What is ArcExplorer

Welcome to ArcExplorer, a Windows desktop application for downloading, viewing, and examining spatial data.  ArcExplorer works on its own with data sets stored on your PC or local network. When connected to the Internet (or an intranet), ArcExplorer also becomes a Web client capable of browsing and downloading vector data in industry-standard  Shapefile formats.  You can then disconnect ArcExplorer and use the data in local (standalone) mode.

ArcExplorer is intended to serve a very simple purpose: to view and query geographic information system (GIS) data.  The software includes useful query and symbolization tools that lets you explore your data and create interesting maps.  If you want to perform increasingly complex spatial queries, add information from other tables, geocode (locate street addresses on a map), interactively label features, and more, ESRI provides powerful products that answer your needs.  Information about products like ArcView GIS and ARC/INFO can be found at ESRI's Web site (www.esri.com), by calling 1-800-GIS-XPRT, or by contacting your nearest ESRI regional office or distributor.


Shapefile description
Shapefiles

ESRI Shapefiles are a simple, non-topological format for storing the geometric location and attribute information of geographic features. A shapefile is one of the spatial data formats that you can work with in ArcExplorer.  You can drag and drop any one of the three shapefile extensions (see below) from a Windows directory directly into an ArcExplorer Map View to add that Shapefile as a theme.

The shapefile format defines the geometry and attributes of geographically-referenced features in as many as five files with specific file extensions that should be stored in the same project workspace. They are:

.shp - the file that stores the feature geometry.

.shx - the file that stores the index of the feature geometry.

.dbf - the dBASE file that stores the attribute information of features. When a shapefile is added as a theme to a view, this file is displayed as a feature table.

Index file components:

.sbn and .sbx - the files that store the spatial index of the features. These two files may not exist until you perform theme on theme selection, spatial join, or create an index on a theme's Shape field in another ESRI product.  ArcExplorer recognizes these file extensions but cannot create them.


ARC/INFO Coverage

ARC/INFO coverages are a topological data structure for geographic information. The coverage format is suitable for spatial analysis and large geographic data management applications. Defining spatial features reduces coordinate redundancy and facilitates a number of key spatial operations that can be performed in ARC/INFO such as polygon overlay, pathfinding through connectivity of arcs, and contiguity analysis.

ArcExplorer reads ARC/INFO and PC ARC/INFO coverages directly.


SDE Layers

ESRI’s Spatial Database Engine (SDE) lets you store the geometric location and associated attribute information in relational database tables in a non-topological format. SDE retrieves spatial coordinates and attributes from relational database tables and makes them available to other applications as geographic features. SDE is a separate product that is an add-on to your relational database.  ArcExplorer supports SDE databases.


Image Formats

ArcExplorer supports the following image formats as themes:

Windows Bitmap - *.bmp, *.dib

TIFF (Tag Image File Format) - *.tif, *.tff, *.tiff

ERDAS - *.gis, *.lan

BIL (Band interleaved by line) multiband images - *.bil

BIP (Band interleaved by pixel) multiband images - *.bip

BSQ (Band sequential) multiband images - *.bsq

IMPELL RLC (Run-length compressed) files - *.rlc

Sun rasterfiles - *.rs, *.ras; *.sun


Getting Help from ArcExplorer

From the Help menu, pull down Help Table of Contents to access the complete online documentation, or Search for help to find information on a specific topic.  To find out what a tool does, just move the cursor over it.  A short description (called a Tool Tip) will appear in a small popup window next to the tool.  Finally, check the ArcExplorer home page located in the Products section of the main ESRI web site at www.esri.com/arcexplorer.


Adding Data to ArcExplorer

Any supported data that you have read access to can be added to a Map View  as a theme, including data on your computer's own disks, on CD-ROM, data accessed across a network, and data on an ESRI Internet Map Server web site. You can add themes to a WWW view from the Internet without actually downloading the vectors.

With ArcExplorer, you can also download Shapefiles over the Web and then add this data to your Map Views. See the sections about Connecting to a web site and Downloading vectors for more information.  This is how you add data to a Map View .


The Table of Contents

The Table of Contents lists all the themes that you currently have loaded into your Map View.  The Table of Contents has two modes: Local for managing locally stored databases and WWW for managing data stored on Web sites.

In either mode, click the check box to the left of each theme’s name to turn the theme on or off in the Map View.  Make a theme active by single clicking its name in the Table of Contents.  Change the drawing order by using the left mouse button to drag themes up and down within the Table of Contents.   Double click a theme’s name to bring up the theme properties dialog box. Click on an individual color in the legend on the Table of Contents and the corresponding feature will highlight on the map.


The Map View

A Map View is the section of the interface where you display, explore, query and analyze geographic data in ArcExplorer. Map Views are saved in the ArcExplorer session you're currently working with.

A Map View is a collection of themes, a theme being a distinct set of geographic features in a particular geographic data source. For example, a Map View showing a country might have one theme representing cities, one theme representing roads, one representing rivers, and so forth.  A Map View’s themes are listed in its Table of Contents.


The Scale bar

Map scale is the relationship between distances on the Map View  and distances on the Earth. It is usually expressed as a ratio like 1:63,360.  The scale ratio 1:63,360 means that one unit of distance on the map represents 63,360 of the same units of distance on the Earth. So on a 1:63,360 scale map, one inch on the map equals one mile on the ground because one statute mile has 63,360 inches. There are several ways to work with scale in ArcExplorer.

The scale bar has three elements: the scale bar itself, a ‘verbal scale’ (located above the bar), and a ‘representative fraction’ (located to the left of the bar).  A verbal scale provides an equation with a unit of measurement on both sides, i.e. 1 inch = 40 miles.  A representative fraction provides a ratio like 1:24,000.  A representative fraction (RF scale) is a common method of presenting scale in cartography and can be read as “one inch on the screen is equal to 24,000 inches in the real world.”


Working with Scale

Pick Display Scale Bar from the View menu to add a scale bar to the Map View.  Each time you zoom in or zoom out in a view or resize a view’s window, the view’s scale changes.  ArcExplorer reports this change in the scale bar.  Right clicking on the scale bar opens the Map, Scale, and Screen Unit controls.

Scale units are what show up in the actual scale bar.  If your data is in decimal degrees (unprojected), the scale bar will base its measurements on the center of your current extent.  If your data is projected (Robinson, Mercator, Albers, etc.) the scale bar will only be as accurate as the projection itself.  As you move away from the origins, measurements will be increasingly off.  Right click the scale bar to change the scale units.

Map units are the measurement units that geographic data are stored in.  Because there are a variety of data collection and storage methods, it is impossible for the ArcExplorer software to determine exactly which type of map unit is used with your data.  Because of this, you must select the proper map units for accurate scale bar measurements.  ArcExplorer defaults to decimal degrees but this could be wrong and will provide erroneous results on the scalebar if your data is stored in feet or meters.  If you do not know the map units for your GIS data, read your data documentation or speak to the person who gave you the data.  If you can’t find this information, you can zoom into a familiar area and try all three map units until one provides the seemingly most accurate results.

Screen units correspond to the actual display on your computer monitor and can be set to either inches or centimeters.  Right click the scale bar to bring up the screen units controls.

You can control the scale at which a theme displays by setting the scale threshold for it.  For example, you could set a local streets theme to display only if you were zoomed in close enough.  Its easy to control the scale at which a theme displays by setting the scale threshold for it.  For example, you could set a local streets theme to display only if you were zoomed in close enough.


Setting scale factors

To set the Minimum and Maximum Scale Factor for a theme:

1.	Use the zoom tools to set the scale point at which you want a theme to display (or not display).

2.	Make the theme active by clicking its name in the table of contents.

3.	Right click on the theme’s name and choose Set Minimum Scale factor if you want the theme to turn off if you zoom any closer.

4.	Select Set Maximum Scale factor if you want the theme to turn off if you zoom further out.


General Display Options

Choose Map Display Properties from the View menu to access the Map Display settings.  You can control the background color, map outline, scroll bars, and other characteristics of your Explorer view in the Map Display Properties dialog.


Rendering Overview
Classifying Data

ArcExplorer allows you to create maps based on tabular values like country name, well depth, or property value.  Using this so-called "attribute data" to code maps is known as thematic mapping.   You can label themes, classify the features on a specific type, or classify the features by a numeric value.   Click the Theme Properties tool, or double click a theme in the Local Table of Contents to bring up the Theme Properties window for that theme.   (You can change the display of WWW data, too, but only after downloading it to a local Map View.)  In the Theme Properties dialog box you have four choices for displaying data:  single symbol, unique values, class breaks, and labels.


Single Symbol Maps

The Single Symbol classification displays all the features in the theme with the same color and style.  This is useful when you only need to show where a theme’s features are located. This is the default setting for any Theme you add to an ArcExplorer Map View.


How to make a single symbol map

To create a Single Symbol Map:

1.	Choose Single Symbol from the list of classification options.

2.	Click the Color box to bring up a color picker and change the color to one of the available choices, or create a custom color.

3.	Click the Style drop down menu to see the different symbology choices.  These will differ depending on whether your data is point, line, or polygon.

4. 	Click Apply, or OK to change the display.


Value Maps

In a Value map, each unique value in a theme is represented with a unique symbol. This is the most effective method for displaying categorical data.  Here’s how to make a Value Map from an active Theme.


How to create a Value Map

1.	Double Click on a Theme, or press the Theme Properties Tool with a Theme active.

2.	Choose Value map from the list of Classification Options.

3.	Click on the Field drop down menu to see the list of fields in the GIS database.

4.	Select a field to use for the value map (e.g., NAME).  ArcExplorer automatically assigns random colors to each unique classification.

5.	Click Apply and click OK.


Class Breaks

In ArcExplorer, you can use the Class Breaks classification option to create graduated color maps that display the features of your theme using a color ramp. These maps are primarily for numeric data with a of progression or range of values like temperature or annual sales.  A color ramp has a beginning and an end color and then all colors in between represent the intervening colors of the spectrum. For instance, a color ramp that goes from yellow to red has shades of orange in between.


How to make a class breaks

1.	Choose Class breaks from the list of Classification options.

2.	Pick a variable from the Numeric field drop down list.  This field contains the values that will be mapped.

3.	Choose how many discrete breaks you want in your classification from the drop down list.

4.	Click on the Start color and End color boxes to change the starting and ending colors for your color ramp.

5.	Click Apply to change the color ramp.

5.	Click OK to dismiss the Theme Properties dialog.


Label Maps

Label maps automatically place text labels on map features based on a chosen field in the database.  You can even label a Single Symbol, Value, or Class Breaks map by adding the source theme to the Map View twice.  Use one as the actual map, and the other as the label map (with the draw features option checked off).


How to make a label map

1.	Choose Labels from the list of classification options.

2.	Select a Text field from the drop down list.

3.	Click the Font box to change the font style, size or color.

4.	Use the vertical and horizontal alignment tools to control the label position relative to the center of the feature being labeled.

5.	Enter a value from 0 to 360 if you wish to rotate the labels.  0 is default and results in a line of normal horizontal text

6.	Click the Allow Duplicates box off if you want a label to appear only once even if there is more than one feature with the same name.

7.	Unclick the Draw features box if you wish to see only the labels and not the underlying features that were used to create the labels.

8.	Click Apply and OK to dismiss the dialog box.


The Identify tool

Each theme in a Map View stores attributes about its geographic features in a table which contains one record for each feature in the theme. The only themes that don't have attribute tables are themes representing image data.

 The Identify tool lets you display the attributes of features on a view by clicking on them with the mouse. Choose the Identify tool and click on any feature in the active theme on your view to display its attributes. Attributes of all features located at the same point are displayed.


The Find Tool

Find searches the features to find the first feature with the text string you specified, in any of its text attribute fields (i.e., in fields containing text strings as opposed to numeric values). Find doesn’t work on numeric fields. You don't need to enclose the text you specify in quotes. Find is case-sensitive. You can choose to search an entire field or a part of one.  Finding things is easy.


How to use Find

1.	Click on a theme in the Local table of contents to make it active.

2.	Click on the Find Features tool [image] to bring up the Find Features dialog box.

3.	Type a name in the text window.

4.	Select which type of field search you want.  You can search any part of a field, the entire field, or the start of a field.

5.	Highlight the theme or themes you want to search and press the Find button.

6.	Use the Highlight, Pan to, and Zoom buttons to navigate to your found feature.


The Query Tool

Queries allow you to select one or more features according to specific descriptions.  Building a query is a powerful way to select features in ArcExplorer because a query can include multiple attributes, operators, and calculations. This is how to build a query .

Once you've performed a query, there are different things you can do with the query results.  You can also generate summary statistics based on a queried set of features or an entire theme.


Working with Query Results

1.	Press the Clear Results button [image] to clear the Query Results window.

2.	Press the Highlight Results button to highlight all the features that met the query in the Map View.

3.	Use the Zoom to Results button to zoom in on just these features.

4.	Pick a single record from the results window and press Highlight to flash the feature. Press Pan or Zoom to see that feature in the Map View.

5.	Sort the query results by any field by pressing the title of that column.


Generating Summary Statistics

1.	In the Query Builder, press the Statistics button.

2.	Select the field you want statistics for from the Select a Field for Statistics Dialog Box.  By default, ArcExplorer will generate statistics for all records; put a check mark next to Use Query Results if you want statistics on just the query results.  The Summary Statistics will appear in the window at the lower part of the Query Builder:

3.	To Save the results of a Query or Summary Statistics to an ASCII file press the Save Results button [image] above the Query Results window to create.

4.	Name the new file and press Save.


How to build a query

1.	Click on a theme in the Local table of contents to make it active.

2.	Press the Query tool [image] to bring up the Query Builder.

3.	Select a field to query.

4.	Click on the operators, or type a query into the query window.

5.	Press the Perform Query button to execute the query.  All the features that meet the query definition will appear in the search results and will be highlighted in yellow in the Map View.

5.	Press the Clear Results button [image] to clear the Query Results window.


Copying a Map for Use in Other Programs

You can copy the image of a map view for use in another Windows application (like a word processor or drawing program).  ArcExplorer makes it easy to create a graphic image from your view.

To create a graphic from an Explorer view:

1.	Set the theme display characteristics and zoom in so that the map in the Explorer view looks just the way you want it.

2.	Pull down the Edit menu, or right click in the Explorer view, to access the Copy to Clipboard and Copy to File commands:

3.	Choose Copy to Clipboard if you plan to go directly into another Windows program and paste the image in directly.

4.	Choose Copy to File if you want to create a permanent file to use at any time in the future.  If you do this, ArcExplorer will prompt you to name the new file.

5.	Use the BMP (Windows Bitmap) option if the image is composed of filled areas.  Use the EMF (Enhanced Metafile) option if the map is comprised of vectors (lines).


Saving your Work

A Map View references geographic data files; it doesn't actually contain the files themselves.  So when you save, you create an ArcExplorer file (*.aep),  which saves the location of the data (including any web sites that you connected to during your session), the extent, the drawing order, as well as any classification settings that you made.

To save an Explorer view:

1.	Choose Save from the File menu, or press the Save tool [image].

2.	Name your Explorer view.

3.	Press OK.

(Note:  If you open a saved Explorer view, and any of the data has changed location, ArcExplorer will tell you that it experienced an error reading the shapefile and move on.  You will have to discard the *.aep file and start again.)


Printing a Map

ArcExplorer automatically formats printed output from your views, complete with a legend, title, scale bar, north arrow, and date.  The map will include all themes that are checked on in the table of contents.

To print a map of your Explorer view:

1.	Set the theme display characteristics and zoom in so that the map in the Explorer view looks just the way you want it to look on paper.

2.	Choose Print from the File menu, or press the Print tool [image] to begin the printing process.

3.	ArcExplorer will prompt you to enter a title for the map.  Type some text and press OK to send the map to your default Windows printer.  If you want to send the print job to something other than your standard default printer (like a color inkjet, for instance), you’ll need to set that printer as your default.


Working with Overview Maps

The Overview map window shows you  a small version of the full extent of your entire dataset, with a box drawn over the current extent of the view.  Overview maps are a useful way to let users always know precisely where they are zoomed in on a large dataset.  Here’s how to make an Overview Map in ArcExplorer.


How to create an overview
How to create an Overview Map

1.	Choose Overview from the View menu to create a blank overview window in the lower left hand corner of the application.

2.	To pick a Theme to appear in the overview, hold down the Control key while using the right mouse button to drag and drop the theme directly into the overview window.  Alternately, you can right click on a theme and choose Use in Overview Map from the list.  A rectangular box will show you the extent of the current view.

3.	Drag the red box map inside the Overview Window to pan the Map View.

6.	To remove the Overview map, choose Overview from the View menu.  This toggles the Overview Map on and off.


Map Tips

Map Tips are a type of contextual user assistance that you can set up to appear on Map Views.  They are small, pop-up windows that display the data for a specified field as the cursor is moved over the features of an active theme.

To create MapTips for a theme:

1.	Make a theme active by clicking its name in the Table of Contents.

2.	Click the MapTips tool [image] to bring up the Map Tips dialog box.

3.	Select the field that you want displayed in the Map Tip pop-up windows.


Downloading Vector Data over the Web

1.	Use the Pan and Zoom tools to display the area you wish to download.  By default, ArcExplorer will download only the data showing in the Explorer view.  ArcExplorer will download data for all the themes in the table of contents, as long as features exist in the chosen extent. Each theme will be downloaded as a separate shapefile.

2.	Once you’re satisfied with the extent, click the Retrieve Vector Data tool [image] to bring up the Vector Data Options dialog box.

3.	Select the amount of vector data you wish to get and press Retrieve. (By default, ArcExplorer will retrieve just the current extent, but you can choose to download from an extent either twice as large or four times as large as the current extent.

4.	In the Browse for Folder dialog box, choose the folder where you want the Shapefiles to be stored.

ArcExplorer will now start downloading the data.  At any time, you can halt the download by pressing the Cancel WWW request tool [image].

5.	Once ArcExplorer has finished downloading the shapefile to your local drive, you will be asked if you would like to add the vector data to your local view. If you choose No, the Shapefiles will still be stored at the location where you specified.  If you choose Yes, ArcExplorer will automatically toggle to the local table of contents and list the new themes.  At this point you can change the display characteristics, perform finds and queries, and so forth, just like any locally stored vector data.


Downloading vectors

ArcExplorer can download actual vector data in shapefile format over the web.  Once you’ve connected to a properly configured Map Serving web site, you can   download Shapefiles .


Connecting to a Web Site

If your computer is connected to the World Wide Web, you can use ArcExplorer as a client to access special map serving web sites anywhere on the Internet or on  your own private intranet.  One such site is located at  http://nutria.esri.com/scripts/esrimapc.  You can use this site to try out ArcExplorer’s Web tools, and to download all sorts of ready-to-use GIS data in industry-standard shapefile format.  Connecting to a web site is easy.


How to Connect to a Web Site

1.  In the Table of Contents, click the tab labeled WWW.

2.  From the File Menu, choose Add Theme, or click the Add Theme tool [image] to access the Add ArcExplorer Web Site dialog box.

3.  Type in the URL (Universal Resource Locator) of the web site you wish to add.  (Refer to the ArcExplorer home page for information on how to set up your own map server using ESRI Internet Map Server technology).

4.  The name of the server will show up under AEWeb.  Navigate through the directory of available GIS data and double click those themes you want to add to the Explorer view.  A Table of Contents listing all the web-based themes will appear below the directory.  Use the black and gray arrows to scroll through the list if it extends beyond the Table of Contents window.


Questions about Using ArcExplorer
Troubleshooting

I can’t download the software.

ArcExplorer is available for free downloads from ESRI's ArcExplorer Web site.  Some users may have trouble downloading the installation file because their Internet Service Provider (ISP) limits the amount of data you can download or your connection to the Internet is slow (28.8 modems may require an hour or more to download the software).  If you have difficulty downloading the software, you can obtain ArcExplorer on CD-ROM by calling ESRI at 1-800-GIS-XPRT.

I can’t install the software.

Make sure that your system meets the requirements listed under System Requirements in the Using ArcExplorer document.  Do you have enough room on the hard drive where you'd like to install ArcExplorer?  If you are running Windows NT you must have administrative rights to your computer when installing ArcExplorer.  Without these rights, the installation will terminate and warn you.  If you are not sure if you have these rights or how to obtain them, check with your system administrator.

In my class break map, why does my first class have -99 as a value?

Sometimes geographic data is incomplete.  For example, a GIS database may include political boundaries for countries, but it may not have complete attribute information for every feature represented.  As a result, database developers must use a code for missing information.  These developers often use "–99" as this code for "no data".

How do I label a map that has a value or class break map?

Add the same theme to your legend twice.  Set one theme with a value or class break map.  Label the second theme as you like, uncheck the ‘Draw Features’ box, and press the Apply button.  You should be able to see the second theme’s labels on top of the first theme’s colored shapes provided that the labeled theme is listed on top of the other theme in the table of contents.  You can also set the maximum scale factor so that the labels will only appear when the user zooms in to a certain scale. This helps to reduce cluttered labels on the map when zoomed to a small scale.

When I click with the zoom out tool, why does the map zoom out too far?

Chances are that you didn't simply click once.  You may have clicked and moved the mouse a small fraction, thereby defining a small rectangle before releasing the mouse button.  If you do this, ArcExplorer will zoom out very far.  To avoid this, ensure that you click once without moving your mouse.

The WWW view doesn't fill the application window?  Why not?

ArcExplorer, in its current release, will only provide small sized maps from the WWW view.  Future releases may extend the functionality so that a user can select one of three sizes for the maps.  In the meantime, you will often have the opportunity to download the data and view it at any size from your local view.

The WWW view has a map, but the map does not fill the window.  Why not?

ArcExplorer requires that your display settings use small fonts.  To change your setting, select the Settings option in your Windows Start Menu, select Control Panel, and then Display.  From the Display Properties dialogue, choose the Settings Tab.  Change the Font Size from Large Fonts to Small Fonts and press Apply.  You may have to restart your machine for the change to occur.

How can I make the screen stop redrawing if it is taking too long?

Enable the Escape key to interrupt the screen redraw in the Map Display Properties window.

ArcExplorer can't find some data because the data has moved.  Is there a way to prevent this?

Yes.  Set up relative path names in your .aep file.  (See the next question.)

How do I enable relative pathnames?

You must edit the .aep files themselves. Use a text editor and locate all the map layers and their associated pathnames.  The pathnames are the first line after the [MAPLAYERx] designation.  You will have to edit all the pathnames in your .aep file to enable the project to restore on any machine.

An example of the critical text from an .aep file is given below.

[MAPLAYER4]WORKSPACE=E:\ESRI\data\trails

Assume that your data are stored in the “DATA” directory in folders called “trails”, “counties”, “rivers”, and “schools”.

WORKSPACE=E:\ESRI\DATA\trails

\counties

\rivers

\schools

As long as the .aep file is stored in the “DATA” directory, you can edit the pathname in the .aep file to read:

WORKSPACE=\trails

Whether the user’s CD-ROM drive is named the “d:” drive or the “e:” drive, the .aep file will find the trails data and display the project as you saved it.  This is also useful if the user decides to load your data onto one of his/her hard drives.  Additionally, if you store the .aep file in the same directory as the data itself, you can edit the pathname to read:

WORKSPACE=\

In this case, the pathname contains only a single slash.

NOTE: if the user saves the project again, the pathnames will be restored to their entirety and no longer will they be relative.


General Questions

What other web sites can I access to get data?

Currently there are only a few sites that include the capability to serve data to ArcExplorer via the Internet. These sites have been built and are maintained by ESRI. When the ArcExplorer Server extension is released soon, many user sites will be configured to deliver data to ArcExplorer clients. Eventually we believe that there will be a large worldwide network of servers providing data to ArcExplorer clients.

How does the vector data get delivered?

The vector data is extracted by the server, compressed, and then shipped via the Internet to your ArcExplorer client, where it is restored in standard shapefile format. The data can be cached temporarily, or can be stored at any location on disk.

Does ArcExplorer support drag and drop file functionality?

Yes.  ArcExplorer uses OLE technology to allow you to grab a shapefile (*.shp) from any Windows directory and drop it into the ArcExplorer view to add it as a theme.

Can I move the toolbars and menus around to suit my task at hand and personal preferences?

Yes.  The menu bar and button bar are both docking elements, so you can reposition them in the interface by just clicking and dragging them around. You can even undock them so they’re floating free anywhere in the application window.  Double click a repositioned tool or menu bar to return it to its original position.

What happens when I right click in the Map View?

You get access to the following tools in a pop-up menu:  Full View, Zoom in and out, Pan. Identify, Find, and Query. (Pressing the Control key while right clicking the Map View in WWW mode has the same effect).

Can I have more than one ArcExplorer project open concurrently?

Yes, open as many new or saved ArcExplorer projects as you wish. A new ArcExplorer application window will appear for each session.

What are the supported image file formats?

Windows Bitmap - *.bmp, *.dib

TIFF (Tag Image File Format) - *.tif, *.tff, *.tiff

ERDAS - *.gis, *.lan

BIL (Band interleaved by line) multiband images - *.bil

BIP (Band interleaved by pixel) multiband images - *.bip

BSQ (Band sequential) multiband images - *.bsq

IMPELL RLC (Run-length compressed) files - *.rlc

Sun rasterfiles - *.rs, *.ras; *.sun

How is ArcExplorer built?

ArcExplorer is built using MapObjects software.  MapObjects allows people to build their own custom GIS applications or add active mapping and geography to spreadsheets, charts, documents and more.  With MapObjects you can put maps in your apps!  Check out http://www.esri.com/base/products/mapobjects/mapobjects.html for more information or call 1-800-GIS-XPRT.

Will ArcExplorer be available for a Macintosh or UNIX platform?

The technology with which ArcExplorer is built is not currently supported by the Macintosh or UNIX operating systems.  However, future releases of ArcExplorer will extend the current system to include additional operating systems.

Does ArcExplorer support ARC/INFO annotation coverages?

Yes.  ArcExplorer imports annotation layers as line themes.  Add the annotation layer and use the Theme Properties dialogue to label the theme using the ‘TEXT’ field name.  Uncheck “Draw Features” so that the lines don’t draw.

What about ESRI’s .e00 export files for ARC/INFO coverages?

An .e00 ("E-zero-zero") file is an ARC/INFO coverage converted into an ASCII text file intended for exchange between two ARC/INFO systems on different platforms. They are not intended for compression, but have become popular as exchange files. In order to convert an .e00 file to an ARC/INFO coverage or ArcView shapefile, you must have ARC/INFO or the Import software distributed with ArcView GIS.  You can also download the ESRI Workspace Translator, a free utility that allows you to convert export files into ARC/INFO workspaces. The Workspace Translator also allows you to convert between PC ARC/INFO format coverages and ARC/INFO format workspaces.  Check www.esri.com for details on downloading the Workplace Translator.

Can I include project (.aep) files with the data I published on CD-ROM?

Yes.  If you decide to publish your data on CD-ROM and you choose to use ArcExplorer as your data browser, you can use relative pathnames.  In other words, regardless of which drive letter the user has for the CD-ROM drive, the project file will find the data.  Also, if the user loads the data onto another drive, the project will still find the data.

My organization wants to publish our GIS data on CD-ROM.  Can we use ArcExplorer as the data browser?

Yes.  You can use ArcExplorer as a data browser provided you agree to ESRI's license agreement.  Ultimately, ESRI wants to make it easy for you to include ArcExplorer with your data and the license reflects that.

Can I customize ArcExplorer for my organization or others?

No.  ArcExplorer is a data browsing product, not a development tool.  However, ESRI's staff can create similar applications quickly, adding or removing the tools you need.  ESRI can also teach you how to create applications like ArcExplorer on your own.

To contract with ESRI for custom programming support, contact ESRI's Implementation Services at 909-793-2853 (telephone), 909-307-3014 (fax), E-mail at arcexp@esri.com, or write to Implementation Services, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373.

To learn more about ESRI's training courses, contact the ESRI Learning Center at 909-793-2853 (telephone), 909-335-8233 (fax), or visit ESRI's Educational Services home page at http://www.esri.com/base/training/training.html


The ArcExplorer Tools

You can access most of ArcExplorer's functionality or with the following tools through the Menu Bar.  (The tools work in both Local and WWW mode unless indicated otherwise).

  File/New

Opens a new ArcExplorer Window.  You can open as many ArcExplorer Windows at the same time as you want.

  File/Open

Opens a saved ArcExplorer session (files with .aep extension).

  File/Save

Saves an ArcExplorer session.

  Clear View

Removes all themes from the Table of Contents and returns to an empty view.

  Add Themes

Adds one or more theme to the Table of Contents (and Map View).

  Print

Outputs the Map View to a preformatted map layout on your default printer.

    Toggle

Switches between Explorer View and the Map View. In Explorer View, the Table of Contents and Overview Map disappear, resulting in an expanded Map View.

  Theme Properties (Local mode only)

Opens a  dialog box where you can set the display characteristics of the active theme.

  Clear Thematic Classification (Local mode only)

Removes any classifications from the active theme.

  Clear Selection Highlight

Clears any highlighted features in the Map View.

 Full View

Zooms the Map View to the full extent of all the themes .

  Zoom to Active Themes (Local mode only)

Zooms to the extent of only the active theme.

 Zoom to Previous Extent

Returns the view to the last previous extent.

  Zoom In

Zooms in on the position you click or the box you drag on a view.

  Zoom Out

Zooms out from the position you click or the area you drag on a view.

  Pan

Pans the Map View by dragging it in any direction with the Pan tool.

  Identify

Identifies features in the active theme. Click on a feature in the Map View; an Identify Results window will pop up.

  Pan West

Pans the Map View to the West.

  Pan South

Pans the Map View to the South.

  Pan North

Pans the Map View to the North.

  Pan East

Pans the Map View to the East.

  Find features in Active Themes

Finds specific features in one or more themes.  When a feature is found, ArcExplorer will let you highlight it, zoom to it, or pan the Map View so the feature is centered.

  Query

Brings up a dialog box  where you can construct a query against the active theme.  When the query is executed, the features matching the query are highlighted and the Map View pans so they are centered.

  Map Tips

Brings up a dialog box that allows you to select a field.  The data for this field will then be displayed for each feature on the map as you move the cursor on the screen in Local mode.  In WWW mode, Map Tips works with a right mouse click.

  Cancel WWW request (WWW mode only)

Cancels a request sent for a download of WWW data.

  Retrieve Vector Data (WWW mode only)

Downloads a Shapefile of the active theme and attribute data.


How to add data to a Map View

ArcExplorer can access data from your computer's hard or floppy disk drives, from a CD-ROM drive, from computers connected to your machine over a local or wide area networks, or from SDE Servers.

To add locally stored data to an ArcExplorer project:

1.	From the File Menu, choose Add Theme, or click the Add Theme tool [image] to access  the Add Theme(s) dialog box.  ArcExplorer will cycle through all the network connections on your machine.  You can hit the escape key at any time to halt this process.

2.	From the Data Type drop down menu, you can select a specific type of ArcExplorer data (shapefile, ARC/INFO coverage, image files, ZIP archives) or just show all the supported data types (the default setting).

3.	Navigate the directory structure as you would any Windows directory to the folder where your GIS data is stored.  (If you filtered for a specific type of data in the previous step, ArcExplorer will show just those types of data.)

4.	Highlight one or more locally stored files that you wish to load and click Add Theme.

5.	Navigate to another directory to add additional themes, or click Close to dismiss the Add Themes Dialog.  The themes you selected will appear in the ArcExplorer Table of Contents.


Shapefile

An industry-standard spatial data file format developed by ESRI.


Theme

A theme is a set of geographic features in a Map View.


Themes

A theme is a set of geographic features in a Map View.


Map View

The area where the map draws.  Right click in the Map View to access a menu of Map View specific tools.


Theme Properties

To access the theme properties dialog box of an active theme, you can either click the Theme Properties [image] button, choose Theme properties from the Theme Menu, or double click on a theme's name in the Table of Contents .

You can set theme properties to control how your data is displayed in the Map View.  Theme properties can only be set in Local Mode.  With ArcExplorer the default is for single symbol maps .  You can also create value maps , class break maps, and labeled maps


How to Change General Settings
How to Change Map Display Properties

1.	Choose Map Display Properties from the View Menu.

2.	Click a color from the set of colored boxes to change the background color of the Map View.

3.	Choose a Selection Color.  Features found in a query will draw in this color.

4.	Select a Map Border Style. This toggles the Map View border on and off.  Most noticeable in 3D mode.

5.	Use the Cancel action when Escape key is pressed to control the screen redraw interrupt.  You can set the Escape key to stop drawing all layers, to stop drawing the current layer, or to do nothing.

6.	Click the checkbox Scrollbars on map if you want the Explorer view to include scroll bars at the edge of the map for panning.  (This option has no effect on the standard pan and zoom tools.)

7.	Click the checkbox 3D appearance if you want the Explorer view to have a slightly raised (3D) effect.


What is a Theme/
What is a Theme?

A theme is a set of geographic features. A theme represents a source of geographic data, spatial data source such as an ARC/INFO coverage or ArcView shapefile, an image data source such as a satellite photo, or a data layer managed by ESRI’s Spatial Database Engine (SDE).  This data can be on a local disk,  accessed across a network, or over the Internet.. A theme points to the geographic data it represents. It does not contain the data itself.

The themes in a view are listed in its Table of Contents A Map View of a country might have a theme representing cities, a theme representing roads, a theme representing an satellite image, and so on.

Themes have a number of properties that you can set to control their characteristics. For example, you can specify the range of scales at which the theme will be drawn on the view. See Setting a theme's properties .

Each theme has its own legend displayed in the Table of Contents. A theme's legend controls how the theme is displayed on the view. See Types of thematic maps to learn more about how to display a theme’s features.


.e00 files

An .e00 ("E-zero-zero") file is an ARC/INFO coverage converted into an ASCII text file intended for exchange between two ARC/INFO systems on different platforms. They are not intended for compression, but have become popular as exchange files. In order to convert an .e00 file to an ARC/INFO coverage or ArcView shapefile, you must have ARC/INFO or the Import software distributed with ArcView GIS.  You can also download the ESRI Workspace Translator, a free utility that allows you to convert export files into ARC/INFO workspaces. The Workspace Translator also allows you to convert between PC ARC/INFO format coverages and ARC/INFO format workspaces.  Check www.esri.com for details on downloading the Workplace Translator.