Getting Started with DataMIL

The DataMIL Catalog is powered by the GeoNetwork search engine. GeoNetwork is a free and open source product designed for easy management, online editing, and a variety of search and discover interfaces for geographic data. For more details about GeoNetwork, visit the GeoNetwork Open-Source web site.

For complete documentation of the full GeoNetwork product:

• GeoNetwork Manual - PDF format
• GeoNetwork Manual - HTML format

The GeoNetwork engine allows you to perform a text search on the following fields:

• Title
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Location
• Free text (any metadata field)

In each search fields the user can write expressions using the following grammar:

• string: search metadata having "string"' in field
• string1 string2: equivalent to string1 and string2
• "string1 string2": search metadata having the "string1 string2" in field
• string1 and string2: search metadata having both "string1" and "string2" in field
• string1 or string2: search metadata having either 'string1' or "string2" in field
• string1 not string2: search metadata having "string1" but not "string2" in field

Keywords and operators (and, or not) are not case sensitive. For instance, in the title field:

• anchorage map: search for all metadata containing the words "anchorage" and "map" in the title;
  
• "anchorage map": search for all metadata containing the text "anchorage map" in the title;
  
• "anchorage map" not roads: search for all metadata containing the text "anchorage map" but not the word "roads" in the title.

In the remote search the user can select multiple servers from the list; as an alternative, the user can select a profile; this automatically selects all servers defined for that profile. For instance, the GeoNetwork profile selects all GeoNetwork servers providing remote search capabilities. Since remote Z39.50 transactions can be very slow, the user can define a timeout for the transaction of 10, 20 and 30 seconds.

Spatial data and related applications. Spatial data that can be found in the GeoNetwork is often used as basic data in advanced web-based applications. These applications target specific problems related to agriculture, livestock, forests, fisheries and food security issues.

The user will be provided with links to these related applications.
Related applications will also allow the user to see what other spatial data makes part of the application.
Related applications can in some cases directly be viewed through the GeoNetwork Dynamic Map interface.

Downloading spatial data. Spatial data is often available for download. Data is provided in data formats that are compatible with most professional GIS applications and a variety of FOSS GIS tools. Most data sets distributed from DataMIL are statewide in spatial coverage and archived as 7-zip files.

Downloadable data has a link to proceed for download. You will have to agree with any download conditions (in the metadata acess constraints) and a disclaimer (as described on the About DataMIL page.) Some data sets will provide a direct link to another site where the data can be downloaded.

For Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's), Tutorials, Reference Manuals and other information on the use of GeoNetwork opensource, please refer to the Documentation center on The GeoNetwork opensource Community website

Through the Map Production Lab, users can create maps and download data which is geographically referenced for any part of Delaware.

To enter Map Lab, click on the "Enter Map Lab" text box with the screen shot of Map Lab. This is located on the right-hand side of the Home page. The Map Lab will display an opening view of Delaware.

Navigation tools are along the top: Zoom In, Zoom Out, Zoom Full, Pan, Identify, Draw and Erase. The default tool is Zoom In. Using your mouse you can click and drag a box around an area to which you're interested in zooming. These options are fairly self explanatory.

Table of Contents: On the right side of the Map Lab you'll see a list of map layers available. As you zoom in, more layers are available and more labeling will appear.

To turn Layers on or off:

• Click the check box to toggle between visible and not visible.
• To expand/collapse a Category - click on the arrowhead
• Once layers are selected, click the Refresh Map button (below the Table of Contents).
• If you wish to reset the map to the original extent, click the Clear Map button.

Scale Dependencies

Many layers in the MapLab cannot be viewed until you are zoomed into a specific scale. This is a common practive in GIS cartography in order to make cleaner and cleaer maps (and to increase performance when online!) In order to assist users we've developed the table below to show which layers are available and their respective scale dependencies. Please refer to this table if you aren't able to see a specific layer.

MapLab Functions

	Once an area of interest is selected you can click the Create A Map button. This function produces a letter size PDF map which can be printed or downloaded. When the map is produced click on the Download link to view the map and save it by clicking on the diskette icon.
	To extract vector data and associated metadata, click the Extract Data button. A pop-up window will offer a choice of the visible data layers to extract. Simply click the check box next to each layer you want, then click the "Get Data" button at the bottom of the pop-up window. The window will change to indicate the data is being extracted and you will get a Download link. Click this link to open or save the zipped data to your computer. This tool will not extract rasters or images (see Download Image).
	Click this button to create a large format DataMIL Topographic Map. A pop-up window provides you two ways of downloading the maps. You can either click on the interactive map on the right side of the box, or select the USGS topo quad name from the drop down list at the bottom left and click the Get Topo button. These new maps replace the old USGS 7.5 minute topographic maps, since the USGS is no longer producing hard copy maps.
	While zoomed to an area of interest the image can be downloaded. Selectable options include legend, location map and size of the map image. This function produces a zipped file which contains all the images requested (map, legend, location map) along with a world file which spatially references the map image. To save the zipped file, simply click on the Download all images and worldfile link in the Map Download window. This tool should be used to download raster images.
	Use the search function to find locations in Delaware. Type the location name of interest in the white box, click go, and a results window will open listing all possible matches regardless of type (road, water feature, place, school, municipality, etc.). Clicking on the item of interest from this list will zoom the map to that location.
	Use this tool to send comments or report data errors to the DataMIL staff. While in the MapLab the user can use the draw tool (top) and draw a box around the area with an error. Clicking this icon will display our Intelligent Contact Us form. Users can: include their map from the Map Lab; specify the data category with error; indicate if they have a question or are reporting an error. Click the submit button at the bottom to send your message or error to the DataMIL staff.
	Use this tool to quickly zoom to a place in Delaware. Select a place name from the dropdown list and the Map Lab will zoom automatically to that location. Or use the Zoom to Scale option in that function to preset a scale for the map; either choose a standard scale or define your own in the scale box.

Connecting to DataMIL ArcIMS Server through ArcGIS Desktop

1. Open ArcCatalog
2. Click on GIS Servers
3. Double Click on Add ArcIMS Server
4. URL of server should read http://datamil.delaware.gov
5. Keep all defaults
6. Click OK button at bottom of window

Now there will be a listing in ArcCatalog for datamil.delaware.gov under GIS Servers section. Double click this entry to view all of the Image Services and the DE_featureservice listings.

Using DataMIL in ArcCatalog

• View any Image Service using the Preview Tab and then use the pan and zoom tools.
• Double click DE_featureservice entry to see a listing of the feature datasets available. Use Preview Tab and the pan and zoom tools to navigate the feature datasets.

Note: Scale Dependencies are set for many of the Image and Feature Services so you may need to zoom in to see anything in the Preview window.

Using DataMIL in ArcMap

• Add Image Services and Feature Services as you would any other data layer.
• Image Services do not allow user to change scale dependencies or how the layers are symbolized.
• Feature Services can be treated as any other data layer - change scale dependencies, symbology, labeling, export data, etc.

First you'll need to download ArcExplorer Java Edition from ESRI's website: Download ArcExplorer

Download the files to your PC, extract the files from the zip file and then run the setup.exe in that folder. Follow the set up instructions selecting all of the defaults. Be sure to accept the licensing agreement.

To open the ArcExplorer Java Edition application: Start - Programs - ArcGIS - ArcExplorer 9.1

This opens the ArcExplorer application window. This application can add data from a variety of websites, including the Delaware DataMIL and the Geography Network.

To add data from the Delaware DataMIL you'll need to connect to the DataMIL server.

1. Click on the Add Layers button (red plus sign with layers under it). A new window will open which will be a Catalog window and will allow you to navigate to different directories and add data from the internet as well.
2. Double click on the WWW link on the right side of the window and then double click on Add Web Site. A new window appears WWW Connection. In the URL box, after the pre-filled http:// type in datamil.delaware.gov Then select the OK button at the bottom of the window. Now you'll see all the data available from the DataMIL site, both Image and Feature Services.
3. If you double click on the DE_featureservice you'll see all the individual data layers available to put on your map.
4. To add layers to your project, simply click on the layer of interest to highlight it, then click the "Add Data" button (red plus sign with layers under).

DataMIL offers several web mapping services available through the WMS 1.1.1 standard. These services are ArcIMS Image (AXL-based) map services WMS enabled through the ArcIMS WMS connector for ArcIMS version 9.2. All services made available through ArcIMS and WMS enabled.

All services have the same following coordinate system:

• NAD 1983 HARN Delaware State Plane meters.

The host server name for all of DataMIL's WMS services are as follows:

• http://datamil.delaware.gov/wmsconnector/com.esri.wms.Esrimap/ServiceName?

Supported coordinate systems in WMS GetMap requests are:

Note that ESRI:102257 is the source coordinate system of all datasets and map services.

Service names, layer names and other information can be found on our Data page.

All data and services have the same following coordinate system:

• NAD 1983 HARN Delaware State Plane meters.

7-Zip is an high performance, open source file compression and archive software program. It behaves in much the same way as WinZip, Stuffit, or Gzip. It has a GUI interface as well as comand line. The file extension for all 7zip archives is .7z. The Windows version of the program can extract 7z file simply by right-clicking on the file or by double-clicking on it. It has a nice, easy to use interface.

Being open source, you can use 7-zip on any computer for any purpose. There's now no reason why you can't use the same compression software at home or work. 7-Zip began in 2000 and maintains a rapidly growing user base.

Nearly all of the compressed files on DataMIL are in the 7z format.

• Completely free and open-source
• Available on multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, Unix, Linux
• High compression ratio (much better than Zip archives)
• Integrated command line version; easily can be used in shell scripting
• Supports numerous formats, including zip, tar, gz, cagb, jar, rar, arj
• Did I mention it was free?

Download it now for free!