Sometimes it seems like I could write the data down by long hand faster than ArcMap can copy & paste features from one feature class to another. geeeeezzz. 44.852994-93.55073

Maybe I am just dense, but skimming ArcIdeas, I found out that the transparency for an icon is determined by the upper-left pixel. Don’t know if this is an ESRI convention or not but thought I would pass it one.

I have been working on updating some data that was published using Arc/Info Workstation Export (.e00) files, converting them to shapefiles, or in the case of annotation, to a geodatabase feature class. While converting some INFO tables, I have received this error: It turns out that Workstation can create export files that contain values that did not fit within their field–I’m guessing that somehow you are actually able to enter invalid values into those fields but I did not confirm that.

The Michigan Office of Geological Survey appears to have pdf versions of all the documents in their Digital Geological Library available for download. The transcripts of some early (beginning in 1871) field notes are a fun inclusion in the available archives. Actual GIS data was a bit hard to find although I found both bedrock geology and quarternary geology available from the state Geographic Data Library in shapefile format. I also found oil and gas well data but did not download it.

Ok, maybe I have been hiding under a rock, but just saw this is a post from James Fee’s Spatially Adjusted blog. ESRI has a public suggestion box called ArcGIS Ideas where users can submit suggestions for ESRI. One thing I like is that it is open for other users to see and comment. Not sure how responsive ESRI will be but at least it gives us a place to vent.

Came across a new ArcMap bug today. A staff member was trying to join an Excel 2007 file (.xlsx) to a point shapefile in ArcMap and it did not appear to be working. She only had Office 2003 on her machine so I tried it on my spanking new machine that has 2007 installed. Same result–the fields get appended but they are all blank. I discovered, however, that when I had the table open, if I switched form showing ALL records to only the selected, Poof!