Map Positions as GIS Connection

Hi,

You are right, GIS connections and Map Positions are very different things, although in the end used in two similar solutions to show objects on a map.

There is a lot of information about this in the documentation and, even if it is long, I encourage you to read it. Here is a good starting point where you can find links to the "about" documents, or topics (at the top) as well as learn the activities involved in setting up and using GIS:

https://docs.ifs.com/ifsclouddocs/21r1/ProcessModels/Process_Model/GISMapObjectConnection.htm?StandAlone=true

We don't have as extensive information for map positions I'm afraid.

At any rate, for your question: should you connect the map positions themselves (which are already connected to assets), to GIS, using GIS connections?

My first reaction is no, don't do that, but I have not thought much about it really. But it is kind of strange. A Map Position in IFS is a quite simple thing, basically a x, y and z coordinate on earth, connected to some object via LU name and key ref. You position your objects, whatever they might be.

To then take those positions (not the objects) and connect those to GIS (giving them positions that are saved in Esri, not IFS), *feels* very strange. Why "position a position"?

I think you need to understand the requirement more, and what map positions and the GIS integration is. Possibly your customer wants to use map positions because we have certain functionality connected to those in various places (some maps and also mobile work order and scheduling), but they want the nice visualization options of GIS.

If I am right, it might be better to build some kind of integration between the two concepts, to get a solution stitched together.

So, since both map positions and GIS connections are completely generic in that you can use them for any business object, connecting a map position to GIS using a GIS connection is a quite strange thing to do...

/Mathias