The correct coordinate system to use may be obtained from your GPS unit (under map setup or units) from the marginal information on your topo map or from the metadata file that came with internet data. Click the Edit... button, then Select... to select the coordinate system for your points, Add... and OK (3x). csv file to ArcMap by using the Add data tool (either by expanding the submenu under File> Add Data) or by clicking the Add Data tool on the Standard toolbarĥ) Right-click on your new layer and choose Display XY Data… Ensure that the X and Y fields were selected correctly by ArcMap – they should be right if you chose names that reflect the coordinate positions (northing and easting or x and y). You may want to save a copy in native format (.xls in both Google spreadsheets and Excel) before exporting to. m by 60 to get S(.6333*60=38)ģ) Save/export your data as a comma-delimited text file (CSV format in Google Spreadsheets or Excel). s = Decimal SecondsĭM.m = Degrees, Minutes, Decimal Minutes (eg.
![what is arcgis what is arcgis](https://miro.medium.com/max/787/1*oPQxBAImYveh0AmquoUuvg.png)
There are converters available on the internet, but it is probably quicker to use Excel to perform the conversion.ĭ = Degrees M = Minutes S = Seconds. Locations in degrees, minutes and seconds ( DMS) or decimal minutes ( DM) format should first be converted to DD. If your coordinates are in latitude/longitude, they should be in decimal degrees ( DD) format before importing into ArcGIS. Omitting the “-” sign will put your points on the wrong side of the globe. Example: the coordinates for a location in Houghton, Michigan are -88.54820, 47.11535 in latitude/longitude and 382552, 5219145 in UTM zone 16, NAD 1983 datum. If you need spacing for readability, use underscores.īe sure if you are using latitude/longitude coordinates that your northings are positive if north of the equator and eastings are negative if you are in the western hemisphere.
![what is arcgis what is arcgis](https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.3/main/get-started/GUID-5D109F05-C928-4FB4-9741-D17D8CBD3679-web.png)
Additional fields are OK, but descriptions in each header are limited to seven characters and cannot have special characters or spaces. It might be as simple as ID, X_coord, Y_coord. Your file should also contain a header line that describes each field. Other attribute data, if available, may go into additional columns, but your points will import fine with just these three pieces of information. To import properly into ArcGIS, your data file will require a minimum of three fields: a unique identifier for each data point, and the X (easting) and Y (northing) for each location. This may be done in a spreadsheet program such as Google Spreadsheets, or the more ubiquitous Excel. latitude / longitude and NAD27.Ģ) Format your data properly.
![what is arcgis what is arcgis](https://www.seerab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/14-What-is-Insights-for-ArcGIS-1030x579.png)
If you want your locations to integrate correctly with other layers (always a good thing in GIS) you will need to know both the coordinate system and datum used by the source data, e.g.
![what is arcgis what is arcgis](https://pro.arcgis.com/de/pro-app/2.7/help/analysis/geostatistical-analyst/GUID-2A648982-BAA1-45A4-AD54-C78F3647DA25-web.png)
The source doesn’t matter: it might be locations recorded on a GPS unit that you don’t have a data cable for, coordinates determined from a topographic map, or a simple data set found on the internet. Importing a set of x,y coordinate pairs into ArcGIS is very straightforward, and can be a useful skill if you need to bring in simple coordinate data that is not already in a spatial format.ġ) Acquire some data you want to display on a map.