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 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 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 Projected coordinate systems Geographic transformations Geographic transformation methods Equation-based methods Grid-based methods 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

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 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 GIS service 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 Working with graphs and reports Looking at data with graphs (Pre-ArcGIS 9.2) Looking at data with graphs Creating reports

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 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 Shortcut keys for editing in ArcMap 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 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 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

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 An overview of models Creating a simple model Model concepts and terms Using ModelBuilder Controlling the flow of processing Model Iteration Automating your work with scripts Geoprocessing environments 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 Managing intermediate data Accessing ArcSDE data in tools Sharing Python modules Sharing tools on an ArcGIS Server 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

Geodatabases and ArcSDE

Data management with ArcCatalog

Data support in ArcGIS

Extensions

3D Analyst ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension ArcGIS Publisher Getting started with Publisher Creating data packages Creating custom applications ArcReader ArcScan Getting started with ArcScan Interactive vectorization Automatic vectorization Cell selection Raster cleanup Vectorization options and settings Business Analyst Geostatistical Analyst Maplex Getting started with Maplex Using Maplex to set label positions Label fitting strategies Resolving label conflicts Military Analyst Getting started with Military Analyst What's new in Military Analyst 9.2 Data Management Coordinate tool Terrain Analysis tools Geodesy tools The conversion tools MA catalog wireframe symbology Military Analyst in ArcGlobe Military Analyst tools reference Military Overlay Editor 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 PLTS Schematics Spatial Analyst Survey Analyst Tracking Analyst

Geocoding and address management

Getting started with geocoding An overview of geocoding Definition of the address locator Understanding geocoding What is an address? The geocoding work flow The geocoding framework The process of geocoding Customization of the address locator Common geocoding tasks Preparing for geocoding Understanding address locator styles Commonly used address locator styles Preparing reference and address data Standardizing your reference data Building an address locator Locating addresses The geocoding process Finding an individual address Geocoding a table of addresses Rematching a geocoded feature class 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 Updating your reference data Versioned data and the address locator Rebuilding address locators Distributing your address locator Adjusting your address locator file Exploring the address locator file Why change your address locator file? Changing default settings Changing default settings in the address locator template file Table schema and the locator file Accommodating alternative reference table schema Modifying the query Accommodating changes in the geocoding rule base files Address Locator Properties dialog box About StreetMap data About StreetMap data

Linear referencing

Network analysis

Mobile GIS

Interoperability and standards support

Overview of interoperability Overview of OGC and ISO support ESRI protocols and programming interfaces GML support in ArcGIS An overview of GML support in ArcGIS How to work with GML in ArcGIS Using the GML simple features profile Using supported GML profiles Adding new GML profiles

Customizing and developing with ArcGIS

Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS

ESRI Data and Maps Getting started with ESRI Data and Maps United States (census) United States (hydrography) United States (landmarks) United States (transportation) United States (other) StreetMap USA World Europe Canada Mexico Elevation and image data Working with StreetMap data

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

An overview of GIS services Servers and the services they provide User, author, administrator, and developer roles Types of ArcIMS services Types of services in ArcGIS Server WMS service Using GIS Services in ArcGIS Desktop applications Thinking about maps in web-enabled GIS applications Understanding map caches in ArcGIS Managing server connections in the GIS Servers folder Authoring and publishing services Administering ArcGIS Server with ArcCatalog Overview of ArcGIS Server administration in ArcCatalog Connecting to a GIS server Running ArcCatalog under a different operating system account Adding a server object container Adding a new service Adding multiple services at once Removing a service Starting, stopping, and pausing services Displaying server statistics Creating a server directory Specifying the log file location Using a proxy server to connect to the Internet Setting the capacity of a server object container Creating a map cache Publishing a resource to ArcGIS Server Creating a globe cache Adding and removing folders