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What's new in ArcGIS StoryMaps on ArcGIS Enterprise

11.4 (November 2024)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 11.4 release:

New storytelling features and enhancements

  • Create templates (beta) to share storytelling patterns.
  • Add videos to express map pop-ups.
  • Show the date on collection covers.
  • Create a theme from one of the standard themes.
  • Choose to keep pop-ups open in your web maps.
  • Include closed captions for uploaded videos.
  • Map tour locations now have tooltips.
  • Browse between images in an image gallery in an expanded, full-screen view.
  • Present collection items on a map (beta).
  • Express map pins have an added border color to improve visibility.
  • Story covers can be hidden through a check box in the story settings.
  • Media action links can be added to text selections.
  • Web scenes support time! Scenes and scene slides with a time extent can be used in a story or briefing to show a specific time or time range. Time is honored when placing a scene or configuring a media action. Also, the time animation widget is available for scenes with time-enabled layers.
  • Text alignment can be set on the minimal cover.
  • The interactive option is available when embedding Survey123 Forms and Dashboards in sidecar narrative panels.
  • Codepen and Soundcloud links can be embedded in sidecar media panels.
  • The Keep pop-up open map setting supports map image layers.
  • Upload an image to use as an express map base layer (beta).

Briefing enhancements

  • Add image galleries, code blocks, and table blocks to briefings.
  • Undo/redo is available in the briefing builder.
  • Double-click the header when viewing a briefing to enter full-screen view.
  • The briefing slide heading shortcut has been changed to '#'.
  • Create a briefing with a StoryMap Theme already applied from the theme's ArcGIS item page.
  • Authors can enable analytics in briefings.
  • Briefings have an improved layout and are easier to navigate when viewed in portrait orientation on a phone.
  • The Start a new briefing action is available on the Themes page.

11.3 (May 2024)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3 release:

New storytelling features and enhancements

  • Allow others to duplicate your stories, collections, and themes.
  • Disable web search indexing for stories and collections.
  • Add links to inline images and images in galleries within stories.
  • Easily create links to headings within a story.
  • Include the source of a quote with a new optional field.
  • Code can be added to the sidecar media panel.
  • Add tables to your stories.
  • Add briefings to a collection.
  • Pop-ups can be docked in web maps and scenes.
  • Choose to display the current date on your story or briefing.
  • Add button-style media actions to a sidecar (ENH-000147038).
  • Individual options to show a logo on the cover or header are available in the Design panel in the story, briefing, and collection builders.

Briefing enhancements

  • Briefings is no longer in beta.
  • Autoplay a briefing.
  • Print a briefing.
  • Copy and share a direct link to a briefing slide.
  • Briefing slides can be duplicated.
  • Adjust the text size in briefings.
  • Create links to web pages and other briefing slides.
  • Navigate through a briefing using the arrow keys, the PageUp / PageDown keys, or a slide remote accessory.
  • New briefing slide layouts: single panel and double panel without title, section title, and media-only.
  • Set alternative media to represent maps and embedded content for offline viewing of briefings, including in the ArcGIS Briefings app.
  • Content can be swapped between panels on double panel slides.
  • Edit a slide's display title to change how it is shown in the Table of Contents.
  • Show the date on a briefing's cover.

11.2 (November 2023)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 11.2 release:

New storytelling features and enhancement

  • Create briefings. Briefings (beta) are a new content type that allow you to combine maps, media, and other information for your audience in a slide-based presentation format.
  • Undo and redo are available in story builder.
  • Share code snippets in a story and provide syntax highlighting in several supported programming languages.
  • New text formatting capabilities are available, such as a third heading size, strikethrough formatting, and the ability to set the alignment of headings.
  • Use Adobe Analytics to collect information about reader engagement.
  • Rotate and flip photos with the image editor (beta).
  • A shortcut guide has been added to the Help menu.
  • Inline images have a new option to fit the image to the screen height.
  • Accessibility enhancements have been implemented throughout ArcGIS StoryMaps in the areas of keyboard navigation, focus management, and screen reader support.

Mapping

  • Include an overview map to provide additional context to a web map.
  • Add lists in manually created tours.
  • HTML tags for line breaks (br), paragraphs (p), lists (ol, ul, li), and formatting (b, i) are supported in map tours created from feature layers.
  • Add alternative text to a map tour map.

Collections

  • Collections have a new, longer description that can include links and formatted text.
  • Customize the summaries for items in a collection when using the Journal layout.
  • Hide the Get started button and Collection heading in a collection.
  • Collections have their own item type name and icon to differentiate them from stories in an ArcGIS Enterprise portal.

11.1 (April 2023)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1 release:

New storytelling features and enhancements

  • Slideshow has been upgraded to a sidecar layout and inherits features such as map actions, inline and background audio, flexible content arrangements in the narrative panel, and more.
  • Filmstrip layout is available for image gallery.
  • The story builder's full-page publishing screen improves visibility of important options.
  • Publishing workflow includes the option to disable updates to a story's ArcGIS item details.
  • Contrast checker helps improve accessibility when choosing colors in story builder.
  • Image editing enables you to crop and add markup to images (beta).
  • Add a consent message that displays to readers for stories that use Google Analytics.
  • Readers can copy and share links that point directly to a story heading.

Mapping

  • Images in data-driven map tours can use fit or fill positioning. You can also choose to use images specified by URL (instead of attachments) and set image attribution and alternative text from information in feature layer fields.
  • Map tours have new options to show tour progress lines and configure place numbering.
  • Readers can interact with floor-aware maps.

Themes

  • The default basemap for express maps and map tours can be configured as part of a theme.
  • Contrast checker helps improve accessibility of theme colors.

Collections

  • Collections can be autoplayed.
  • Collection settings are available to set the language and control visibility of the share menu.

11.0 (July 2022)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 release:

New storytelling features and enhancements

  • An enhanced experience for working with text, including superscript and subscript, nested lists, formatting shortcuts, easier hyperlink configuration, the ability to drag text blocks and reorder them, and more.
  • Customize the title, description, and thumbnail shown when a story is shared on social media.
  • Entire immersive blocks, as well as sidecar and slideshow slides containing an express map, can be duplicated.
  • Audio clips and buttons can be added to map tour place descriptions.
  • The block palette and many other builder components have an updated design.

Mapping

  • Express maps can be used with map actions and in swipe blocks.
  • 3D mode is available for map tours.
  • A new map tour can use a basemap in any projection.
  • The legend can be pinned open.
  • A time animation widget is available for time-enabled maps.

Themes

  • Published themes can be kept private or shared to your organization and groups.
  • Browse and use themes that have been shared to you through your organization or groups.
  • It's easier to set and work with approved themes.

Collections

  • Images, videos, and PDFs can be added to a collection.
  • Add a story, app, or web page to a collection using its link.

More improvements

  • Stories, collections, and themes can be shared through distributed collaboration.
  • Action buttons on StoryMap item pages indicate whether the item is a story or collection.
  • StoryMap Theme item pages have a Share button and action buttons to create a new story or collection.
  • Language support for Bulgarian has been added.

10.9.1 (November 2021)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9.1 release:

New storytelling features and enhancements

  • The new timeline block has been added with three layouts: Waterfall, Single side, and Condensed.
  • Use an ArcGIS feature service to populate your map tour.
  • Audio clips and buttons can be added to map tour place descriptions.
  • The color picker is available in the text formatting toolbar.
  • Configure the story language in the story settings to improve readers' experience when using web browser translation tools and assistive technologies.

Themes

  • Theme builder is available to create custom themes.
  • Use fonts from Google Fonts in a theme.
  • Administrators can configure approved themes for organization members.

Collections

  • Two new layouts: Magazine and Journal.
  • Add ArcGIS Survey123 forms to a collection.

More improvements

  • Many more enhancements, bug fixes, and performance improvements have been made for a better storytelling and reading experience.

10.9 (May 2021)

ArcGIS StoryMaps includes the following updates as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9 release:

New storytelling features and enhancements

  • The new slideshow block presents a series of media with narrative content in a floating panel.
  • The new swipe block compares two maps or images.
  • With the explorer layout for map tour, readers can browse a large set of places in grid or list view.
  • Create a map tour by uploading a set of photos.
  • Use photo geotags to locate map tour places.
  • Add audio (.mp3 and .wav files) in the body of the story as a block or as background audio in sidecar slides.
  • Transparent panel styles are available in the floating panel layout of the sidecar.
  • An option to replace media is available for images and videos.
  • You have greater control over video playback options such as autoplay and loop for uploaded videos.
  • A new large paragraph style is available from the text formatting toolbar.
  • Add sidecar and credits headings as story navigation links.

Mapping

  • Choose from a larger selection of basemaps for express maps and map tours, or use a web map from your content, favorites, groups, organization or from ArcGIS Living Atlas.
  • Circle and rectangle drawing tools are available in express maps.
  • A visual color picker is available in the express map designer.
  • Add link-style map actions to text in a sidecar narrative panel.

Collections

  • Two new navigation options: Tabbed and bulleted.
  • Add ArcGIS file types such as images or PDF.
  • Add a logo to a collection.

Collaboration

  • Coauthors can publish changes to stories and collections.
  • Publish stories and collections to shared update groups.

More improvements

  • Many accessibility updates have been made to improve keyboard navigation and screen reader experiences.
  • Many more enhancements, bug fixes, and performance improvements have been made for a better storytelling and reading experience.

10.8.1 (July 2020)

This is the first release of ArcGIS StoryMaps on ArcGIS Enterprise. The following capabilities are included as part of the ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 release:

  • Use the new unified ArcGIS StoryMaps builder to create stories and collections.
  • Add images, videos, web maps, web scenes, and embeds to your stories.
  • Create express maps directly within the story builder.
  • Add sidecar and guided tour immersive blocks.