Enhancements coming at ArcGIS Desktop 9.3

We were reminded this monring by Jack Dangermond that this year we've seen 25^th anniversary of ArcInfo – machines were 1 million times more expensive – Jack laughs as he notes he sold some of you those computers to you!! From Dangermond... "ArcGIS is our main focus and how we support you." ArcGIS... Author on the desktop... put it on a server… use it on a free client.

To put things in context we heard some history - Recall ArcGIS 9.2 (100 person yrs of development) shipped late last year… many people are still just getting up and runninng (is that you?. ArcGIS 9.3 is being worked on currently and improves the fundamental quality, and has infills of things people asked for. This update is to be incrementally released in service patches, major release next year (early in the year?)

Additions and enhancements in the ArcGIS Desktop

- Updates and improvements to the ArcGIS extensions

Functionality enhancements to desktop tools:

- better algorithms to conduct and improve geographic science

- Rich error messaging

- Huge improvements in mapping and labeling (polygon label choices, labels along graticules, better contour labeling

- WYSIWYG graphic editing, better street numbering placement, support for stacked vertical Asian letters

- Loads of geological labeling

- Support for multiple view windows (clap)

- Textures for buildings (collada), faster import of web services, tracking in 3D

- Schematic diagramming – take mapped data and auto make a diagram from it

- New diagram types (ie. Electrical)
Stay tuned for more on ArcGIS at 9.3 - a reminder that photos fromm today's session can be found on our GISuser flickr