Mapping Center and ArcGIS 9.3

Mapping Center and ArcGIS 9.3

ArcGIS 9.3 has hit the streets, meaning some of you should have it in hand this week, and most of you will have it in the coming weeks. After you get it installed definitely read the What's new in ArcGIS 9.3 PDF [13Mb] (it also installed with ArcGIS 9.3 at C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Documentation\Whats_New_In_ArcGIS_93.PDF). Use the text search (CTRL-F) to find content, like "Maplex" or "Representations", or whatever term best describes the enhancement you've been hoping for.

Also new with ArcGIS 9.3 are the ESRI Resource Centers. For those of you already familiar with Mapping Center, think of the ESRI Resource Centers as a broader context, with similar kinds (and more) of information available for all areas of ArcGIS.

The idea is one-stop shopping. One thing that is pretty cool on the ArcGIS Desktop Resource Center is the Content tab. You can add this content your maps. The idea is that many of you (and over the next year many more of you) will never have to store certain base layers of data yourselves--you'll be able to use these services for that data when you need it.

Mapping Center's content is designed to be useful right now, i.e., for those of you using the
currently available version of the software. That won't change; by next week we'll be talking about ArcGIS 9.3 as if it was the only version in existence. We won't be systematically retrofitting any of our existing content (there's just too much), though we may, as we find it obvious, make spot updates. If you think any particular bit of content would be much better off with a 9.3 perspective let us know and we'll get it on our "to do" list.

Last,for Mapping Center it's business as usual. Last week we bid farewell to one of our team members, Peter Kasianchuk, who headed back north to Canada after accepting a position at the Alberta Ministry of Energy. We'll miss him; especially as we get ready for the Users Conference.