ArcPad Data Manager Toolbar: Select Picture Options (ArcGIS 10)

The ArcPad Data Manager toolbar within ArcGIS 10 has an extra page available during the Get Data for ArcPad (Check Out) process. Within this page the user can identify the picture field(s) within the dataset(s), and also define the location where pictures will be stored during the Get Data from ArcPad (Check In) process.

When field data and photos have been collected in the field and then imported back into the ArcGIS/office environment using the Get Data from ArcPad (Check In) tool, the Picture field(s) are populated using the predefined folder location for Pictures and the name of the image (e.g. D:\MyPhotos\Pictures_0001.jpg).

When identifying a point in ArcMap, the ArcGIS 10 dialog lists the point attributes, with the hyperlink function automatically enabled for Picture fields where an image exists. The user can simply click on the Picture field path and the image will be displayed on screen.

ArcPad Check Out Problems

When you check data out for use in ArcPad, the AXF file that gets generated is stamped with the source Geodatabase. This means that when you go to check that data back in, the ArcPad Data Manager for ArcMap and the ArcPad Geoprocessing tools know where the data needs to be uploaded to.

This works really well, because you do not need to place the AXF back in to the same folder that it was checked out to (as you did with previous versions of ArcPad that used shapefiles). The drawback to this is however, when the source workspace is moved: ArcPad has no way of knowing where to put the field edited data.

The simplest way of finding where the Geodatabase should be, is to load the AXF into the ArcPad Data Manager in ArcMap. The source workspace is listed on the form:

If this workspace has a really long path however, you will not be able to see the full path. The other way to find the source workspace is to view the AXF Transaction Log that is stored within the AXF (in the AXF_Properties table). To do this:

1. Open the AXF in Studio
2. Start a command window
3. Copy the SQL statement below, paste it into the window and execute it.

SELECT CONVERT(nvarchar, XML)

FROM AXF_PROPERTIES

WHERE NAME='AXF_TRANSACTION_LOG'

You will see a whole lot of text, which at first may just look like it is in Swahili or some other foreign language, but if you look closely, it is actually XML. The first tag that you will see is CHECKOUT. The third attribute of this tag is 'workspace': the value of this attribute is the source Geodatabase that the AXF was originally generated from.

This is the location that you will need to move the Geodatabase to (temporarily) to allow you to check the data back in.

Application Builder Training - Melbourne - 11 November

RIA Mobile GIS will be holding an ArcPad Application Builder Training Course in Melbourne on Thursday the 11th November. The course will be held in the CBD (venue to be confirmed), using ArcPad Version 10.

To register your interest, please fill out the Registration Form from our web site, and return it to us.

Be quick: Numbers are limited, and early bird discounts apply!

Getac E100A Tablet Release

For Mobile GIS users interested in tablet technology, the Getac presents an update on the E100 tablet, the E100A.

The E100A has substantially increased the E100 memory components; doubling the processor from 800MHz to 1.66 GHz,upsizing from 1GB RAM to 2GB RAM and the previous Hard Disk Drive is now a 80GB Solid State Drive.

Manufacturer confidence in the Getac product is shown in the 5 year standard warranty. The E100A will be available soon, contact us for more information.

ArcPad 10 Training - Perth

The popular Using ArcPad training course has been scheduled for Wednesday the 22nd of September in Perth.

Further information on the course can be viewed at the RIA Mobile GIS website here.

RIA Mobile GIS run scheduled and onsite training courses for ESRI software throughout Australia, please contact us if you would like to register your interest for any future training courses.

Handy AXF Export Tools in ArcPad 10

For anyone who missed it, an interesting post was added to the ArcPad Team Blog, explaining some new ways that you can export data directly from the AXF file using ArcPad Studio (version 10). These tools allow you to export from a feature class or table to:

• Shapefile
• DBF
• Microsoft Excel
• Adobe PDF

Exports to PDFs can be done in two ways: creating a new document, or appending to an existing document. Further information can be found here.