Add an Interoperability connection and specify dataset properties

In this example you will see how to make an Interoperability Connection to data in a non-ESRI format.

While you can simply browse many formats in ArcCatalog, some formats may require that you specify additional information (such as a username and password) before you can view the data, and other formats may not be identifiable via their filename extension. The Interoperability Connections node provides a way to fully specify both a format and all of its required settings, so that you can directly work with its data.

In this example you will see how to use the Interoperability Connections node to view Intergraph® Modular Geographic Information System (GIS) Environment (MGE) files. The MGE format is based on MicroStation® Design, with nongraphical elements defined through links to a database.

You will specify the file type, attribute storage method and location, and coordinate system of the data with this connection.