[postgis-users] PostgreSQL/PostGIS and ArcGIS Server 9.3

[Chris Hermansen]

I'm a big proponent of using PostGIS, uDig, OpenJump, QGIS, etc whenever
possible.

However, there is one thing that ArcMap does better than anything else
I've seen, and that is make good looking maps.  OK, there are other
approaches, like the Mapublisher plugin for Illustrator, but IMHO that's
too-serious cartography for most of us.

So I really like the notion of zigGIS, which is to let would-be
cartographers grab PostGIS data and make some decent maps, as well as
maybe use some features of ArcMap that are more familiar to them than
the corresponding SQL commands (yikes!) or other data viewers/editors.

Obe, Regina wrote:
>  
>
>   
>>  In summary, your problem is ArcMap, not SDE.
>>     
>
> P, 
>
> Okay I need to be educated here.  What does ArcMap do exactly that is
> special?  Most of the time when I see people using it here, its to
> export the data they need out of ArcSDE into ESRI Shape so they can use
> it in there apps.  
>
> Granted I can see that it has some reach editing capabilities which
> require some education to use. But from my cursory glance around here -
> (this could be because I've been hanging around the wrong people - e.g.
> people in there 50s+ who actually do work around here or Perhaps Boston
> city gov is not quite as sophisticated as others).  The people that
> actually edit spatial data seem to use (AutoCad or MapInfo) or some
> other thing and then stuff it back into ArcSDE.  They don't really use
> the versioning wonders of ArcSDE/ArcMap or anything of that sort.  I am
> told this is just a generation gap and the new folk (who haven't used
> any other GIS tools) shall be indoctrinated into ESRI land and the
> others shall be given a soma pill to help them forget that they ever
> used anything else.
>
> As far as attribute data - well there are easier tools for skinning that
> cat and the fact that not that many tools at least the ones that we DB
> programmers like to use :)) can make heads or tails of this SDE thing
> makes it a bit of an eyesore.
>
> thanks,
> R
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-- 
Regards,

Chris Hermansen         mailto:chris.hermansen at timberline.ca
tel+1.604.714.2878 · fax+1.604.733.0631 · mob+1.778.232.0644
Timberline Natural Resource Group · http://www.timberline.ca
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