Use complex symbology and label-control options for clear feature representation.

Esri's latest version of its mobile GIS solution, ArcPad 7, and its customization software, ArcPad Application Builder 7, are now available. ArcPad is designed for organizations wanting to expand the benefits of GIS from use in the office to workers in the field. It allows the mobile worker to efficiently and accurately capture, analyze, and display geographic information in near real time. This release of ArcPad includes improvements and additions in the following areas:

• Performance—Drawing speed and overall performance are improved through support for the latest versions of operating systems, attribute indexes, spatial indexes, and additional data formats. A new graphics engine offers faster symbology rendering, and greeking simplifies symbology.
• Ease of use—A new startup screen lets users choose among the most common first steps when starting ArcPad. A legend in the Table of Contents makes the different layers and their symbology viewable. Labels can be controlled better, and more editing tools have been added to the Edit toolbar for easier access. It is also easier to connect ArcPad to a GPS receiver, as a tool automatically searches for the device and determines appropriate settings.
• Productivity—Capturing and creating features are more efficient with the use of new and improved editing tools, including repeated features, offset, snapping, and undo. Users can capture field sketches and notes into a graphics layer. ArcPad 7 features integrated support for field devices, such as range finders and digital cameras. Range finders provide optional input for offset data when capturing or editing features. A digital camera allows the user to preview the image and take the photo, and a picture page has been added to the Feature Properties sheet to capture and display associated photos.
• Enterprise GIS integration—Data formats, including JPEG 2000, TIFF, MrSID MG2 and MG3, and GIF, are now supported, reducing the need to convert enterprise raster data into a different format for use in ArcPad. Support for additional projections and datum transformations reduces the likelihood of coordinate system conflicts. An increased range of supported symbols and style sheets allows the use of familiar symbology in mobile maps, while field sketches and notes, saved as graphics layers, can be imported/exported between ArcGIS and ArcPad.
• Customization—A Quickform tool now allows the creation of simple custom forms for attribute data entry. The Object Model has been expanded with new objects, methods, properties, and events, and the extensions API has been enhanced to allow developers to build custom interfaces for cameras and range finders. For customizing ArcPad and interacting with the Object Model, support for JScript has been added in addition to VBScript.

Use the sketch tool to take notes while in the field and for freehand marking on maps.

ArcPad Application Builder, the development framework for building custom applications in ArcPad, features a new form wizard, as well as improved script and XML editing tools. There is also a compile tool and the ability to download to a device directly from the customization environment. Support for JScript and expanded ArcPad Object Model, XML, and API extensions offer many more customization options.

For more information on ArcPad or to try a fully functional evaluation copy, visit www.esri.com/arcpad. You can also call Esri at 1-800-447-9778, call your regional office, or contact your local Esri reseller. Outside the United States, contact your local Esri distributor.