Web map services-2020

[#1]

I noticed in JMP 15, there is an option to provide links to Web map servers under the background map option (formerly, you needed to use an add-in: WMS Explorer Add-In ). I like this option because there are some super high resolution maps out there. But it seems like the two biggest WMS, Google Earth and ArcGIS, cannot interface with JMP. What I am trying to figure out is whether I am setting it up wrong or if indeed, there is some sort of incompatibility. I know ArcGIS is for-profit, so even though they are a WMS, they may only want people to use their software. I guess the same could go for Google! It sure would be nice to have some beautiful Google Earth imagery as my background map, but I guess the workaround is to take a screen shot, paste it into GraphBuilder, and try to sync up the lat/lon coordinates with the Graphbuilder x and y axes (less ideal since you'd need to repeatedly change everything upon zooming and out or really modifying the graph or image in any way). 

[#2]

Web Mapping Service (WMS) is an open protocol for retrieving map images. Unfortunately, Google and ArcGIS don't support this protocol.

JMP has been able to use WMS servers since JMP 9. The WMS Explorer Add-In was created to make experimenting with (aka, exploring)  WMS servers easier so you could find the layers and other options you'd need to specify when using a WMS server in background map.

[#3]

Bummer! But it's what I expected. Funny enough, both Google Earth and ArcGIS claim to be WMS, but I think they mean you can pull images from OTHER WMS servers into THEIR software (not vice versa). 

[#4]

There IS a JMP add-in to convert ESRI files to shape files ( ESRI to JMP Map Converter ), but it is not currently functional in JMP15 or 16(beta). Although it wouldn't have the nice imagery, this could be one way of getting higher-resolution shape files into JMP.