As a user of ArcGIS for over 10 years, it’s easy to list the great design tools that are at your disposal and the practical mapping applications; however, another (sometimes not so obvious) tool is a “File Geodatabase.” Setting up a file geodatabase is extremely beneficial so you can control and manage your files…not the other way around. Unfortunately, it took a few years before I realized this!

Colin Childs (ESRI) highlighted the importance of this in his article "The Top Nine Reasons to Use a File Geodatabase." A Scalable and Speedy Choice for Single Users or Small Groups, ArcUser, Spring (2009) and pointed out that “File geodatabases offer structural, performance, and data management advantages over personal geodatabases and shapefile.” All too true, and listed below are Colin’s reasons to do so:

1. Improved Versatility and Usability

2. Optimized Performance

3. Few Size Limitations

4. Easy Data Migration

5. Improved Editing Model

6. Storing Rasters in the Geodatabase

7. Customizable Storage Configuration

8. Allows Updates to Spatial Index Settings

9. Allows the Use of Data Compression

I encourage everyone to take a look at your mapping systems to see where you can make improvements, and read Colin’s article (along with the numerous others provided by ESRI) to stay sharp, and meet the ever increasing visual demands of our clients.

Stay tuned for future posts on various “GIS” topics in the upcoming weeks…as there are plenty of lessons and unique observations to be shared, which could ultimately make our jobs easier and our maps (more) incredible.

We hope that you find these posts informative, and relatively useful, and your feedback is always welcome. For further information, or for assistance on your next mapping project, please don't hesitate to contact us at tfrancis@cardinallsrp.com, or www.cardinalLSRP.com.