shrug-l: ArcGIS 10.3 - What's new

Tripp Corbin tcorbin at egisassociates.com
Fri Dec 5 10:40:27 EST 2014


Good morning everyone,

Esri will be releasing ArcGIS 10.3 very soon if you don't already have
access to it. So what will the latest release from Esri bring to the table?
Is it worth the effort to upgrade to this new version? Honestly only you can
make that choice based on your own needs and how you use ArcGIS. To make
that decision you need to know what the new version will offer. So let's
take a quick look. 

 

New Application - ArcGIS Pro

One of the biggest features of the ArcGIS 10.3 release is the new desktop
application, ArcGIS Pro. This is a brand new application that provides one
stop shop for GIS analysis, sharing, editing and more. I have had an
opportunity to work with the beta versions of this application. ArcGIS Pro
reminds me a lot of the old ArcView GIS but with a new modern interface.
With ArcGIS Pro you work in projects (much like the old ArcView APRs). These
projects can contain a host of different things that in the traditional
ArcGIS for Desktop required multiple files. Within a single ArcGIS Pro
project you can store multiple layouts, globes, scenes and more. So
basically you can store everything you need for a single project in one file
instead of having to manage a host of different Map Documents (MXDs) and
other files for ArcScene, ArcGlobe or CityEngine. 

 

ArcGIS Pro uses the same license levels as ArcGIS for Desktop, Basic,
Standard, and Advanced. Right now you will get a license for ArcGIS Pro with
your existing ArcGIS for Desktop License if you are current with your Esri
maintenance. The ArcGIS Pro license level will match your ArcGIS for Desktop
License. The big difference here will be how you manage your licenses. With
ArcGIS Pro, you will manage your licenses through ArcGIS Online. Those that
are administrators for your ArcGIS Online Organizational account will be
able to assign ArcGIS Pro licenses to ArcGIS Online Named users in their
organization. These named users can be different from the ones using
Traditional ArcGIS for Desktop (ArcMap and ArcCatalog). 

 

One of the things I am most excited about with ArcGIS Pro is the fact it is
a true 64 bit multithreaded application. This means it will be able to take
advantage of all the horse power found in newer computers. This should
really open up what we can do with the software and speed basic operations a
good bit. 

 

The one down side to the ArcGIS Pro app is it seems to be prone to crashing.
At least the Beta versions did even using Esri's own tutorial data and
exercises. I have not had a chance to put the release candidate version
through its paces so it is possible Esri has stabilized the app. 

 

ArcGIS for Desktop - New functionality and improvements

It looks like Esri was really focusing on the new ArcGIS Pro app for Desktop
users as ArcGIS for Desktop does not seem to have changed much with 10.3.
That is not to say they have not made some good improvements. 

 

Data management:

For those that have to manage SDE databases, Esri has added several tools
which will replace command line utilities. This will make them easier to
access and to include into python scripts. Some of these new tools include:

 

*         Configure Geodatabase Logfile Tables

*         Create Raster Type

*         Delete Schema Geodatabase

*         Diagnose Version Tables

*         Repair Version Tables

 

There are a few more they added but I thought these were some of the key
ones.  Another interesting and useful function they have added it the
ability to create a licensed or timed version of a file geodatabase. This
allows you to share a file geodatabase with others that has a time limit on
its usability. At the end of the time limit the geodatabase becomes
unusable. 

 

Esri has added some improvements to the Maplex Label Engine. The key
numbering strategy has been improved when used with street placement so they
stay closer to the roads they reference and the order makes more sense. For
contours, they have made labeling more consistent when aligned with the
contour. Labels with callouts or leaders now take Halos into account as
well.

 

Raster support:

Esri has focused a lot on improved raster support for 10.3. They have added
12 new raster functions to 10.3. Some of these include: 

*         Curvature Function

*         Elevation Void Fill Function

*         Python Raster Function - converts python syntax to raster
functions

*         Statistics and Histogram Function

*         Unit Conversion Function

They have also improved the rendering of multidimensional data using the
vector field render. This allows you to render using a single value as a
scaler or multiple values. These can then be stored as a raster mosaic
dataset for future use. They have also added support for three new file
types including GRIB, HCF, and netCDF. 

 

Those are just a few of the key updates I noticed in ArcGIS 10.3. If you
want to find out more you can go to -
http://pro.arcgis.com/en/documentation/whats-new/whats_new_in_arcgis.pdf

 

 

Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP | Chief Executive Officer
 <http://www.egisassociates.com/> eGIS Associates, Inc.

 <mailto:tcorbin at egisassociates.com> tcorbin at egisassociates.com |
www.egisassociates.com 

678-710-9710 ext 21 | 866-304-3864 Fax

Esri Certified Trainer | Esri Certified Desktop Associate | Esri Certified
Enterprise System Design Associate

 

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