Spatially Adjusted

Tag: arcmap

  • WMS Connect for ArcGIS 9.1

    Link – WMS Connect 1.0.0

    So the question comes to mind on why would you need such a tool? The core ArcGIS WMS extension is great for quickly visualizing services within the ArcGIS framework. However, it doesn’t natively allow users to modify the WMS map requests and it does require an existent Internet connection.

    The WMS Connect tool allows the user to modify WMS service requests in such a way that the user can select a style other than the default, it allows the user to define the request area, and it allows the definition of the downloaded cell size. The result of this tool is a raster dataset on disk and the user can use it in a disconnected environment and for geoprocessing as well.

    I’m going to have to try this when I get back into work on Monday. Better WMS support in ArcGIS has been a hot topic with some of our clients.

    Wmsconnect

  • Revised ArcMap Crash Dialog

    Flickr user supercooper has created his own ArcMap crash dialog.

    51772342 ce7d9382b2

    Actually this Flickr user has some nice looking maps uploaded. Not a bad way to show your portfolio.

  • ArcMap Feature Layer to KML

    Link – VBA code for Google Earth KML paths

    ArcObjects VBA code to take a feature layer, split it up into line segments, and then generate a valid KML file. It’s pretty basic, and you have to hard code some values, but it does the job. It will work with either lines or polygons, and it shouldn’t matter whether it’s a shapefile or a coverage. Just make sure that your layer is projected into lat/long first.

    Looks like Jim’s code is now on ArcScripts.

  • ArcMap 9.2 and GeoChat

    Link – GeoChat (Integration of GIS and IM)

    What is a GeoChat Layer?
    A geochat layer can be created by any ArcMap user. The layer creator can add one or more MSN contacts to the layer. When the layer creator sends a text/geometry/imagery message to the layer all recipients (that are running ArcMap + geochat) will be “pushed” the layer and the associated message. All contacts are then free to send messages. Note that all geochat communication is peer to peer (P2P). One nice feature of geochat layers is that they can be used in the geoprocessing environment!

    GoeChat was mentioned a little bit at the ESRI User Conference, but unfortunately I was never really able to find anything more in detail. Well Richie has a great post about how the product works as well as some nice screen shots of it in action.

  • You should post more about ArcMap!

    I got an interesting email from a reader who wants me to post more about ArcMap (I assume more about ArcGIS Desktop rather than the server products).

    James, how come you don’t talk more about ArcMap? I’m no programmer so all this mapserver stuff is way over my head. How about posting some ArcMap templates or geoprocessing models that you find? Keep up the excellent work,
    Derek

    We’ll I’d love to, but there isn’t really that much info out there beyond what is posted on the ESRI Support Forums. I don’t know of any ESRI bloggers who are part of the Desktop team so I can’t really link to any of them either.

    Derek brings up an interesting idea about posting templates and models. The ESRI site doesn’t really have a section for people to upload their templates or share models (beyond the one’s that ESRI posts). I won’t go into my rant about the ArcScripts page, but why not add a section for templates and models? There are a ton of products in the ArcScripts that aren’t really scripts or programming code so you might want to look there for things, but a separate section for templates or models would be interesting. Jack Dangermond was up on the User Conference stage a couple years ago saying how we should share out models with each other, so how about a way to do so?

    I’ll keep my eye out Derek for some more ArcGIS desktop news, but beyond PR emails and RSS feeds there isn’t much out there.

  • MrSID vs. TIFF

    It is pretty hard these days not to have a MrSID image behind your vector data. Almost every project I am involved with has a satellite or aerial image behind it. These MrSID images are great because they compress huge raster datasets down to a fraction of their size, but in doing that they cause problems. ArcMap does a great job with MrSID (much better than the old ArcView 3.x ever did) that you almost never notice the difference while panning and zooming, but when you hit that print button the problems begin. The plot file size of these images just balloons to the point of our plotter (HP800ps) just choking on the files. The same plot file using a TIFF is much more manageable. The other big issue with them is you can’t load MrSID into ArcSDE. Well you can, but they don’t work as well as if you had an uncompressed format.

    I think the best solution is if you order imagery, always request the “raw” TIFF images as well as MrSID. Down the road you’ll be glad you did.