Transferring selection sets in and out of Track Manager

If you discover that it's easier to achieve your desired selection set using standard ArcGIS selection, Track Manager provides a way to retrieve that selection set. Similarly, you can transfer a set of active tracking features out of Track Manager, allowing you to use it as the input for geoprocessing tools or any other ArcGIS functions.

Retrieving map selection sets

Activating tracks and features in Track Manager is useful because it allows you to perform track-based analysis available only in Track Manager. However, for some advanced attribute and location queries, it might be easier to get exactly the set of tracks and features you want to work with by using the numerous other selection tools provided in ArcGIS. For this reason, Track Manager provides the Retrieve Map Selection button as a way to transfer standard selection sets into Track Manager.

There are a couple things to remember when retrieving selection sets from Track Manager. First, only tracking features can be retrieved. Generally, a standard selection set may contain features of many different types. Track Manager only recognizes tracking features from tracking layers. Therefore, only tracking features from the selection set will be retrieved.

Secondly, a standard ArcGIS selection set contains only features and does not include the concept of tracks. When you retrieve a selection set with Track Manager, you activate all the tracking features in the selection set, as well as the tracks that contain them. Depending on the type of analysis you are doing, you may only be interested in the active features, or you may only be interested in the active tracks. When you retrieve a selection set, you will get both.

Tip:

When transferring selection sets in and out of Track Manager, it is useful to turn on the track and feature highlighting modes, so that you can see a visual representation of what is being transferred on your map.

Selecting tracking features on the map

Sometimes, you might want to select a set of active features from Track Manager on the map, so that you can use it as the input for other ArcGIS functions. For example, imagine you have a large set of features (and tracks) activated in Track Manager, and you realize that it would be useful to run a GP tool on the set of features. To avoid needing to reselect the same set of features in a standard ArcGIS selection set, Track Manager provides the Select Tracking Features on Map button, which automatically transfers your current set of active features into the standard ArcGIS selection set.

There are a couple things to remember when selecting tracking features on the map from Track Manager. Track Manager contains a set of active tracks and tracking features, but a standard ArcGIS selection set only contains features. Therefore, it is important to note that only the features will become selected.

If you are interested in using ArcGIS functionality outside of Track Manager to process a complete set of tracks, then you probably want to select all the features from your active tracks in Track Manager before clicking the Select Tracking Features on Map button. To do this, use the All button in the Features panel.

Selection modes

Track Manager provides interactive modes for transferring selection sets, just like standard selection in ArcGIS. The three modes provided are:

• Create New Selection—Clear any existing selection and select only the set of features being transferred.
• Add To Selection—Keep any existing selection and also select the features being transferred.
• Remove From Selection—Deselect the features being transferred, but keep any other features selected.

It is important to note that these selection modes apply to the destination of your transfer. For example, if you are retrieving features from Track Manager, this applies to the set of active features in Track Manager. If you are selecting tracking features on the map, then this applies to the standard ArcGIS selection set.