Optionally, click View more information about this item to view information about the layer and access the item details.

Change the web map to add layers

Layers can also be added by changing the web map that is being used in the canvas to one that contains additional layers. A web map can be changed in the canvas by using the Web Maps button and selecting a web map available to you. This button will not be available if you have already created a project. To change the web map in the canvas, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Web Maps in the canvas.

    The Web Maps panel appears.

  2. Filter and sort the web maps in the list, search web map names, or select web maps shared with your organization.

  3. Select a web map and click Done at the bottom of the panel.

    A dialog box appears and notifies you that the canvas will refresh with the layers in the web map you just selected. Any previous layers and work will be removed, and the canvas will update with the new layers.

Add layers from the Job Status panel

After running a tool that creates a feature layer or raster layer, the results can be added to the canvas from the Job Status panel located at the top of the page. Tools like Compute Change, NDVI, Raster Templates, Deep Learning, and Imagery Clip involve a job being submitted to the server and you can view the progress of these jobs from the Job Status panel. As a job completes, you will see a notification indicating the update and the result layer will be automatically added to the map if you remain in the canvas while the tool runs. If you leave the canvas and come back, the layers will not be automatically added but you will be able to add these layers to the canvas from the Job Status panel. To do this complete the following steps:

  1. Open the canvas or a project that contains an imagery layer.

  2. Open a tool that results in a feature layer or raster layer output, such as Compute Change, NDVI, Raster Templates, Deep Learning, or Imagery Clip.

  3. Run the tool. For more information on how to run these tools, see how to use comparison tools, use analysis tools, and use export tools.

    As the tool completes, you will see a notification appear in the Job Status menu at the top of the page. The result layer will automatically be added to the map if you remained in the canvas while the tool ran. If you leave the canvas or project while the tool is running and come back, the layer is not automatically added.

  4. To manually add the layer from the Job Status panel, click the Jobs panel button at the top of the page and click Add on the layer you want to add to your map.

    The layer is added to the map. If a job failed or was canceled, you will see more information regarding this and you will not be able to add that result layer to the map. Additionally, you can view the item details of the layer by clicking the Details button.

Turn layers on and off

Use the Layers list setting to view and interact with layers in the canvas view. Layers include the analysis layer you are connected to, its corresponding footprints, mark up and measurements, and any additional layers that are added to the canvas.

To turn layers on and off using the Layers list setting, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Layers .

    The Layers list appears with all available layers currently in the canvas. All layers are turned on as visible by default.

  2. Hover over a layer and click the Hide button to turn the layer on or off in the Map Panel and Focus Panel.

Change layer transparency

Sometimes layers are overlaid on top of imagery or the basemap, and important objects are hidden. The Layers list transparency slider allows you to alter the transparency of the layers, so you can control the visibility of each layer.

To change layer transparency using the transparency slider, complete the following steps:

  1. Click Layers .

    The Layers list appears with all available layers currently in the canvas. All layers are turned on as visible by default.

  2. Click the Edit Transparency button on a layer in the Layers list.

  3. Adjust the slider to your preference.

Zoom to a layer

Use the Zoom to Layer Extent button to focus the map on the extent of any given layer.

To zoom to a layer, do the following:

  1. Click Layers .

    The Layers list appears with all available layers currently in the canvas. All layers are turned on as visible by default.

  2. Click Options .

    Not all layers will have the Options button.

  3. Click Zoom to Layer Extent on the desired layer.

View layer details

You can view the details of layers that have been added to your project.

To view the details of a layer, do the following:

  1. Click Layers .

    The Layers list appears with all available layers currently in the canvas.

  2. Click Options Options.

  3. Click View Details .

    The item details page for the selected layer will open in a new tab.

Change the layer styling

Users can enhance visualization and analysis by styling imagery layers and video layers directly within the canvas. Excalibur provides dynamic rendering options that allow users to adjust band combinations, apply different renderers, and fine-tune display settings. These tools help bring out specific features in the imagery and video whether you are highlighting vegetation health, identifying change over time, or improving visual clarity. The option to style a layer will only be available on ArcGIS Imagery Layers, ArcGIS Tiled Imagery Layers, and ArcGIS Video Layers. Learn how to style layers.

Change the appearance of a layer

You can change the appearance of a layer to better support your analysis and visualization needs. Through the Layers List options, users can modify resampling methods, compression, gamma, and dynamic range adjustment for visual customization on imagery layers. Users can also adjust settings like brightness, contrast, and saturation on video layers. The option to change the layer appearance will only be available on ArcGIS Imagery Layers, ArcGIS Tiled Imagery Layers, and ArcGIS Video Layers. Learn how to change layer appearance.

Change the image order of an imagery layer

Image services contain one or more images that are mosaicked on the fly and behave like a single image when you browse the service. The Image Order panel can help determine the image order and how to resolve overlapping areas. This specifically becomes useful when there are multiple images over the same area. Learn how to change the image order of an imagery layer.

Open Video Layers and Oriented Imagery Layers from the Layers List

Users can quickly access content such as oriented imagery layers and video layers directly from the Layers List. Once these layers are added to the canvas, users can launch the oriented imagery viewer to explore images or open video layers to review video feeds in the video player.

To open a Video Layer or Oriented Imagery Layer from the Layers List, do the following:

  1. Click Layers .

    The Layers list appears with all available layers currently in the canvas.

  2. Click Options Options.

  3. Click Open Video to open the video player or Open Viewer to open the oriented imagery viewer.

The Focus Panel populates with the video player or oriented imagery viewer. The Video Frame and Video Clip tools are updated to use the video layer in the player. The Oriented Imagery Metadata table populates with information related to the layer set in the viewer.

  1. Click to close the Focus Panel to remove the layer from the Focus Panel.

Reorder layers

Layers that are part of the project web map can be reordered to adjust the layer ordering and visibility in the map.

To reorder layers in the map, do the following:

  1. Click Layers .

    The Layers list appears with all available layers currently in the canvas.

  2. Hover over the Reposition button and drag the layers.