Customizing ArcGIS
Spring 2008
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Customization in ARCGIS
Two levels of Customization
• Customizing the Interface
– To create more efficient user interfaces
• For yourself (e.g. grouping frequently used tools)
• For specialized applications (e.g. simplified interface for data entry operators)
– To access capabilities not on the standard interface
• Supplied as part of ArcGIS but not on the standard interface (many!)
• Downloaded from the web
– From ESRI web site, supplied by ESRI or users
– From other web sites
• Developed by you
• Developing Additional Capabilities
– Automating repetitive tasks
– Creating new analytical procedures
Our focus here will be on customizing the interface. GIS 5317
Programming for GIS will focus on developing additional capabilities.
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Options for Developing Additional Capabilities
Current Generation—ESRI ARCGIS
• Modelbuilder
– Multi-step, sequential processing of ArcTools, using a visual development
environment which comes as part of ArcGIS
• Python, Jscript and VBScript
– standardized and relatively simple scripting languages for repetitive
processing, including loops and decision trees, using ArcTools
– Python scripts can be generated from Modelbuilder
• Visual Basic for Applications
– Permits writing of VB macros for sophisticated customization and
development within standard ArcGIS (ArcMap/ArcCatalog) interface (and
thus requires license for these)
– may incorporate ArcObjects, the COM compliant software objects out of
which ArcGIS is constructed.
• ArcGIS Engine
– Set of embeddable GIS components (ArcObjects software objects) for use
in building custom applications, independent of ArcGIS interface
– Runs under Windows, Unix and Linux, with support for Java, C++, COM
and .NET
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Options for Developing Additional Capabilities
Earlier Generations: ESRI
• MapObjects
– Microsoft COM compliant objects used to incorporate geographic
capability in standard IT applications, introduced around 1997
– Replaced by ArcEngine/ArcObjects
• Avenue
– The proprietary object oriented programming language used for ESRI’s
first GUI based product, ArcVIEW, introduced in 1993,
– Not compatible with ArcGIS 8 or 9
– Most Avenue-based applications have now been replaced with ArcGIS 8/9
equivalents
• AMLs: Arc Macro Language
– The scripting language associated with ESRI’s original ArcInfo product
introduced in 1981
– Can still be run within ArcGIS 9 via:
• ArcInfo Workstation interface
• Via a tool on a toolbar in Arc Map or ArcCatalog
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Options for Developing Additional Capabilities
Current Generation—non-ESRI
• Other major GIS software vendors have equivalents to
ArcEngine e.g. MapInfo MapX
• TatukGIS specializes in providing GIS software
component objects (and there are others)
– http://www.tatukgis.com/
• Google Map and Google Earth mashups, combining
your own data and applications with Google Map or
Google Earth using kml scripts (keyhole markup
language)
– http://magellan.utdallas.edu/biomap/
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Customization Dialog Box
• A graphic interface for
customization. To open
– Go to Tools>Customization
– Or, double click on empty
area in a toolbar
• Modify user interface
– Turn toolbars on and off
– Create new toolbars
– Create new controls
– Add, delete, and move
controls (buttons and menus)
– Manage shortcut keys
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Creating a new tool bar
• Organize related controls
• Name the toolbar
• Drag commands, controls, or
macros onto (off) the toolbar
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Creating a Menu
• New Menu and Menu Items
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Adding commands to context menus
• Add the context Menu toolbar
• Drag commands onto the context menu
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Shortcut Keys
• Keyboard button in the customize dialog
• Change the shortcut key for any command
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
UI Controls
• User Interface (UI)
Controls
– UIButtons, UItools,
UIEditBoxs, and
UIComboBoxes
• Control Properties
– Text or no text
– Image
– Caption
– Group
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Visual Basic Editor
• Tools> Macros> Visual Basic Editor
• View Source
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
ToolTips
• Help for your controls
• Set the Tooltip property
• Help message in the status bar (Message)
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Save Customizations
• ArcMap has three level of storage
– Normal Template (Normal.mxt):
Affect all documents
– Template (MyTemp.mxt): Affects
all documents using this template
– This Document (Myproject.mxd):
Affects this document only
• ArcCatalog only uses a normal
template
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Examples
• Code for Fixed Zoom-In
• What about Fixed Zoom-out
Dim pDoc As IMxDocument
Dim pEnv As IEnvelope
Set pDoc = ThisDocument
Set pEnv = pDoc.ActiveView.Extent
pEnv.Expand 0.5, 0.5, True
pDoc.ActivatedView.Extent = pEnv
pDoc.ActivatedView.Refresh
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
AMLs: Arc Macro Language
• The scripting language associated with ESRI’s original ArcInfo
product
• Essentially allows ArcInfo commands to be saved in a text file
and then executed in batch
• Based on the operating system for the Prime minicomputer of
the 1970s
• Conceptually similar to the old DOS .bat files
• Was the only way to be productive in ArcInfo version 7 and
earlier!
• Many AMLs still exist and need to be converted
• Still runs in Workstation ArcInfo
• ArcCatalog will generate and save AML scripts
• With the introduction of scripting capabilities in ArcGIS 9.0,
AMLs no longer useful
– Most AML capabilities can be re-created with python script.
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs
Running an AML in ArcGis Workstation
• Initiate an ArcGIS Workstation session
• If necessary, use the CREATWWORKSPACE command to create a workspace
– cw c:\usr\ini\custom
• Use the command WORKSPACE to move into the new workspace
– w c:\usr\ini\custom
• Use a standard text processor (e.g. Wordpad) to create/edit your AML and be sure it is saved as a text
file with the extension of .aml (place double quotes around name in save box e.g. ―newaml.aml‖)
– Use Explorer to copy p:\data\p6382\exercises\custom\utd_newtin.aml
– Use Wordpad to specify appropriate directory for CREATETIN command
• Establish the necessary environment for running an AML
– &TERM 9999 (directs AML output to your terminal)
– DISPLAY 9999 (directs any graphic output to terminal—not needed here)
– &ECHO &ON (sends debug info to terminal—turn off with &OFF)
• Run the AML with the &RUN command
– &RUN utd_newtin.aml
• After AML finishes, check that AML tasks completed successfully, e.g. use the DIRECTORY TIN
command to list TINs created
– DIR TIN
• For practice, run the AML: giscity.aml
– Issue the command END in the Arc window to close the graphic window.
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GISC 6382 Applied GIS UT-Dallas Briggs