New Version Of ArcGIS Explorer Offers More Data Support And Better Map Displays

ESRI has released ArcGIS Explorer Build 480. The new version is available for download now and comes packed with a bundle of new features.

Redlands, California—ESRI’s free application for accessing online content and capabilities has been updated with new data support, increased performance, and better map display. ArcGIS Explorer 480, which became available for download today, enhances your ability to use the power of geoprocessing and geographic information system (GIS) technology to explore and analyze your world.

The new version of ArcGIS Explorer offers:

• New content—ArcGIS Explorer now supports connections to enterprise geodatabases and Geographically Encoded Objects for RSS feeds (GeoRSS) and allows you to import GPS eXchange Format (GPX) format data. ArcGIS Explorer default maps and layers have been updated including enhanced topographic map services and updated streets, boundaries, and places. ArcGIS Explorer also offers improved KML/KMZ support.
• More sharing—ArcGIS Explorer now provides direct e-mail capabilities, allowing users to easily share their maps, layers, and results with others.
• Improved presentation—ArcGIS Explorer offers more ways to control user interface elements such as auto-zoom to results and automatic display of saved or e-mailed pop-up windows. Also, ArcGIS Explorer can now be embedded in a Web page.
• Better dashboarding—Additions to dashboarding capabilities include a new HTML-driven Quick Content task and a streamlined home server setup.
• Increased performance—ArcGIS Explorer provides increased display performance for all layer types. Navigation speed has also been improved.
• More options for map display—ArcGIS Explorer 480 adds support for graticules and reference grids (U.S. National Grid [USNG], Military Grid Reference System [MGRS]). It also offers the ability to set raster background transparency, new options for point symbols and symbol size, improved pop-up window capabilities, and easier access to feature attributes.
• Developer support—ArcGIS Explorer Software Developer Kit (SDK) now supports Visual Studio 2008 and includes an updated object model to support new features and enhancements.
• Resource Center—New tasks, layers, and results are also available from the updated ArcGIS Explorer Resource Center. For example, you can download the Add Photo task directly from the Resource Center to add geotagged photos to ArcGIS Explorer.
• Platform support—ArcGIS Explorer now runs on Windows Vista, Service Pack 1, on specific graphics card/driver configurations.

Some of my comments about the new features:

I think a feature that has been long awaited is the ability to connect to ArcSDE. This has now been added which is just awesome!

The new sharing capabilities make is easier as well.

The ArcGIS Explorer SDK has been updated to support Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. This brings it into line with ArcGIS 9.3. A great feature considering Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 is now my standard development environment.

Also the Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 support is nice. I have been running ArcGIS Explorer on Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 and this has run really well without any problems, its good to hear that it’s now supported.

You can download ArcGIS Explorer Build 480 here: http://www.esri.com/software… The press release for this release can be found here: http://www.esri.com/news…