GeoMattix

by Michele Mattix

 Collecting field data using GPS technology has never been easier.  The equipment is smaller and lighter.  Many modern GPS units are all-in-one handheld devices that combine the GPS antenna, receiver, and field computer into one device.  Color screens that operate by touch make navigating the field computer a breeze.  If the unit does not have a built-in digital camera, laser rangefinder, compass, or other device, then it probably has Bluetooth and/or WiFi to enable wireless communication with such peripheral devices.

 With so many field data collection devices on the market, it can be overwhelming to figure out which one is the best for you.  Here are some things to consider when shopping for GPS field equipment that will be used to collect GIS-ready data. More…

Recently I received an email from a GPS user asking me to review his data.  “Something must be wrong with my GPS unit,” he wrote, “the data I collected don’t line up with my other GIS data.”  He had attached his data to the email and it consisted of a single file called points.shp. More…

CAD users beware!  While ArcGIS supports the mapping of CAD data, ArcPad – ESRI’s field software – does not.  Though it is no problem to convert CAD data into the geodatabase format, the handling of CAD annotation can present challenges.  In this article, I will walk you through a problem one of my clients was having and the solution I came up with. 

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Written by Michele Mattix, owner of GeoMattix, LLC

While there are many ways to add digital photos to your GIS, I find that using GPS is the easiest – provided you have a useful workflow.  Finding that workflow, however, can be extremely frustrating due to the myriad of GPS and camera hardware and software options. In this multiple-part blog, I will attempt to shed light on this topic so you can find the equipment and workflow that’s right for you.  The information for these articles is taken from my Adding Digital Photos to Your GIS e-course. More…

A review by Michele Mattix, owner of GeoMattix, LLC

When ESRI announced that ArcPad 8 would have a brand new interface, I figured it would be a mild face-lift of the same cluttered interface.  Boy was I mistaken!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with older versions of ArcPad, one of the main problems with the interface was the three main toolbars stacked on top of each other which effectively gobbled up the top portion of the screen.  If using ArcPad on a small mobile device where screen real estate is pricey, the stacked toolbars took up too much space to comfortably work with your map.