Dynamic plotting of GPS location from a table

[IndranilMondal]

Hi All,

I am faced with a peculiar problem. I am trying to plot GPS locations of camera trap locations used for wildlife population surveys. The problem is that the locations have been provided in a very messy way:

19 56 103    79 31.969
19 55 14.4    79 20 44.5
19.48.785    7930.767
19.47.686    79.30.58
19·39,73.1    79·29,93
19 43.1        79 24.47

I am finding it extremely difficult to understand the format (asking the person who has provided it is a not an option). If suppose I want to try a permutation or combination to break these numbers into deg-min-sec and then plot them (since i know the poly inside which each of them should fall), every time I will need to import the csv file into ArcGIS. I was thinking (just a wild thought), if there is some technique of dynamic plotting: where ArcGIS is plotting xy of a group of GPS locations from a table, and the location of point shifts if I edit the value of xy, without having to import a table with updated xy every time.

Hope I was able to explain myself.

Regards,

Indranil.

[JoeBorgione]

Your data looks to be in degrees and decimal minutes. Personally I prefer decimal degrees and with some basic math you can make the conversion.  I find decimal degrees much easier to deal with.

Take a look at Make XY Event Layer—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop or Make XY Event Layer—Data Management toolbox | ArcGIS Desktop  and you should be good to go.

[IndranilMondal]

Hi Joe. thanks for the reply. I would have loved yo have this data of mine in degrees and decimal minutes, or any format for that matter, as long it was consistent. You see, the decimal places are all over the place.

My question here was more about having a dynamic plotting of point from a table: if I change the value of lat or long in the table the location of the point on the map should change simultaneously.

Best,

Indranil

[JoeBorgione]

Looking closer at your data I see what you mean.  IMHO that data is pretty much worthless.  Even if it were consistent,  I'm not sure you could alter it and have it dynamically reflect the change on a map. Not at least without a refresh of the view...