User Interface - A New User Interface brings an enhanced user experience to improve productivity. Many windows are now dockable and can auto-hide. The menus are better structured, icons are revised and a new ArcCatalog window is embedded in ArcMap.

Editing - The new ArcMap editing workflow allows symbol based editing by creating feature templates. These allow pre-attributed features to be added to the map. Users no longer have to add a feature then set attribution before the correct symbology is applied, they can now simply pick the type of feature required and it will be assigned the correct attribute values and symbol. Many other editing improvements exist including changes around snapping and the way in which the edit menus are accessed.

3D Editing (requires the 3D Analyst Extension) - The standard editing environment is now available inside both ArcGlobe and ArcScene, allowing for the creation and maintenance of z-aware GIS features. This includes start editing, stop editing, save edits, use of Undo and Redo functions, and other standard edit management tasks in 3D. The classic Snapping environment is also supported as are precision-creation options such as parallel, perpendicular, deflection, and absolute XYZ, plus creation and storage of vertical lines in the geodatabase.

Attribute Tables - Now as a dockable window, it has a new toolbar to access functions giving quicker access to tools. Multiple tables can be opened and appear in a tabbed interface.

Basemaps - This improves performance of background mapping by defining a read-only basemap that uses a new rendering engine to enable continuous fast redraw resulting in smooth panning and zooming. This makes use of your system's graphics processing unit to speed the rendering of images to be displayed.

Search - There's a new search window that allows keyword searching of data and tools. Also there's a symbol search option in the symbology options to allow quick retrieval of symbols for rendering.

GeoProcessing - This now runs as a background process users can continue to use ArcMap while the process is running. There's also a new results window. You can also drag and drop geoprocessing tools onto the User Interface for quick access to your commonly used tools.

ArcPy and Python - ArcGIS 10 has fully embraced Python as its language for automation. Desktop includes a new python window that can be used for simple and quick execution of geoprocessing tools, for experimenting and learning Python and accessing other Python libraries. The Python window is interactive and allows layers to be dragged from the table of content into the window to act as inputs for tools. ArcPy is a new site package for analysis, data management and map automation and is the successor to the arcgisscripting module.

Data Driven Pages is a new feature for creating a series of layout images from a single map document and can be automated using python. This replaces the much used DS Map Book sample.

Table of Contents - This now supports multiple views and has a new list by visibility option. This view shows only symbology for the features that are in your current visible map making it easier to identify what's displayed.

Temporal Mapping - The map is now time aware. This makes is easier to make temporal maps. A time properties tab allows the configuration of time attributes. These can then be used to facilitate time queries and to animate the map by time using a new Time Slider tool. This also tied into a Time Aware graphing function.

Imagery - Some of the tools from the Image Server Extension for ArcGIS Server have been moved into core desktop functionality. This allows mosaics of raster data to easily be created and managed using the actual files rather than by loading them into geodatabase or by creating a raster catalog, reducing the time taken to manage imagery data. A suite of Image Processing tools are now available as well to cover basic image processing tasks to reduce the need to use 3rd party image processing software. The image capabilities are also integrated into the Geoprocessing tools to allow automation of image data management and manipulation.

Query Layers - It's now possible to define query layers that issue SQL statements to a relational database to access spatial and tabular data. These layers are read-only and do not allow update of data.

Reporting - There is a new reporting capability that allows predefined templates to be implemented and reused

The standard editing environment is now available inside both ArcGlobe and ArcScene, allowing for the creation and maintenance of z-aware GIS features. You will be able to:

• Start editing, stop editing, save edits, use Undo and Redo functions, and do other standard edit management tasks in 3D. The classic Snapping environment is also supported as are precision-creation options such as parallel, perpendicular, deflection, and absolute XYZ.
• Create and delete individual features. This includes the creation and storage of vertical lines in the geodatabase.
• Move, rotate, scale, and replace feature geometry (higher level geometry edits to features). This includes the ability to place 3D models (e.g., COLLADA files) directly into the 3D view as new multipatch features, and then move/scale/rotate them on the landscape.

There are also additional tools for creating and maintaining Terrain datasets (particularly when working with LIDAR data sources) and editing TIN datasets (TIN editing toolbar in ArcMap).

Basemap layers and accelerated raster layers can benefit in terms of smooth panning and zooming within a data frame. This makes use of your system's graphics processing unit to speed the rendering of images to be displayed. When hardware acceleration is enabled in your ArcMap options, you will notice data is cached around your current view extent and renders simultaneously with data already in view after you pan or zoom out.

Search with ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server, and ArcGIS Online is based on a small collection of metadata stored with the GIS resources (title, user tags, etc). Keep in mind that this new search capability is not designed to handle indexing and searching of formal metadata documents and that spatial search against GIS resources is not supported at this time.

ArcGIS Desktop search—Desktop search allows every ArcGIS Desktop user to very quickly search across accessible network folders (shared folders) and databases.

ArcGIS Server search—ArcGIS Server introduces a new search service that allows you to index and search GIS resources within your in a centralised manner. The search service is designed to be used by ArcGIS Desktop users within an organisation's intranet.

ArcGIS Online search—ArcGIS Online provides a hosted catalog of information in which users can upload their own resources and create their own groups. The ArcGIS Online search is intended for organizations who want to share their data with the general public or within the organization via a group.

In addition, the GeoPortal Extension for ArcGIS Server allows users to quickly search GIS resources within the organization, via ArcGIS Online, or across other metadata catalogs.

No. For users who want to install ArcGIS 10 and ArcGIS 9.3.1 on the same machine, ESRI recommends using a virtualisation tool (such as VM Ware's VM Workstation or Microsoft's Virtual PC) and install the new instance of ArcGIS on that virtual machine.

We had initially announced that we would be able to support running ArcGIS 10 and ArcGIS 9.3.1 on the same machine. However, we were not able to accomplish this for ArcGIS 10

VB6 is no longer supported. Support for VB6 was dropped by Microsoft a long time ago. Extensions written in VB6 will need to be re-written for ArcGIS 10. VBA is still supported at ArcGIS 10, but this will be the last release. Developers are encouraged to move to Python.

Python is an integral part of ArcGIS Desktop for automating tasks and the new add-in capabilities allow developers to easily create and deploy ArcMap customisations.

An important change at version 10 is that VBA is not part of the ArcGIS Desktop install. If you need VBA, you need to install the ArcObjects VBA SDK, which will setup the VBA Runtime, Editor, and Help. Please note that an additional authorization file is required for VBA.

This is a no charge license that can be requested from your customer representative. For more information on migrating VBA code see help.

At ArcGIS 10 ArcGIS has fully embraced Python as its language for automation. Desktop includes a new python window that can be used for simple and quick execution of GP tools, for experimenting and learning Python and accessing other Python libraries.

The Python window is interactive and allows entities like layers to be dragged from the table of content into the window to act as inputs for tools. ArcPy is a new site package for analysis, data management and map automation and is the successor to the arcgisscripting module.

Data Driven Pages is a new feature for creating a series of layout images from a single map document and can be automated using python. This replaces the much used DS Map Book sample. The ArcPy and Python workflows can be published as Geoprocessing Services using ArcGIS Server.

ArcGIS 10 Desktop introduces ArcPy, which is often referred to as the ArcPy site package. ArcPy provides Python access for all geoprocessing tools, including extensions, as well as a wide variety of useful functions and classes for working with verifying the integrity of GIS data.

Included in ArcPy is a mapping automation module called arcpy.mapping, which is a set of Python functions that allow you to open and manipulate ArcMap map documents (.mxd) and layer files (.lyr). Using an arcpy.mapping script, you can create a list of maps that have layers referencing a certain data source and update or repair the data source links for all layers in a map document. You can also create a report on information contained in layers, data sources, and symbology.

Add-Ins are a new way to customise ArcGIS Desktop (not ArcGIS Engine). They are an easily deployable mechanism that doesn't require the COM registration as with traditional tools and commands etc. The traditional methods will still work though. Add-Ins do not cover everything that can be achieved using the traditional methods but a great deal of functionality can be accessed using them.

ArcGIS Survey Analyst is an extension product for ArcGIS Desktop 9.3.1 and earlier (it will be deprecated at ArcGIS 9.3.1 and will not ship with ArcGIS 10). ArcGIS Survey Analyst has had two distinct parts: the Survey Editor and the Cadastral Editor. The functional capabilities known as the Survey Editor will no longer be supported in ArcGIS 10. Users who require these tools should continue using ArcGIS 9.3.1.

The functional capabilities known as the Cadastral Editor and its Cadastral Fabric dataset are included in ArcGIS 10 (ArcEditor and ArcInfo) without a requirement to install or license any extension. The parcel editing functions have been greatly improved and are accessed through a new Parcel Editor toolbar in ArcMap. The Cadastral Fabric dataset has been enhanced and renamed the Parcel Fabric. ArcGIS 10 includes new geoprocessing tools to assist with migrating parcel data modeled as coverages or simple feature classes to a Parcel Fabric.

Note: The Parcel Editor toolbar will not be a component of ArcView. ArcView customers who have previously licensed ArcGIS Survey Analyst will need to migrate to ArcEditor or ArcInfo in order to use the Parcel Editor technology at ArcGIS 10.

Yes. New tools have been added for importing and exporting cache tiles to and from the cache directory. They are most useful for collaborative caching jobs where different organizations contribute tiles to one master cache.

As long as caches use the same tiling scheme, you can use these tools to

• Import a subset of tiles from the larger cache
• Export a subset of tiles from a larger cache
• Import or export an entire cache

Also, at ArcGIS 10, a map cache can be used as a raster dataset in ArcMap and ArcGlobe. When used in this way, the cache is not dependent on the map service and therefore, you can use the cache while not being connected to the Internet.

ESRI have been working on this release for more than three years, and it’s a very large release. Feedback from beta testers indicated that this is much bigger than a dot release and that it should be called ArcGIS 10. For ArcGIS 10, ESRI have integrated not only the work that has been performed in the base software but also initiatives in cloud computing and the Web.

No. Virtual Machines are the solutions for running the two different installs on the same machine.

Search with ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server, and ArcGIS Online is based on a small collection of metadata stored with the GIS resources (title, user tags, etc). Keep in mind that this new search capability is not designed to handle indexing and searching of formal metadata documents and that spatial search against GIS resources is not supported at this time.

• ArcGIS Desktop search - Desktop search allows every ArcGIS Desktop user to very quickly search across accessible network folders (shared folders) and databases.
• ArcGIS Server search - ArcGIS Server introduces a new search service that allows you to index and search GIS resources within your Enterprise in a centralised manner. The search service is designed to be used by ArcGIS Desktop users within an organisation's intranet.
• ArcGIS Online search - ArcGIS Online provides a hosted catalog of information in which users can upload their own resources and create their own groups. The ArcGIS Online search is intended for organisations who want to share their data with the general public or within the organisation via a group.

In addition, the GeoPortal Extension for ArcGIS Server allows users to quickly search GIS resources within the organisation, via ArcGIS Online, or across other metadata catalogs.

• Server FAQs
• Online FAQs
• Mobile FAQs
• Developer FAQs