ESRI Canada, the leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, is pleased to announce that ArcGIS 8.3 is now available in Canada. Strong editing, analysis, and cartography, along with cutting-edge data models and management, continue to distinguish the ArcGIS suite of software as the leading GIS software. The ArcGIS 8.3 release represents the next major step forward for the ArcGIS suite of products (ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcInfo, ArcGIS extensions, and ArcSDE) with a focus on topology, three new extensions, and a host of new features.
Topology Support
The primary focus of the ArcGIS 8.3 release is full topology support for the geodatabase coupled with an improved editing environment built to support topological relationships. The topology tools in ArcGIS 8.3 allow ArcEditor and ArcInfo users to analyze, visualize, report, and where necessary, repair the integrity of spatial data. It also provides a set of tools that lets users find and fix integrity violations, making the editing of features that share geometry much easier and more powerful than ever before. All ArcGIS Desktop (ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcInfo) users can take advantage of map topology – on-the-fly detection and editing of features that share coincident geometry.
New ArcGIS Extensions
ArcGIS 8.3 adds three new optional ArcGIS Desktop extensions: ArcGIS Survey Analyst, ArcScan for ArcGIS, and ArcGIS Tracking Analyst. ArcGIS Survey Analyst lets users manage survey data in a GIS database and represent survey measurements and observations on a map. ArcScan for ArcGIS allows users to build vector databases using scanned raster imagery as input. ArcGIS Tracking Analyst provides capabilities for sophisticated visualization and analysis of time-related data.
Key ArcGIS Desktop Enhancements
The following new features are also included with ArcGIS 8.3 Desktop:
* Enhanced Editing Functionality–Includes new plan entry tools, snap agents, sketch tools, and improved annotation capabilities.
* Disconnected Editing–Allows users to work with a local or remote version of an enterprise geodatabase in a check-out/check-in environment.
* Complete Linear Referencing–A complete set of tools to allow users to create, edit, display, and analyze linear referencing data (routes and events).
Integration With ArcPad
ArcPad integration tools for ArcGIS 8.3 Desktop extract and convert data from a personal geodatabase into a shapefile that can then be edited in ArcPad. Edits to attributes and/or shapes can be integrated back into the personal geodatabase once the data is checked in.
Updated ESRI Data & Maps 2003 CDs and DVDs
The ESRI Data & Maps set has been updated for 2003 and coincides with the ArcGIS 8.3 release. Users will receive ESRI Data & Maps 2003 on both DVD-ROM and CD-ROM. The data is provided in shapefile and Smart Data Compression (SDC) formats and features new and detailed Mexico, U.S., Europe, and world datasets. More than half of the existing datasets were updated.
Extended Support
ESRI has developed a set of free, downloadable tools to support Tablet PC for ArcGIS 8.3 Desktop, built to the design specifications of Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. These tools allow ArcGIS 8.3 Desktop users to take advantage of the Tablet PC’s innovative features such as pen-based computing, digital ink technology, and enhanced mobility functions. The ArcGIS 8.3 Desktop release also includes support for Visual Studio.NET, Microsoft’s next generation development environment.
