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TIM LEACH GIS, LLC Geographic Information Systems & Services |
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ArcGIS |
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ESRI's
shift from the ArcInfo coverage model and software tools to ArcGIS has been
substantial. There have been many forms of geospatial data formats:
shapefiles, geodatabases (e.g. personal, file) and variations in the toolsets
(ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox). I have experienced
each upgrade. I have learned valuable lessons about containing the level
of my commitment to any particular version - an important consideration
for the development of software, geoprocessing tools, and
enterprise processes. With experience, there comes an acknowledgement that the work of a GIS professional usually centers upon the data. Although changes are sometimes painful, I appreciate the effort ESRI has made to continually improve their software, capabilities, and support through the years. ArcGIS & Geoprocessing
Even with the new and improved tools and interfaces of ArcGIS, sometimes you
just can't do what you could do with coverages and "planar"
topology. On the other hand, with ArcGIS you have the capabilities of
using: VBA, Python, C#, VB.NET, etc. in other ways. Together there are
a lot of possibilities. Many users of coverage topology and AML's lament limitations of ArcGIS (probably less of an issue for those from the ArcView and Avenue environment). I applaud ESRI for continuing to allow ArcInfo to be used, along with AML in command line windows. There are a lot of coverages "out there" and we still need to work with them. Sometimes problems can be fixed by establishing good coverage topology prior to generating the “simple features” (shapefile and geodatabase, data structures) for ArcGIS. ArcGIS & Python
A Style in Python that Emulates AML for Geoprocessing
During the time of my MS GIS project, I was caught between versions 9.1 and 9.2 of ArcGIS. Within ArcGIS 9.2, the file geodatabase emerged. Between versions 9.1 and 9.2 the supported versions of Python changed from 2.1 to 2.4. Now, with ArcGIS 9.3, Python has changed to 2.5. I enjoyed using any version of Python I wanted with 9.1. ESRI locked down the version with their 9.2 and 9.3 distributions. The environment is young so expect changes with each release. Model Builder
A ModelBuilder Tool for Geoprocessing One of
the things I like about ModelBuilder is the ability to save out scripts
generated from the tool. This allows access to the underlying code and
syntax associated with ArcObjects; an invaluable learning tool for me. Models are generally handy for those that do not have programming experience. They are valuable for the enterprise because they inherently document the steps required to perform geoprocessing tasks and create a sharable (reuse), workable form of communicating them. It is wise to be mindful with your commitment to models; if ESRI updates the user interface for a tool, or you update one that you have created (ArcToolbox), the model will have to be updated to reflect the changes. If you have programming experience, ModelBuilder can be frustrating; constructs are emulated. Be prepared; there are many complaints associated with upgrades that break existing models; but, like the interface with Python, the environment is young so expect changes (models may not work from one version to the next) as ESRI improves the environment over time. |
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Tim Leach GIS LLC |
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PO Box 51024 Seattle, WA 98115 |
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Phone: 206.251.2068 |
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Email: |
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Tim Leach GIS, LLC (All Rights Reserved) 1 Jan., 2010 |
Last Updated: 1 Jan., 2010 |
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