Alaska Support Office ArcGIS Development

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Alaska Support OfficeArcGIS Development
Solutions

• IM Data Manager's Meeting
• April 6-8, 2004
• Las Vegas, Nevada

Angie Southwould US National Park Service
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ArcGIS to Access Link Tool
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What is Arc2Ax?

• The ArcGIS to Access Link provides aconnection
  between spatial data in an ArcGIS map and tabular
  data in an Access database.

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Doesnt ArcGIS already do that?

• Yes
• ArcGIS will easily link to Access tables without
  the use of this tool

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Doesnt ArcGIS already do that?

• and No
• ArcGIS will not link to Access forms and reports
  without programming

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Why use Arc2Ax?

• Do you want to ability to query tabular data and
  view corresponding spatial data?

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Why use Arc2Ax?

• Do you want to ability to select features or run
  a spatial query and view corresponding tabular
  data?

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Why use Arc2Ax?

• ArcGIS is not a relational database management
  system
• ArcGIS has limitations when viewing and editing
  tabular data
• Access lacks tools to display spatial data
• This generic tool will link any database to any
  map that contains related data

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How does Arc2Ax work?

• Arc2Ax.dll is registered during installation
• The Arc2Ax menu appears on all Access XP MDBs and
  all ArcMap MXDs.

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How does Arc2Ax work?

• Create a link

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How does Arc2Ax work?

• Activate a link

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How does Arc2Ax work?

• Select features
• Manually
• Query Builder
• Run a link
• Menu
• Link Manager

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How does Arc2Ax work?

• When you run a link, queries are translated and
  exchanged between ArcMap and Access

IncidentID LACL_2003_0001 OR IncidentID
LACL_2003_0002 OR IncidentID LACL_2003_0003
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Whats new since Av2Ax?

• Stand Alone Application
• ArcView to Access
• ArcView Extension added to each project
• Added VB objects and code to each database
• ArcGIS to Access
• The same code is run from both applications

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Whats new since Av2Ax?

• Communication Technology
• ArcView to Access
• DDE (dynamic data exchange)
• ArcGIS to Access
• Automation (using application engines)

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Whats new since Av2Ax?

• Link Storage
• ArcView to Access
• DBF
• ArcGIS to Access
• Registry

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Whats new since Av2Ax?

• Record Selection
• ArcView to Access
• Records in all Access objects must be selected
  limited to 1 record in most forms
• ArcGIS to Access
• If no records are selected, all records are
  linked allowing for filters or custom queries

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Whats new since Av2Ax?

• Link Activation
• ArcView to Access
• Activate links each time you open the app
• ArcGIS to Access
• Active links are remembered

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Whats new since Av2Ax?

• Link Types
• ArcView to Access
• Table, Query, Form, Report (1-way Av to Ax)
• ArcGIS to Access
• Table, Query, Form, Report (2-way), Function

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Feedback from beta testers

• Allow link to Access 97 and 2000
• Manually install add-in in each database
• Expose an Arc2Ax API to allow other applications
  to trigger the running of links
• Passing saved link profile, dynamic link info
• Work with compiled Access databases
• Not tested, may work
• Work with forms or reports in geodatabases
• Not tested, should work

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Arc2Ax
Demo
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AlaskaPak Toolkit
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What is AlaskaPak?

• The Swiss army knife of ArcMap tools
• Useful tools to perform common tasks
• Helpful to GIS novices who know what they want to
  do, but do not have the programming skills to
  match
• Automates or provides a wizard for multi-step
  tasks

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What tools are included?

• Quick NPS Layout

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What tools are included?

• Photo Link

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What tools are included?

• Add Unique ID
• Add X-Y Coordinates
• Add Acres, Miles

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What tools are included?

• Obscure Points

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What tools are included?

• Create Random Points in Polygon
• Create Random Transects in Polygon

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What tools are included?

• Select Random Points

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What tools are included?

• Create Polylines/Polygons from Points
• Create Points from Polylines/Polygons

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What tools are included?

• Generate Grid
• Generate Grid Points
• Resize Grid
• Analyze Grid

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AlaskaPak
Demo
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GIS Theme Manager
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The Needs

• Manage information
• Organize huge amounts of spatial data
• Institutionalize datasets
• Associate related information to datasets
• Make GIS more accessible to users
• Easy to understand and use
• Organize data into meaningful categories
• Browse data, search for specific data
• View data in a map layout

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ESRI Solution - ArcCatalog

• Entry point is ArcCatalog, not ArcMap
• File based structure
• Create a directory structure
• Populate with layer files
• Manage with explorer or ArcCatalog
• Generic solution

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NPS Solution Theme Manager

• Entry point is ArcMap
• Software better known by non-GIS users
• Database based structure
• Create themes that reference 1 layers
• Give themes meaningful names
• Create a virtual organization structure
  regardless of the physical location of layers and
  underlying data
• Manage with custom tools

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Theme Manager Features

• Themes are stored in a virtual directory
  organized by categories
• User may browse tree structure for data
• User may search theme name and metadata
• Windows explorer look
• Search results returned in a separate pane
• Network theme list is shared for all users
• User may create personal themes
• User may create shortcuts in a favorites list
• Fast!

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Theme Manager Implementation

• Phase I Ready for beta with 2 weeks?
• Importer Utility for current ArcView Theme
  Manager Users (imports approx. 95)
• Theme Picker
• Themes can be managed manually
• Phase II
• Theme Manager interface
• Create new themes, manage themes
• Future Phases
• Theme Harvester, Pack-n-Go, Arc2Ax Link

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Feedback from Arc Dev Group

• Allow users to reference a data location change
• Allow Theme Picker window to be resized
• Allow an entire category to be add to favorites
• Load a suggested list of categories during
  installation
• Joe is working on this list in another effort
• Provide flag for missing data
• Allow user to turn this feature off
• Allow user to trigger from menu item
• Message box to preoccupy user during search

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GIS Theme Manager
Demo
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Custom Features for Usability

• NPS installation program
• Standard default install directory
• Standard registry keys and values
• Menus and tools are disabled if appropriate
• These items display a message describing why they
  are disabled or what can be done to enable them
• Context sensitive help on menus, tools, forms
• Illustrated forms to help describe the function
• Preference editor to create custom drop downs