Collapse all Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help Copyright information Acknowledgements GIS Dictionary

What's new in ArcGIS

What's new in ArcGIS 9.3 What's new in ArcGIS 9.3.1 Migration guides

Getting started

Map projections and coordinate systems

Getting started with map projections An overview of map projections Projection basics the GIS professional needs to know About the geoid, ellipsoid, spheroid and datum, and how they are related Identifying an unknown coordinate system Converting Degrees Minutes Seconds values to Decimal Degree values Geographic coordinate systems About geographic coordinate systems Spheroids and spheres Datums North American datums What happens to features at +/-180 (dateline)? GCS_Assumed_Geographic_1 Projected coordinate systems About projected coordinate systems About map projections Projection types Planar projections Conic projections Cylindrical projections Other projections Projection parameters Geographic transformations Supported map projections Vertical coordinate systems

Mapping and visualization

An overview of mapping and visualization Using ArcMap Layers, data frames, and the table of contents Starting ArcMap Creating a new map Opening a map Using the table of contents About coordinate systems and map projections Specifying a coordinate system Referencing data in the map Working with data frames Pausing the map's drawing Saving a map and exiting ArcMap Saving to previous versions of ArcGIS Keyboard shortcuts in ArcMap Working with layers Adding layers to a map Adding a layer package to your map Adding x,y coordinate data as a layer Changing a layer's drawing order Changing a layer's text description Setting layer properties Managing group layers Saving a layer to disk Copying layers Displaying layers at certain scales Displaying a subset of features in a layer Repairing broken data links Viewing a layer's metadata in ArcMap Setting HTML pop-up properties for feature layers Navigating and interacting with maps Adding graphics and text to maps Symbolizing data Applying symbology Styles and symbols Animation Using cartographic representations Page layout and map composition Getting started with laying out and printing maps Map elements Grids and graticules Rulers and guides Working with data frames in layout view Creating interactive and paperless maps Map output Map series Designing maps for optimal performance Working with graphs and reports Looking at data with graphs (Pre-ArcGIS 9.2) Looking at data with graphs Creating reports Working with web maps in ArcGIS An overview of GIS Web map layers Working with ArcGIS Server in ArcGIS Desktop Using services from ArcGIS Server Using services from ArcIMS Using OGC Services Using KML Using ArcGIS Online Using image service layers Working with service layers in the table of contents Printing and exporting maps containing service layers Publishing optimized map services in ArcGIS Publishing optimized map services Drawing differences between ArcMap and optimized map services Map Service Publication Toolbar error messages Map Service Publication Toolbar warning messages Map Service Publishing Toolbar information messages

Editing and data compilation

An overview of editing and data compilation Getting started with editing About editing your geodatabase in ArcMap Adding the data you want to edit Editing ArcSDE geodatabases The structure of vector datasets Adding the editing toolbars Starting and stopping an edit session The sketch construction tools Using the snapping environment About setting distance units Setting direction measuring systems and units Editing features that have z-values Shortcut keys for editing in ArcMap Frequently asked questions about editing Common editing tasks Common point editing tasks Common line editing tasks Common polygon editing tasks Common annotation editing tasks Common multipoint editing tasks Editing data in a different projection Creating new features Editing existing features Editing attributes Editing attributes Copying and pasting attributes Deleting attributes Editing with default values and attribute domains About updating data using SQL Editing annotation An overview of editing annotation Creating new annotation features Creating and editing annotation that follows features Editing the size and position of annotation features Editing annotation in the Attributes dialog box Editing the appearance of annotation features Editing feature-linked annotation Editing dimension features Using a digitizer Spatial adjustment Editing topology About topology Topology rules Topology error fixes Basic topology tasks Creating a map topology Editing features in a topology Editing shared geometry Topology validation Topology errors and exceptions Correcting topology errors Finding features with shared topology elements Clearing selected topology elements Changing the symbology for topology features Making new features with topology tools Editing relationships and related objects About editing relationships and related objects Editing relationships and related objects COGO An overview of COGO Common COGO workflows About COGO descriptions Adding COGO fields to a feature class Traverse file format Offset points file format Applying a ground to grid correction Reporting COGO descriptions Using the Curve Calculator command Using the COGO Area command Splitting features into COGO lines

Tables and attribute information

Geoprocessing

What is geoprocessing? A whirlwind tour of geoprocessing Geoprocessing tools Geoprocessing framework Frequently Asked Questions about geoprocessing Fundamental tool concepts An introduction to the fundamental tools Overlay analysis Proximity analysis Table analysis and management Surface creation and analysis Statistical analysis Extracting data Using geoprocessing tools Automating your work with models An overview of models Opening ModelBuilder Creating a simple model Saving a model Model concepts and terms Using ModelBuilder Controlling the flow of processing Model Iteration Automating your work with scripts Geoprocessing environments An overview of geoprocessing environments Environment levels and hierarchy Script environments Specifying application environment settings Specifying tool environment settings Specifying model environment settings Specifying model process environment settings Environment categories Documenting tools and toolboxes Sharing tools and toolboxes Geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server Keeping track of geoprocessing history An overview of geoprocessing history History log files Geoprocessing history in metadata Advanced modeling through simulations An overview of advanced modeling through simulations General concepts of modeling through simulations Developing the different modeling approaches

Geoprocessing tool reference

Geodatabases and ArcSDE

An overview of the geodatabase An overview of the geodatabase Essential readings about the geodatabase Table basics Feature class basics Raster basics Types of geodatabases Client and geodatabase compatibility Common geodatabase tasks Architecture of a geodatabase Designing a geodatabase An overview of geodatabase design Geodatabase design steps Using ArcGIS Data Model designs Documenting your geodatabase design Modeling feature classes A note about the use of UML for geodatabase design Design Tips Building a geodatabase Creating a geodatabase Defining the properties of a geodatabase Adding datasets and other geodatabase elements Working with geodatabase datasets Data management workflows, transactions, and versioning Getting started with editing and maintaining data Working with non-versioned data Working with versioned data Managing Distributed Data Archiving data Geodatabase data storage and schema A short history lesson on simple features How geodatabases are stored in a DBMS Feature geometry and raster data storage Inside a geodatabase in DB2 Inside a geodatabase in Informix Inside a geodatabase in Oracle Inside a geodatabase in PostgreSQL Inside a geodatabase in SQL Server Administering ArcSDE geodatabases An overview of ArcSDE geodatabase administration What is ArcSDE? Administering ArcSDE for DB2 Administering ArcSDE for Informix Administering ArcSDE for Oracle Administering ArcSDE for PostgreSQL Administering ArcSDE for SQL Server Administering a database server Installing and upgrading the ArcSDE component Configuring an ArcSDE geodatabase Creating and administering user accounts Connecting to an ArcSDE geodatabase Maintaining a geodatabase Tuning an ArcSDE geodatabase Scaling and moving your geodatabase Administering File and Personal geodatabases An overview of administering file and personal geodatabases File geodatabases: compressing vs. compacting Compacting file and personal geodatabases About compressing file geodatabase data Upgrading file and personal geodatabases File geodatabases and Windows Explorer File geodatabase size and name limits File geodatabases and locking Working with geodatabases using SQL An overview of working with ST_Geometry storage using SQL Spatial relationships Spatial operations Geometry properties SQL implementation differences for the ST_Geometry type Using spatial types with SQL SQL functions reference

Data management with ArcCatalog

An overview of ArcCatalog About workspaces Getting started with ArcCatalog Starting ArcCatalog Browsing through the Catalog What's in the Catalog Repositioning the Catalog tree Stopping ArcCatalog Building the Catalog About folders and file types Managing folder connections Creating and accessing geodatabases Creating spatial database connections Adding OLE DB connections About database server connections About GIS servers and services Connecting to GIS servers Working with database connections Hiding folders and items Altering the data formats read by ArcCatalog Working with file types Accessing delimited text file data Managing the Catalog's contents Exploring an item's geography Previewing an item's geographic data Exploring data in Geography view Creating thumbnails Searching for items Working with metadata About metadata Metadata standards and the ArcGIS metadata format ArcGIS support for the ISO 19139 metadata standard Exploring an item's metadata Changing the default stylesheet Printing metadata Creating and updating metadata Metadata synchronization Writing metadata documentation Importing and exporting metadata with ArcCatalog Importing and exporting metadata Editing metadata Using the FGDC metadata editor Using the ISO metadata editor Managing enclosures Requirements for publishing metadata to an ArcIMS Metadata Service Adding information required by the ArcIMS Metadata Service Publishing metadata to an ArcIMS Metadata Service Managing published metadata documents Changing a published document's properties Adding custom places to a Gazetteer Metadata Service Customizing metadata

Image and raster data management

Data support in ArcGIS

An overview of data support in ArcGIS Data formats supported in ArcGIS CAD data The composition of a CAD drawing Working with CAD data in ArcGIS Displaying CAD features Georeferencing CAD data CAD feature attributes and queries CAD data translation Geoprocessing tools for CAD translation Common CAD data workflows Coverages NetCDF: multidimensional, time series data An overview of netCDF data Understanding netCDF data Working with netCDF data in ArcGIS Shapefiles Terrains

Extensions

Geocoding and address management

Linear referencing

Getting started with linear referencing An overview of linear referencing Common tasks in linear referencing Some linear referencing scenarios Linear referencing datasets in ArcGIS Designing a linear referencing system in your geodatabase Creating route feature classes An overview of creating route feature classes Creating route feature classes Defining the measure properties of your m coordinates Using existing linear features to create routes Creating routes from existing lines About calibrating route measures using points Calibrating routes with points Migrating route features to a geodatabase Accessing the Create Routes wizard Accessing the Calibrate Routes wizard Displaying and querying route feature classes Displaying and querying route events An overview of displaying and querying route events Dynamic segmentation Adding route events Editing routes Creating and editing event data Working with route event data An overview of working with route event data About overlaying event data Overlaying events About aggregating event data Aggregating route events About transforming event measures Transforming event measures Accessing the Route Events Geoprocessing wizard

Network analysis

Using the Network Analyst extension Analyzing geometric networks What is a geometric network? Creating and managing geometric networks Editing geometric networks Analyzing geometric networks

Mobile GIS

An overview of Mobile GIS ArcGIS Mobile integration Introduction to ArcGIS Mobile Design and create Mobile maps Building effective data models for field data collection Deploying maps to mobile devices Managing field updates using ArcGIS Desktop Geoprocessing support for ArcGIS Mobile GPS Getting started with ArcMap GPS Support Adding the GPS toolbar Connecting to a GPS device Simulating a connection to a GPS device Using the GPS Position window Changing the display options Keeping the current location in the view Adding a destination Writing GPS locations to a log Tablet PC An overview of Tablet PC technology Adding the Tablet toolbar Pen tool Highlighter tool Eraser tool Commands on the Tablet toolbar ArcPad integration

Interoperability and standards support

Customizing and developing with ArcGIS

Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS

Licensing and desktop administration

Administering the ArcGIS License Manager Setting up license managers for ArcGIS 93 concurrent use products Checking license availability Viewing and changing the license manager Common license manager problems and how to solve them Setting the software product Registering ArcView or ArcEditor and extensions Evaluating an ArcGIS Desktop extension Error reporting for ArcGIS software crash data Frequently asked questions about error reporting

GIS Servers and services