Geographic Information Systems
GIS Tutorials |
Washington University in St. Louis |
Creating spatial data from tabular XY data in ArcMap
ArcMap can import tabular spatial data as a new layer. To do so, the table must be in some sort of database tabular format, such as those created using Microsoft Access.
- Tip: If you need to import Microsoft Excel data, export your data to dBase format, using File > Save As... and selecting DBF (dBase) as your file type.
- Tip: If you need to import FileMaker data, export your data to dBase format, using File > Export... and selecting DBF Files as your file type.
To import the data, open ArcMap, and open the map you want to add to or create a new blank map. Go to Tools > Add XY Data... to bring up the following window:
Click the button to the right of the first drop-down menu to browse for your data. Once you select your table, the X Field and Y Field menus will become filled with the data headings found in your table. Use these menus to tell ArcMap which data in the table to read as the x- and y- coordinates of your data.
If you know what coordinate system your data was taken in, click the Edit... button. Click Select... to pick from a variety of universally defined coordinate systems, or Click Import... to use the same coordinate system that another dataset or layer on your computer happens to be using. You also have the option of creating a new coordinate system. If you do not know the coordinate system, leave it unknown, and ArcMap will automatically fit your data into a spatial extent.
Click OK to create the new map layer.