Collapse all Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help Copyright information GIS Dictionary

What's new in ArcGIS

What's new in ArcGIS 9.2 Migration guides Migrating from ArcView GIS 3 to ArcView 9 Migrating from ArcInfo Workstation to ArcGIS Desktop

Getting started

Fundamentals of GIS data 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 Introducing ArcGIS Desktop What is ArcGIS 9.2 An overview of ArcGIS Desktop Using ArcGIS Desktop Mapping and visualization in ArcMap The geodatabase Workspace and dataset management with ArcCatalog Data compilation and editing Geoprocessing and analysis ArcGIS Desktop extensions Tips and tricks within ArcGIS Tutorials Tutorials Getting Started Quickstart tutorial index 3D Analyst tutorial index Animation in ArcMap tutorial index ArcGIS Publisher tutorial index ArcReader tutorial index ArcScan tutorial index Building a Geodatabase tutorial index Data interoperability tutorial index Database servers tutorial index Editing geodatabases tutorial index Editing GIS features tutorial index Geocoding tutorial index Geoprocessing tutorial index Linear Referencing tutorial index Maplex tutorial index Representations tutorial index Spatial Analyst tutorial index StreetMap tutorial index Tracking Analyst tutorial index Toolbars Core ArcMap toolbars ArcCatalog toolbars Extension toolbars ArcScene toolbars ArcGlobe toolbars ArcReader toolbars Getting more help Using this help system Getting help within the applications 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

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)? Projected coordinate systems Geographic transformations Supported map projections List of supported map projections Aitoff Alaska Grid Alaska Series E Albers Equal Area Conic Azimuthal Equidistant Behrmann Equal Area Cylindrical Bipolar Oblique Conformal Conic Bonne Cassini-Soldner Chamberlin Trimetric Craster Parabolic Cube Cylindrical Equal Area Double Stereographic Eckert I Eckert II Eckert III Eckert IV Eckert V Eckert VI Equidistant Conic Equidistant Cylindrical Equirectangular Fuller Gall's Stereographic Gauss-Kruger Geocentric Coordinate System Geographic Coordinate System Gnomonic Great Britain National Grid Hammer-Aitoff Hotine Oblique Mercator Krovak Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area Lambert Conformal Conic Local Cartesian Projection Loximuthal McBryde-Thomas Flat-Polar Quartic Mercator Miller Cylindrical Mollweide New Zealand National Grid Orthographic Perspective Plate Carree Polar Stereographic Polyconic Quartic Authalic Rectified Skewed Orthomorphic Robinson Simple Conic Sinusoidal Space Oblique Mercator State Plane Coordinate System Stereographic Times projection Transverse Mercator Two-Point Equidistant Universal Polar Stereographic Universal Transverse Mercator Van der Grinten I Vertical Near-Side Perspective Winkel I Winkel II Winkel Tripel Vertical coordinate systems About vertical coordinate systems Vertical datums Geoid

Mapping and visualization

An overview of mapping and visualization Using ArcMap Working with layers Navigating and interacting with maps Navigating maps and layout pages Interacting with maps Adding graphics and text to maps Working with graphics Working with text Symbolizing data Animation Using cartographic representations Getting started with representations Representation concepts Working with representations Editing feature 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 Working with graphs and reports

Editing and data compilation

An overview of editing and data compilation Getting started with editing Common editing tasks Creating new features About creating new features Creating point features and vertices Creating lines and polygons Creating segments using angles and lengths Creating segments using angles from existing segments Creating segments that are circular arc curves Creating segments by tracing features Creating buffers Mirroring features Combining features from different layers Intersecting features Merging and separating features Copying parallel line features Creating a fillet curve between two lines Creating cul-de-sac lines Creating lines with the Traverse window Creating lines with the 2-Point Line window Creating lines with the Offset Line window Editing existing features Editing attributes Editing annotation Editing dimension features About editing dimension features Creating dimension features Modifying a dimension feature's geometry and style Using a digitizer About digitizing An overview of preparing to digitize Registering the paper map Digitizing features on a paper map Spatial adjustment Editing topology Editing relationships and related objects COGO

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 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 Keeping track of geoprocessing history Advanced modeling through simulations An overview of advance modeling through simulations General concepts of modeling through simulations Developing the different modeling approaches

Geoprocessing tool reference

An overview of commonly used tools Geoprocessing commands quick reference guide Licensing for geoprocessing tools Data types for geoprocessing tool parameters 3D Analyst toolbox An overview of the 3D Analyst toolbox Understanding 3D data Concepts of surface analysis Working with TIN surfaces Working with raster surfaces 3D visualization 3D Analyst Conversion toolset Functional Surface toolset Raster Interpolation toolset Raster Math toolset Raster Reclass toolset Raster Surface toolset Terrain toolset TIN Creation toolset TIN Surface toolset Analysis toolbox Business Analyst toolbox Cartography toolbox Conversion toolbox An overview of the Conversion toolbox From Raster toolset Metadata toolset To CAD toolset To Coverage toolset To dBASE toolset To Geodatabase toolset To Raster toolset To Shapefile toolset Coverage toolbox Data Interoperability toolbox An overview of the Data Interoperability toolbox Tools Data Management toolbox An overview of the Data Management toolbox Data Comparison toolset Database toolset Disconnected Editing toolset Distributed Geodatabase toolset Domains toolset Feature Class toolset Features toolset Fields toolset File Geodatabase toolset General toolset Generalization toolset Indexes toolset Joins toolset Layers and Table Views toolset Projections and Transformations toolset Raster toolset Relationship Classes toolset Subtypes toolset Table toolset Topology toolset Versions toolset Workspace toolset Geocoding toolbox Geostatistical Analyst toolbox Linear Referencing toolbox Multidimensional toolbox Military Analyst toolbox An overview of the Military Analyst toolbox Data Management toolset Geometry toolset Utilities toolset Military Overlay Editor toolbox An overview of the Military Overlay Editor toolbox Utilities toolset Network Analyst toolbox Server toolbox Spatial Analyst toolbox An overview of the Spatial Analyst toolbox Solving problems in Spatial Analyst Understanding raster data Performing analysis in Spatial Analyst Spatial Analyst toolbox sample applications Conditional toolset Density toolset Distance toolset Extraction toolset Generalization toolset Groundwater toolset Hydrology toolset Interpolation toolset Local toolset Map Algebra toolset Math toolset Multivariate toolset Neighborhood toolset Overlay toolset Raster Creation toolset Reclass toolset Solar Radiation toolset Surface toolset Zonal toolset 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 Utilities toolset Samples toolbox An overview of the Samples toolbox Conversion Data Management Tracking Analyst toolbox Environment Settings

Geodatabases and ArcSDE

An overview of the Geodatabase Architecture of a geodatabase Designing a geodatabase 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 How geodatabases are stored in a DBMS Feature geometry and raster data storage Inside a geodatabase in Oracle Inside a geodatabase in SQL Server Inside a geodatabase in DB2 Inside a geodatabase in Informix Administering ArcSDE geodatabases An overview of ArcSDE geodatabase administration What is ArcSDE? Installing and upgrading ArcSDE 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 personal geodatabases File geodatabases and the file system Working with geodatabases using SQL An overview of working with a geodatabase using SQL Spatial relationships Spatial operations SQL implementation differences 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 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 Searching for items About search results Finding items using the Search tool Searching with geographic criteria Searching with temporal criteria Searching with keywords Working with search results Working with metadata

Data support in ArcGIS

An overview of data support in ArcGIS Data formats supported in ArcGIS CAD data Coverages NetCDF: multidimensional, time series data An overview of netCDF data Understanding netCDF data Working with netCDF data in ArcGIS Raster data Shapefiles Tables and attribute information Understanding tables and attribute information Creating tables and managing attribute information Displaying tables and attribute information Terrains Understanding terrain datasets Designing and managing terrain datasets Geoprocessing and terrain analysis

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 Additional geocoding techniques Alternative searches The Alternate Name table tab The Alias Table dialog box Building an address locator for alternative searches Searching for an intersection Building a composite address locator 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 Creating route feature classes Displaying and querying routes feature classes An overview of displaying and querying route feature classes Working with route feature classes in ArcMap Setting the route identifier field Querying route feature classes Displaying route measure anomalies About hatching route feature classes Hatching options Displaying hatches Manipulating the text on hatches Working with hatch styles Displaying and querying route events Editing routes 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

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 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 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

ArcGIS Image Server

GIS Servers and services