What's New in ArcPad 7.0

Enhancements to ArcPad

ArcPad 7.0 includes a number of improvements and enhancements. Below is a summary of these enhancements:

Performance

Updated platform support

• Optimized for Windows Mobile 2003 and Windows CE 4.2
• Added support for Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows CE 5.0

Improved support for shapefile indexes

• Read-only support for attribute indexes
• Option to create spatial index

New graphics engine for faster symbology rendering

Faster image rendering via new JPEG2000, TIFF, and MrSID MG3 support
Faster image rendering via updated MrSID libraries, which includes support for MG2 and MG3

Greeking

• Simplified rendering of features that occupy fewer pixels than specified in the greeking thresholds
• Specify greeking options on Display Quality page of ArcPad Options
• Greeking thresholds specified in ArcPadPrefs.xml
• Enable/Disable greeking for
• Point greeking
• Polyline greeking
• Polygon greeking
• Multi Point greeking

Usability

Startup screen

• Option to disable/enable

Table of Contents

• Legend of all layers in the map
• Layers page shows filename and location for each layer
• Tool to add layers to map from the Layers page

Improved symbology

More labeling options

More intuitive arrangement of editing tools

Toolbar dropdown menu for selecting layers active for editing

Easier connection to GPS

Support for large toolbar buttons

Easier map navigation tools

• A single click or tap when the Pan, Zoom In, or Zoom Out tools are active will center the map on the clicked location

Editing

Offsets

• Left/right offsets for polyline and polygons
• Single point offset for points and vertex
• Distance – bearing (inclination)
• 2 point offsets for points and vertex
• Distance – distance (inclination)
• Bearing – bearing (inclination)
• Input for single point offset and 2 point offset
• Slope distance, horizontal distance, vertical distance
• Reference point(s) from GPS, pen, or snapping to existing feature
• Foresight or backsight
• Magnetic or True north Magnetic declination read from GPS (if available)
• Observer height
• Target height
• Linear traverse for polylines and polygons
• Radial traverse for polylines and polygons

Repeated attributes for point, line and polygon features

Segmented line features

Snapping

• Snap to vertex, edge, or end
• Multiple snapping layers
• Snapping layers specified in Snapping page of TOC
• Snap tolerance specified in Snapping page of Map Properties
• Shortcut key
• On PC: Ctrl key
• On Windows Mobile/CE: Center button
• Displays snapping buffers
• Forced all pen actions to be snapped (e.g. Identify, Measure, Advanced Select)

Undo

• Can undo or cancel the previous Vertex Insert, Vertex Move, or Vertex Delete
• Can undo or cancel the previous Vertex Append
• Can cancel a feature Move, Size, Scale, or Rotate
• (Undo of attribute edits or deleting features is not supported)

Graphics layer for field sketches and notes

• Uses standard editing tools
• Additional text editing tools
• ArcGIS Desktop tool for exporting and importing graphics layers from ArcGIS to/from ArcPad

Improved arrangement of editing tools for easier access and use

• Start/Stop Editing tool on Browser toolbar for selecting layers active for editing
• All tools are accessible via toolbars and toolbar dropdown menus, including following tools which were previously available for context menus
• Insert vertices
• Append vertices
• Move feature
• Rotate feature
• Scale feature
• Resize feature

Command Bar added at bottom of map for easier access to tools for managing edits

• Lock which disables the ArcPad application from pen or mouse input
• Save Geometry for saving the geometry changes to an existing feature
• Proceed to Attribute Capture to end the geometry capture of a new feature and proceed to capturing the feature's attributes
• Undo for undoing the last edit made to a feature
• Pen Toggle for enabling or disabling the use of the pen for capturing new features
• Cancel for canceling edits to an existing feature's geometry

Rangefinder support

Provide input data (distance, bearing, inclination) for offsets

Supported rangefinders

• Laser Atlanta Advantage
• LaserCraft Contour
• Laser Technology Impulse (Criterion 400 format)
• MDL LaserAce
• Leica DISTO
• Leica Laser Locator

Specify button for rangefinder “trigger”

View raw data in GPS & Rangefinder Debug Window

Developers can build custom rangefinder extensions

GPS Support

Simplified GPS communication parameters

Find GPS tool

• Searches for connected GPS receiver
• Detects and sets communication parameters

GPS Height

• Antenna height
• Use Map units for height units
• Geoid separation
• Height units

GPS capture controls

• Distance interval for streaming GPS data capture

Ability to customize the GPS cursor, via the ArcPad configuration file (ArcPad.apx)

Option to disable the GPS auto pan

Updated the fix quality displayed in the GPS Position Window to be based on NMEA v3.0 $GPGGA

When using the TSIP protocol, ArcPad requests the height relative to HAE, and not to MSL

Symbology

Map legend in Table of Contents

Symbol editors for marker, line, polygon, and text symbols

• Can change symbol by choosing symbol from style sheet
• Can define basic symbology (color, size, simple fill)
• ESRI Default style sheets included with ArcPad (ESRI.aps)
• ArcGIS Desktop tools provided to export ESRI Style sheets for use in ArcPad

Complex line symbols (polylines and polygon boundaries)

• Composite line symbols
• Hash
• Marker
• Pattern strings
• End arrows
• Offsets

Complex polygon fills

• Marker
• Line
• Gradient
• Raster fill

Complex marker symbols

• Composite marker symbols
• Scalable marker symbols
• Rotatable marker symbols

Multiple reference scales for symbols (in order of precedence)

• Individual symbol level (set in Scale page of Symbol Properties)
• Individual layer level (set in Scale page of Layer Properties)
• Map view level (set in Scale page of Map Properties)

Transparency

• Can specify transparent color for layer
• Can % transparency from 0% (Opaque) to 100% (Transparent)

Labeling

Placement options for point labels

• 9 point positions
• Label angle
• Attribute based angle (for point layers only)

Placement options for line labels

• Horizontal position
• End
• Middle
• Start
• Vertical position
• Above
• On
• Baseline
• Below

Label expressions

• Using VBScript or Jscript
• Allows for stacked labels

Label angle

• Fixed angle
• Attribute based angle (for point layers only)

''Smart'' labels

• Labels which do not fit line or polygon feature are not displayed
• Labels rendered after all the features for the layer have been rendered

Camera Support

Picture page on Feature Properties dialog box

• Includes tools to rotate the image clockwise or counter-clockwise

Photos can be taken via two methods

• Standalone photos which are not associated with a feature, using the Camera tool on the Tools dropdown list
• Photos associated with a feature, using the Camera tool on the Picture page of the Feature Properties dialog box

Camera preferences

• Prefix for photo filenames
• Date/time suffix for photo filenames
• Image quality
• Default path for standalone photos
• Image quality control

Support for EXIF header information for JPEG images

• EXIF fields populated when supported by camera driver
• Date/time fields populated by ArcPad
• GPS coordinates populated by ArcPad

Support for Photo Layer (*.aph)

• Display georeferenced photos within specified folder as “point” features

Supported cameras on Windows Mobile

• HP iPAQ rx37xx, h63xx integrated cameras
• Integrated cameras on Windows Mobile 5 devices

On PC, support via standard camera API

• Typically cameras which support both webcam and still photo modes

Developers can build camera extensions

Query

Improved Find tool

• Search criteria and search results on separate pages
• Results page
• Can sort results by each column
• Each record in results shows symbol and results record number
• Location page
• Search for and navigate to specific coordinate using different coordinate systems
• Coordinate system of current map
• Latitude/longitude
• UTM Zone
• MGRS (Military Grid Reference System)

Map Interface

Map rotation

• Automatic with GPS
• Manual

North Arrow

Improved and simpler scale bar

Status bar

• Option to display coordinates in decimal degrees
• Number of decimals used to display coordinates increased

ArcPad Options separated into

• ArcPad Options
• GPS Preferences
• Rangefinder Preferences

Expanded Map Properties

Data Formats

Support for shapefile attribute indexes

Shapefiles are now automatically packed, if needed, when the layer is closed

Support for Graphics layer (*.apg)

• Field sketches and notes
• Import/export tools for ArcGIS

Support for Photo Layer (*.aph)

• Display georeferenced photos within specified folder as “point” features

Additional image formats

• JPEG2000
• TIFF (Including GeoTIFF, LZW)
• MrSID MG3
• GIF
• Coordinate system (.prj) and georeferencing (world file) information read from image header or AUX file, if present

ArcIMS Image Service support

• Support for non-standard ports. The standard port is 80, non-standard ports are specified in the URL for the ArcIMS service (e.g. for port 1234: http://arcimsservice:1234 )
• Support for ArcIMS Services using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), https
• Support for ArcIMS Services using username password. Username and password is specified in the ArcIMS page of the ArcPad Options.

Coordinate Systems

• Additional projections
• Hotine Oblique Mercator Azimuth Natural Origin
• State Plane Alaska Zone 1
• Michigan GeoRef projection
• Hotine Oblique Mercator Azimuth Center
• Switzerland
• Hungarian National Projection
• Krovak (S-JTSK)
• Malaysian RSO
• Cassini
• Additional datum transformations
• NADCON
• HARN
• S-JTK to WGS84 ( Czech Republic )
• D_Dealul_Piscului_1970 ( Romania )
• Molodenski-Badekas ( Netherlands )
• NAD83 (CSRS98) to WGS84, and other new datum transformations from ArcGIS 9.2
• Updated NAD83/NAD83 HARN to WGS84/ITRF00 transformations
• Parameters for Amersfoort to WGS84 datum transformation updated
• D_Palestine tranformation parameters
• Support for custom projection and datum transformation DLLs
• Additional projection files (.prj)
• NAD 1983 HARN StatePlane Kentucky FIPS 1600.prj files
• UTM WGS84 Zones 5 to 9, and 60

Customization

QuickForm tool

• Create simple custom input forms in ArcPad for new or existing shapefiles
• Specify

• Fields to be used in form
• Size of custom form
• Text font
• Background color of form
• Minimum and maximum values
• Required fields
• List values for pick lists
• Display of default pages (Picture, Symbology, Attributes, and Geography pages)

Run Script tool, which opens the Script dialog box for running scripts

Ability to customize the GPS cursor, via the ArcPad configuration file (ArcPad.apx)

Multiple paths can be specified for applets and extensions

Multiple VBS files can be referenced in .APX files

Added a command line argument to specify the ArcPad window's start up state

Enhancements to forms

• SIP attribute to suppress the Windows Mobile/Windows CE soft input panel (SIP)
• Min/max validation for EDIT controls
• Can now delete a feature with the EDIT FORM’s OnOK event
• The maximum number of controls that can be added to a page has been increased to 255

Expanded ArcPad Object Model

• New objects
• Rangefinder
• FTP
• Archive
• Multimedia
• Preferences
• Console
• New methods, events, and properties
• MsgBox method added to Application object
• Added FindNearest... methods to polyline/polygon objects
• Enhanced File object to support Unicode read/write
• Added OnIdentify event to Map object
• Added .Highlight method to the Layer object
• Added OnIdentify and Highlight
• Added .HasSpatialIndex and .HyperlinkField
• Added .Path and .FilePath properties to the Application object
• SnappingTolerance has been added to the Map object
• SnappingMode has been added to the Layer object
• Layer property has been added to ThisEvent object
• Added the .HasSpatialIndex property to the RecordSet object
• Added method to get/set Hyperlink field for a Layer

Support for JScript

Support for large toolbar buttons

Added support for reverse MGRS calculation

Expanded extensions API

• New interfaces
• Cameras
• Rangefinders
• Projections
• Datum transformations
• Added the APExNotify API for extensions
• Added extension interfaces for symbology to create symbols and draw with those symbols

ArcPad Tools for ArcGIS

New tools added to the ArcPad toolbar in ArcPad

• Export symbology for selected shapefiles into ArcPad Layer file (*.apl)
• Export ArcGIS Graphics Layer to ArcPad Graphics Layer (*.apg)
• Import ArcPad Graphics Layer to ArcGIS Graphics Layer
• Get Data for ArcPad 7 tool, which exports symbology supported by ArcPad

Rotation field for labeling points exported from ArcPad tools for ArcGIS 

New Styles tool

• Export ArcGIS styles to ArcPad style (*.aps)

Documentation

"Using ArcPad" book (updated)

“ArcPad Quick Reference” Card (updated)

"ArcPad Reference Guide" book (new, PDF only)

Sample Data

New sample data

• Redlands ( California , USA )
• Elmore ( Victoria , Australia )
• World

Platform Support

Supported versions of Windows

• Windows Mobile 2003
• Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition
• Windows Mobile 5.0
• Windows CE 4.2
• Windows CE 5.0
• Windows 2000
• Windows XP, including Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

Supported Windows Mobile and Windows CE CPU chips

• ARM-based CPU chips
• Intel (StrongARM, XScale)
• Samsung
• Texas Instruments (OMAP)
• Atmel

Issues addressed from previous releases

In addition to the enhancements listed above, ArcPad 7.0 also addresses a number of issues raised from the previous releases. Below is a summary of the issues which have been addressed, along with their corresponding reference number.

Installation

• "Program Manager Group" changed to "Program Group" in the install dialogs (Ref: CQ00277780)
• PDF files of the ArcPad documentation are now installed on the PC with ArcPad (Ref: CQ00278798)
• Sample data is now installed in the correct folders with a Windows Mobile 5 storage card (Ref: CQ00278610)
• ArcPad is now added to the program list when installing on Windows Mobile 5 devices (Ref: CQ00278595)
• The installer no longer shortens pathnames, avoiding problems on Windows 2000 (Ref: CQ00276652)
• The ArcPad application can now be installed on a storage card for Windows Mobile (Ref: CQ00142862)
• ArcPad installs to correct folders different when installing to non-default directory on mobile devices (Ref: CQ00197020)
• ProcessorType removed from application CAB files (Ref: CQ00239408)

General

• ArcPad no longer crashes when trying to set long (>80 character) status bar text (Ref: CQ00276575)
• Opening a map with ArcIMS layer on startup no longer crashes ArcPad if no internet connection available (Ref: CQ00236834)
• The add new shapefile dialog no longer allows users to create duplicate field names (Ref: CQ00277637)
• Status bar, north arrow and scale bar settings are now saved (Ref: CQ00278579)
• ArcPad no longer locks up when trying to open/save a map in My Documents on Windows 2000 (Ref: CQ00193827)
• The coordinates in the feature information dialog box are collapsed by default (Ref: CQ00278987)

Map Interface

• Zoom out now works if height of zoom box is less than width (Ref: CQ00277396)
• Opening map with ArcIMS layer on startup no longer crashes ArcPad if no internet connection available (Ref: CQ00236834)

Editing

• Freehand line/polygon no longer spikes off into infinity when at the edge of map extent (Ref: CQ00203647)

GPS Support

• The width of the GPS Datum combobox has been extended (Ref: CQ00277066, CQ00278359)
• Empty dialog box no longer displayed when connecting to a GPS for the first time (Ref: CQ00174389)
• The GPS cursor is refreshed correctly (Ref: CQ00146517)
• Averaging no longer continues after preset no iteration (Ref: CQ00278360)

Symbology

• Polygon fill colors are no longer mixed when polygons overlap on Windows Mobile (Ref: CQ00187390).
• Polygon labels are no longer hidden behind adjacent polygons (Ref: CQ00187323)
• Hatch symbology displays correctly (Ref: CQ00238850)

Query

• Identify dialog no longer hangs when zoomed in on shapefiles with large polygons (Ref: CQ00238585).

Data Formats

• Grayscale MrSID image now display correctly with 256 color screen (Ref: CQ00175021).
• MrSID image no longer shifted in ArcPad vs. ArcMap (Ref: CQ00178695).
• MrSID images now display correctly at 800x600 resolution (Ref: CQ00144244).
• MrSID image is now refreshed after dialog window is closed on Windows Mobile. (Ref: CQ00106335).
• No longer a problem opening MrSID image on Chinese storage card (Ref: CQ00251182).
• Adding a MrSID image stored in folder with accents no longer gives error (Ref: CQ00195580).
• PNG Files are no longer clipped and do not go black when zooming (Ref: CQ00234449).
• PNG image transparency for 8-bit images now works (Ref: CQ00230619).
• HTTP URLs are now resolved with ArcPad on Windows XP OS (Ref: CQ00251751).
• Geography Network button no longer fails on Windows XP (Ref: CQ00163088).
• New Shapefile no longer allows invalid field names (Ref: CQ00226631).
• Island polygons correctly rendered on Windows Mobile devices (Ref: CQ00166041).
• ArcPad now recognizes 'Longitude_Of_Origin' parameter in .PRJ (Ref: CQ00165816).
• The Add Internet Server dialog box sizes correctly (Ref: CQ00276753)
• Correct DATUM name written out in PRJ file when WGS84 datum used (Ref: CQ00226303)
• Scale_Factor parameter is now support for Lambert Conformal Conic projection (Ref: CQ00187920)
• 1 bit greyscale PNG images no longer appear as black (Ref: CQ00276970)
• ArcPad now recognizes projection of specific MrSID images, shift no longer occurs (Ref: CQ00279187)
• Can now read custom (non ESRI standard) projections from AUX file (Ref: CQ00277707)
• New Shapefile no longer allows invalid field names (Ref: CQ00226631)

Customization

• Multiline property for EDIT now provides automatic word-wrap (Ref: CQ00145518).
• Required="true" attribute now works for RADIOBUTTON (Ref: CQ00213432).
• (Toolbar.Visible = True) no longer always returns False (Ref: CQ00243984).
• GPS.Properties("UTC") now works with TSIP (Ref: CQ00163577).
• Layer.FilePath no longer null-terminated string (Ref: CQ00243764).
• System objects events are now fired (Ref: CQ00185145)
• The APX fontstyle="" now has correct values for <FONTS> element children (Ref: CQ00279579)
• File::WriteLine now supports Unicode characters (Ref: CQ00278175)
• Point::DistanceTo no longer returns 0 (Ref: CQ00278043)
• Point object coordinates for x, y and Z are now consistent (Ref: CQ00277994)
• AUX.InBufferCount can now be cleared (Ref: CQ00200862)
• File object ReadXXX/WriteXXX binary methods fixed (Ref: CQ00274140)
• TextSymbol.Size is no longer off by a factor of 10 (Ref: CQ00193800)
• Seamless reconnection to INET connection after time-out (Ref: CQ00225092)
• The File EOF/ReadLine now works (Ref: CQ00280699)
• The Clone method no longer crashes ArcPad for Line and Polygon shapes (Ref: CQ00231549)
• The RecordSet.Find with Envelope argument no longer crashes AP when spatial index is present (Ref: CQ00213445)
• Comboboxes for numeric fields no longer lose their values when list value ends in zero (0) on right side of decimal (Ref: CQ00237188)
• Min/Max values are now honored for unbound controls (Ref: CQ00278753)
• Unbound comboboxes with limittolist="false" no longer lose their value when the page loses focus (Ref: CQ00185716)
• Toolbutton tool now added to top of menu (Ref: CQ00252936)
• Toolbuttons with the same name on different toolbars no longer get mixed up (Ref: CQ00188076)
• The SIMPLERENDERER, parser="" attribute has been changed to language="" (Ref: CQ00279565)
• COMPORT parity settings correctly set in arcpadprefs.apx (Ref: CQ00187989)
• RecordSet.FindNearestXY no longer crashes AP if optional Envelope argument is left out with projected line layers (Ref: CQ00267533)
• RecordSet.Pack nlo longer locks recordset until layer is uneditable and editable again (Ref: CQ00210924)
• Hitting OK/Cancel on an Edit Form no longer hangs ArcPad when MsgBox displayed (Ref: CQ00238844)
• Calling ExecuteCommand with modedrawXXX commands correctly promotes tool (Ref: CQ00241322)



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Documentation

The ArcPad 7.0 setup.exe includes PDF files of all the ArcPad 7 documentation. The documentation is installed into the Help subfolder under the ArcPad 7 installation folder. This documentation includes:

• Installing ArcPad 7.0 (ArcPad_InstallGuide.pdf)
• Using ArcPad (ArcPad_UserGuide.pdf)
• ArcPad Reference Guide (ArcPad_RefGuide.pdf)
• ArcPad Quick Reference (ArcPad_QuickRef.pdf)

All documentation is available in Portable Document Format (PDF) and requires Acrobat Reader for viewing. You can obtain Acrobat Reader from Adobe's home page at http://www.adobe.com/.

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Known Issues

The following are known issues with the ArcPad 7.0 release:

ArcPad 7.0 does not support JPEG 2000 images created by ER Mapper, or ER Mapper ECW JPEG 2000 Compressor.
Workaround: Use software such as GeoExpress by LizardTech to convert images to JPEG2000 format.

Large toolbar buttons do not display correctly on Windows CE 4.20.
Workaround: do not use large toolbar buttons.

Some label font sizes are not applied. The cause of this issue is that not all fonts support all font sizes. Only sizes which are supported by the selected font are applied.
Workaround: Select a different font size.

Taking a photo with the camera tool on a Windows Mobile device may result in an error. The cause of the error is most likely due to insufficient free memory to store the photo image file. As a result, the camera module in ArcPad 7.0 on the HP iPAQ hw6515 only supports resolutions of 640 x 480; 320 x 240 and 160 x 120.
Workaround: Reduce the resolution for the output image file in the camera tool settings.

The AVICamera module (on the PC version of ArcPad) is currently limited to supporting cameras that support RGB compression. This is the case for most modern cameras, but not older cameras such as the IBM UltraPort camera. The IBM UltraPort camera uses YUV compression, and not RGB compression.
Workaround: Use the camera independently of ArcPad, and use the Pictures page, of the Feature Properties dialog box, to associate the photo image file with the feature.

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LizardTech Proprietary Rights

MrSID, MrSID Decompressor, and the MrSID logo are trademarks of LizardTech, Inc., used with permission.  Portions of this computer program are copyright © 1995-2004 LizardTech, Inc. All rights reserved. MrSID is protected by U.S. Patent No. 5,710,835. Foreign Patents Pending.