ESRI ArcGIS 9.2 - Tips and Tricks (Updated)

updated 16/11/2007
So ArcGIS 9.2 and with Service Pack 4 installed.
and still going slow?

Here is Mapperz ArcGIS Tips and Tricks to get you more productive without the caffeine.

Okay Please note not supported by Mapperz but these methods 'help' ArcGIS run faster and give extra memory allocation.

You will have to log on your system as an administrator to make these tweaks

Before ArcGIS the Operating System should be tuned for ArcGIS.

Based on Windows XP Pro Starting Point

Make XP Run for ARCGIS better

RAM, Virtual Memory, Pagefile and all that stuff
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555223

How to set performance options in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308417/

Edit the Boot.ini My Computer>Properties>Advanced>Start Up and Recovery>Edit (Boot.ini)

/MAXRAM

If using an AMD Processor switch off 'Data Execution Protection'
* A common problem this is left on and some ArcGIS code is detected as 'bad' code therefore arcgis install will roll back
and unistall.

NOEXECUTE=ALWAYSOFF


http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/
information/bootini.mspx

How to configure SQL Server to use more than 2 GB of physical memory
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274750
SQL Server 2GB

Increases the size of the user process address space from 2 GB to 3 GB
(and therefore reduces the size of system space from 2 GB to 1 GB).
Giving virtual-memory
intensive applications such as database servers a larger address space can improve their performance

/3GB

so boot.ini looks like this

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=AlwaysOff /MAXMEM /3GB /fastdetect

Now install ArcGIS 9.2 with the service pack 4
(you can make these changes after you have installed ArcGIS)

Got Floating licenses?
If so and you want to share Arc/Info licenses but allow the user to use ArcGIS you can add ArcView single license to the Desktop Administrator.

It is very simple to do this. Just add the ArcView DVD to the DVD and got to install it. It will detect that ArcInfo is already installed and adds a component into desktop administrator.




ArcGIS Improvements

C:\arcgis\Utilities\AdvancedArcMapSettings.exe
Change
Jet Engine to 120000 from the default 9600
This allows more records to be written from memory to shapefile/geodatabase


Printing Large Plots? (over 40 inches)
http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=knowledgebase.
techarticles.articleShow&d=30516

Resizing from 42 inches to 60 inches
arcview\arcpress\etc directory
arcexe9x\etc\device1.dat file
To make the RTL drivers print wider than 36":
in the four lines beginning with 'RTL', change '10350' to '12150' to print 42" wide
'14550' to print 50" wide
and '17550' to print 60" wide

Finally got a PC with or over 2GB of RAM?
make the page file size bigger

Using RegEdit (Only do this if you know what it is)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\
SessionManager\MemoryManagement

c:\pagefile1\pagefile.sys 3000 4000
c:\pagefile2\pagefile.sys 3000 4000
c:\pagefile3\Pagefile.sys 3000 4000

Source:
Overcoming the 4,095 MB paging file size limit in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/237740


and a last tip is those pesky *.aux files that ArcGIS creates for raster display - delete them by a dos batch file and apply it to your start up (aux_delete.bat)

ECHO OFF
ECHO .
ECHO .
ECHO .
ECHO ***************************************
ECHO * *
ECHO * DELETING TEMPORARY AUX FILES... *
ECHO * *
ECHO ***************************************
ECHO .
ECHO .
ECHO ON
cd c:\data
cd d:\data
del *.aux /s
exit

*change c:\data & cd d:\data to your own raster locations

that should make ArcGIS go a little faster.

This post is a result of user experience and Microsoft Pages and ESRI Support.
Use at your own risk.

Use the ESRI Web Based Help - this is more up-to-date than the Installed version.

More N95 Free Applications - including more GPS & Maps

More N95 Free Applications - including more GPS & Maps Apps

(a few tips and tricks at the bottom)


Yes all the above Apps here are on Mapperz N95 and are Free to Download and use.

In Summary from top left

1. Google Maps
2. MGmaps
3. Google Mail
4. Sports Tracker (Nokia)
   
5. F-Secure
6. J2MeMaps
7. TruWiz (Voice over IP)
8. NSysInfo
9. S-Tris-2 (Tetris)
10. scanR (OCR)
11. Screenshot
12. Live Messenger

Smart2Go - Maploader (Nokia)
Okay, here is a few free applications some mapping and some not. For the N95's out there.
Standard Mapping Application with the N95 - Map Data is Vector and downloaded to Memory Card (MicroSD 2GB card - from Moby Memory) via the Smart2Go Maploader Software.


London in 3D with all Points of Interest (POI's) on. Joystick rotates on the blue square.


Google Maps on N95 - easy to Install and use.




Mobile Gmaps - as above but includes, Microsoft, Yahoo and Ask Maps as optional maps



Sports Tracker in GPS mode, shows distance, time, speed and location, exports to google earth kml



Would work better with the preloaded maps, though GPS fix is fast and plenty of real-time data been fed back to the user. Tip get a GPS fix before you start your workout. Standing still also helps GPS locate you faster



So you can't have Internet Calling (Voice Over IP) on Orange (UK)?
Well Mapperz can

The little phone and world icon is Internet Calling Active any Outgoing Calls are using the T'internet connection and if move out of Wifi Range it flips over to Orange (UK) GPRS EGPRS
works like a normal call. Also picks up other Wifi unsecure networks and uses them. So in theory free calls forever?
Fring are to be next with an N95 Voice OverIP
Truphone does work with a free £2/$2 start up.



To Unlock your phone http://www.blueghost.co.uk/unlock_guide/unlock.html
for a guide. Use at your own risk.

Top Tips for N95 Users -
Reset your N95 to Factory Settings before use - for faster GPS Fixes.
Switch off Applications, Bluetooth, Infrared, Wifi re-scan etc to improve battery life in GPS mode.
Format your new MicroSD Card on the phone first before connecting to a PC via USB.
Load the Map Application before you load any map data to the device, this puts important files and folders on your memory card, and makes loading the map data faster when in use.

And one careful tip, this device is very loud when used in media/video/game mode - even 50% is very loud, careful when use switch to earphones - you will hurt your ears.

Get a car charger if being navigated over 2 hours by this device.

Spare batteries for the N95 are in high demand... grab one if you can!

Keep and eye on http://www.nokia.com/betalabs

mapperz