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Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help
Copyright information
GIS Dictionary
What's new in ArcGIS Desktop 9.1
What was new in ArcGIS Desktop 9.0
Getting started

What is ArcGIS Desktop?

ArcGIS geodatabase

ArcGIS geoprocessing

ArcGIS geovisualization

ArcGIS Desktop extensions

GIS data structure types

Data types supported in ArcGIS
Desktop Administration
ArcCatalog
Getting started with ArcCatalog
Building the Catalog
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

Previewing an item's geographic data

Exploring data in Geography view

Creating thumbnails
Exploring the values in a table
Working with metadata

About metadata

Exploring an item's metadata

Changing the default stylesheet

Printing metadata

Creating and updating metadata

Writing documentation

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
Searching for items
Working with maps and layers

About maps, layers, and graphs

Opening a map from ArcCatalog

Adding data to maps

Creating a layer

Creating a group layer

Repairing the data sources in a layer

Joining attributes to the layer's data
Working with shapefiles
Working with CAD data
Working with coverages

About coverages and INFO tables

Creating a new coverage

Creating a new INFO table

Generating topology

Defining a coverage's coordinate system

Modifying a coverage's tics

Modifying a coverage's extent

Setting a coverage's tolerances

Maintaining attributes

About relationships and relationship classes

Creating a coverage relationship class
Working with rasters in ArcCatalog
ArcMap
Getting started with ArcMap

An overview of ArcMap

Layers, data frames, and the table of contents

Starting ArcMap

Opening a map

Using the table of contents

Looking at a map in data view and layout view

Moving around the map

Working with spatial bookmarks

Opening magnifier and overview windows

Exploring data on a map

Saving a map and exiting ArcMap

Saving to previous versions of ArcGIS

Keyboard shortcuts in ArcMap

Working with the map cache
Creating maps
Managing layers
Symbolizing your data
Working with text

An overview of working with text

Adding new text to a map

Working with data frame contents in layout view

Organizing annotation into groups

About labeling

Displaying labels

Prioritizing and positioning labels

Specifying the text of labels

About building label expressions

Using text formatting tags

About annotation

Using feature-linked annotation

A comparison of annotation groups vs. geodatabase annotation

About coverage annotation pseudo items

Displaying geodatabase annotation

Displaying CAD and VPF annotation

About editing CAD and VPF annotation

Displaying coverage and SDE 3 annotation

About editing coverage and SDE 3 annotation

Displaying MapTips
Working with graphics
Laying out and printing maps
Working with styles and symbols
Working with tables
Looking at data with graphs

About looking at data with graphs

Types of graphs

Creating a graph

Displaying a graph

Modifying a graph

Creating a static copy of a graph

Managing graphs

Saving and loading a graph

Exporting a graph
Creating reports
Querying maps
Analyzing geometric networks
Working with rasters in ArcMap
Working with ArcPad

An overview of ArcPad

Adding the ArcPad toolbar

About managing data in ArcPad

Getting data for ArcPad

Checking in edits from ArcPad

Undoing a checkout for editing
Working with StreetMap data
Getting started with StreetMap
Geocoding addresses with StreetMap USA data
Finding a route using StreetMap USA data

About finding a route

Pointing and clicking on your maps to assign stops

Using a point layer for your stops

Using addresses you enter for your stops

Using a point graphic to assign stops
GPS Support
Tablet PC

An overview of Tablet PC

ArcGIS and Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

About the Tablet toolbar

Adding the Tablet toolbar

Pen tool

Highlighter tool

Eraser tool

Finish Ink Sketch command

Clear Ink Sketch command

Add Ink to Edit Sketch command

Recognize Ink Graphic command

Reactivate the Selected Ink Graphic command

Find Ink Graphic command

Tablet Options button
ArcReader

An overview of ArcReader

Table of contents, data frames, and layers

Getting help in ArcReader

Starting ArcReader

Opening a map in ArcReader

Controlling the look and feel of ArcReader

Viewing a map in data view and layout view

Using the ArcReader table of contents

Working with data frames and layers

Moving around on the map

Moving around a 3D globe

Using spatial bookmarks

Opening the magnifier window

Exploring data and features on a map

ArcReader messages

Printing from ArcReader

Closing and exiting ArcReader
Geoprocessing in the ArcGIS environment

An overview of geoprocessing
Getting started with geoprocessing
Working with toolboxes
Working with toolsets and tools
Specifying environment settings
Using the Command Line window
Introducing model building
Using the ModelBuilder window

An overview of the ModelBuilder window

Building a model

Element states

Running a model

Using nonexistent output data

Working with variables

About intermediate data

Working with intermediate data

Controlling the flow of processing

Using the Select Data tool

Working with model elements

Adding text labels

Working with diagram properties

Changing diagram properties

Navigating in the model

Validating a model

Repairing a model

Print setup

Setting up and printing a model

Generating a report

Documenting a process

Importing a model from ArcView GIS 3

Exporting a model
Geoprocessing tool reference

Geoprocessing Commands Quick Reference Guide

An overview of commonly used tools

Licensing for geoprocessing tools
3D Analyst toolbox
Analysis toolbox
Business Analyst toolbox
Cartography toolbox
Conversion toolbox

An overview of the Conversion toolbox
From Raster toolset

An overview of the From Raster toolset

About converting from raster data
Tools
To CAD toolset
To Coverage toolset
To dBASE toolset
To Geodatabase toolset
To Raster toolset

An overview of the To Raster toolset

Converting features to raster data

Converting a DEM to a raster dataset
Tools
To Shapefile toolset
Coverage toolbox

An overview of the Coverage toolbox

What is a coverage?

About the coverage extent

What are TICs?

Coverage resolution

Understanding attributes in a coverage

How coverages are stored

Coverage data limitations

Summary of coverage feature classes
Analysis toolset
Conversion toolset
Data Management toolset
Data Management toolbox
Geocoding toolbox
Geostatistical Analyst toolbox
Linear Referencing toolbox
Military Analyst toolbox

An overview of the Military Analyst toolbox
Utilities (Military Analyst)
Tools
Network Analyst toolbox
Spatial Analyst toolbox
Spatial Statistics toolbox

An overview of the Spatial Statistics toolbox

Modeling spatial relationships

Spatial Statistics toolbox sample applications
Analyzing Patterns toolset
Mapping Clusters toolset
Measuring Geographic Distributions toolset

An overview of the Measuring Geographic Distributions toolset

Using weights
Tools
Utilities toolset
Samples toolbox

An overview of the Samples toolbox
Analysis
Conversion
Data Management
Environment Settings
Building a geodatabase
Getting started with building a geodatabase

An overview of building geodatabases

Designing a geodatabase

Copying the schema of a geodatabase

Ways to create a geodatabase

Creating a geodatabase

Accessing an ArcSDE geodatabase

Upgrading a geodatabase
Creating new items in geodatabases
Importing data
Topology

An overview of topology in the geodatabase

Topologies and ArcCatalog

Topology and feature geometry

About creating a topology

Creating a new topology

Migrating data into a geodatabase to create topologies

Adding new feature classes to your topology

Creating new polygons from lines

Validating a topology

Planning for exceptions

Refining topologies with subtypes

Managing a topology

Modifying a topology

Summarizing topology errors

Topology and versioning

Topology and versioned databases

Dirty areas and versioned topological feature classes

Error features and versioned topological feature classes

Exceptions and versioned topological feature classes

Conflicts and topology features

Topology and disconnected editing
Subtypes and attribute domains
Defining a relationship class
Geometric networks

What is a geometric network?

Geometric networks and ArcCatalog

An overview of creating geometric networks

Network connectivity rules

Creating a new geometric network

Building a geometric network from existing simple feature classes

Creating new feature classes for your geometric network

Establishing connectivity rules

Managing a geometric network

About Verify Network tools and commands

Identifying network build errors
Managing annotation
Dimensioning
Working with a versioned geodatabase
Disconnected editing

An overview of disconnected editing

How disconnected editing works

The master geodatabase

The check-out geodatabase

Preparing a check-out

Checking out geometric networks

Checking out topologies

Checking out related data

The check-out process

About checking in data to a master geodatabase

Delta databases and XML files

Checking in geometric networks

Checking in topologies

Checking in related data

The check-in process

Working with version 8.3 and 9 geodatabases

Checking out data from a geodatabase

Checking in data to a geodatabase

Managing check-outs
Building geodatabases with CASE tools
Building a raster geodatabase
Editing in ArcMap
Getting started with editing in ArcMap
Creating new features
Using a digitizer
Creating features from other features
Editing existing features

Splitting lines and polygons

Trimming lines

Extending lines

Flipping lines

Dividing lines with points

Reshaping lines and polygons using a sketch

Adding and deleting vertices

Moving vertices

Changing the properties of a sketch

Scaling features

Clipping features

Stretching a feature's geometry proportionately

Smoothing and generalizing features
Editing topology
Editing attributes
Spatial adjustment
Editing geometric networks
Editing relationships and related objects
Editing annotation
Editing dimension features
Geocoding
Linear referencing
Map projections
Writing geoprocessing scripts
Customizing the user interface
Migrating from ArcView GIS 3 to ArcView 9
Migrating from ArcInfo Workstation to ArcGIS Desktop

Getting started migrating from ArcInfo Workstation

Creating your ArcInfo Workstation migration plan

Phase 1: Requirements prior to migration from ArcInfo Workstation

Phase 2: Designing the geodatabase when migrating from ArcInfo Workstation

Phase 3: Migrating ArcInfo Workstation data

Phase 4: Migrating ArcInfo Workstation processes
ESRI Data & Maps
Getting started with ESRI Data and Maps
Canada
Europe
Mexico
World

World Administrative Units

World Cities

World Continents

World Countries (generalized)

World Countries 1992

World Countries 2005

World CountryWatch Demographics (table)

World Country Memberships of Political Organizations (table)

World Drainage Systems

World Gazetteer

World Lakes

World Latitude and Longitude Grids

World Named Latitudes and Longitudes

World Regions

World Rivers

World Time Zones

World UTM Zones

World Wildlife Fund Marine Ecoregions

World Wildlife Fund Terrestrial Ecoregions
StreetMap USA
Image data
United States (census)

United States 108th Congressional Districts

United States 109th Congressional Districts

United States Census Block Centroid Populations

United States Census Block Groups

United States Census Feature Class Codes (table)

United States Cenus Tracts

United States Census Urbanized Areas

United States Cities

United States Core Based Statistical Areas

United States Counties

United States Counties (generalized)

United States County Boundaries

United States Country Population Estimates 1990 (table)

United States Country Population Estimates 2000 (table)

United States National Atlas Cities

United States National Atlas Urbanized Areas

United States Populated Place Areas

United States Populated Place Points

United States States

United States States (generalized)

United States State Boundaries

United States Telephone Area Code Boundaries

United States ZIP Code Areas (three-digit)

United States ZIP Code Areas (five-digit)

United States ZIP Code Points
United States (hydrography)

United States Drainage Systems

United States Lakes

United States National Atlas Water Feature Areas

United States National Atlas Water Feature Lines

United States Rivers (generalized)

United States Rivers and Streams

United States Water Bodies
United States (landmarks)

United States Geographic Names Information System Buildings

United States Geographic Names Information System Cemeteries

Untied States Geographic Names Information System Churches

United States Geographic Names Information System Golf Locales

United States Geographic Names Information System Hospitals

United States Geographic Names Information System Locales

United States Geographic Names Information System Populated Places

United States Geographic Names Information System Schools

United States Geographic Names Information System Summits

United States Hospitals

United States National Atlas Historic Earthquakes

United States National Atlas Volcanoes

United States Parks

United States TANA/GDT Institutions

United States TANA/GDT Large Area Landmarks

United States TANA/GDT Park Landmarks

United States TANA/GDT Recreation Areas
United States (other)
United States (transportation)

United States Highways

United States Major Highways

United States Major Roads

United States National Atlas Airports

United States National Transportation Atlas Interstate Highways

United States National Transportation Atlas Railroads

United States TANA/GDT Airports

United States TANA/GDT Transportation Terminals
Extensions
3D Analyst
ArcScan
Getting started with ArcScan
Raster tracing

About raster tracing

Types of raster snapping properties

Setting the raster snapping options

Applying the vectorization settings for raster tracing

Creating line features using raster snapping and the Sketch tool

Creating line features using the Vectorization Trace tool

Creating polygon features using raster snapping and the Sketch tool

Creating polygon features using the Vectorization Trace tool
Batch vectorization

About batch vectorization

Applying the vectorization settings for batch vectorization

Previewing the vectorization

Generating features
Cell selection
Raster cleanup

About preparing raster data for vectorization

Starting and stopping the raster cleanup session

Using the raster cleanup commands

Using the Raster Painting tools
Vectorization options and settings
ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension
Business Analyst
Geostatistical Analyst
Maplex
Getting started with Maplex
Using Maplex to set label positions
Label fitting strategies

Why use additional strategies for placing labels?

Label stacking

Stacking labels with a special character

Adding and removing stacking characters

Controlling how a stacking character is used

Allowing labels to extend beyond features

Allowing a label to overrun the length of a feature

Font reduction

Reducing label size with font size and width reduction

Abbreviating words to place more labels

Building an abbreviation dictionary

Adding words to an abbreviation dictionary

Using an abbreviation dictionary

Saving an abbreviation dictionary

Loading an abbreviation dictionary
Resolving label conflicts
Military Analyst
Getting started with Military Analyst
Data Management

An overview of data management

Creating MA catalogs

Loading data into MA catalogs

Adding MA layers in ArcMap

MA RPF catalogs

Displaying RPF catalogs in ArcMap

Loading nonRPF data

MA DTED catalogs

Displaying DTED catalogs in ArcMap

MA VPF catalogs

Displaying VPF catalogs in ArcMap
Coordinate tool
Terrain Analysis tools

An overview of the Terrain Analysis tools

Setting the Terrain Analysis working directory

Using the Mosaic command

Using the Extract tool

Using the Highest/Lowest Point tools

Using the Radial Line of Sight

Radial Line of Sight parameters

Using the Linear Line of Sight

Using the Hillshade command

Using the Hillshade tool

Creating threat domes with the 3D Viewer

Using the 3D Viewer Fly Through
Geodesy tools

An overview of the Geodesy tools

Geodesy concepts

Adding geodesy lines with the Geodesy Graphic tool

Adding geodesy lines with the Geodesy Calculator

Using the Range Rings tool
The conversion tools
MA catalog wireframe symbology
Military Analyst in ArcGlobe

An overview of the Military Analyst ArcGlobe functionality

Using the Fly Through tool

Using the Threat Dome tool

Setting the Threat Dome options
Military Analyst tools reference
Military Overlay Editor
Getting started with MOLE
MOLE geodatabases

MOLE feature types

Creating a MOLE geodatabase

Creating MOLE feature classes

Attribute data field descriptions

Required field names for MOLE feature classes

Creating MOLE geodatabases for ArcView users

Updating MOLE datasets
Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap
Controlling the MOLE display
Using MOLE with other ESRI products

Adding MOLE symbols with the Coordinate tool

Using MOLE layers in ArcGIS Tracking Analyst

Creating a MOLE temporal layer in ArcGIS Tracking Analyst

Using MOLE with ArcSDE

Using MOLE with ArcIMS

Sample MOLE mission planning map

Exporting MOLE layers to ArcSDE

Versioning with MOLE

Using MOLE with ArcGlobe
Network Analyst
Getting started with Network Analyst
Network dataset concepts
Designing the network dataset
Building and editing the network dataset
Performing network analysis
Migrating to ArcGIS Network Analyst
Network Analyst tools reference
Publisher
Spatial Analyst
Survey Analyst
Tracking Analyst
Getting more help
Help for developers