The following sections summarize changes in the software at different released versions.
February 2022
Single-seat, SaaS Esri Redistricting users now have access to additional features, enhancements, and bug fixes.
ArcGIS Enterprise users can request the 2.36.6 patch for the latest release.
This release includes the following highlights:
- Export all plans in bulk— Individual users can now export all of your plans in bulk to a block equivalency text file or a shapefile.
- Group invitation expiration— Group invitations expire after 2 weeks (14 days) from when the invitation is sent. Group invitations are noted when they have expired.
- Locking or unlocking all districts— You can now lock or unlock all districts in bulk from the District Window.
- Hide or unhide all districts— You can now hide or unhide all districts in bulk from the District Window.
- Submitted plans— ArcGIS Enterprise users have additional enhancements to the submitted plans, including: publishing a submitted plan automatically as a feature layer and prefixing the feature layer name associated with submitted plans with the user's Esri Redistricting username.
- Publishing all submitted plans to ArcGIS Online— Administrators can publish all submitted plans in bulk as a feature layer to ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise.
- Admin App—Additional configurations are supported, including: additional privileges and setup and configuration file access.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
December 2021
Single-seat, SaaS Esri Redistricting users now have access to additional datasets and bug fixes.
ArcGIS Enterprise users can request the 2.36.5 patch for the latest release.
This release includes the following highlights:
- Compare compactness metrics— When two plans are open for comparison, you can now compare the compactness metrics between two plans.
- Accept group invitations from initial log in— Rather than being required to open a district plan, you can now accept or decline group invitations from the initial Open Plan or Choose Plan Template dialog boxes when you log on to Esri Redistricting.
- Import the plan color theme— Use the color theme from one plan and apply it to subsequent plans.
- Add all variables within a set to a report— You can now easily add all variables or fields from a demographic set to your reports.
- 2020 Incarceration Data—2020 incarceration data for Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington are integrated into Esri Redistricting as an additional adjusted dataset to support on-the-fly calculations throughout all features and tools.
- Admin App—Additional configuration and customizations are supported, including: the ability to share plans to everyone and removing the Redistricting role when users' accesses are removed.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
October 2021
Single-seat, SaaS Esri Redistricting users now have access to additional datasets and bug fixes.
ArcGIS Enterprise users can request the 2.36.2 patch for the latest release.
This SaaS release includes the following highlights:
- 2020 Incarceration Data—2020 incarceration data for California and Virginia is integrated into Esri Redistricting as an additional adjusted dataset to support on-the-fly calculations throughout all features and tools.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
September 2021
Single-seat, SaaS Esri Redistricting users will have a seamless update of the 2.36 capabilities released to ArcGIS Enterprise users in August and a patched version 2.36.1 that contains additional enhancements and bug fixes. The SaaS Esri Redistricting software release contains the 2020 Census data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia in its entirety.
ArcGIS Enterprise users can request the 2.36.1 patch for the latest release.
This SaaS release includes the features from the August 2.36 release below and the 2.36.1 patch, which contains the following highlights:
- 2020 Census Data—The 2020 Census Data for all 50 states and the District of Columbia is now available and integrated into Esri Redistricting to support on-the-fly calculations throughout all features and tools.
- Overall Range Check—This new integrity check validates that each district is within the overall deviation range, such that the total over or under from the target deviation across all districts does not exceed the maximum deviation.
- Maximum deviation by decimal increment—The maximum deviation can now support to one-tenths percent (+/- 0.1%) to allow for more granular maximum deviation calculations.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
August 2021 (Enterprise Only)
Beginning in August, the latest Esri Redistricting 2.36 release is available to ArcGIS Enterprise users with the 2020 Census data for the purchased stated on a rolling basis, as the state data is processed and tested.
This release includes the following highlights:
- Show Themes—This new option on Print and Plan Book allows you to include thematic maps in the printed plan or in Plan Books.
- Deviation Coloring—Provides visual color indicators to the District or District label to identify whether the district is above or below the maximum deviation. You can now edit the maximum deviation within an existing plan.
- District Window—The District Window now support pagination.
- Right-click options—Additional right-click options are accessible in the context menu, including make current district, zoom to district, change color, and lock/unlock district.
- Select by Location—You can now use the tool on Towns and Census Designated Places.
- District Distribution Graph—The graph color scheme has been updated to be colorblind friendly.
- Plan attachments—You can now add attachments with up to 30 MB in size.
- SAML/Enterprise—SAML and ArcGIS Enterprise authentication methods are now supported within the application.
- Submit Plan—Additional fields have been added to the submit form to capture more information, including plan, user, and contact information.
- Admin App—Additional configuration and customizations are supported, including: feature services, home page customizations, ability to define the coordinate system for compactness tests, and application set up is now managed through the Admin App.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
June 2021 (Online Only)
The June release includes the following highlights for ArcGIS Online users:
- Show Themes—This new option on Print and Plan Book allows you to include thematic maps in the printed plan or in Plan Books.
- Deviation Coloring—Provides visual color indicators to the District or District label to identify whether the district is above or below the maximum deviation. You can now edit the maximum deviation within an existing plan.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
April 2021
The April release includes the following highlights:
- Import/Export District Name—This capability allows you to export and import fixed text files that contain a custom or modified district name.
- Publish Plan Package—Allows you to publish a plan package to ArcGIS Online that contains the map and reference data to edit the plan in ArcGIS Pro.
- Label demographic attribute—This capability allows you to display a demographic variable on the map for tracking statistics at the district level.
- ArcGIS Online integration for sharing and groups—SaaS users can now leverage ArcGIS Online groups and share plans to groups which they own or are a member. Users must be in the new Facilitator role to create shared update groups.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
February 2021 (Enterprise Only)
The February release includes the following highlights:
- Add Regions—This new feature allows you to consolidate multiple regions into a single plan.
- Join Districts—Allows you to quickly join one or more districts into the target district.
- Plan attachments enhancement—Plan attachments now support files up to 20 MB in size.
- Administration enhancements—A privilege has been created to support template plans, also called seed plans or default plans. Additional configurations are now accessible through the Administration console rather than the configuration files, such as removing user access to Esri Redistricting, customizing the homepage, defining reference layers, adding additional basemaps and various email settings.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
September 2020
The September release includes the following highlights:
- Number of Representatives—This new feature allows you to weigh districts differently and impact the target values.
- Join Districts—Allows you to quickly join one or more districts into the target district.
- Attribute table—View attributes for map image sublayers, feature services, shapefiles, or locations, use the attribute to make selections, or export attributes into a *.csv file.
- Identify enhancements—Enhanced identify capability to support external layers and services. Allows you to make assignments and choose the source district from the Identify window.
- Print enhancements—When printing a plan, you can now include a basemap, scale the map, and include padding for the border.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
June 2020
The June release includes the following highlights:
- Import Shapefile—Esri Redistricting now supports creating plans based on imported shapefiles.
- Detailed Comparison Plan Report—This new report displays detailed demographic information across two plans at the district level. A summary of block count differences are also displayed.
- Portal Integration—Supported integration with ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise for authentication, roles, privileges, and plan storage.
- Identify enhancements—Allows you to identify by searching for place or county name. You can display selection values by visible demographics, zoom to selection, and make assignments.
- Thematic Map enhancements—Themes now includes the ability to change the appearance of thematic maps and thematic maps can include one or two demographic labels.
- Save enhancements—When saving a plan, you can now include the current map extent, themes, and layers. Upon reopening the plan, the extent and services are preserved.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
November 2019
The November release includes the following highlights:
- Multiple source geography selections—Esri Redistricting now supports plans based on multiple counties or places (cities and towns). You can choose non-contiguous counties and places as the foundation of your redistricting plans.
- Regional plans—Allows you to remove any unassigned geographies from the map to focus redistricting efforts at a regional level.
- View tab—Contains new tools for defining the number of districts, displaying the target values, district colors, swapping districts, modifying districts, regional view, and district window.
- District Window placement—Ability to move the District Window to another screen or placed separately from the Esri Redistricting Online application.
- Name a plan in the start-up wizard—You can now easily save plans during the plan creation wizard.
- Import plan in the start-up wizard—Ability to import Fixed Text Format plans from the start-up wizard.
- Updated thematic maps—Streamlined access and consolidation of predefined themes and configurable themes. Improvements to thematic capabilities, legend, transparency, population totals, and customizable breaks.
- Single-color district lines—Ability to visualized districts as a single color, using the Unassigned color.
- Improved Print, Quick Print, and Plan Book generation—Ability to view halos on annotations, improved legend and map element placement on Print, Quick Print, and Plan Books.
- Additional reporting options—Ability to generate Comparison and Comparison Detailed Reports.
- Basemap enhancements—Supports up to 12 different basemaps from ArcGIS Online.
- Various bug fixes—Addressed various bug fixes in the application for improved user experience and capabilities.
September 2018
The September release includes the following highlights:
- JavaScript migration—Esri Redistricting now supports both Flex and JavaScript. Users can log in to both version of the app to access their Esri Redistricting account. The Flex version of the application enters extended support.
- Plan and user management capabilities—Plan and user management now supported through ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise.
- Publish a Feature Layer—Esri Redistricting now supports publishing plans to ArcGIS Online as a feature layer.
July 2011
The July release includes the following highlights:
- Email ability for reports, archives, and printed plans—You can now send reports, archives, and printed plans to yourself and other recipients via email.
- Upload and modify shapefiles—Users can modify shapefile added data (point, line, polygon) symbology, transparency, and scale dependency and manage these settings from the Map Contents panel after the data is imported. You can now import shapefiles up to 2GB.
- Print map services—You can now print services added to the district plan map.
- Persisted navigation tools— Navigation tools are now always visible in the application. You can access the navigation tools on the slider bar.
- Enhancements to plans displayed in ArcGIS.com Viewer—Published plans to ArcGIS.com now reflect the Unassigned district. You can also see an HTML pop-up in the ArcGIS.com Viewer with the district demographics and a demographic histogram.
- Enhancements to Split Precinct Report—Split Precinct report can now be run without creating a plan with a VTD hierarchy. District population percentages added to VAP Report. Split City Report now properly indicates city splits between districts, not just counties as before.
- Chart enhancements—Plan Histogram base value can be adjusted. You can now export chart images.
- Open Dialog box now supports Open Local plans—You can now Open Local from the Open dialog box.
- Interface enhancements to show the selected tool—The pointer now reflects the tool selected.
- Software version now visible—The software version is now easily visible from the application interface.
May 2011
The May release includes the following highlights:
- VTD assignments—VTD assignments are now supported for counties and cities.
- Demographic organization by demographic set—Demographic sets are now grouped in the Demographics window.
- ArcGIS Online map services—You can add map services to Esri Redistricting that are not publicly exposed.
- Interface enhancements—New workflow-based tab layout (Learn, Create, Review, Share).
- Plan ID displayed on the Open Plan dialog box—Plan ID displayed on the Open Plan dialog box to help you easily locate plans.
- New Report options—New reports include Compactness Report, Assigned District Split Report, and Bill Text Report.
- Integrity Test enhancements—New Maximum Deviation check added to the Integrity Test. Connectivity Test will not fail due to islands (only mainland considered). Connectivity Test will indicate and navigate to the connectivity breaks.
- Demographic variables incorporated to charts—District Distribution pie chart grouped by demographic variable category.
- Additional features for district appearances—Ability to hide/show district labels. Ability to add district total population into the district label.
- New supported basemaps—Additional basemaps supported, including Bing Maps Aerial, Road, Hybrid, and Census Tiger 2009 Map.
- Display of total mean population.
- Ability to switch the order of district names.
- Print Plan Book feature—Ability to Print Plan Book, with a separate print page for each district in a plan.
- Print element enhancement—Ability to resize the scale bar in the Print Layout.
- Persisted icons—New persisted icons for New, Open, Save, and Save As.
March 2011
The March release includes the following highlights:
- 2010 Census data available—Esri Redistricting subscribers now have access to 2010 Census data for the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Note:
The remaining state 2010 Census data will become available as the data is released. The remaining states will be updated as the data becomes available and will not be tied to a future release.
February 2011
The February release includes the following highlights:
- One and Two stage geography assignments—One-stage assignment of district boundaries is not the default assignment mode.
- Geography display/ selection level—Ability to change the minimum and maximum scale for the different geography levels.
- Select Feature by Locations—Allows you to make selected by filtering query and data layers spatially or by attribute.
- Plan Metadata—Allows you to create, view, and edit plan metadata.
- Plan Attachments—Allows you to attach documentation related to your plan.
- Plan Comments—Allows you to view and add comments to a plan.
- Plan Access Log—Allows you to view activity related to an existing plan.
- Plan Comparison—Allows you to open and compare two existing plans by identifying where boundaries have been changed.
- Plan Comparison Report—Allows you to generate a report based on the results from the plan comparison feature.
- Export—You now have the ability to export plans in a fixed text or shapefile format.