Windows Installation Prerequisites

Main Steps

The main steps to obtain the Geocortex Mobile App Framework for Windows are:

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK license.

The Geocortex Mobile App Framework ships with an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license that is registered to VertiGIS. To allow offline editing using the App, you must obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code. If you are not going to support offline editing, but you want the App to be associated with a license that is registered to your organization instead of to VertiGIS, you must obtain your own ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license.
Obtain the installation package.

You can either download the package from the VertiGIS Studio Support or obtain a customized package from VertiGIS Studio Support.
Manually customize the downloaded installation package (optional).

If you want, you can manually customize some aspects of the Geocortex Mobile App Framework for Windows before distributing it.

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK License

Certain offline features require the App to be licensed using an ArcGIS Runtime SDK license.

There are two kinds of ArcGIS Runtime SDK license:

Basic: Allows users to use offline basemaps, global search, query, filter, identify, and view related features offline. The Basic license does not allow users to do offline editing.
Standard: Required for offline editing.

As of version 2.0 of Geocortex Mobile App Framework, offline editing uses Esri's Replicas technology, which requires a Standard license code.

By default, the Geocortex Mobile App Framework is licensed using a Basic license that is registered to VertiGIS. To obtain your own license, you can either request the license from Esri, or you can become a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer. ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard licensing is built into Portal for ArcGIS and ArcGIS Online.

If you use Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online licensing, the user must sign in as a Level 2 Named User to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online at least once every 30 days to maintain the Standard license. If the user fails to sign in after 30 days, functionality will be reduced to the equivalent of a Basic license until the user signs in again. Level 1 Named Users are equivalent to those with a Basic license.

The options for licensing the App with the ArcGIS Runtime SDK are:

Basic License:
- Use the Preconfigured Basic License: By default, the Geocortex Mobile App Framework is licensed using a Basic license that is registered to VertiGIS. You are welcome to use the preconfigured license.
- Obtain your Own Basic License: If you want the App to be associated with a Basic license that is registered to your organization instead of to VertiGIS and you are not a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you must obtain your own Basic license. The Basic license is free to subscribers of ArcGIS for Developers.
- Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 1 Named User: If you are, or would like to become, a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you can use the Basic License that comes with being a Level 1 Named User to license the App.
Standard License:
- Obtain a Standard License Code: If you are going to support offline editing and you are not a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you must obtain a Standard license code.
- Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 2 Named User: If you are going to support offline editing and you are, or would like to become, a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online customer, you can use the Standard license that comes with being a Level 2 Named User to license the App.

For more information about obtaining an ArcGIS Runtime SDK license, refer to Esri's "License your app" documentation.

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic License

The Geocortex Mobile App Framework is preconfigured with a Basic license belonging to VertiGIS. You only need to obtain a Basic license if you want the App to be associated with your Client ID, instead of the VertiGIS Client ID.

To obtain a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license:

Contact your local Esri representative and request a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license. You will need the license's Client ID.

You may want to provide the license's Client ID to VertiGIS Studio Support if you decide to request a customized installation package. VertiGIS Studio Support will preconfigure the license in the installation package.

If you use the download package from the VertiGIS Studio Support instead of a customized package, and you do not manually preconfigure the license, then the license must be applied after the App is installed.

Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 1 Named User

When a Level 1 Named User signs in to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online, the Basic license is automatically activated. No other steps are required.

Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard License Code

To obtain a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code:

Contact your local Esri representative and purchase a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code.

You must provide the license code to VertiGIS Studio Support if you decide to request a customized installation package. VertiGIS Studio Support will preconfigure the license in the installation package.

If you use the download package from the VertiGIS Studio Support instead of a customized package, and you do not manually preconfigure the license, then the license must be applied after the App is installed.

Sign in as a Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online Level 2 Named User

When a Level 2 Named User signs in to Portal for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Online, the Standard license is automatically activated. No other steps are required.

Obtain the Installation Package

There are two ways to obtain a Geocortex Mobile App Framework for Windows installation package:

Request a Customized Package: Request a customized package from VertiGIS Studio Support (recommended):
- Request a Multi-Viewer Package: If you want end users to be able to select which viewer to open, request a multi-viewer package.
- Request a Single-Viewer Package: If you want a specific viewer to open automatically when the App starts, request a single-viewer package.
  
  The Geocortex Mobile App Framework for Windows does not support multiple single-viewer apps on the same device.
Download the Installation Package: Download the installation package from the VertiGIS Studio Support. The download package installs a multi-viewer App, which allows end users to select which viewer to open when the App starts.

If you want, you can manually customize some aspects of the downloaded package before you distribute it, specifically:

Benefits of Customized Installation Packages

The customized installation packages that you obtain from VertiGIS Studio Support offer the following benefits:

Customize the appearance of the App, such as the icon, name, and splash screen.
Preregister the App with Essentials, so it does not need to be registered after installation on the end user's device. Alternatively, you can manually preregister the App by editing the configuration file.
Preconfigure the ArcGIS Runtime SDK license, so the license does not have to be applied after installation on the end user's device. Alternatively, you can manually preconfigure the ArcGIS Runtime SDK license by editing the configuration file.
Customize the App's data storage location. Alternatively, you can manually customize the App's data storage location by manually editing the configuration file.
Use the App in a Mobile Device Management (MDM) software environment.

While the Geocortex Mobile App Framework is not specifically tested to work with Mobile Device Management (MDM) software, VertiGIS Studio Support endeavors to help customers run the App in an MDM environment. If you cannot run the App with your particular MDM, we will try to find a solution in a reasonable time frame.

Request a Customized Multi-Viewer Package

This option allows users to select which viewer to open.

To obtain a customized package that supports multiple viewers:

Send the following information to VertiGIS Studio Support ():

Required Information
- Platforms: The platforms (Android, iOS, Windows) for which you want customized versions.
- Standard License Code: If you obtained a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code so you can support offline editing, send VertiGIS Studio Support the license code.
- MDM Type: The type of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software you intend to use, if applicable.
Optional Information
- Essentials URL: The URL of your Essentials instance, for example:
  
  http://MyServer.com/Geocortex/Essentials
  
  If you do not submit the Essentials URL, users will be prompted to enter it the first time they start the App.
- Name: The App name, to customize your App.
- Icon: The App icon, to customize your App.
- Image: The splash screen images, to customize your App.
- ArcGIS Client ID from Basic License: If you are going to license the App using a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license, and you want the App to be associated with your ArcGIS Client ID instead of a VertiGIS Client ID, send VertiGIS Studio Support your Client ID.
- Data Storage Location: A customized location for the App to store data.

Request a Customized Single-Viewer Package

This option automatically opens a specific viewer when the Geocortex Mobile App Framework starts.

To request a customized package that supports a single viewer:

Send the following information to VertiGIS Studio Support ():

Required Information
- Platforms: The platforms (Android, iOS, Windows) for which you want customized versions.
- Launch URL: The URL from the viewer's Launch in Geocortex Mobile App Framework link. For example:
  
  gcx://viewerPackage?url=http://MyServer.com/Html5Viewer/gmaf/viewerpackage.ashx?viewerUrl=http://MyServer.com/Geocortex/Essentials/REST/sites/MySite/viewers/MyViewer
  
  This link appears on the Viewer Info page when you edit your HTML5 viewer in Essentials. You can right-click the link to copy the link's URL.
- Standard License Code: If you obtained a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Standard license code so you can support offline editing, send VertiGIS Studio Support the license code.
- MDM Type: The type of Mobile Device Management (MDM) software you intend to use, if applicable.
Optional Information
- Name: The App name, to customize your App.
- Icon: The App icon, to customize your App.
- Image: The splash screen images, to customize your App.
- ArcGIS Client ID from Basic License: If you are going to license the App using a ArcGIS Runtime SDK Basic license, and you want the App to be associated with your ArcGIS Client ID instead of a VertiGIS Client ID, send VertiGIS Studio Support your Client ID.
- Data Storage Location: A customized location for the App to store data.

Download the Software

Instead of downloading the installation package, you can request a customized package from VertiGIS Studio Support. Customized packages provide a number of benefits.

To download the Geocortex Mobile App Framework installation package from the VertiGIS Studio Support:

Open the Geocortex Essentials Downloads page in the VertiGIS Studio Support.
If prompted, log in with your Support account credentials.

If you do not have a Support account, click the link to create an account.
Find the Geocortex Mobile App Framework section.

Information is displayed about the current version of the Geocortex Mobile App Framework for Windows, with download and documentation links.

To download a previous version, click Previous Versions and find the version you want.
Click Geocortex Mobile App Framework 2.3.2 (Windows).

The ZIP file downloads.

You can manually customize some aspects of the downloaded package if you want.

Manually Customize the Downloaded Installation Package

If you downloaded the installation package from the VertiGIS Studio Support, you may want to customize parts of the App by manually editing the configuration file. Manual customization allows you to:

Manually change the installation package into a single-viewer package
Manually preconfigure the ArcGIS Runtime SDK license
Manually preregister the App with Essentials
Manually customize the App's data storage location

At this time, to customize the appearance of the App, such as the icon, name, and splash screen, you must obtain a customized version from VertiGIS Studio Support.

Manually Change the Installation Package into a Single-Viewer Package

The installation package that you download from the VertiGIS Studio Support allows multiple viewers. If you want the App to work with only a single viewer, you can either obtain a customized version or follow the steps below.

To create a single-viewer package:

Extract the files from the downloaded ZIP file.
In the root folder where you extracted the files, edit the configuration.json file.

Never edit a Geocortex configuration file when the application that it configures is running, or you may lose data. Close the application first.
Locate the mainUri property and set its value to {0}/viewerpackages/MyViewer/Html5Viewer/Index.html?configBase=../VirtualDirectory/Resources/Config/Default.

Replace MyViewer with the name of the viewer you want to use, as it appears in the viewer's Path. To see a viewer's Path, edit the viewer in Geocortex Essentials Manager and look on the Viewer Info page.
```
{
    ....
    "mainUri": "{0}/viewerpackages/MyViewer/Html5Viewer/Index.html?configBase=../VirtualDirectory/Resources/Config/Default",
    ...
}
```
Within the defaultViewers array, add an object that represents the viewer you want to use:
```
{
    ...
    "defaultViewers": [
        ....
        {
            "directoryName": "MyViewer",
            "uri": "Html5Viewer/Index.html?configBase=../VirtualDirectory/Resources/Config/Default",
            "packageSource": "http://MyServer.com/Html5Viewer/gmaf/viewerpackage.ashx?viewerUrl=http://MyServer.com/Geocortex/Essentials/REST/sites/MySite/viewers/MyViewer"
        }
        ...
    ],
    ...
}
```
1. Set the directoryName property to the name of the viewer as it appears in the viewer's Path.
  
  The Path is on the Viewer Info page when you edit the viewer in Geocortex Essentials Manager.
2. Set the uri property to Html5Viewer/Index.html?configBase=../VirtualDirectory/Resources/Config/Default.
3. Set the packageSource property to the viewerPackage URL, which is contained within the viewer's Launch in Geocortex Mobile App Framework link.
  
  The Launch in Geocortex Mobile App Framework link is on the Viewer Info page when you edit the viewer in Geocortex Essentials Manager. Right-click the launch link to copy its URL. The viewerPackage URL is found after gcx://viewerPackage?url= in the launch link.
Save the file.

Manually Preconfigure the ArcGIS Runtime SDK License

There are two types of ArcGIS Runtime SDK license you can configure: Basic and Standard. For details, see Obtain an ArcGIS Runtime SDK License.

To preconfigure the ArcGIS Runtime SDK license:

Extract the files from the downloaded ZIP file if you haven't already.
In the root folder where you extracted the files, use a text editor to open the configuration.json file.

Never edit a Geocortex configuration file when the application that it configures is running, or you may lose data. Close the application first.
Configure the license information:
- Basic License: If you have a Basic license and you want to associate the App with your ArcGIS Client ID instead of a VertiGIS Client ID, locate the arcgisClientId attribute, and change its value to your Client ID. For example:
```
{
    ...
    "arcgisClientId": "MyClientId"
    ...
}
```
- Standard License: If you have a Standard license, locate the arcgisRuntimeLicense attribute, and change its value to your ArcGIS Runtime SDK license code. For example:
```
{
    ...
    "arcgisRuntimeLicense": "runtimestandard,101,rux00000,none,XXXXXXX"
    ...
}
```
Save the file.

Manually Preregister the App with Essentials

To preregister the App with Essentials:

Extract the files from the downloaded ZIP file if you haven't already.
In the root folder where you extracted the files, use a text editor to open the configuration.json file.

Never edit a Geocortex configuration file when the application that it configures is running, or you may lose data. Close the application first.

Locate the essentialsInstance property:

    "essentialsInstance": "http://MyServer.com/Geocortex/Essentials/REST",

Set the value of the essentialsInstance property to the URL of your Essentials instance.
Save the file.

Manually Customize the App's Data Storage Location

By default, the Geocortex App stores data in C:\Users\MyUserName\Documents\Geocortex App Data. Customizing the data storage location allows multiple Windows users of the same device to share TPK files, while retaining their own settings, including the list of viewers.

If you change the App data storage location, any existing data such as your TPK files are not moved automatically.

To customize the App's data storage location:

Extract the files from the downloaded ZIP file if you haven't already.
In the root folder where you extracted the files, use a text editor to open the configuration.json file.

Never edit a Geocortex configuration file when the application that it configures is running, or you may lose data. Close the application first.
Locate the storageLocation property and set its value to the location where you want the App to store data. Add a backslash before each backslash in the specified location, otherwise the App will not work. For example:
```
    "storageLocation": "C:\\MyAppData",
```
Ensure the specified location is accessible to all users of the App, otherwise the default location is used. If the specified location does not exist, the App attempts to create it.
Save the file.

What's next?

Windows Server-side Tasks