Collapse all Welcome to ArcGIS Desktop Help Copyright information Acknowledgements GIS Dictionary

What's new in ArcGIS

What's new in ArcGIS 9.3 What's new in ArcGIS 9.3.1 Migration guides

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 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

Mapping and visualization

Editing and data compilation

Tables and attribute information

Understanding tables and attribute information Creating tables and managing attribute information Displaying tables and attribute information

Geoprocessing

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 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 file and personal geodatabases File geodatabases and Windows Explorer File geodatabase size and name limits File geodatabases and locking Working with geodatabases using SQL

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 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

Understanding raster data Supported raster data Supported raster dataset file formats Technical specifications for raster dataset formats About the ESRI Grid format About MrSID rasters BIL, BIP, and BSQ raster files Raster data with subdatasets Building a customized raster format Properties of raster data About raster dataset properties Raster pyramids Raster dataset statistics Raster compression About reduced resolution dataset files About auxiliary files About proxy files Defining a raster's coordinate system Raster dataset colormaps Bit depth capacity for raster dataset cells NoData in raster datasets World files for raster datasets Designing a raster database Design methodology for a raster database Why store rasters in a geodatabase Example raster case studies including the storage decisions Raster datasets as attributes More details about rasters in ArcGIS Building and managing a raster database Raster display and visualization Displaying rasters Adding a raster dataset to a map Adding a raster catalog to a map Saving a raster dataset or catalog layer file About setting default raster display options Choosing which raster formats can be viewed Setting the default bands to display multiband rasters Displaying the raster's spatial resolution Georeferencing a raster dataset Georeferencing video sample Orthorectifying a raster dataset About projecting raster datasets on the fly Improving the display of raster data Color correcting using raster data Working with the histogram when displaying raster data Changing the appearance of background values Symbolizing values of NoData in raster datasets Interactively viewing pixel values using the Pixel Inspector Interactively reveal rasters using the Swipe Layer tool Panchromatic sharpening Performance tuning for displaying raster data Raster analysis and geoprocessing Serving raster data

Data support in ArcGIS

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 Understanding address locator styles Commonly used address locator styles Preparing reference and address data Standardizing your reference data Building an address locator Locating addresses 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 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

An overview of Mobile GIS ArcGIS Mobile integration Introduction to ArcGIS Mobile Design and create Mobile maps Building effective data models for field data collection Deploying maps to mobile devices Managing field updates using ArcGIS Desktop Geoprocessing support for ArcGIS Mobile 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 An overview of Tablet PC technology Adding the Tablet toolbar Pen tool Highlighter tool Eraser tool Commands on the Tablet toolbar ArcPad integration 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

Interoperability and standards support

Customizing and developing with ArcGIS

Guide to data that comes with ArcGIS

Licensing and desktop administration

GIS Servers and services

An overview of GIS servers used with ArcGIS Using ArcIMS with ArcGIS Desktop An overview to using ArcIMS with ArcGIS Desktop Types of ArcIMS services Publishing GIS contents for use with ArcIMS Using ArcGIS Server with ArcGIS Desktop An overview to using ArcGIS Server with ArcGIS Desktop About the roles of GIS end users, authors, developers, and administrators Types of services in ArcGIS Server Authoring and publishing services for ArcGIS Server Administering ArcGIS Server with ArcCatalog Creating and publishing web maps for ArcGIS Server An overview of Web GIS A framework for deploying Web GIS Web GIS concepts for GIS users Types of GIS map applications Steps for implementing GIS map applications How to build online base maps Building operational map layers Managing the performance of GIS mapping services Distributing maps, globes, and layers on the Web