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Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help
Copyright information
Acknowledgements
GIS Dictionary
What's new in ArcGIS
Getting started
Fundamentals of GIS

Three views of GIS

How maps convey geographic information

Georeferencing and coordinate systems

Elements of geographic information

How GIS represents and organizes geographic information

How ArcGIS users work with geographic information

Users work with many data types and data formats in ArcGIS

Comparing Geoprocessing and Spatial Analysis
Introducing ArcGIS Desktop
Tutorials

Tutorials

3D Analyst Tutorial

Animation in ArcMap Tutorial

ArcCatalog Tutorial

ArcMap Tutorial

ArcGIS Publisher Tutorial

ArcReader Tutorial

ArcScan Tutorial

Building a Geodatabase Tutorial

Database Servers Tutorial

Data Interoperability Tutorial

Editing Geodatabases Tutorial

Editing GIS Features Tutorial

Geocoding Tutorial

Geoprocessing Tutorial

Geostatistical Analyst Tutorial

Getting Started with ArcGIS Tutorial

Linear Referencing Tutorial

Maplex Tutorial

Network Analyst Tutorial

Representations Tutorial

Schematics Tutorial

Spatial Analyst Tutorial

StreetMap Tutorial

Survey Analyst Tutorial

Tracking Analyst Tutorial
Toolbars
Getting more help

Using this Help system

Getting help within the applications

ArcGIS Desktop Resource Center

ArcGIS Desktop Documentation Library

Accessing ESRI Software Training

Using the GIS Dictionary

Contacting Technical Support

Support for users located outside the United States

Contacting ESRI
Map projections and coordinate systems
Mapping and visualization
An overview of mapping and visualization

An overview of ArcMap

Data frames

Map layers

Symbols and styles

Text on maps

Cartographic representations

Map layouts and map printing

Graphs, reports, and animations

Common tasks within ArcMap

Keyboard shortcuts for use within ArcMap

ArcMap application patterns
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
Working with graphics
Working with text
Symbolizing data
Applying symbology
Styles and symbols
Animation
Using cartographic representations
Page layout and map composition
Working with graphs and reports
Working with web maps in ArcGIS
Publishing optimized map services in ArcGIS
Editing and data compilation
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
Using geoprocessing tools

An overview of using tools
Using the tool dialog
Managing toolboxes
Managing tools and toolsets
Batch processing
Using tools in the command line
Tool layers
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

An overview of documenting tools and toolboxes

An overview of the Documentation Editor

Entering topics in the Documentation Editor

Using the page editor

Documenting models

Documenting scripts

Viewing documentation for tools

Changing tool dialog appearance

Referencing a compiled help file

Exporting tool documentation to an HTML file
Sharing tools and toolboxes

An overview of sharing tools and toolboxes

Methods for distributing tools

Pathnames explained: Absolute, relative, UNC, and URL

A structure for sharing tools

Sharing and connecting to UNC pathnames

Accessing ArcSDE data in tools

Techniques for sharing Python scripts

Managing intermediate data in shared models

Sharing stylesheets

Checklist for sharing tools and toolboxes
Geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server
Keeping track of geoprocessing history
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
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
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
Data management with ArcCatalog
Image and raster data management
Understanding raster data
Supported raster data

Supported raster dataset file formats

Technical specifications for raster dataset formats

About the ESRI Grid format

About MrSID rasters

BIL, BIP, and BSQ raster files

Raster data with subdatasets

Building a customized raster format
Properties of raster data
Designing a raster database

Design methodology for a raster database

Why store rasters in a geodatabase

Example raster case studies including the storage decisions

Raster datasets as attributes

More details about rasters in ArcGIS
Building and managing a raster database
Raster display and visualization

Displaying rasters

Adding a raster dataset to a map

Adding a raster catalog to a map

Saving a raster dataset or catalog layer file

About setting default raster display options

Choosing which raster formats can be viewed

Setting the default bands to display multiband rasters

Displaying the raster's spatial resolution

Georeferencing a raster dataset

Georeferencing video sample

Orthorectifying a raster dataset

About projecting raster datasets on the fly

Improving the display of raster data

Color correcting using raster data

Working with the histogram when displaying raster data

Changing the appearance of background values

Symbolizing values of NoData in raster datasets

Interactively viewing pixel values using the Pixel Inspector

Interactively reveal rasters using the Swipe Layer tool

Panchromatic sharpening

Performance tuning for displaying raster data
Raster analysis and geoprocessing
Serving raster data
Serving raster data
Data support in ArcGIS
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
Displaying and querying route feature classes
Displaying and querying route events
Editing routes

An overview of editing routes

Creating route features from existing lines

Using ArcMap to calibrate routes with points

About setting route measures

Remeasuring routes

Adding the Route Editing toolbar
Creating and editing event data

An overview of creating and editing event data

Creating event tables in ArcCatalog

About locating features along routes

Locating features along routes

Editing event tables in ArcMap
Working with route event data
Network analysis

Using the Network Analyst extension
Analyzing geometric networks
Mobile GIS
Interoperability and standards support
Customizing and developing with ArcGIS

An overview of customizing ArcGIS
Customizing the user interface
Writing macros using VBA

Getting started with VBA

Creating, editing, and running macros

Creating custom commands with VBA and UI Controls

Adding custom commands and toolbars from .dlls

Updating the ArcID module

Locking documents and templates

Changing VBA security

Sample VBA code
Extending ArcGIS desktop applications
Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS
Licensing and desktop administration
GIS Servers and services

An overview of GIS servers used with ArcGIS
Using ArcIMS with ArcGIS Desktop

An overview to using ArcIMS with ArcGIS Desktop

Types of ArcIMS services

Publishing GIS contents for use with ArcIMS
Using ArcGIS Server with ArcGIS Desktop

An overview to using ArcGIS Server with ArcGIS Desktop

About the roles of GIS end users, authors, developers, and administrators

Types of services in ArcGIS Server
Authoring and publishing services for ArcGIS Server
Administering ArcGIS Server with ArcCatalog
Creating and publishing web maps for ArcGIS Server

An overview of Web GIS

A framework for deploying Web GIS

Web GIS concepts for GIS users

Types of GIS map applications

Steps for implementing GIS map applications

How to build online base maps

Building operational map layers

Managing the performance of GIS mapping services

Distributing maps, globes, and layers on the Web