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GIS Products

How to Download and View GIS Data

Metadata Files (.txt)

Description:
Metadata is information about GIS data or "data about data". It not only describes the content, but also the quality, condition, extent, and spatial reference of the data. By providing information on the development of the dataset, metadata helps you to determine its' suitability for your needs. For more information on metadata or to review federal standards you may access the Federal Geographic Data Committe (FGDC) Website at http://www.fgdc.gov/
It is highly recommended that you review the metadata files associated with each GIS layer before using the layer.

To Download:
The .txt files are simple ASCII text files, and may be viewed by simply clicking on the link. Depending on your browser you may save the file by either responding to a prompt, or choosing "Save As.." from the browser "File" menu.


Export Files (.e00)

Description:
.E00 files are Arc/Info export files, created using the Arc/Info EXPORT command. The EXPORT command creates an Arc/Info interchange file to transfer coverages, INFO data files, text files, and other Arc/Info files between various machines. These can be imported into Arc/Info using the IMPORT command, or into ArcView using the Import71 utility.

To Download:
Download the coverages by clicking on the file name and saving to your local directory. Depending on the browser this may entail only responding to a prompt, or choosing "Save As..." from the browser file menu. The data files are stored using WinZip compression software and require a decompression utility to unzip. An evaluation version of WinZip may be downloaded at www.winzip.com/download.htm Once the coverage is on your local disk, double click the zipped file to extract the .e00 coverage.

Once unzipped, the export (.e00) file can be imported to Arc/Info coverages through the Arc/Info IMPORT command:
IMPORT cover filename.e00 new_filename

Export files may also be imported to ArcView using the Import 71 utility.

To View:
After importing the export files, the resulting coverages may be viewed using various GIS software such as Arc/Info and ArcView.


Shape Files (.dbf, .shp, .shx)

Description:
Shape files are actually three files, with extensions .shp, .shx and .dbf. Together, these three files are read as one layer by Arc/Info, ArcView, ArcExplorer, and any software that can read ESRI shape file format.

To Download:
Download the coverages by clicking on the file name and saving to your local directory. Depending on the browser this may entail only responding to a prompt, or choosing "Save As..." from the browser file menu. The data files are stored using WinZip compression software and require a decompression utility to unzip. An evaluation version of WinZip may be downloaded at www.winzip.com/download.htm Once the coverage is on your local disk, double click the zipped file to extract the files.

Once unzipped, the shape files can be imported to Arc/Info coverages through the Arc/Info ARCSHAPE command:
ARCSHAPE filename.shp in_feature_class new_filename
Shape files are most commonly used in ArcView and ArcExplorer. Once unzipped, a shape file may be brought directly into ArcView by using "Add Theme" from the menu bar.

To View:
After importing the export files, the resulting coverages may be viewed using various GIS software such as Arc/Info and ArcView.


ArcExplorer

Description:
ArcExplorer is a GIS data viewer developed by ESRI. This software is free and may be downloaded from ERSI's website. ArcExplorer is designed for individuals who want to display, query, and retrieve GIS data without purchasing and learning new software. ArcExplorer allows the user to add data themes, zoom in/out, pan, identify map features, and print maps.

To Download:
To download ArcExplorer visit ERSI's website at http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/index.html and follow the download instructions.


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