Tag Archives: Announcement
Changes to ArcGIS Desktop basemaps
The National Geographic basemap has now been added to the File > Add Data > Add Basemap dialog in ArcGIS Desktop 10. It has also been added into the list of basemaps that appears if you choose the File > Add Data From ArcGIS Online command in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1.
In the Add Basemap dialog, the Shaded Relief basemap entry has been removed in order to make space for the National Geographic basemap and keep the number of basemaps to 12. However, we have updated the Terrain basemap so that it includes the Shaded Relief service. So if you want to add shaded relief to your map, choose the Terrain basemap, and then in the Table Of Contents you can choose between the terrain service and the shaded relief service, whichever looks best for your map. The layer also includes reference overlays that you can turn on.
National Geographic World Basemap
National Geographic and Esri have collaborated to produce this cartographically distinctive basemap that reflects National Geographic’s cartographic design, typographic style, and map policies.
This basemap provides a visually appealing background for web mapping applications for mobile users, consumers, and educational purposes, and is also well suited as a general reference map for many GIS projects.
This National Geographic World Map has been added to the collection of existing ArcGIS Online basemaps that users can access freely for internal and external use.
Get more details about this map and start using it today.
ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder Now Available
The ArcGIS Viewer for Flex 2.5 release is significant because it includes a new application builder component which offers a new experience for configuring the Viewer, enabling novice users to easily configure and deploy a new web mapping application without programming or configuration file editing. It has been designed to be user friendly and makes the process of creating and deploying a new Flex-based web application very easy. In the application builder, you specify the data content, functionality, and look and feel of the web app, then deploy it.
It is also compatible with Web maps on ArcGIS.com.
Learn more about the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder.
Get the ArcGIS Viewer for Flex Application Builder from here.
Registration Open for Developer Summit 2012
Registration is now open for the 2012 Esri Developer Summit. The summit will be in Palm Springs, CA March 26-29, 2012.
This is the developer event for ArcGIS. Plan now to attend and get the inside developer details on ArcGIS 10.1
Visual Studio Magazine Readers Choice Awards
For the second year in a row, Esri won in the Mapping and GIS Components category of Visual StudioMagazine’s (VSM’s) Readers Choice Awards for its ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). In addition, Esri received merit awards for ArcGIS for Desktop and ArcGIS for SharePoint.
Esri created the ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/WPF for developers who want to create web-based mapping applications quickly and easily with minimal coding. Many governments and businesses use the API because it provides an intuitive framework for creating GIS web applications, such as data portals and interactive map viewers, and combines multiple technologies into a single development platform. Esri received the same recognition for the API in the 2010 VSM Readers Choice Awards.
This is the first year Esri received merit for ArcGIS for Desktop in the GIS and Components category. ArcGIS for Desktop is a complete system for managing, analyzing, and serving maps and geographic information. Esri also won its first merit award in the SharePoint Tools and Components category for ArcGIS for SharePoint, an out-of-the-box software solution that helps users quickly create, display, and share tabular information on dynamic interactive maps within SharePoint.
“It is gratifying to see our mapping tools being widely adopted and used by the developer community,” says Jack Dangermond, Esri president.
The VSM Readers Choice Awards are based on the responses of hundreds of select VSM subscribers. The online ballot, which was compiled by the editors of VSM, included more than 400 products.
“We’re honored to have been recognized by the Visual Studio Magazine community for the second year in a row,” says Art Haddad, lead software architect at Esri. “It’s great to be recognized for ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight/WPF and especially to see the complete ArcGIS system receive meritorious recognition in the GIS and Components category.”
The winners are highlighted in the November issue of Visual Studio Magazine. Visit Visual Studio Magazine to see the full list of award recipients.
New ArcGIS Online Basemaps
A couple of nice additions to the ArcGIS for Desktop 10 basemap gallery were made last week:
1. We added an entry for the new Light Gray Canvas basemap which provides a neutral basemap that makes your thematic data really stand out. There are some useful blog posts about this new basemap on the Mapping Center blog
2. We renamed the ‘Physical’ basemap to ‘Physical and Ocean’ and added the Ocean basemap
into this as a layer. When you add the Physical and Ocean basemap into
your map, you can turn the Ocean basemap on in the entry for this
basemap in the Table Of Contents if you want to see rich detail for the
world’s oceans.
To add these basemaps into ArcGIS for Desktop 10, choose File > Add
Data > Add Basemap in ArcMap or ArcGlobe. To add them into 9.3 or
9.3.1, choose File > Add Data From ArcGIS Online.
Alternatively, here are the layer packages for the Light Gray Canvas basemap and the Physical and Ocean basemap that you can add directly into your map or globe.
To add these basemaps into your map or globe via the Catalog, make a connection to this ArcGIS server: http://services.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/services
and then add the World_Light_Gray_Base and World_Light_Gray_Reference
services from the Canvas folder, or the Ocean_Basemap service.
New Light Gray Canvas Basemap
A couple of nice additions to the ArcGIS basemap gallery were made last week. For more information checkout this post on the new Light Gray Canvas basemap on the Mapping Center blog.
Here’s a post on the Desktop blog with more information on accessing the new basemap in ArcMap
New Resources Available for Getting started with Python Map Automation
ArcGIS 10 provides a new Python
mapping module (arcpy.mapping) that allows you to interact with the contents of
map documents and layer files without necessarily needing to interactively open an
ArcMap session. The methods, properties and functions available in this
new map scripting API enable you, for example, to automate changing data
sources, modify layer properties, export and print maps, as well as automate the
creation of
thematic maps and map series. Because the new mapping module is part of
the ArcPy geoprocessing framework, scripts can be used within ArcGIS Desktop
but can also be published to ArcGIS Server as geoprocessing services making
it much easier to make mapping and printing capabilities available on the
server.
The following links are resources
that will help you learn more about arcpy.mapping, get access to popular
sample scripts available for download, and
links to new training resources:
Help Resources
-
A new Introduction to
arcpy.mapping help topic is a great starting point. It includes
links to a new arcpy.mapping tutorial and general guidelines for working with
arcpy.mapping. ArcGIS Desktop help has a complete section
dedicated to the ArcPy mapping module. Embedded within the help topics
are over 100 different, practical help samples that can be copied/pasted into your applications. Be
sure to review the “Best ways to get started” section.
-
A video presentation called Python Scripting for
Map Automation in ArcGIS 10 presented at the 2011 Developer’s Summit is an excellent way
to get started. This presentation not only introduces arcpy.mapping but
also demonstrates many of its use cases.
-
Another video
presentation called Arcpy.mapping: Export a map in PDF format from a web
browser that demonstrates how arcpy.mapping scripts can be published as
geoprocessing services and published to web applications.
Sample Applications
- Approximately 20
script tools that perform routine map and layer management tasks, printing and
exporting, as well as basic cartographic operations.
This is an excellent download because it
includes many practical code samples that perform a variety of tasks and they
are easy enough to modify for your own purposes.
- A script
tool that combines Data Driven Pages, arcpy.mapping, and the ReportLab site package to generate a reference map book that includes street index
pages. It demonstrates how arcpy.mapping can be used to extend Data
Driven Pages capabilities.
- A script
that incorporates Data Driven Pages and arcpy.mapping to build a map series
that includes dynamic graphic tables. There is a very complete README.doc file
included with the download that also addresses other useful tips and tricks
that go along with the application.
Web Courses
-
Basics of Python (for ArcGIS 10).
This course teaches fundamental concepts you need to know to create
Python scripts in ArcGIS. You will learn guidelines for proper Python syntax,
techniques to troubleshoot common errors, and how to use loops to test for
conditions and execute different code based on the result.
-
Python Scripting for Map Automation in
ArcGIS 10. This course teaches how to automate map production and
related data management tasks that would be time-consuming and tedious to
perform manually. You will learn how to work with the mapping module of the
ArcPy site package to quickly and easily update map layers and map document
properties, modify map content, and produce individual maps and map books.
Special thanks to David from the Mapping Team for sharing these links.
Update to ArcGIS 10 and 10.1 Deprecation Plan
The ArcGIS 10 and 10.1 Deprecation
Plan has had a few updates recently. Make sure and check the
latest version for the most up to date information on product and platform
support plans. There have been updates to the ArcGIS Desktop section
regarding VBA support and some new information on ArcInfo Workstation moving
from “General Availability” support phase to the “Mature
Phase” as of January 1st 2012.
Plus there are a few other updates to the plan for ArcGIS Server so have a
look and let me know if you have any questions.
Note - This is a re-post to fix my spelling errors. Sorry for the confusion – Spell Check only works if I type the right word. Thanks for pointing out my mistake. I just wanted to let everyone know of some updates to the ArcGIS 10 and 10.1 Deprecation Plan.
-Rob
