You can use immersive blocks in order to make your StoryMap even more interactive. They are a nice way to add variety to your story, and can be useful for specific purposes such as making a presentation or guiding readers through a series of points of interest. Once such feature is Sidecar.
Sidecar is a scrolling, slide-based block that has two layout choices, both of which provide powerful narrative tools. The floating panel layout is ideal for visually striking media with short captions or descriptions (it's similar to the immersive section in our classic Cascade app). The docked panel layout is optimal for longer narrative content, as it doesn’t overlap the media.
You can access Sidecar through the Block Palette under the Immersive components:
Map tour allows you to plot points on a map and add media content and narrative to those points that will display in either a side or floating panel (depending on the layout). There are two different types of map tour: Guided tour and Explorer tour. Each of those subsequently has two layout options of its own. Want to learn more? Consult our blog posts that discuss guided and explorer tours, as well as the step-by-step guides for each type.
This is not technically an immersive block, but it lets the user or viewer interact with the content. It lets you easily compare two images side by side - like a before/after comparison, or related map themes, for example. It's also ideal for then-and-now photographs.You can access the Slide under the Media from the Block Palette. It is easy to add both maps or images:
Here is an example of the Esri headquarters campus vs. a topographic map, but you can imagine comparing, say, vegetation to soil types, or income levels to life expectancy:
