Using ArcCatalog

Working with maps and layers
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IN THIS CHAPTER
• Opening a map
• Adding data to maps
• Creating layers
• Setting a layer’s properties
With ArcMap, you can build, design, query, and analyze the data in your
maps. The role of ArcCatalog is to help you find maps and locate data that
you want to add to them. When you add data to a map, either by dragging
and dropping from the Catalog or by using the Add Data dialog box,
ArcMap creates a layer that references the source data. After refining a
layer’s labels and symbology, you can save it as a separate file so that you
can use it again in other maps or e-mail it to someone else along with the
data. You can also create layer files directly in ArcCatalog.
If you’re managing an ArcSDE geodatabase, you can create layers for
others to use and place them in a shared folder on the network. If different
departments use different data in their work, place customized layers in
separate folders. The rest of the organization can use those layers without
having to know which tables in the database contain what data or how their
attributes are related to your geographic features. With layers, people can
focus on what the data means rather than how to access it.
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