1. KEYS TO SUCCESS DATA PREPARATION AND ORGANIZATION

2. Session Discussion Topics
Where Do I Get Data?
ESRI Data Formats to Use
Functions of the software differ with formats
Folder Structure to Organize My Data
How do I organize and share my data with others?

3. What Data Do I Need? SchoolSite Redistricting SchoolSite Projections
Students
Study Areas
Schools
Streets (only for geocoding purposes)
SchoolSite Projections
All of the above data layers, plus…
New development (tract)
Non-GIS factors (ie. birth data, etc.)

4. Where Do I Get Data? Where Do I Get Data? County/Cities
Search
County/Cities
Regional Planning Agencies
Commercial Data Providers
DDP Prepared

5. Street Update Strategy
Use data provider as a starting point
Take ownership of YOUR data!
Do not replace street or other data!
Use outside sources as a means to maintain your data
(Google Earth,
MapQuest, etc…)

6. ESRI Data Formats Enterprise ArcSDE Workgroup ArcSDE Personal ArcSDE
# Users
(Unlimited editors
viewers/connections)
Enterprise ArcSDE
(10 editors
10 viewers/connections)
Workgroup ArcSDE
(1 editor
3 viewers/connections)
Personal ArcSDE
(1 editor
Unlimited viewers)
File Geodatabase
Personal Geodatabase
(1 editor
Unlimited viewers)
SchoolSite GDB is stored in pGDB format
Shapefiles
(1 editor
Unlimited viewers)
Administrative Overhead

7. ESRI Data Formats Enterprise ArcSDE Workgroup ArcSDE Personal ArcSDE
Extra License +
Cost of chosen RDBMS
(Oracle, SQL Server, other RDBMS)
# Users
Enterprise ArcSDE
Extra License
Workgroup ArcSDE
(SQL Server Express)
Free
Personal ArcSDE
(SQL Server Express)
Free
File Geodatabase
(Proprietary ESRI format)
Free
Personal Geodatabase
(Microsoft Access .MDB)
Free
Shapefiles
(Proprietary ESRI format)
Administrative Overhead

8. Why Choose One Format over Another?
Number of expected users
Amount of Data
Functionality Required
Cost (some storage methods require license)
District’s IT Strategy
In-house Expertise

9. Shapefiles Format from ArcView version 2 in early 1990s Ubiquitous
Easy methods to transfer/share individual layers among agencies
Each “shapefile” is multiple files on disk
Rules-based editing tools (“Topology”) in ArcEditor or ArcINFO do not work with shapefiles (Big issue if YOU are maintaining large GIS datasets!)
One editor
Free format
All other GIS mapping and functions are available

10. Personal Geodatabase (pGDB)
Format from ArcGIS version 8
Uses Microsoft Access file to store map data (.MDB)
All data layers stored in one disk file Database size limited to 2 GB
Rules-based editing tools (“Topology”) in ArcEditor or ArcINFO work with pGDB (Big issue if YOU are maintaining large GIS datasets!)
One editor
Free format
All other GIS mapping and functions are available

11. File Geodatabase (fGDB)
Format from ArcGIS version 9.2
Proprietary format on disk (layers in folder structure on hard drive)
Large data sizes supported (>1 TB)
Added speed and stability vs. pGDB
One editor
Free format
All other GIS mapping and functions are available
Note:
DDP’s in house data format

12. Geodatabases for SQL Server Express
New in 9.2
Uses SQL Server Express to store data (provided with ArcGIS)
RDBMS advantages
Login to access data
Backup utilities
Change history maintained
All other GIS mapping and functions are available
Personal: One editor/3 viewer connections (free)
Workgroup: 10 editors/10 viewer connections Good for small departments with multiple people responsible for editing (extra fee)

13. Enterprise ArcSDE Utilizes Oracle, SQL Server, DB2
Can integrate map data with District’s IT strategy
Unlimited editors and users
Can maintain change history of database
Requires extra license fees as well as cost of RDBMS
Typically for large Districts, ie. Denver School District, Miami-Dade County, etc.
Not for the faint-of-heart…requires database administrator

14. GIS Tools to Organize Data: ArcCatalog
What is ArcCatalog?
1 of 2 applications for ArcGIS (the other being ArcMap)
Used for:
1. browsing data
2. managing data
3. documenting geographic data

15. What can you do with ArcCatalog?
Display your hard drive and network connections in a Windows Explorer-like application
Create connections to various drives and folders
Copy, paste, create and delete map data and other file types
Convert map data to and from various ESRI data formats
Search and preview your data before adding it to an ArcMap document
Store thumbnails and metadata about your data to document your work and to share with others

16. The ArcCatalog Window Click buttons on the active toolbars
The title bar displays
the selected items
location
Click buttons on the active toolbars
to explore the current view
Catalog tree lets you
access and navigate
your folders and data.
Select an item
in the tree to view its
contents
Each tab displays
contents of selected
items in a different
way
Status bar describes what
a button or menu command
does and also reports which
items are selected
Move this bar to resize
the catalog tree

17. Catalog Tree Icons identify data types Supports drag and drop
Supports copy and paste
Right-click Context menus
Display connections
Specialized connections, (ie. GIS servers, Internet)

18. Connecting/Disconnecting to Folders
By default, ArcCatalog shows local hard drives and folders on your computer.
You can connect to other drives (ie. network) by setting up a connection.
Disconnect

19. Folders represent folders
Folders and File Types
Folder connections let you
access data on local and
network disks
Folders represent folders
on disk like Windows
Explorer
Folders are unavailable
when the icon shows a
red X

20. Previewing Features Allows user to view attributes in either
geography view, or
view the attributes
associated with the
data by switching to
the attribute table.

21. Previewing Tables

22. ArcCatalog: Create New Items/Data
Select a location, then Right Click
Select an item, then File/New
Right-Click

23. ArcCatalog: Copy and Delete Data
Select an item, then Right Click
Select an item, then File/New
Right-Click

24. ArcCatalog: Convert Data Formats
Select feature, then Right Click
Select an item, then File/New
Right-Click

25. ArcCatalog and ArcMap Work Together Loading Data
You can drag and drop
a layer from ArcCatalog
to ArcMap. They both
support one another.

26. Organizing My Data P:\Network_Drive GISData SY0708 SY0809 SY0910
Base
Data
SY0708
P:\Network_Drive
SY0809
SY0910
Students
MapDocs
Layers
SchoolSite
Redistricting
Plans
Projections
Streets
Study Areas
Schools
Tract
Geodatabase
Windows Folder
.mxd
.lyr

27. Getting Help What’s this?
Click on a tool/button and expanded help will appear 2 1

28. Additional Help
Help Menu
Resource Center in 9.3.1

29. SchoolSite Geodatabase
Redistricting plans, projections, etc. are stored in a SchoolSite GDB (custom pGDB).
Plans, projections, etc. in a SchoolSite GDB are manipulated and maintained through the SchoolSite toolbars in ArcMap (not ArcCatalog)

30. Copying Redistricting Plans/Projections
Copy Enrollment Projections
Copy Redistricting Plans

31. SchoolSite Geodatabase
Entire SchoolSite GDBs can be deleted within ArcCatalog.

32. Exercises: Overview Setting up a folder structure
Creating a Personal GDB (pGDB)
Converting Shapefiles to pGDB feature classes
Miscellaneous ArcCatalog functions

33. QUESTIONS?