PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
April 2018
181
BOOK
REVIEW
Getting to know ArcGIS PRO
Michael Law, Amy Collins
ESRI press: Redlands, CA 2016. x and 461 pp., diagrams,
maps, photos, images, index. Softcover. $39.99 (from ESRI).
ISBN 9781589484573.
Reviewed by:
Gabor Barsai, Associate Professor,
Surveying Engineering, Ferris State University, Big
Rapids, Michigan.
ArcGIS Pro is the latest version of ESRI’s extensive ArcGIS
software. This book teaches the basic functions and capabili-
ties of ArcGIS Pro through example workflows. Data is avail-
able from ESRI. The authors have several “Getting to know
ArcGIS” books now, so the book is well versed on the function-
ality of the software and complements the existing books. It
has the usual examples of visualizing, querying, editing.
The book consists of ten chapters and a glossary for a total
of 467 pages including a task index. Each chapter begins with
a highlighted introduction, often specifically referencing how
the information in the chapter will be of use to GIS managers.
Each chapter then contains an exercise relating to the chapter
topic. The book starts out with easy exercises and progressive-
ly becomes more and more advanced, going into 3D represen-
tation and Python programming. This review will focus on the
features that set the book apart from more traditional GIS
texts.
Each chapter contains the estimated time required to finish
the exercises. The first few chapters are basic data collection
and editing including some text on Collector for ArcGIS, an
app used for collecting data on a mobile device. A refreshing
addition to many chapters is a real-world example of how the
exercises can be used by GIS personnel: Centers for Disease
Control maps for tracking disease, Ogden, Utah police maps
for tracking crime.
There is a welcome chapter on ArcGIS online. Many times
GIS textbooks will leave out online versions, although this
seems the easiest way to start and may provide the beginner
user with easier options than the full desktop option. ArcGIS
online can also be used with collaborative mapping, contained
in one of the chapters.
Basic tasks like geocoding, creating features are covered in
well-written chapters with fine exercises.
The geoprocess modeling chapter is very easy to follow, it
shows how to set up repetitive tasks and add it to the toolbox.
One way to do this is done through Modelbuilder. ModelBuild-
er is an application which allows the creation, editing, and
management of flowcharts digitally.
A nice property of the ESRI Modelbuilder is that it can be
exported as a Python program. The chapter on Python pro-
gramming gives a brief look into the language but unless Py-
thon is known by the reader, it is difficult to follow the various
commands, the reader will have to experiment on their own
with Python. It is difficult to create a chapter just on Python,
as the language has been adapted to ArcGIS by ESRI and is
so varied that a few pages on programming is just not enough,
perhaps the ESRI book “Python scripting for ArcGIS” would be
a good reference.
There is a very short chapter on animating data: allowing
the user to see how data changes over time. This is an excel-
lent addition to ArcGIS, as features are not static: cars move,
hurricanes move. The user can witness representations of
changes over time while manipulating the direction of view,
the pace or the parameters of the map displayed.
The final chapter deals with creating a map layout for dis-
play purposes. This is very important as the end result of GIS
work has to be displayed to the customer. If the layout is hard
to read, no matter how good the data is, all the work had been
for naught.
This book has very little on projections/coordinate systems,
which is many times the downfall of a beginner user. Even
latitude/longitude for the same location is different depending
on which datum is used.
The “Getting to Know ArcGIS” books are excellent resourc-
es if class attendance is not possible. While some chapters of
the book may be difficult to use for the complete beginner, it
does give good insight into the various ArcGIS products for
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 84, No. 4, April 2018, pp. 181–182.
0099-1112/17/181–182
© 2018 American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.84.4.181
