Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1/10/2008
ArcCatalog is used to identify, preview, browse and manage (copy, delete, convert format, etc.) spatial data sets, as well
as layout the schema (design) for new databases and datasets, and document them with standards-based metadata
(Reading: Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop, Chapter 3).
Click the Connect To Folder icon (button #2) on the standard toolbar:---Connect to Folder dialog box opens
Navigate to the folder or disk that you want to add to the Catalog--p:\briggs\g6382\)
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Be sure this folder name appears in the top box in the Connect to Folder dialog
Click OK.--A new folder connection appears in the Catalog tree.
Click the expansion box (to the left of the folder name with + sign) to display sub-folders
Create a connection to the CD ROM drive, and also to Q: if previously mapped
5. Disconnect Folder
Click the folder that you want to remove from the Catalog.
o E.g. remove any p:\ connections other than p:\briggs\g6382\
Click the Disconnect From Folder button (#3).
The folder connection is removed from the Catalog tree.
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You can also click the expansion box (+ sign) in the tree to have the same list show in the tree
Double-click on the folder name (e.g. DataSets and then Shapefiles) in the right window to display contents.
These can be shown in one of 4 forms controlled by icon on the toolbar:
o Large icon format
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Its subfolders are displayed in the Catalog display window on the right
List format
Detailed format (same as list but with file type shown)
thumbnails
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For example, thumbnails are available in the Shapefiles folder but not the Coverages folder.
They are really part of the metadata and are saved as .xml files.
See section 16.3 below for how to create them.
You cannot create thumbnails on the p:\ drive since you dont have write access.
The DataSets folder contains a variety of data sets in different file formats: shapefile, coverage, geodatabase,
CAD, as well as raster data sets and standard dbf files.
Note how dataset (file format) types are coded by icon shape, color, etc.
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shapefiles ( polygon
, line
, point
Yellow 3-part:
coverages (polygon
, line
, point
Grey drum:
geodatabase
Yellow grid:
raster
indicated by graphic)
)
CAD files
What is a layer file? Its like a mini map document. It contains a pointer to a single spatial data file (shapefile,
coverage, or geodatabase feature class), but not the data itself, along with information on how to display that data
in a map document. It is a very useful concept. For data management, it may be more useful than a map
document. You can have multiple layer files for any one data file, displaying different variables in that file for
examplesee, tracts_id.lyr and tracts_area.lyr
o Double click a layer file (e.g. tracts_area.lyr) to show Properties. Note how these include Symbology .
Double click the source file( tracts.shp). Note the difference in Properties
You can group layers (as well as spatial files) into Group Layers. For detail see # 17 and #18
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Texas:
Dallas County
Dal_hospitals_point
Personal geodatabase
feature data set (spatial reference same for all classes within)
feature class
Dal_hyws_arc:
standalone feature class (each has unique spatial reference)
Note the hierarchical structure of a geodatabase GDB>FDS>FC (we will talk more about this below)
You can explore a simpler set of data by making a connection to: p:\briggs\g6381\avcat. This single folder contains
the same spatial data in different formats. The examples used in the arcdata.ppt are taken from here.
o You may wish to open Windows Explorer (right click on Start and select Explore), and navigate to this
same folder (p:\data\briggs\poec6381\avcat), to see how the physical files appear on the disk.
o the .prj for shapefiles stores projection info (there for tracts, but not for daycare)
the .xml for shapefiles stores metadata (but presence of file does not mean metadata exists, e.g. daycare)
8. Examining Data
There are three main options controlling how you examine individual data files:
--by selecting among the 3 tabs at the top of the ArCat contents window (Content, Preview, Metadata)
--when in Preview Tab, by choosing between geography and table at the bottom of the ArcCat window
--by right-clicking on a data set in the tree and selecting
9. Data Preview: maps
Click on any spatial dataset in the tree (on left) or in the Contents window (on right):
Click on the Preview tab in the ArcCat Contents window on the right
o Preview map is displayed
Use the Geography Toolbar to Pan, Zoom, Identify, etc. In version 9.2, you can use the mouse wheel to zoom in
and zoom out.
o Click the globe icon to return to the full extent of the map
10. Data Preview: tables
Be sure preview tab is selected
o A map will generally be displayed in the Preview window, but not always
At the bottom of the Preview Window , click down-arrow next to Geography and select Table
o The underlying feature attribute table is displayed
o Use the Record control at the bottom to scroll thru the table.
Open the coverages folder in p:\briggs\g6382\DataSets and explore both the geography and the associated tables
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Note the variables common to coverage (point/arc/polygon) attribute tables as discussed in AGintro.ppt
Note how the variables are named based on coverage name (you may have to expand column widths)
11. Data Preview: data documentation
o Click the Metadata Tab in ArcCatalog window
o You are provided with documentation about the data
o Some is automatically obtained from the Data Set Properties (see below), e.g. projection info, if known
o Other info. has to be entered manually (see Section # 24 below)
o Go to the shapefiles folder to see example of metadata (except for lakes.shp)
o Use Stylesheet drop down menu to select desired display style e.g FGDC ESRI
(FGDC is the Federal Geographic Data Committee which publishes standards for metadata.)
o Description provides overall metadata
o Spatial provides projection info
o Attributes lists names of variables in attribute tables
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Use ArcCatalog
If you right click on any entry in the Catalog tree, and select Properties, a window with tabs is displayed
The same display can be accessed from the File/Properties pull-down menu, or by double clicking the data set
name in the ArcCatalog Contents window when under the Preview tab
Tab Items depend on the type of entry you click:
Shapefiles: General,XY Coordinate System, Fields, Indexes
Coverage: General, Projection, Tics & Extent, Tolerances
Coverage Feature Class (point, arc, or node): General, Items, Relationships
Geodatabase (e.g. Texas): General, Domains
Feature Data set (e.g.Dallas County): General, XY Coordinate System, Tolerance, Resolution,
Domain,
Feature class ( e.g. dal_hwys_arc): General, XY Coordinate System, Fields, Indexes, Subtypes,
Relationships, Tolerance, Resolution, Domain,
Standalone Feature Class: ( e.g. dal_lakes): General, XY Coordinate System, Fields, Indexes,
Subtypes, Relationships, Tolerance, Resolution, Domain,
Folder or Workspace: standard NT tabs for General, Sharing, Security
Modifications to Coverages, Geodatabases and Shapefiles can be initiated from here as described below
Import (copy coordinate system information from another data set which is already defined).
There is a Z Coordinate System tab in the Spatial Reference Properties dialog in version 9.2
12. 3 Modifying Coverage Properties: Defining Coverage Projections, and Building Topology
Go to Properties of the coverage as in 12.1
o under the Projection tab, you can Define a projection (but this does not reproject the data)
as with shapefiles, Define simply specifies what the projection isit does not reproject or
change the projection
You must use ArcToolbox to actually re-project and change a coverages projection.
under the General tab, you can Clean and Build topology
Clean removes dangling nodes (within dangle tolerance) and combines nodes (within fuzzy
tolerance)set these tolerances under Tolerance tab if defaults are inappropriate
Build or rebuilds topology: be sure to select the desired feature type (poly, arc, point/node)
12. 4 Modifying Geodatabase Properties:
For geodatabase, many properties can be set up and modified here
o For example, to see the projection of a feature data set (e.g Dallas County) open its properties and select
XY Coordinate System tab.
The Edit button only allows you to Define(document) the projection, or change the definition if
it was wrong. It does not re-project the data. BE CAREFUL!!!
It will be greyed in the lab for data on the P: drive since you dont have write access.
12.5 Changing projections
You can define projections directly in ArcCatalog (i.e. document what the projection of the data is) for all types
of file structures, but you cannot re-project data except for when you import data into a geodatabase (see # 20.1)
o Data, providing its defined, is automatically re-projected, if necessary, when its imported into a
geodatabase feature dataset
o If you want to re-project a coverage or shapefile, you must use ArcToolbox
After defining the current projection, you can (re)project the data to a different projection using ArcToolbox
o You create a new data file, with different coordinate values.
Coverages
These are ESRIs original data set format, introduced with ArcInfo in 1981.
Coverages are stored in Workspaces, which are simply folders containing an Info subfolder which tracks the coverages
present in the workspace.
Warning: coverages do not support blanks in coverage names or blanks in the directory path to the coverage.
Consequently, you will encounter problems processing coverages in My Documents. Create a folder in the root of c:
13.1 Create Workspace in Your folder
o Go to c:\usr\initials (created in Step 6 above)
o Select New/ArcInfo Workspace
o Type in name and press Enter
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GeodataBases
14.1 Create a Personal or File-based GeoDatabase (gdb)
A geodatabase is the new format, introduced with ArcInfo 8, for saving spatial data. This is the format we will focus on in
this course. ArcCatalog provides a complete set of tools for designing and then managing all the information stored in the
geodatabase.:
Coverage
Geodatabase
Workspace
Feature Dataset Contains multiple layers but all must be in the same spatial reference system
Coverage
Feature Class
One layer in a Table (for gdb, is a single Table of one feature type) e.g counties
Feature type
Feature type
node or arc or polygon (plus complex feature types in gdb)
Feature
Feature
One row in the table: specific geographic feature in the real world: a tree or a county
Ideally, before creating a new gdb and/or bringing data into it, you should have a clear schema or design in mind,
preferably written!
ArcGIS 9.2 introduced the File based Geodatabase as a replacement for personal gdb. The process of using and creating
personal and file-based geodatabases is essentially the same. However, file-based are preferred because
--faster
--no size limit (2GB max for personal)
--compatible under Unix and MS Windows (personal gdb is MS Windows only)
To create a new (but empty) geodatabase:
In the ArcCatalog tree, right-click on the folderwhere you want to create the new personal geodatabase and select
New/Personal geodatabase. Use c:\usr\avcat\
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ArcCatalog creates a new personal geodatabase in the location you selected, and sets its name to edit
mode.
Type a new name for this personal geodatabase. Eg NewDFW
Press Enter.
Its now ready to add spatial data created new, or copied form elsewhere
To create a feature dataset within this new geodatabase:
Right click the geodatabase created above and select New/Feature Dataset
Enter desired name e.g Plano
Always use the Import button to select a Spatial Reference System (e.g. by importing from another data set such
as tracts.shp). Do not use Select. Otherwise, the extent (geographic area covered) will not be set correctly.
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You only import into a geodatabase, however you can export from any file format to any other file format e.g
geodatabase feature class to coverage, coverage to shapefile, etc
o Export is, in essence, the process for converting between file formats
o Exporting to a geodatabase (e.g. from a shapefile) is identical to importing into a geodatabase
For example: To Convert from Coverage to Shapefile
o Right click on the coverage in the Catalog tree and select Export> to Shapefile e.g use tracts coverage
o Note that for both shapefile and geodatabase the only options are multiple
o Note that four files are listed as import: click to expand name: they are arc, label, polygon, tic
--we will select all four, although in most circumstances you remove all except polygon
o Specify location of Output Folder (note this needs to be an existing folderuse avcat)
o Click OK and you find that four shapefiles are added, for arc, label, polygon, tic
Use Preview to see the difference between them.
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MetaData
16. 1 The Metadata System
o Go to a data layer (e.g. p:\briggs\g6382\DataSets\shapefiles\cities) and click Metadata tab
o Be sure Metadata toobar is open (it begins with the word Stylesheet). Open via View/Toolbars if necessary.
o The Stylesheet allows you to display metadada in several different styles
FGDC ESRI (default)
FGD Classic (Fedral Geograhic Data Committees standard for metadata)
FGDC Geography Network (an ESRI web based date locating system)
Xml (eXtensible Markup Languagefancy HTML)
The FGDC FAQ selection gives more info about FGDC metadata rules
Select each and see the differences
o The five Metadata buttons allow you to:
Create/update metadata
Updates metadata to reflect any changes made to dataset properties (e.g projections)
Always click this button before reading metadata, especially if you projecting data
Note: title of icon is confusing. You use the Edit icon to write (create) metadata
In the Catalog tree, click the item whose metadata you want to edit.
o In this case choose a dataset in c:\...avcat (e.g. daycare)
Click the Metadata tab in the ArcCatalog window.
On the metadata toolbar, select FGDC under Stylesheet on the
Click the Edit Metadata icon (first icon) on the Metadata toolbar.
o Note the 7 main section titles across the top (Identification, Data Quality, Data Organization, etc.)
o Click the appropriate section Title for the elements you want to edit. (e.g. Identification)
Click the tab containing the elements you want to edit.
o There are multiple tabs for each section!
Replace the information text in the boxes with your metadata info
o Or, click the dropdown arrow for the appropriate element and select a value in the list.
Click OK.
16.3. Creating Thumbnails
Thumbnails are visual summaries of a spatial data file which are very useful when browsing contents of folders (see #7
above) and viewing metadata. They are saved as part of the metadata in the .xml file. Thumbnails are not part of the
FGDC standard. To create thumbnails:
In the Catalog tree, click the layer for which you want to create a thumbnail.
Click the Preview tab and then go to geography view by clicking the dropdown arrow below the window.
If desired zoom in to a representative section of the data (or use the full extent, it doesnt matter)
Click the Create thumbnail icon (on end of Geography toolbaryellow down arrow with 4 small rectangles)
Repeat this process for every data set for which you want a thumbnailusually all within the folder or geodatabase.
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