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

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 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 Projected coordinate systems Geographic transformations Supported map projections Vertical coordinate systems About vertical coordinate systems Vertical datums Geoid

Mapping and visualization

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 Moving features Rotating features Copying and pasting features Deleting features Adding and deleting vertices Moving vertices Editing attribute values of a vertex Reshaping lines and polygons using a sketch Splitting polygon features Splitting line features Trimming lines Extending lines Flipping lines Scaling features Clipping features Stretching a feature's geometry proportionately Simplifying and smoothing features Editing attributes Editing attributes Copying and pasting attributes Deleting attributes Editing with default values and attribute domains About updating data using SQL Editing annotation Editing dimension features 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 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 An overview of writing geoprocessing scripts Getting started with writing geoprocessing scripts Accessing tools within a geoprocessing script Batch processing with geoprocessing scripts Messaging and script tools Data properties and access when scripting Working with AMLs Scripting object: Properties and Methods 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 Keeping track of geoprocessing history Advanced modeling through simulations

Geoprocessing tool reference

Geodatabases and ArcSDE

An overview of the Geodatabase 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 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 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

Data support in ArcGIS

An overview of data support in ArcGIS Data formats supported in ArcGIS CAD data Coverages What is a coverage Summary of coverage feature classes Coverage resolution (precision) How coverages are stored Creating a new coverage Understanding and maintaining attributes in a coverage About fields (items) in coverage attribute tables Creating a new INFO table About the coverage extent Coverage tics Defining a coverage's coordinate system Coverage topology Coverage tolerances Coverage relationships and relationship classes Coverage data limitations Importing an ArcInfo interchange file (E00) NetCDF: multidimensional, time series data An overview of netCDF data Understanding netCDF data Working with netCDF data in ArcGIS Raster data Shapefiles About shapefiles, dBASE tables, and file types Shapefile file extensions Creating new shapefiles and dBASE tables Adding and deleting fields in shapefiles Creating and updating indexes in shapefiles Defining a shapefile's coordinate system How to salvage a corrupt shapefile 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 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 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 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

Linear referencing

Getting started with linear referencing 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 routes 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

An overview of customizing ArcGIS Customizing the user interface About customizing the user interface Basic user interface elements Hiding and showing toolbars Creating custom toolbars Changing a toolbar's or menu's contents Changing a command's appearance Creating shortcut keys Setting toolbar options Saving your customizations Writing macros using VBA Extending ArcGIS desktop applications About extending 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

About the ArcGIS Image Server Configuration and licensing Designing an image service About the image service and the definition file About the image service properties About the service table Pixel size ranges used Supported raster data file types About the ArcGIS Image Server process chain About the raster process definition About combining service definitions Creating an image service Working with image service group layers About the image service group layer Working with the Footprint layer Working with the Boundary layer Working with the Preview layer Working with the service table Working with raster data in a service Working with the image service Image service processes Publishing and administering the ArcGIS Image Server ArcGIS Image Server Seamline extension About the ArcGIS Image Server Seamline extension Creating and deleting seamlines Editing seamlines Applying the seamline and feathering ArcGIS Image Server Ortho extension About the ArcGIS Image Server Ortho extension The orthorectification parameters Using an elevation image service as the DEM input ArcGIS Image Server workflows ArcGIS Image Server Clients Image Server Viewer Image Server ArcGIS Clients Image Server MicroStation Client Image Server AutoCAD Client

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