ArcPad file formats:

• AXF (ArcPad Exchange Format) --> “Lightweight Geodatabase” built on
  SQLCE
• APM (ArcPad Map file) --> Similar to an MXD file, the APM file stores map layers included and layer settings, map extent and projection, as well as ArcPad defined symbology
• APX (ArcPad XML files) --> The main two files of this type are (both stored in \My Documents\My ArcPad folder at ArcPad 8):
  • ArcPad.apx (Default Configuration files) -->
    Loads custom toolbars, forms, system object event handlers and parameters that can control which toolbars are initially visible
  • ArcPadPrefs.apx (ArcPad Preference file) -->
    Stores settings such as GPS settings, default symbology and default file paths
• Shapefile ( .shp, .dbf, . prj, .shx, .sbx, .sbn) --> The standard file extensions included with a Shapefile, the below file types will have the same name as the Shapefile, besides the extension
• APL (ArcPad layer definition files) --> It contains custom symbology exported from ArcMap, as well as the data entry forms which may contain scripts that enter information such as current Latitude and Longitude into fields, as well as drop down menus that make entering data easier
• APA (ArcPad applet files) --> Applet files may contain toolbars, forms and system object event handlers
• Scripts:
• VBS (VBScript)
• JS (Jscript)

I have been testing ArcGIS Mobile for possible use in an upcoming fieldwork project. I used the out of the box ArcGIS Mobile Application vs. the SDK. ArcGIS Mobile is an alternative way to do simple field collection using ArcGIS Server in the back end. You author maps using ArcGIS Desktop and Publish the Map Document (MXD) to a Map Service (with Mobile Data Access) which is used by a Mobile Project, then you load the ArcGIS Mobile App and your Project onto your Windows Mobile device and you are in business.

Here are some observations I had:

• You probably already knew this, but you need ArcGIS Server Advanced, which isn't cheap. Remember if you have an EDN subscription you can test it out first.
• Works great if all you need is simple field collection or verification. Easy to use and you don't have to go through lots of steps (pressing buttons) to capture a point or edit attributes. In other words, much easier to use than ArcPad, but not nearly as powerful or flexible.
• Creating a new ArcGIS Mobile Project is just as easy as creating an out of the box Web Application
• If you have access to WiFi in the field, you can be synchronizing with your server and getting updates from other fieldworkers as much as you want.
• ArcGIS Mobile will use the symbology you setup in ArcMap, even field/attribute based symbology, so you can see the updates right on the map.
• If you setup versions in ArcSDE, you could have many fieldworkers each with their own version (all separate ArcGIS Mobile Projects), so you can QC changes and then update changes to a common version.
• Domains or Subtypes turn into dropdown menus in ArcGIS Mobile
• Using a field with a type of Date, will automatically populate the current date and time into a field if you collect or edit the attributes in ArcGIS Mobile. I couldn't see the time directly in the field though, but it's there.
• My big mistake was using field visibility in ArcMap for fields I didn't want. I could use it, but just not with the GlobalID field that you add when you version data in ArcSDE. All of the system fields: ObjectID, Shape... and GlobalID will not show up in the attributes in ArcGIS Mobile even if they are still visible in ArcMap. I assume that the data transferred to ArcGIS Mobile drops any fields that are not visible in ArcMap. The error I got was "Unknown error" when I tried to post data back to the server.
• Don't make any big changes to MXDs after they have been put on your mobile device, that seemed to wreck it, i.e. changing the name of the layer in the TOC.
• Overall it was easy to work with both setting up and in the field testing that I did.

Hi, my name is Karl and I am a GIS Coordinator at GeoComm the Public Safety Mapping company (not GeoCommons!). This is my first blog entry at this new blog. I am still trying to figure out how I want to lay things out, and how it should look. I will be using Drupal 6.x as the CMS backend.

This blog will feature ArcGIS Desktop Tips and Tricks. There will also be some stuff on general GIS. The goal is to help out the common user with tips to make things go quicker and better. I will also try to tackle some higher level GIS topics too.