Tutorial: Query features (spatial)

Learn how to execute a spatial query to access polygon features from a feature service.

Make a spatial query using API key authentication

A feature layer can contain a large number of features stored in ArcGIS. To access a subset of these features, you can execute an SQL or spatial query, either together or individually. The results can contain the attributes, geometry, or both for each record. SQL and spatial queries are useful when a feature layer is very large and you want to access only a subset of its data.

In this tutorial, you sketch a feature on the map and use ArcGIS REST JS to perform a spatial query against the LA County Parcels hosted feature layer. The layer contains ±2.4 million features. The spatial query returns all of the parcels that intersect the sketched feature.

Prerequisites

An ArcGIS Location Platform or ArcGIS Online account.

Get the starter app

Select a type of authentication below and follow the steps to create a new application.

You can choose one of the following to create a new CodePen:

Option 1: Complete the Display a scene tutorial; or,
Option 2: Start from the Display a scene tutorial .

Set up authentication

Create developer credentials in your portal for the type of authentication you selected.

Create a new API key credential with the correct privileges to access the resources used in this tutorial.

Go to the Create an API key tutorial and create an API key with the following privilege(s):
- Privileges
  - Location services > Basemaps
Copy the API key access token to your clipboard when prompted.

Set developer credentials

Use the API key or OAuth developer credentials created in the previous step in your application.

Add <script> elements in the HTML <body> and create an accessToken variable to store your access token. Set YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with the access token you previously copied from your API key credentials.

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  <script>

    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

  </script>
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Set the defaultAccessToken included with Cesium to authenticate requests to the ArcGIS services used in this tutorial.

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  <script>

    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

    Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;

  </script>
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In both the index.html and callback.html files, set the properties of clientId and redirectUri with the client ID and redirect URL of your OAuth credentials.

index.html
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    const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
      clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
      redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
      portal: "https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest" // Your portal URL
    })

    const accessToken = session.token;

callback.html
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    arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.completeOAuth2({
      clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
      redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
      portal: "https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest" // Your portal URL
    })

Run the app and ensure you can sign in successfully.

If you are unable to sign in, make sure you have the correct redirect URL and port. This URL varies based on your application and typically takes the format of https://<server>[:port]/callback.html or http://my-arcgis-app:/auth. For example, if you are running an application on http://127.0.0.1:5500/, set http://127.0.0.1:5500/callback.html as your redirect URL in the index.html and callback.html file and your developer credential. They all have to match!

Set the defaultAccessToken included with Cesium to authenticate requests to the ArcGIS services used in this tutorial.

index.html
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    Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;

Get a Cesium ion access token

All Cesium applications must use an access token provided through Cesium ion. This token allows you to access assets such as Cesium World Terrain in your application.

Go to your Cesium ion dashboard to generate an access token. Copy the key to your clipboard.

Create a cesiumAccessToken variable and replace YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN with the access token you copied from the Cesium ion dashboard.

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  <script>

    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

    // or

    /* Use for user authentication */
    // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
    //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
    //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
    //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
    // })

    // const accessToken = session.token;

    Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;

    const cesiumAccessToken = "YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN";

  </script>

Configure Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken with the Cesium access token to validate the application.

Use dark colors for code blocks
  <script>

    /* Use for API key authentication */
    const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

    // or

    /* Use for user authentication */
    // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
    //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
    //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
    //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
    // })

    // const accessToken = session.token;

    Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;

    const cesiumAccessToken = "YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN";

    Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken = cesiumAccessToken;

  </script>

Code

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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">


<head>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <title>CesiumJS: Query a feature layer (spatial)</title>
    <!-- Include the CesiumJS JavaScript and CSS files -->
    <script src="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.121/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js"></script>
    <link href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.121/Build/Cesium/Widgets/widgets.css" rel="stylesheet">

    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@esri/arcgis-rest-request@4/dist/bundled/request.umd.js"></script>
    <script
        src="https://unpkg.com/@esri/arcgis-rest-feature-service@4/dist/bundled/feature-service.umd.js"></script>

    <script src="https://unpkg.com/@terraformer/arcgis@2.0.7/dist/t-arcgis.umd.js"></script>
    <style>
        html,
        body,
        #cesiumContainer {
            width: 100%;
            height: 100%;
            padding: 0px;
            margin: 0px;
        }

        #mode-select {
            position: absolute;
            top: 8px;
            left: 8px;
            padding: 4px 8px;
            font-size: 16px;
            border-radius: 0;
            /* Causes more uniform appearance across browsers. */
        }
    </style>

</head>

<body>
    <div id="cesiumContainer"></div>

    <select id="mode-select">
        <option value="">Choose a type of feature to draw...</option>
        <option value="Point">Draw point</option>
        <option value="Polyline">Draw line</option>
        <option value="Polygon" selected>Draw polygon</option>
    </select>

    <script>

        /* Use for API key authentication */
        const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";

        // or

        /* Use for user authentication */
        // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
        //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
        //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
        //   portal: "https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest" // Your portal URL
        // })

        // const accessToken = session.token;

        Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;

        const authentication = arcgisRest.ApiKeyManager.fromKey(accessToken);

        const cesiumAccessToken = "YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN";
        Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken = cesiumAccessToken;

        const arcGisImagery = Cesium.ArcGisMapServerImageryProvider.fromBasemapType(Cesium.ArcGisBaseMapType.SATELLITE, {
            enablePickFeatures: false
        });

        const viewer = new Cesium.Viewer("cesiumContainer", {

            baseLayer: Cesium.ImageryLayer.fromProviderAsync(arcGisImagery),

            timeline: false,
            animation: false,
            geocoder: false

        });

        viewer.camera.setView({
            destination: Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-118.80624, 34.008, 3000),
            orientation: {
                heading: Cesium.Math.toRadians(0.0),
                pitch: Cesium.Math.toRadians(-70.0),
            }
        });

        // Add Esri attribution
        // Learn more in https://esriurl.com/attribution
        const poweredByEsri = new Cesium.Credit("Powered by <a href='https://www.esri.com/en-us/home' target='_blank'>Esri</a>", true)
        viewer.creditDisplay.addStaticCredit(poweredByEsri);

        const layerName = "LA_County_Parcels";
        const layerURL = "https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/" + layerName + "/FeatureServer/0";

        // Attribution text retrieved from https://arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=a6fdf2ee0e454393a53ba32b9838b303
        viewer.creditDisplay.addStaticCredit(new Cesium.Credit("County of Los Angeles Office of the Assessor", false));

        // Draw features
        //
        if (!viewer.scene.pickPositionSupported) {
            window.alert("This browser does not support pickPosition.");
        }

        viewer.cesiumWidget.screenSpaceEventHandler.removeInputAction(
            Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventType.LEFT_DOUBLE_CLICK
        );
        function createPoint(worldPosition) {
            const point = viewer.entities.add({
                position: worldPosition,
                point: {
                    color: Cesium.Color.WHITE,
                    pixelSize: 5,
                    heightReference: Cesium.HeightReference.CLAMP_TO_GROUND,
                },
            });
            return point;
        }
        let drawingMode;
        function drawShape(positionData) {
            let shape;
            if (drawingMode === "Polyline") {
                shape = viewer.entities.add({
                    polyline: {
                        positions: positionData,
                        clampToGround: true,
                        width: 3,
                    },
                });
            }
            else if (drawingMode === "Polygon") {
                shape = viewer.entities.add({
                    polygon: {
                        hierarchy: positionData,
                        outline: true,
                        outlineWidth: 10,
                        material: new Cesium.ColorMaterialProperty(
                            Cesium.Color.WHITE.withAlpha(0.4)
                        ),
                    },
                });
            }
            return shape;
        }
        let activeShapePoints = [];
        let activeShape;
        let floatingPoint;
        let newShape = true;

        const handler = new Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventHandler(viewer.canvas);
        handler.setInputAction(function (event) {
            if (!drawingMode) return;
            if (newShape) {
                viewer.entities.removeAll();
                newShape = false;
            }

            const earthPosition = viewer.camera.pickEllipsoid(event.position);
            // `earthPosition` will be undefined if our mouse is not over the globe.
            if (Cesium.defined(earthPosition)) {

                if (drawingMode === "Point") {
                    activeShapePoints.push(earthPosition);
                    createPoint(earthPosition);
                    performQuery()
                }
                else {
                    if (activeShapePoints.length === 0) {
                        floatingPoint = createPoint(earthPosition);
                        activeShapePoints.push(earthPosition);
                        const dynamicPositions = new Cesium.CallbackProperty(function () {
                            if (drawingMode === "Polygon") {
                                return new Cesium.PolygonHierarchy(activeShapePoints);
                            }
                            return activeShapePoints;
                        }, false);
                        activeShape = drawShape(dynamicPositions);
                    }
                    activeShapePoints.push(earthPosition);
                    createPoint(earthPosition);
                }
            }
        }, Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventType.LEFT_CLICK);

        handler.setInputAction(function (event) {
            if (Cesium.defined(floatingPoint)) {
                const newPosition = viewer.camera.pickEllipsoid(event.endPosition);
                if (Cesium.defined(newPosition)) {
                    floatingPoint.position.setValue(newPosition);
                    activeShapePoints.pop();
                    activeShapePoints.push(newPosition);
                }
            }
        }, Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventType.MOUSE_MOVE);
        //
        // Process features
        //

        function getArcGISFeature(points) {
            //convert each point to cartesian latlng
            const degrees = []
            for (point of points) {
                const cartographic = Cesium.Cartographic.fromCartesian(point);
                degrees.push([Cesium.Math.toDegrees(cartographic.longitude), Cesium.Math.toDegrees(cartographic.latitude)]);
            }
            let coords;
            let type = drawingMode;
            if (drawingMode === "Point") {
                coords = degrees[0];
            }
            else if (drawingMode === "Polyline") {
                type = "LineString";
                coords = degrees;
            }
            else {
                coords = [degrees];
            }

            const result = Terraformer.geojsonToArcGIS({
                "coordinates": coords,
                "type": type
            })

            return result;

        }

        function executeQuery(geometry) {

            arcgisRest.queryFeatures({
                url: layerURL,
                authentication,
                f: "geojson",

                geometry: geometry,
                geometryType: "esriGeometry" + drawingMode,
                inSR: 4326,
                spatialRel: "esriSpatialRelIntersects",
                returnGeometry: true

            })

                .then((response) => {

                    Cesium.GeoJsonDataSource.load(response).then((data) => {
                        viewer.dataSources.add(data);
                    })

                })
        }

        function performQuery() {
            viewer.dataSources.removeAll();

            const geometry = getArcGISFeature(activeShapePoints);
            executeQuery(geometry);

            drawShape(activeShapePoints);
            terminateShape()
        }

        // Redraw the shape so it's not dynamic and remove the dynamic shape.
        function terminateShape() {

            viewer.entities.remove(floatingPoint);
            viewer.entities.remove(activeShape);
            floatingPoint = undefined;
            activeShape = undefined;
            activeShapePoints = [];
            newShape = true;
        }

        // Event listeners
        handler.setInputAction(function (event) {
            if (drawingMode === "Point" || !drawingMode) return;
            activeShapePoints.pop();
            performQuery();
        }, Cesium.ScreenSpaceEventType.LEFT_DOUBLE_CLICK);

        const select = document.getElementById("mode-select");
        select.addEventListener("change", () => {
            terminateShape();
            viewer.entities.removeAll();
            drawingMode = select.value;
        })


        const startCoords = [[[-118.80364, 34.02090], [-118.79641, 34.01991], [-118.79818, 34.01585], [-118.80347, 34.01620]]];
        drawingMode = 'Polygon';

        // Draw initial shape
        const startPoints = []
        for (coord of startCoords[0]) {
            startPoints.push(Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(coord[0], coord[1]))
        }
        drawShape(startPoints)

        // Query initial shape
        const startShape = Terraformer.geojsonToArcGIS({
            "coordinates": startCoords,
            "type": drawingMode
        })
        executeQuery(startShape);
        terminateShape();


    </script>

</body>

</html>

What's next?

Learn how to use additional ArcGIS location services in these tutorials:

Query features (SQL)

Execute a SQL query to access polygon features from a feature service.

Style features

Use data-driven styling to apply symbol colors and styles to features.

Get global data

Query demographic information for locations around the world with the GeoEnrichment service.