Latest Contributions by JohnSobetzer

A possible workaround is to convert your labels to annotation and then exclude the annotation layer.  Other grabbing at straws suggestions include converting the layer to a different file format and seeing if it works or using the Page Definition Query. ... View more

In my testing of DDP I ran into this with coverage annotation.  The support response was to confirm this behavior with a workaround to convert this annotation to geodatabase. (This worked for the clipping but since there is a bug in converting the leader lines which isn't being fixed it isn't a real fix for me.)  What I got out of this includes: 1) test your data in a new project and it if repeats contact tech support and let them test your data, if they can repeat it it gets a bug and might be fixed and if they can't they might suggest a workaround, 2) if the Clip to shape using the index feature doesn't work you might try the Page Definition Query, 3) if 2 doesn't work with your layer you might be able to create a masking layer and see if that can be clipped or defined to work as you like, and 4) see if your layer works the same in a different file format. ... View more

I see what you mean.  My experience with the batch method is that it often is much clumsier than I would like.  In many cases you can select a group and drag them into the input column and they will each get their own record.  But instead of having the output automatically fill in the output with the same name of the input (or a variation thereon), one either has to use the fill method on the first entry and then go back and manually change each succeeding, or one has to copy and paste from input to output.  What a waste.  In this case I couldn't even find a way to fill the inputs by a simple drag.  The best I could do was hit the + button repeatedly, and then drag input coverages into their own row one by one.  Very clumsy. If you have access to Arcview 3x the XTools extension allows you to select multiple coverages and import them to shapefile.  That is an efficient batch.  Perhaps XTools Pro for ArcGIS has the same tool, and have it free, for you to use. ... View more

You can right click on any tool and select batch to do multiple features at the same time.  Having said that the coverage to shapefile conversion is perhaps best done in ArcCatalog by selecting your coverages, right clicking on them, and choosing Feature Class to Shapefile (multiple). ... View more

If you can find a copy of GeoTiff Examiner I would use it.  If you cannot, you might try the TatukGIS viewer or Microdem.  I haven't used either of these two.  Another possibility is to download and use listgeo and geotifcp. ... View more

Our mg2 sid files which were common in 2000 work just fine in 10.    As a workaround, if your problem sid files contain their world file information in the header, and you have a world file, you might get rid of the latter and see if that works.  Alternately if there is no world file you might create one and see if that works.  I know this seems crazy, normally the only issue is which does the software read first. But we just had a case where jp2 files with header and world files with the same world information, displayed properly in 10 and not in 9.3x and other software, and the solution for that was just getting rid of the world file.  The problem was tracked down by our vendor to the particular build of GeoExpress they had used, and GeoExpress is also the creator of sid files.  The odd thing was I could use my version of GeoExpress Tools to convert these jp2s to sids, but then I had to use the world file during the encode to get sids that would work in ArcMap, otherwise they failed. ... View more

Does the following get you at least part way allowing you to have a linked dataframe that works like a locator? http://forums.esri.com/thread.asp?t=90856&f=993&c=93 ... View more

I don't think you can do either without writing or finding a script that do so if your map connection is active (see Legend Properties - Items - Map Connection) which is the default. You could turn off the legend's map connection checks and thus set up a fairly static legend that stays unchanged. Or you could create simple layers that are used to create the legends but don't display on the map within the layout and hence don't change. ... View more

It is a longstanding problem.  The most commonly proposed solution if you are using the same scale in all your maps is to convert your scalebar to a graphic.  If your scale changes you might find some code to help.  Search the old ESRI arcgis desktop discussion forums on mapbook scalebar and check out some of the threads. ... View more

I don't have an automated script, but as a workaround you could open each project, group all the TOC layers and save it to a single layer file for import with the others into one project.  Or you could just copy and paste the group one project by one into the new combined project. ... View more

Since I still run 9.3.1 on my main GIS computer for compatibility reasons and testing, I didn't pay much attention to the fact that the DDP does center pages differently than mapbook.  But seeing your post I tested it directly and there are differences, and the result is not good.  Whereas I had towns that were centered I now find parts of them "shifted" with parts off the page.  I wonder if the DDP is using a centroid instead of an extent?  In any case it is one more reason to hold off upgrading my main computer to 10 until I can figure out how to work around this.  Did you report it to ESRI? ... View more

If you insert some dynamic text like the data driven page name then double click on the box you get something like this: <dyn type="page" property="name"/>.  Replace name with the field name you want.  This only works if you have set the project up for Data Driven Pages.  Just opening up an pre-existing mapbook project won't work but it is easy to do since your project is set and you have your index file.  Just make the DDP toolbar available and click the setup button and go. ... View more

The ESRI data DVD has a states layer.  Copy it and in the new one select Alaska and Hawaii and move them to wherever you want in an edit session.  Then make your map. Alternately add additional data frames for Alaska and Hawaii in your preferred location in Layout along with the larger data frame of the continental US, and then zoom in on those states in their respective data frames.  Remove their Data Frame boundaries and otherwise change how they display. ... View more

I don't think in the basic install you can just press a button and have the points move.  You might export your dbf to a new one, add it back in and use the Add XY Data. You might, depending on your work flow, add a temporary point using the Sketch tool - right click - Absolute XY, and then move your target point to it using snap, or if it is a new point attribute it after adding it,  and then when you are done delete the unattributed points and run the Add XY Coordinates tool to update the table. ... View more