Getting Started
Getting the latest ArcRAVE Resources
ArcRAVE uses two types of resource files; business logic XML is used to to load the project explorer, and layer files are used to symbolize layers correctly. ArcRAVE ships with copies of these two types of files, but give nthat they are updated frequently, its important to keep these files up to date. You can use the Update Resources feature directly within ArcRAVE to get the latest versions of these files:
- Ensure that you have an active internet connection.
- Choose
Update Resourcesfrom the help menu on the ArcRAVE toolbar. - Confirm that you want to download the latest resource files.
- Wait for the confirmation of how many files were downloaded.
If the final message reports that 0 files were updated then you already have the latest business logic XML and symbology files.
Note that any custom business logic and symbology files that you have placed directly in riverscapes project folders will take precedence over the resource files download using this feature. You will need to delete (or more conveniently, rename) these custom files before the ArcRAVE will utilize the resources downloaded using this feature.
Default Project View
Opening a Project
Launch ArcMap and make sure that the RAVE toolbar is visible. If it is not then right click in the empty toolbar area in the top right of ArcMap and choose “River Analysis Viewer and Explorer”. This will open the toolbar which can then be docked anywhere within the ArcMap main window.
Click on the green plus icon to open an existing Riverscapes compatible project. Browse to and select the project file (*.rs.xml) then click “Open” to open the project. RAVE will read the project file, determine what type of Riverscapes project it represents, and then find the corresponding business logic XML file that specifies how to display the project within the RAVE project explorer. Once the project is loaded the project explorer will contain the project tree and you can start adding layers to the current ArcMap document by right clicking on them and choosing “Add To Map”.
You can customize the symbology used when layers are added to the map by generating layer files. Read the Symbology for instructions on how to do this.
Adding Layers to the Map
In addition to helping load riverscapes projects into the current ArcMap document, RAVE also supports loading base map layers. Base maps are Web Mapping Services (WMS) that can be consumed over the internet and displayed underneath your local map layers. This is a new feature in RAVE and its worth reviewing the limitations further down this page before proceeding.
Base Maps
Enabling and Disabling Base Maps
Click on Options in the RAVE Toolbar under the Help menu. Check the box to enable base maps to appear in the RAVE project explorer and then select the “region” that you want to appear. Click OK and the selected base maps should now appear at the bottom of the RAVE project explorer.
Adding Base Maps to the Current Map Document
Right click on a base map item in the RAVE project explorer tree and choose Add To Map. The selected base map should appear at the bottom of the Table of Contents within the current map document.
