Connecting webservice to QGIS and ArcGIS

At Ellipsis Drive we aim to make our error messages as actionable as possible, by explaining what went wrong and how to avoid this.

When using Ellipsis Drive content in external applications by leveraging the drive-generated OGC links, we can't control how errors are being fed to users. QGIS and ArcGIS tend to give rather generic errors. This can make it difficult to understand what's going wrong when connecting with webservices.

Here is a short list of things that may be going wrong as you seek to activate drive content in QGIS or ArcGIS software.

1. Password and username

A password and username may be required to connect your software to the webservice. When a layer is not 'public' or not set to 'link sharing' (read more on this here), you need to provide your credentials in the 'authentication' field before being able to load the web services.

If your credentials do not seem to work, make sure you are using the right username/password combination. You can always check whether your credentials are valid by logging into Ellipsis Drive directly. Forgot your password? No sweat. Go to the Ellipsis Drive login screen, click 'forgot password' and follow the steps.

If you want to avoid the need to provide credentials all together, ask the owner to change the layer settings to 'link sharing'. Read about these visibly settings here.

2. Swap X and Y in ArcGIS when using WFS in ArcGIS

As an exception, ESRI software swaps X and Y coordinates in OGC protocols. So, in order to establish a valid connection, you need to swap them.

3. Add ?request=getCapabilities&service=WFS

Some versions of ESRI software require you to add this extension to the OGC link that you copied from the drive: '?request=getCapabilities&service=WFS' '?request=getCapabilities&service=WMTS' '?request=getCapabilities&service=WMS'

Just copy the webservice link you aim to connect and add the corresponding extension as listed above.

4. Make sure your license allows for webservice connections

Not every ESRI license allows for easy webservice integration, so make sure the license under which you operate allows you to establish webservice connections.

If your current ESRI license does not support this, you can ask your administrator for next steps. If you do not feel like upgrading, we would like to recommend trying QGIS instead.

Additionally, please be aware that restrictions may be imposed upon data usage and editability via OGC protocols by your GIS software provider. ESRI may for example limit you to data-viewing rights only when using OGC protocols.

Not quite there yet?

For specific questions about data analysis via OGC protocols, it's advisable to get in touch with Support from your GIS software provider. They can inform you about what OGC protocol(s) and steps are required to meet your specific needs.

For support questions in QGIS, visit: https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/support.html

For support questions in ArcGIS Pro, visit: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/main/welcome-to-the-arcgis-pro-app-help.htm

For support questions in ArcGIS Online, visit: https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/reference/faq.htm