Introduction to ArcCatalog

ArcCatalog is a data- centric GUI tool used for managing spatial data

Introduction To Arc Catalog

With ArcCatalog you can …….

• Inspect properties and attributes of data

• Preview and explore data contents

• Evaluate quality and suitability of data

• Create, move, copy, delete, organize, and rename

• Review, update and define metadata

• Import, export, convert

• Define rules and behavior

ArcCatalog Gives You….

• Direct access to all your data ‘live .’

• Connections to any local or network disks.

• Connections to local or remote folders.

• Connections to relational databases via

• ArcSDE

• MS SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, Sybase, etc.

• OLE DB

• MS Access (jet), Oracle, MS SQL Server, etc.

• Typically OLE DB can retrieve only non-spatial data

• Personal geodatabases

• MS Access (jet)

• Manage the GIS data explosion

• Control consistency and quality of data

• Maintain inventory of data holdings

• Expose incomplete metadata

• Identify redundant data

ArcCatalog …

Is Better Equipped to Allow GIS Analysts To

ArcCatalog Is the Principal User

Interface Used to Define and

Manage the Geodatabase

ArcCatalog …

What is a Geodatabase?

• A new type of geographic data format (GDF) for ArcInfo 8.

• Based on Object-Oriented Model

• Users can add behavior, properties, rules and relationships to data

• Implemented as extension to standard relational database technology

• Supports topologically integrated feature classes

Geographic Feature Data Formats

• Shapefile – introduced with ArcView

• Also georelational data model – nontopological vector data format.

• Very prolific format – much GIS data in Shapefile format.

• Simpler than coverages than because they do not store topological associations among different features and feature classes.

• Limited analysis capabilities due to lack of topology

• Geodatabase – introduced in ArcInfo 8.

• Object-oriented model – can characterize features more naturally by defining object types, topological, spatial and general relationships, and interactions.

• Geodatabase features can be stored in a single database.

• Create custom features in addition to points, lines, polygons

• Brings physical model closer to logical model.

Supported Data Types

• supports four representations of geographic data.

• Vector data for representing features.

• Raster data for images, grids, and surfaces.

• Triangulated irregular networks (TINS) for surfaces.

• Tabular data.

• Locators and addresses for finding a geographic position from an address.

• Locators apply national postal conventions to convert an address to a position.

ArcCatalog and Metadata

• Metadata is primarily viewed and edited in ArcCatalog.

• ArcCatalog allows metadata to be easily created, stored, and accessed for all data types supported by ArcInfo 8.0 using open, flexible, industry standard technology.

• AI8 has out-of-the-box support for the federal geographic data committee (FGDC) metadata content standard,

• ArcCatalog has a built-in and easily accessible full- featured metadata editor.

• AI8 automatically stores metadata with the data so that it also travels when the data is moved, distributed, exported, or renamed, including attached documents.

ArcCatalog and Metadata

• Bottom line: metadata editor is easy to use.

• Result = more organized and accurate data.

Creating and Editing Metadata

• Choose dataset and click the metadata tab…

• Metadata is automatically created if it doesn’t exist

• This can be turned on/off

• Some metadata is automatically obtained (“harvested”( from the data

• You can control frequency of metadata harvesting

• Automatic time interval

• Manually

• Any file type can be added as an attachment to the metadata to extend metadata information

ArcCatalog Metadata Editor

From ArcCatalog you can add and edit the properties of fields in tables, shapefiles and feature classes by right clicking on the object and going to properties.

ArcCatalog

Detachable Catalog Tree

ESRI Metadata Viewer

Folder Connections

CAD Dataset (Blue)

CAD Drawing File

Coverages

(Yellow)

Raster

Datasets

(Grid)

Layers

(Bright Yellow)

Personal Geodatabase

(Grey)

ArcMap Document

(.mxd) Projection

(Globe) Shapefiles

(Green)

ArcView Dbase Table (Green)

ArcInfo Info Table (Yellow)

TIN

Dataset

Preview Tab

Geodatabase Feature Dataset

Relationship Class

Feature Classes

Annotation Class

Projection Files

.*prj

Creating

Thumbnails

Database Table

(Blue)

Remote Database Connection

(Grey Cylinder w/network)

Wizards for Creating

Database Connections