A tutorial on how to use the generate fishnet (and the clip and buffer) tool to generate a grid of regularly-spaced points in ArcGIS 10 is now available.
Please email any questions or comments. Look for a future posting on a ModelBuilder tool to accomplish the same in a more automated fashion.
See this post for the announcement from ESRI. This Service Pack will be available in July, 2012 (about the same time as ArcGIS 10.1).
A manual for learning to use ArcGIS 10, produced by Amy Hillier at the University of Pennsylvania, is available here. This 80+-page document covers many of the options new users should be familiar with, and includes tips on making maps, georeferencing, spatial joins, creating spatial data, and troubleshooting.
ArcGIS Online continues to be improved, with additional functionality and data added. With tools to import shapefiles, text data, gps files, or KML data, it eliminates the need for a local ArcGIS installation (in some cases).
See http://www.esri.com/news/arcwatch/1211/new-content-basemaps-and-tools-added-to-arcgis-online.html
or http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2011/10/12/new-arcgis-online-basemaps/
or http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/fall11articles/arcgis-online-whats-new.html for more information about ArcGIS Online.
See http://resources.arcgis.com/content/patches-and-service-packs?fa=viewPatch&PID=17&MetaID=1857 for more information. This patch addresses multiple issues with spatial joins, including null output and crashes.
ESRI recently released Service pack 4 for ArcGIS 10. This update fixes more than 250 bugs and deficiencies in ArcGIS Desktop, and includes all updates delivered since ArcGIS 10.0 was released.
Another source for 2010 Census data is the Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line Shapefiles page. The site includes various Census geographies (e.g., blocks, block groups, tracts) as well as documentation.
See also: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/shp.html
and
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/tiger/ for more options
I have had some questions about how to install and authorize the 1-year ArcGIS license available for education use. I improved the directions, available as a PDF or continue to read below… If you are interested in the software, installer DVDs are available from the help desk in the Library.
ArcGIS 10 Education Edition – 1 Year Licensed Software
The Education Edition of ArcGIS version 10 requires an authorization number that must be activated before use. An authorization number will be printed on the inside of the DVD sleeve, along with instructions for activating it. Visit www.esri.com/EducationEdition to activate the authorization number before installing the software. An ESRI Global Account is required. (If you do not already have an ESRI Global Account, you can create one at this website.)
FAQs for the software are available at http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/eval-help/index.html
Please note that the some of the FAQs currently are designed for the general purpose evaluation license, and any reference to the length of the evaluation term should be disregarded. The term of the Education Edition is 365 days and the license level is Arclnfo.
•Insert the DVD and choose ArcGIS Desktop Setup
•Wait for the installer to load (authenticate as administrator if necessary), accept the license agreement, choose a Complete install, and install to the default location.
•After the install completes, click Finish and choose ArcInfo (Single Use). Click Authorize Now and choose “I have installed my software and need to authorize it”, “Authorize with ESRI using the Internet”, enter contact information, and enter your authorization number. Choose “I do not want to authorize any extensions” (and don’t evaluate any extensions either – they are included with your license).
You should download and install the latest service packs periodically, available from http://www.esri.com/ Support> Downloads: Patches and Service Packs. As of March 2012, ArcGIS 10 SP 4 is current.
If you have questions, please contact mdhyslop@mtu.edu
Earlier version of ArcGIS had a ‘buffer wizard’ tool available. This functionality is now housed in the tools “Buffer” and “Multiple Ring Buffer” found in ArcToolbox > Analysis > Proximity. However, if you prefer the wizard interface, it is still possible to add the Buffer Wizard to a toolbar in ArcGIS. The instructions below are for ArcMap 10.x
You can customize any ArcMap toolbar in this fashion. See the ArcGIS help topic “adding a command to a toolbar or to the main menu” for more information.
The Minnesota DNR released DNRGPS on February 15, 2012 and has already issued an update to fix some functionality problems. DNRGPS is the long-awaited replacement for DNRGarmin 5, and is designed to address incompatibilities between ArcGIS 10 and DNRG. It will also work with GPS units not manufactured by Garmin, Inc, prompting the name change.
DNRGPS is written as an Open Source application, and utilizes other open source software for portions of its core functionality (notably gpsbabel and GDAL). The developers are still working on updates to the program – be sure to read the known issues, release notes, and help file found on the application’s web page.
DNRGPS requires Windows XP or Windows 7, and works with ArcGIS 10 and Google Earth. Long-time users of DNRGarmin will want to do some testing before using DNRGPS on a daily basis. The move to open source underpinnings has changed how the software operates, notably how projections are handled. The ArcGIS toolbar is no more, but Geodatabase functionality has been added.
Stay tuned for more impressions and tutorial data.