Data Driven Pages

A quick way to automate making multiple maps covering a large area is through Data Driven Pages. Whether you are trying to follow a road, or if you want to grid an area and show sections on individual maps, there are ways to automate this in ArcGIS so that you have a consistent maps.

There are multiple ways to use Data Driven pages for automated map production.

I have outlined 3 different scenarios where you may find it easier to create maps using data driven pages than individually

Following a Line Feature

1. Search for the ‘Strip Map Index Feature’ Tool in the Search Window

2. Set tool parameters
Layer = Line you would like to follow
Length = the page dimensions you would like to be displayed

A quick revisit – subtypes and domains in Collector for ArcGIS

Subtypes and domains are fairly useful geodatabase features to know about especially when it comes to data validation and design of editing templates.

Knowing what they are and when to use them can mean the difference between a consistent semi-automatic field data collection experience and database anarchy. We recently looked a little closer at these two features when reviewing a template for collecting weed and other pest observations for a local council or recording tree records for an arborist. Faced with hundreds of different species of weeds, we needed some way to minimize the list of possible values.

Geodatabase editing and data distribution: a best practice approach

Geodatabases are the central store for maintaining all your vector data for ArcGIS. Traditionally data integrity in a geodatabase is maintained with the use of versioning. Edits are made in a version. The data is quality checked and then published to the control version.

We are seeing an increasing need to maintain more than one copy of data with the advent of ArcGIS Online. Data is moved to cloud servers and ArcGIS Online to allow field editors and remote offices access to the corporate datastore. The concept of one centralised database is being eroded because of these requirements for multiple sources. Enter the geodata service. Residing on top of a versioned geodatabase, the geodata service allows organisations to replicate data through the firewall to cloud servers and ArcGIS Online – allowing users in remote office and field users to have access to and update the most current data.

Another common scenario is to have the GIS data in one geodatabase and corporate data in another. The ability to directly connect to these enterprise databases in ArcGIS and join and manipulate data is also highlighted.

Gordon S

Best practice in cataloguing, organising and disseminating imagery

Imagery is used widely throughout the GIS Industry. It is generally used to provide context and detail to vector maps. However, imagery goes beyond the visual representation – it provides analytical information as well. It is timely, it can be used to see how an area of interest changes over time. It is analytical, it can be used to measure land coverages or measure heights of objects.

Imagery is becoming prolific, and so managing, displaying and disseminating the data to the end user is becoming important. The mosaic dataset and image service are formats that Esri has created to aid in the consumption of these image sources. Esri has built search tools and analytical tools into ArcGIS Desktop to take advantage of these formats.

On the web, the Image Discovery portal, available from GitHub, allows users to interrogate, analyse and download image data from the published image sources. In addition, the ability to cache the services delivers significant speed improvements over the standard image services while providing access to the analytical components of the imagery.

These technologies make ArcGIS the platform for your image management, and analysis.

Gordon S

Data quality checks and ArcGIS 10.x

As with any task carried out in the ArcGIS software suite,  data is the foundation.  The old saying of “Garbage in Garbage out” still applies.  Data, whether it is in a text format or geographic (shapefile or File Geodatabase Feature class) will impact on the behaviour, use and display of data in ArcGIS.

 

I do have one proviso in this situation and that is that I’ve given up on perfection.  Deviation from the real world is expected.  Distortions from the coordinate system chosen, method of capture and scale are some of the sources of error in geographic data.  What is important is what error is acceptable for the task you are carrying out.

 

Wondering how to use Python with ArcGIS? Esri Australia have courses that can help

Learning how to complete your ArcGIS Geoprocessing steps using Python will allow you to reduce the time spent on complex and/or repetitive tasks and will enable your staff to learn a more productive and dynamic pathway to return results.

So the question is; which course is for you?

The Introduction to Geoprocessing Scripts Using Python (10.2) course will teach you how to create Python scripts to automate tasks related to data management, feature editing, geoprocessing and analysis, and map production using ArcGIS. You will also learn how to share your Python scripts so your key GIS workflows are accessible to others. This course is designed for GIS analysts, specialists, data processors, and others who want to automate ArcGIS tasks and workflows.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

Business Analyst Online Tour (Part 2)

As you may recall in our previous post about Business Analyst Online we were able to look at the demographic profile surrounding our retail locations to get a better understanding of each retail location. We took a closer look at the stores in Sydney as they were performing very well and were able to see a trend in the demographics. See the previous post entitled “Business Analyst Online Has Arrived in Australia (Part 1)”

Today we are going to look at using the “Smart Map Search” functionality to identify other locations that have similar demographic profiles to the stores in Sydney that are doing well.

Business Analyst Online Has Arrived in Australia (Part 1)

The release of Business Analyst Online in Australia this autumn signals easy access to custom site evaluation and market analysis. Business Analyst Online is a web-based solution providing detailed and insightful information about consumers and their spending habits as well as lifestyles. Business Analyst Online is a subscription-based solution similar to ArcGIS Online wherein users consume credits. You can see real-world examples of Business Analyst Online here.

Business Analyst Online helps users answer such questions as: “What is the local demographic profile surrounding my retail location(s)?”, “Where are there concentrations of my customer located?” or even “Where should I locate my next location?”.

Today we are going to take a look at Business Online and begin to explore some of the functionality as well as answer the question: “What is the local demographic profile surrounding my current retail locations?”

Rinse and Repeat! Working with Modelbuilder Iterators

 

Modelbuilder is often an afterthought to most GIS analysts, however, it can be a powerful tool when it comes to building and replicating complex workflows, as well as automating those boring, tedious tasks.

Iterators are unique to models, and allow you to loop through a process on unique values, tables, layers in your map document, or even workspaces.

Let’s have a look at iterators, and how you can use them.

Workspace Clip Geoprocessing model

I’ve had a few requests in recent training courses for a model that will clip a base dataset to a specific project area. Say, for example, you have several regional datasets like roads, rivers, cities, and vegetation, and you need to clip them all to your study area. What’s a quick and easy way to do it? I recently found this great geoprocessing model called Workspace Clip.

This model takes base data stored in a workspace  folder, geodatabase, or feature dataset, and creates a subset based on a study area. If, for example, I have an urban planning project for an area in Wollongong, I can run the model to create a subset of my regional data based on my project boundary. You can see the output below. The top image shows the original dataset, and the bottom image displays the clipped output.

The model quickly created base data for my new project, so I can begin analysis and planning faster!

 

Keera P