ArcExplorer is a lightweight GIS data viewer developed by ESRI. This freely available software offers an easy way to perform basic GIS functions. ArcExplorer is used for a variety of display, query, and data retrieval applications and supports a wide variety of standard data sources. It can be used on its own with local data sets or as a client to Internet data and map servers. Among its many uses, ArcExplorer is an excellent vehicle for publishing your data. You can distribute the ArcExplorer setup and your data on CDs. Users can then use the CD to install ArcExplorer on their machines and view your data easily and effectively. And best of all, ESRI does not charge any fees for you to distribute ArcExplorer with your data. ArcExplorer comes with a straightforward user interface that includes an intuitive menu bar and tool bars. With these, you can easily add themes from existing data sources, control theme characteristics, print your maps, zoom in/out, pan, identify map features, and display Map Tips. (Map Tips are dialog boxes that allow you to view the data associated with a feature on your map.) As a complete data explorer, ArcExplorer lets you display and query a wide variety of standard data sources. Using ArcExplorer as a stand-alone desktop application, you can view and query industry-standard ESRI shapefiles, ArcInfo coverages, and ArcSDE (Spatial Database Engine) layers. You can also pan and zoom through multiple map layers and identify, locate, and query geographic and attribute data. Use ArcExplorer software's powerful symbolization tools to create thematic maps based on attributes contained in the database, and even perform basic statistical analysis on the geographic data. |  |
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