Latest Contributions by DavidWatkins

By default, when you apply compression using a �??codec�??, the resulting video is going to be pixelated or not that sharp. The lesser the compression, the larger the AVI or sequential image size on disk. For exporting to AVI�??s you could choose not to apply any compression by choosing the �??Fully Uncompressed�?? codec from the Compression Settings dialog. Also, if you have other 3rd party codecs from other video/animation processing software, you can try those as well. For sequential image export, you can try BMP instead of JPEG. Here is a help topic about some tips on exporting videos: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//000900000062000000.htm Hope this helps, David ... View more

Hi Jinfeng, Have you looked into arcpy.mapping, the Python scripting module that allows you to update layers and automate PDF export?  I suggest you start with this: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00s300000032000000 and this blog post has links to a variety of great resources and samples: http://blogs.esri.com/dev/blogs/arcgisdesktop/archive/2010/09/24/getting-started-with-python-map-automation.aspx David ... View more

The Calculate Grid Convergence Angle tool calculates the angle for true north from the center of each polygon. If you use the Strip Map Index tool in the Data Driven Pages toolset to create your index features the angle will be populated automatically. If you already have an index feature layer you can use one of the COGO Report tools on the COGO toolbar to measure the angles. I believe the Angle Between Two Lines, or the Distance and Direction tool will give you the angle you need. ... View more

We are aware of this problem. Fonts with automatic ligatures, such as Calibri, Palatino, Linotype, Adobe Jensen Pro, and Myriad Pro, can fail to export certain character sequences to PDF, EPS, SVG, and AI (Illustrator) formats. Some of the failed sequences include 'ff', 'fl', 'fi', and 'Th'. The characters may fail to appear in the export file, and text following the character sequence may appear garbled. This problem occurs on Windows XP when regional settings are set for non-English text input, and occurs on all versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.   The nimbus tracking number for this is NIM012587.  We have narrowed this to a Microsoft bug and we are actively working on a solution. I will post an update when a fix is available. ... View more

Hi Rhiawna, Why don't you set up a label class with a SQL Query instead of doing this in a label expression? The SQL Query would be pretty simple: "AS_COMMENT" NOT LIKE '%PIER%' AND "AS_COMMENT" NOT LIKE '%CIP%' David ... View more

Hi Dan, The Python methods I was describing are only available at 10 or later. You would need to write something using ArcObjects at 9.3.  David ... View more

Hi Dan, You could write a Python script that would return the extent of the data frame, do the math to find the center, and then update a text element in the page layout with the coordinates. Start with the help topic on the DataFrame properties available through Python found here:   http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/DataFrame/00s300000003000000/ Then you can find an example of updating a text element with Python here: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/TextElement/00s30000000m000000/ If you are new to Python, a good place to start is with the following Blog Post: http://blogs.esri.com/dev/blogs/arcgisdesktop/archive/2010/09/24/getting-started-with-python-map-automation.aspx Hope this helps, David ... View more

I agree Ted, this would be a good enhancement. We are looking into some possible solutions.  I'll keep you posted on any progress. Thanks, David ... View more

Hi Ted, Formatting text (like adding dashes between numbers) is not something that dynamic text supports. To do this you would need to populate an attribute field with the correct format in advance. I'm looking into your selection issues. Thanks, David ... View more

If you make a layer file using your original layer, then you can apply the represenation rules from that layer to your new layer using the Add Represenation geoprocessing tool. Here is a link to the help topic: http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00700000001v000000.htm ... View more

Hi Karyn, Do you have access to the Production Mapping extension? There is a dynamic table called the Graphic Table Element that is part of this extension that works well in conjunction with data driven pages.  It makes it possible to include a table on your map layout that updates based on the content of the current page extent. David ... View more

Images dropping out on export is usually related to your default printer page size. See the following knowledge base article for some suggestions: http://resources.arcgis.com/content/kbase?fa=articleShow&d=30753 ... View more

This was not fixed in 10.0 SP1 and will not be fixed in SP2 either. ... View more

We have been able to reproduce this issue and have logged it as a bug. I�??ll reply back to the forum when a fix is available. Thanks, David ... View more

Hi Aaron, You can use the dynamic text tags within a piece of paragraph text (from the Draw toolbar, insert Polygon, Rectangle, or Circle text).  The text will automatically wrap and give you carriage returns within the extent of the polygon you define. David ... View more