Local Government Model - How to begin

[TerryHiggins]

I have downloaded the schema for the Local Government model but am confused on how to proceed. I work for a small municipality and they are just starting with GIS. We are using a desktop SDE. I'm not clear on how to begin to add our shape files into the Local Government Model. I wanted to focus only on the Storm Drains at this point. Can someone provide me with a starting point?

[TomLucky]

You need to match up the local government schema with your data to see how it will fit.  Is the table and field structure compatible with your data?  To really take advantage of the ESRI model, you need to stick as close to the default structure as possible.  You can add additional tables and fields, but don't remove anything.  I didn't have any huge problems, although I have not migrated any data into the feature datasets with a geometric network such as stormwater.  Your topology will probably need to be clean before you can load the data.

It is usually recommended to create a transitional file geodatabase for loading your data with the same tables and fields as the local government model.  Load all your shapefiles into this database.  Then use the transitional data to load into SDE.  If you are loading into a geometric network, you probably need to set up the same network topology rules and clean up all the errors in the transitional data before loading.

Once the data was ready, I loaded into SDE using the "Load Objects" tool in ArcMap. http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//003n0000003z000000


I am not an expert, but I hope that helps.

Tom

[TerryHiggins]

Thank you  - actually that really helped me out a lot. I appreciate your time.

[ArcGISTeamLocalGov]

There are several approaches you could use to migrate your content to the Local Government Information Model.    How to best do it will be determined by the structure and source of your current data and whether these migration processes need to be repeated on a regular basis to maintain backward compatibility with existing business systems.  We�??ve seen three patterns used to migrate content to the model:

1. Use the simple data loader in ArcCatalog.  Works well if your data is well structured and the target in the local government information model is a simple data structure.
2. Use model builder and python to construct a migration path.  Works much better if you need to do transformation routines or load data in to more complex data structures.
3. Use the Data Interoperability Extension or Safe�??s FME product to construct workbenches for the migration. Works really well for more complex  transformation routines and data loading in to more complex data structures.  This does require additional licensing though.

With that said, we would suggest you tackle the information model one module (ex. water utilities, basemaps, land records, etc.) at a time and use the maps and apps on the Resource Center to drive where you start.  I would encourage you to review the maps and apps and align them with your business needs, then use the content provided in each map and app to define which parts of the information model you should review first.

[SteveNelson]

I'm sorry to thread-jack this post, but a follow up question to the Local Gov reply....

For me it makes sense to tackle the parcel portion of the data model and try to start loading our existing parcels, legal property lines, addressing etc..  However - that's where the documentation I find is really limited for Local Gov. 

Unless I'm missing something - Is there module documentation for loading all the required parcel data?  Meaning, is there some documentation somewhere that says in order to properly populate ALL the parcel related feature classes etc, follow this, or make sure you populate the following feature classes....
I can see in ArcCatalog all the feature classes that contain the word Parcels, but how do I know what else to look for to populate?  Other than frustrating trial and error with the maps/apps you supply?

I know the model is huge, but is there one of those big graphical model diagrams available?  I find those really useful.  I know I want to move to the model - but I'm scared to death to try and waste lots of time because with all due respect, I know there's always tons of little requirements that must be taken care of, or ESRI maps and apps don't work the way they're shown to work in the videos and gallery.

So, is there additional documentation for loading data to the Local Gov data model that you can post links to?
Thanks,
Steve

[BrettSanders]

Did you ever get hold of a graphical representation of the data model?

[CharlesShore]

I have begun to work with the Election Polling Place app, which includes the ParcelPublicAccess.mxd.  The mxd includes a FacilitySitesPoint layer, which has over 200 coded values representing various facility types.  Several of these facility types are shown in the World Topographic Map service.  Is there any way to capture these facilities from the Topographic Map, for use in the Polling Place app, without going back to the raw data? 

Thanks in advance.