What's Coming in 9.3

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 is supported on Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2003, and Windows 2000.

• General Enhancements
• Cartography
• Modeling and Analysis
• 3D Visualization

General Enhancements The new ArcGIS Desktop Resource Center makes it easy to access online resources such as documentation, help, support pages, forums, blogs, best practices information, and key data services such as ArcGIS Online basemaps. View demo A new Convert Graphics to Features function allows you to create features by drawing graphics without using the editor. View demo Bookmarks are much easier to access and can be reordered, sorted, exported, and loaded between different maps. View demo The ability to export layers to KML files is now built into ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 for all users and no longer requires ArcGIS 3D Analyst. You can now specify pop-ups for your KML features containing feature attributes, URLs, etc. You can use the KML files you export from ArcGIS Desktop in Google Earth, the Google Maps "My Maps" tab, Microsoft Virtual Earth "Collections," and other clients that support KML. View demo - Improved KML support View demo - New KML export support A new HTML pop-up tool has been added which allows different HTML content to be viewed on individual features. View demo The labeling process can be temporarily paused to increase performance while you assemble your map or do analysis. View demo

• Field aliases and definition queries are now retained when you join tables, and you can now sort tables on multiple fields. You can now view the properties of joins and relates, such as the name and location of joined tables. New table window shortcuts let you quickly toggle between showing field aliases or actual field names.
  View demo
  
  
• The Identify window now respects field properties like primary display field and field aliases when you follow relates, and you can now launch a layer's properties and table window directly from the Identify dialog after identifying a feature.
  View demo
  
  
• You can now add layer files into your maps by launching them from Windows Explorer, Outlook, Web pages, etc. This makes it easier to distribute layers to co-workers, and putting your layer files on Web pages provides a simple way for ArcGIS Desktop users to add your Internet-based maps services directly into their maps.
  
  
• The new Address Inspector tool lets you click on the map and get the address for that location (reverse geocoding).
  
  
• Markups created in ArcReader can be loaded into ArcMap as a guide for editing data.
  
  
• A new error-reporting system automatically tracks errors and sends reports to ESRI.
  
  
• You now have the option to display map scales throughout the ArcMap user interface in relative format, in the units of your choice, thus making scales easier to understand.
  View demo

Cartography

• All legend symbols now simulate transparency to more closely match transparent layers in your maps.
  View demo
  
  
• ArcGIS 9.3 has new and improved functionality for exporting maps to Adobe PDF format. Feature attributes can be included in exported PDFs and accessed interactively by Adobe Reader users with the Object Data tool. Group layer and data frame hierarchies are now reflected in Adobe PDF layer lists. 9.3 also adds support for the new geospatial capabilities in the PDF formats introduced in Adobe Acrobat 9, including support for coordinate readout, find XY, measurement, and markup.
  
  
• Many enhancements in Maplex for ArcGIS include better contour labeling and more control over where labels are placed inside and around polygons.
  
  
• New options for color balancing and matching make it easier to create seamless raster mosaics.
  
  
• A new Disperse Markers tool allows you to spread out representation markers when they coincide.
  
  
• WYSIWYG editing of cartographic representations and geometric effects allows you to better see how an edit will impact your map.
  View demo

Modeling & Analysis

• Geoprocessing error messages are improved and now let you hyperlink to a full description of the problem. The geoprocessing progress bar gives a better indication of current status.
  View demo
  
  
• Python scripts can be run in process, significantly reducing execution time.
  
  
• A new scatterplot matrix graph lets you explore relationships between sets of related variables.
  
  
• The Near tool has been improved to work with points, lines, and polygons and can find multiple feature classes.
  
  
• The new, advanced Ordinary Least Squares and Geographically Weighted Regression tools help you understand how processes vary over space.
  
  
• New tools to create spatial weights matrices show spatial relationships in feature classes and network datasets.
  
  
• Buffer tool improvements include support for geodesic buffers and better performance.
  
  
• Geostatistical functions like kriging can now take advantage of multiple CPUs.
  
  
• Viewshed, inverse distance weighting (IDW), and Combine functions now work with very large input datasets.
  
  
• A new vehicle routing problem (VRP) solver in ArcGIS Network Analyst generates routes for fleets of vehicles.
  
  

3D Visualization

• Improved contouring with the new Contour with Barriers tool is included.
  
  
• Support for Collaborative Design Activity (COLLADA) models provides more realistic displays.
  
  
• Support for graphics in ArcGlobe as well as billboard marker symbols has been improved.
  
  
• The ArcGIS Tracking Analyst extension is now supported in ArcGlobe, enabling dynamic tracking and visualization of moving objects in 3D.
  
  
• A new Point File Information tool makes it easier to create terrains by performing mass point QA/QC before loading them into the geodatabase.
  
  
• The Profile Graph tool can now profile multiple lines in one graphic plot and graph line-of-sight results.