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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
Toolbars

Core ArcMap toolbars

ArcCatalog toolbars

Extension toolbars

ArcScene toolbars

ArcGlobe toolbars

ArcReader toolbars
Getting more help
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

Geographic transformation methods

Equation-based methods

Grid-based methods
Supported map projections
Vertical coordinate systems

About vertical coordinate systems

Vertical datums

Geoid
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
Navigating and interacting with maps
Adding graphics and text to maps
Working with graphics
Working with text
Symbolizing data
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
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
Automating your work with models
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

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

An overview of geoprocessing with ArcGIS Server

Key concepts for geoprocessing services

Guide to related geoprocessing with server topics

Input and output data types

Creating models for geoprocessing services

Preparing map documents containing tool layers

Defining output symbology for geoprocessing tasks

Defining symbology for input feature sets

Publishing geoprocessing services

Managing the jobs directory

Deploying services on multiple computers - LocalJobsDirectory

Data access considerations for geoprocessing tasks

Creating tasks for the UNIX/Linux environment

Creating script tools for geoprocessing tasks

Using geoprocessing tasks in Python scripts

Spatial reference considerations for geoprocessing services

Performance tips for geoprocessing services

Checklist for authoring and publishing geoprocessing services

Python scripts to zip and unzip data
Geoprocessing service examples
Keeping track of geoprocessing history

An overview of geoprocessing history

History log files

Geoprocessing history in metadata
Advanced modeling through simulations
Geoprocessing tool reference
Geodatabases and ArcSDE
Data management with ArcCatalog

An overview of ArcCatalog

About workspaces
Getting started with 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

The Contents tab

Working in Details view

Changing the columns in Details view

Modifying the default settings for exploring contents

Exploring an item's properties

Organizing your data

Converting data to a different format
Exploring an item's geography
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

An overview of terrain datasets

FAQs for terrain datasets

Terrain dataset troubleshooting

Known limitations of terrain datasets
Understanding terrain datasets
Properties of terrain datasets
Building terrain datasets
Managing terrain datasets
Terrain analysis
Terrain visualization
Extensions
Geocoding and address management
Getting started with geocoding

An overview of geocoding

Definition of the address locator
Understanding geocoding
Preparing for geocoding
Building an address locator
Locating addresses

The geocoding process

Finding an individual address

Getting an address of a location

Geocoding a table of addresses

Rematching a geocoded feature class
Additional geocoding techniques
Keeping an address locator current
Distributing your address locator

Deciding to share an address locator

Collecting address locators

Making your address locator public

Accessing distributed address locators

Sharing pre-9.2 address locators
Adjusting your address locator file
About StreetMap data

About StreetMap data
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
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
Working with route event data
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
Interoperability and standards support
Customizing and developing with ArcGIS
Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS
Licensing and desktop administration
GIS Servers and services