Latest Contributions by DavidCakalic

Agree with this request.   I was looking to level up my ESRI usage to take advantage of what SEEMED like useful implementations of tools that I'm not taking advantage of... Sharing a web map to a client seems like a great solution to a common need --- client needs to review city data that has been collected or updated over aerial imagery.  Unfortunately, client doing this review does not have (or need) GIS experience for this task... their task would be review for accuracy/completeness before we move forward with further, more advanced processing of the data.... therefore, they don't have ArcGIS, we can't simply send them a geodatabase and expect them to know what to do with it.   An online map viewer, where they could pan around our hi-res basemap & toggle layers on/off would be PERFECT.   Even better if they could create a simple shape to identify Area of Interest or add comments. But in a 30-minute read-up on sharing to AGOL, I saw several "security" options, but it jumped from internal lockdown to members or groups straight to full wide open external access to view.   I thought FOR SURE I must be missing something.   But as this thread indicates.... no I didn't.... its 2024 and we can't do something like this yet. I'm back to options of sharing (multiple) PDF layer-enabled maps to client for review --- or needing to train client on other tools like Qgis --- which I really don't have the time to do. In short, I upvote this request +100 & ask ESRI to consider ways that we can more easily make maps accessible to people without GIS experience.... and in a form that is at least password protected. ... View more

Excellent tip @leahmaps ,thanks! I just learned about the "Alias" tool for these folders but was lamenting the lack of special characters.  I agree with your conclusion that a better solution would be to allow characters within the alias... that way a long path could be truncated to something reasonable to the end user.   ... View more

I didn't realize this was implemented... has bothered me for a LONG time and was about to suggest if nobody else had. Thanks for the link to video as well. Would like to be able to use symbols within the alias....    "F:\Montana\GIS"  would look nicer than my alias of  "F Montana GIS"   or   "F GIS". ... View more

Interesting, @23Starbuck ...  I never heard that this feature ever was created (or had existed.)   Unfortunately, I never had Production Mapping when I was using ArcMap heavily. Haven't looked into it myself, but do we know if anything similar exist for ArcGIS Pro?  I've moved onto using Pro primarily myself now that I'm not as heavily into production as I used to be.  I think our production team is starting to transition over to Pro as well (though many still need to use ArcMap.) I still think the tool would be nice... it's something I used every day when doing Stereo Mapping, as it was built into the 3d collection environment.... just could never use it when doing 2d collection in ArcMap.   The tool as described in the link above has some nice features (geodesic rings) but not clear on some other aspects: What if you have no ground surface... would the rings still work? Can you make the halo appear as a non-filled cursor (just a circle?) I find filled halos distracting, as I often need to see the underlying image CLEARLY while collecting features. Still would like to have ability to designate different area types, other than radius.... Square feet, acres, or other dimensions for example... so that the user could quickly adjust for job specs without needing to work up calculations for themselves. ... View more

Same here @Anonymous User ....  closing ArcPro and jumping into ArcCatalog 10.x all the time. I simply can't find where to edit or manage my GDB within ArcPro.   I simply want to open the GDB and delete a featureclass and that functionality is hidden --- what was a simple operation previously has turned into a game of "find the tool." Maybe I'll find the solution eventually, but right now I have to get actual work done, which seems to be a foreign concept. ... View more

Comment below is for ArcMap 10.6 -> which there will be no enhancements for that line.  Was told this was a similar request for ArcPro and post/upvote here: ArcMap 10.6 currently  (not Pro - we need tools not available there.)   The spatial adjustment toolbar has a tool for Attribute Transfer, and interactive process where you select 1st feature and it transfers desired attributes to the 2nd feature you select.  This is exactly what I need! However, the tool is SEVERELY lacking a basic function:  The ability to save your settings  (Layers & fields participating.)   In short, I'd like have a menu in the transfer mapping to: Save current settings (with the ability to give it a name.) Load saved settings (dropdown list of previously saved settings.) Share & Import saved settings (so I can create the proper mappings, and share with entire team... knowing we are ALL using the proper settings.)   Enhancements: Method to place a saved setting as a button on toolbar... making it a ONE CLICK operation to switch between tool settings. (This one is a dream... but if you wanted to make ArcMap fancy, think about this:   What if when the tool is active, the software was intelligent enough to place an (optional) Transparent HALO around each feature that can participate in current transfer... the source and target having different halo colors.)   Reason this would be a good addition: It takes time to set up these transfer mappings.  That effort is LOST when a new transfer mapping situation comes up.   It is woefully inefficient to repeatedly need to set these mappings... to the point that its often easier to copy and paste the attributes manually - which seems silly, when there is already a tool RIGHT THERE on my toolbar that can (almost) do exactly what I need.  (Seriously, its painful how close this tool is to what  I need, hampered only by the lack of saving/recalling settings.) ... View more

Thank you both for the replies... that was what I was kind of afraid of. To me, it seems like a fundamental oversight not to surface things like SELECTED FEATURES or VISIBLE FEATURES, as objects to manipulate; I mean come on... I've done half the work for Arcmap by selecting the stupid feature!! In the end, it unfortunately may be easier  to create a keyboard macro using AutoHotkey to call up the Attribute window, down arrow 3 times, and enter the text into the field....  It would be much more elegant  to say: "for [selected features] calc status = 'Deleted' "    {I know that's not even close to valid code... but the English equivalent } ... View more

Joe, Yes, I guess its an add-in I'm trying to create. Thanks for the link to the CalculateField… that's probably the command I need to work with.   Maybe part of the problem is I don't want to define a SINGLE in-table or feature layer, as it could be any of the dozen layers that I want to update the field value on.... and it seems wasteful to iterate through every possible feature layer when I've already selected a feature I want to operate on. . A little more detail on use case: Currently the database has the status field of all features set to "Existing". As we review roads/buildings/driveways over imagery, we may find features that have been modified, removed, or are new.  For each item we come across  (regardless of the layer it is in) we want to select that feature then (with a single keypress) be able to set the status field to either "Modified"  "Deleted"  or "New". . Honestly, if there were a reliable way (using only keyboard commands in arcmap) to pull up the attribute table and type the new value, I'd just record a keystroke macro and be done...  I was hoping that if only a single feature was already selected there would be a way to quickly reference it through python and then calc a particular field to a defined value... I just haven't come across any so far. Thanks for your input, and I'll definitely be looking into the CalculateField_management when I have more time to put towards this.  ... View more

No, we don't have Spatial Analyst.... not exactly sure how that tool works... but my use case is actually a bit more involved than classifying over imagery... it was just the most easily understandable without getting too verbose. I considered a fishnet as well, but I'd really like something to move around as needed... .and huge fishnet of 2 acre polygons is SLOW for the size area I need. Currently I've got a clunky work around... but it works better than I'd expected: Using a 3rd party macro creator, I created a macro that simulates me drawing a box on the screen (click-drag-release.) I assigned that macro to a keyboard combo using AutoHotkey. I use a Logitech G13 game pad which also allows me to record keystrokes... so I recorded one that performs a right-click and walks through the modification of the graphic rectangle to be roughly dimensions of a 2 acre square. (92m x 92m... a little big, but ok for my uses... its a template after all. ArcMap doesn't let me define a keyboard shortcut to ACTIVATE the draw rectangle tool, otherwise it could be completely automated... currently I must: Activate the Draw rectangle tool (if I don't do this I risk accidentally changing some other settings...) Move mouse to middle of screen Hit a button on my G13 which Calls my AutoHotkey macro to draw a polygon for me Activates Right-click menu on the object (since my mouse is still over it) and goes to its properties. Walks through all the keypresses to change the size of the graphic element and hit ok. BOOM!  Semi-instant 2 acre template at my current map location which I can drag around as a rough size comparison. Why ArcMap never included ability to record these types of macros has always frustrated me... it could have saved hours upon hours of repetitive tasks over the years and been more accessible to everyday users than python scripting. ... View more

Thanks for the tip Kory, Unfortunately, we must continue using ArcGis Desktop (not ArcGis Pro) as we require tools/extensions/other software that are not compatible. But your idea, did get me to think about another workaround… and maybe you could expand on that with your knowledge. I created a couple drawing shapes (one square, one circular) which are roughly 2 acres in area. Currently I drag the square one around with me as I pan through my raster (I’m looking for ponds/lakes that exceed two acres…. I’m using the shapes as a rough estimate of size ) If there was a way I could avoid having to drag them around and instead drop one of those shapes on demand at my current location as a size comparison,that could be useful. ... View more