Exercise 1b: Adding interoperability connections

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: ArcGIS Tutorial Data for Desktop Data Path: C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\ Goal: Create an interoperability connection.

You can use interoperability connections to aggregate files, perform translations on the fly, define a coordinate system, and store format-specific parameters such as database connections and passwords.

In this exercise, you create an interoperability connection for Intergraph Modular GIS Environment (MGE) parcel data.

The MGE format uses standard MicroStation DGN files to store and edit the graphic elements of geographic data. The nongraphic elements, such as feature attributes, are stored in external database tables and linked to the graphic elements via pairs of entity and mslink numbers.

Using the Add Interoperability Connection dialog box, you perform the following tasks:

• Choose the FME reader and specify the data source.
• Specify the reader parameters for the external database.
• Define a coordinate system.
• Create the connection.

After creating the connection, you add the dataset to ArcMap, change symbology, and select features by attributes.

Create the interoperability connection

Opening the Interoperability Connection dialog box

Prerequisite:

The Data Interoperability extension must be enabled.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Click the Catalog Window button on the Standard toolbar.
3. Expand the Interoperability Connections folder.

4. Double-click Add Interoperability Connection.

   The Interoperability Connection dialog box opens.

Choosing the FME reader

Steps:

1. Click the Format browse button.

   The FME Reader Gallery dialog box opens.

2. Type mge in the Search text box.
3. Click the row listing the Intergraph MGE format.
4. Click OK.

   The FME Reader Gallery dialog box closes and the Format text box is populated with the format description.

Specifying the data source

Steps:

1. Click the Dataset browse button.

   The Select File dialog box opens.

2. Navigate to the C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\parcels folder.
3. Click the File Type arrow and choose All Files (*.).

   The files with a .par file extension are displayed in the dialog box.

   Note:

   The MicroStation DGN format permits files to be saved without a file extension or with an extension of any length. As a result, it is not uncommon for DGN files to be saved with an extension that describes the contents. This tutorial uses the .par extension to identify them as parcel drawings.

4. Click the parcel_K24.par file and click Open.

   The Dataset text box is populated with the path and file name.

Specifying the reader parameters

Specify the external database that contains the attribute tables.

Steps:

1. Click the Parameters button.

   The Intergraph MGE Parameters dialog box opens.

2. Click the Database Type arrow and choose MDB.
3. Click the Access MDB File browse button.
4. Navigate to C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\parcels\parcel_attrs.mdb and click Open.
5. Click OK.

   The Intergraph MGE Parameters dialog box closes.

Defining a coordinate system

Steps:

1. Click the Coordinate System browse button.

   The Spatial Reference Properties dialog box opens.

2. Click Select.
3. Double-click the Projected Coordinate Systems folder, double-click the State Plane folder, double-click the NAD 1983 (US Feet) folder, choose NAD 1983 StatePlane Texas Central FIPS 4203 (Feet).prj, then click Add.
4. Click OK.

   The Spatial Reference Properties dialog box closes.

Creating and preparing the connection

Steps:

1. Click OK in the Interoperability Connection dialog box.

   The Interoperability Connection dialog box closes, and an interoperability connection named Connection (1)—parcel_K24 MGE is added to the Interoperability Connections folder.

2. Right-click the dataset, click Rename, then rename it to parcel K24.
3. Expand the parcel K24 dataset in the Catalog tree.

   The dataset displays several feature classes that are potentially empty and not needed.

4. Click the parcel K24 dataset and press F5 to purge any empty feature classes.
5. Expand the parcel K24 dataset and confirm your results.

   The dataset contains only two feature classes.

Add data to ArcMap

Add the interoperability connection for the MGE parcel K24 dataset to ArcMap. Also add the MapInfo subdivisions.tab dataset, and the MapInfo flood_plains.mif dataset.

Steps:

1. Drag the parcel K24 dataset into ArcMap.
2. In the Catalog window, type C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability in the Location text box and press ENTER.

   The location is added to the Catalog tree under the Folders Connection heading.

3. Expand the flood_plains.mif dataset and drag the flood_plains Polygon feature class into ArcMap.
4. Expand the subdivisions.tab dataset and drag the subdivisions Polygon feature class into ArcMap.

Change the symbology

Assign a unique symbol for each date a subdivision was added to the survey. Use the ADD_DATE field. Also, set MapTips to display the contents of the SUBDIVISION field when pausing the pointer over a subdivision.

Steps:

1. Right-click the subdivisions Polygon layer and click Properties.

   The Layer Properties dialog box opens.

2. Click the Display tab.
3. In the Display Expression box, click the Fields arrow and choose the SUBDIVISION field.
4. Check the box Show MapTips using the display expression.
5. Click the Symbology tab.
6. Click Categories and click Unique values.
7. Click the Value Field arrow and choose the ADD_DATE field.
8. Click the Add all Values button.

   A unique symbol is generated for each unique value in the field.

9. Click OK.

   The Layer Properties dialog box closes.

10. Right-click the subdivisions Polygon layer in the table of contents and click Zoom to Layer.
11. Pause the pointer over the subdivisions to see the names displayed as MapTips.

Select by attributes

Search for Gaston Park and zoom to it.

Steps:

1. On the main menu, click Selection > Select By Attributes .

   The Select by Attributes dialog box opens.

2. Click the Layer arrow and choose the subdivisions Polygon feature layer.
3. Double-click the SUBDIVISION field.

   The field name is added to the expression box.

4. Click the Like button and press the SPACEBAR once to add a space after the word.
5. Type 'GAS%' to complete the SQL statement.

   The completed expression should read "SUBDIVISION" LIKE 'GAS%'.

6. Click the Apply button.

   The selected features are highlighted in the map.

7. Click the OK button.

   The Select by Attributes dialog box closes.

8. On the main menu, click Selection > Zoom To Select Features .
9. Pause the pointer over the selected feature to display the name GASTON PARK as a MapTip.

This completes the exercise.

Continue to the next exercise: Exercise 2a: Importing data with the Quick Import tool.