Hands On

Getting Started with ArcView GIS

Projects are the fundamental organizational folders for each script, extension, custom
units in ArcView GIS. If you are a new ArcView legend, or other resources and keep the readme
GIS user, developing a systematic approach files or other documentation for these resources
to creating and managing projects can save together. This strategy is helpful if you need to
you time and avoid problems. Storing utilities, reload ArcView GIS or transfer files to a new
such as scripts or extensions, in a central loca- computer.
tion and reusing legends are also good strat-
egies. The following suggestions should help Save and Reuse Legends
you become more productive with ArcView Once you have developed the perfect legend
GIS. for a particular type of theme, you can save
and reuse it with other similar themes.
Organize Projects and Data
Before starting any project, take a moment to Save Custom Legends
organize your resources and plan out the struc- 1. Choose Theme>Legend Editor or dou-
ture of the project. Choose names for directo- ble-click on the desired theme to open
ries, subdirectories, and files and locate data the Legend Editor.
sources. 2. Use the Legend Editor to set the classi-
fication ranges, colors, and marker sym- Set the Working directory for a new project to
1. Use Windows Explorer or another file bols for the theme. save time and make sure all files for the project
management program to create a project 3. Click the Save button in the Legend are saved to the same place.
folder and related subfolders before Editor. In the dialog box, navigate to
starting ArcView GIS. your Utilities folder or some other loca-
2. If you are using grid data, segregate grid tion and save the custom legend you just
files from other data types. Do not use created using a lowercase, eight-charac-
operating system commands with grid ter name that contains no spaces. Accept
data sets. Rename, copy, or delete grid the default .avl file extension.
data sets by using the Data Source Man-
ager that comes with ArcView Spatial Apply Custom Legends
Analyst and ArcView 3D Analyst. To 1. Apply a custom legend to another theme
avoid conflicts, adopt a conservative by opening the Legend Editor for the
naming convention: use lowercase letters theme as described in Step 1 in the
and numbers, do not include spaces in preceding section. If the custom legend
file or folder names, limit the name applies marker symbols, the number of
length to eight characters, and don’t classes in the custom legend and the
begin a file or folder name with a theme must be the same.
number. 2. In the Legend Editor, click on the Load
3. After opening a blank project, immedi- button and navigate to the Utilities or Save custom legends for use with other projects.
ately modify the working directory by another folder where you have saved the
choosing File>Set the Working Direc- desired legend. Click on OK.
tory and typing the path to your data 3. To make a custom legend load with a
(e.g., c:\myprject\mydata\) in the dialog. theme, use the Legend Editor to save the
Now ArcView GIS will save files to the legend with exactly the same name as
specified directory instead of a default the name for the theme’s shapefile and
temp directory. This eliminates the need store the legend file in the same direc-
to constantly path through directories tory as the shapefile. When ArcView GIS
when saving files and ensures your files loads the theme, it will automatically
are all saved in the same place. apply a legend with the same name to the
4. Save projects early and often, especially theme and load any necessary standard
after adding or removing any extensions palettes.
or adding scripts. Save projects as
numbered versions (e.g., geo_ca1.apr, Sample Scripts and Extensions
geo_ca2.apr) to create backups of your When adding sample scripts or extensions,
project. Delete older versions as newer always copy the sample script or extension
ones are added. and then add it to the program files. Keep
the original samples in the Samples folder in
Create a Utilities Folder the ArcView GIS directory or your Utilities
Create a Utilities folder for sample or custom folder.
scripts, extensions, legends, and other resources
such as data conversion programs. This will For more information on using ArcView GIS,
keep them handy so that you can use them with read Getting to Know ArcView GIS, available
other projects. Create appropriately named from ESRI Press through the GIS Store.

[Link] ArcUser July–September 2000 53