ArcGIS: ArcCatalog

Agenda• The ArcCatalog Interface• General ArcCatalog

▫Navigating directories▫Preview data▫View metadata

• Advanced ArcCatalog▫Modifying the interface▫Modifying the Catalog Tree▫Modifying the Contents Window▫Working with Previews▫Modifying Metadata▫Searching for Data

The ArcCatalog Interface

Toolbars• Standard Toolbar: navigating directories, cut and

paste, shortcuts to ArcMap and ArcToolbox

• Geography Toolbar: navigating in the Geography Preview window

• Location Toolbar: directory location

• Metadata Toolbar: change the Metadata Stylesheet, shortcuts for creating, editing, and updating

Catalog

•Directory Structure•Connected Folders•Other data sources

▫Database servers▫Database connections▫GIS services▫My hosted services▫Interoperability connections

Contents/Preview/Description

•Contents tab•Preview tab•Description tab

General Use

•Navigate•Data management•Preview•View metadata

Navigation• Icons indicate data directories and data type• Work in Catalog or Contents Tab• See Directories containing Spatial Data• Drag data to other applications

Data Management• Options for moving data

▫ Drag and drop▫ Cut and paste▫ Menus, buttons▫ Work in catalog or “Contents”

• Data conversion▫ Right click to see export options▫ Several export formats available▫ Option to create Layer (.lyr) file

• Create New items▫ Folders▫ Spatial/tabular data files▫ Geodatabases and related items

Preview• Geographic vs Table

▫Use the drop down menu at the bottom of the window to toggle between the geography and table views

• Navigation▫Use the tools on the Geography toolbar to

navigate around the preview window• Layers and maps vs raw data

▫Layers and Map Document will display their symbology in the preview while Raw data is assigned default or random symbology for previews

Viewing Metadata and Description•Types of Metadata

▫ In the ESRI Style, click on specific items to see more detail, tabs expose different types of data (Description, Spatial, and Attribute).

Advanced Use

•Modifying the interface•Modifying the Catalog•Modifying the “Contents”•Modifying Metadata•Working with previews•Searching for data

Modifying the Interface (exercise 1)

•Add/remove toolbars•Resize/reposition toolbars•Remove/add catalog•Resize/reposition catalog

Modifying the Catalog (exercise 2)•Adding folder connections

▫Connect to folder button▫File menu▫Click and drag

•Adding/removing other top level entries

▫Click +/-

Modifying the “Contents” (exercise 3)

•Standard toolbar options▫Large icons▫List▫Details▫Thumbnails

•Right click on “Standards”

Modifying Metadata

•Validate metadata•Export metadata•Metadata properties

Working the previews (exercise 4)• Navigating

▫ Use the tools on the Geography toolbar to zoom in/out, and pan around the image. You can also identify features with the identify tool.

• Making thumbnails▫ Click on the Create Thumbnail button to make a

thumbnail for a dataset. Once created, this can be displayed in the Contents window and in the metadata.

• Table tools▫ In the table preview you can click on columns, rows or

cells to select them. You can also right-click on a field header to reveal basic sorting tools.

Searching for Data• The search dialog can be opened from the Standard Toolbar. Several types of are possible:

▫ Name and location – Basic file name search. Provide a name or part of a name and/or a directory location to look

▫ Geography – Provide a location either by bounding coordinates or through definition on a map and the search will return anything within or overlapping the bounds given

▫ Date – Provide a time period and search based on data created or modified, or dates found in the metadata

▫ Tools – Search useful tools here.• Search results are returned to the bottom of the Catalog below the “Search Results” icon.