After you download the Parcel Data Model Template, there are a few steps you will need to take in order to prepare the template for your data. The first step is to decide which database platform to use. The next step is to project the database schema so that it will be in the appropriate coordinate system for your data. This blog entry gives recommendations and instructions for these important steps.

Database Platforms

At this point it is good practice to do your work in a local file geodatabase or in a local ArcSDE Personal or Workgroup geodatabase. Often the overhead of setting up a larger database system presents more work by IT/DBA staff and it is ok to wait until you have the data loaded to take that step, especially if you will not have privileges to manage the database schema (add/remove tables for example). It is also easier to work with local databases in the early stages of a project since you will likely end up loading the data multiple times and it is more convenient to do all of this work on the same computer.

Beyond that, data loading to a geodatabase is the same regardless of the underlying database management system (i.e., Oracle or SQL Server). File Geodatabases are very fast to work with, but they can be slow to copy over networks and to external devices because there are many files – The Sample.gdb for example would have about 300 files so we provided an empty TaxParcelDataModelTemplate.mdb instead. For your data loading we recommend that you do not use a personal geodatabase (.mdb) because the performance degrades quickly with even small amounts of data.

Projecting the Empty Geodatabase Schema

The empty geodatabase you downloaded has the Bloomfield Township spatial reference. In almost all cases, you’ll need to project the geodatabase to match your local spatial reference. ArcToolbox contains a couple of geoprocessing tools to help you do this.  The simplest way to find those tools is to search for “project” in ArcToolbox. Project and Batch Project are both useful. You can use the spatial reference of your source data to select the correct spatial reference. If you are not familiar with spatial references and are not sure what to do, spend some time researching this because it is an important decision for your tax parcel geodatabase and for your GIS in general.

Once you have chosen a database platform and projected the schema, you are ready to insert data into the Parcel Data Model Template. The blog entries to follow will describe the four feature datasets within the template and provide instructions and tips for moving your data into them.

The ArcGIS Land Records Team