PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
December 2019
861
BOOK
REVIEW
Someone said that the secret to mastering new software
resides not in how fast one can learn the new, but rather in
how quickly one is able to forget the old. Dr. Maribeth Price’s
book helps us set out on the path to do just that, albeit her
work does not intend to relegate ArcMap to oblivion.
In fact, the book is not intended to promote a “clean break”
from the “old”, but rather to provide a roadmap to a transition
into the “new”; the author provides throughout the book – but
only when necessary – a measured dose of essential compari-
sons between the two software products.
Decades-long users of Esri technology, like myself, will
find Dr. Price’s workbook valuable in that in illustrating the
richness of ArcGIS Pro it provides a logical guide for us to
embrace its new looks and capabilities.
The workbook is organized into eleven chapters:
Chapter 1:
Contemplating the switch to ArcGIS Pro; Chapter 2: Unpack-
ing the GUI; Chapter 3: The project; Chapter 4: Navigating
and exploring maps; Chapter 5: Symbolizing maps; Chapter
6: Geoprocessing; Chapter 7: Tables; Chapter 8: Layouts;
Chapter 9: Managing data; Chapter 10: Editing; Chapter 11:
Moving forward
. Ten of the eleven chapters include a “Back-
ground” section, followed by a “Time to Explore” section, this
one containing a list of “Objectives” to be accomplished by
use of the software. The number of objectives varies from two
to eight, with most chapters having between five and seven
objectives. Upon their completion, one is left with enough
knowledge of the software and a sense of confidence in being
able to find answers to questions.
Chapter 11 contains a list of suggested advanced capabili-
ties for future exploration. The enumeration helps to illustrate
how ArcGIS Pro fits neatly in the ever-evolving ESRI eco-
system and its relationships with other components, such as
ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, field data collection apps,
such as Survey 123 and Collector, 3D visualization and space-
time data exploration, among others. Finally, data sources are
thoroughly documented in the last section of the book.
The version of ArcGIS Pro that was intended to be used
with the exercises (i.e. version 2.3), is mentioned at the onset,
on page 4. Using subsequent versions to complete the exer-
cise book could create discrepancies between some tabs of the
ribbon and the way it shows on the figures.
The text contains precise language that flows with clarity.
One can find, however, the rare abstruse construction [“
… or
network servers mounted on the computer…
” (page 29); “
… a
GIS server web map…
” (page 34); “
…Web scenes are available
from ArcGIS Online and other servers…
” (page 35).]
Errors involving non-specific screen captures shown in fig-
ures (e.g. Figure 2.6, Figure 5.7) and typographical errors are
extremely rare which can be overlooked as it does not affect
the quality of the work, or the effectiveness of the exercises.
Dr. Price encourages us to experiment freely with ArcGIS
Pro [“
…Play around with the interface, experiment with the
settings, and make messes with practice maps until creating a
good layout starts to become second nature
.” (page 110). “…
It’s
okay to be sloppy; this is just practice…
” (page 142).; “…
If this
news gives you the willies and visions of accidentally damaged
datasets, don’t panic.
” (page 131).]
Useful warnings are provided, such as when Dr. Price
states that “
…ArcGIS Pro Help won’t inform you when to
expect this functionality to arrive…
” (page 112). Or when she
warns on schema changes and edits that “
… users must be
extra careful to learn and remember when different types of
changes are being performed.
” (page 113). Best practices are
also hinted at: “
…Make it a habit to complete and save edits
before beginning a new task.
” (page 145).
Dr. Price tells us twice that the software may behave in
ways that are “
…potentially confusing and frustrating.
”
(pages 114 and 126). She also warns us that sometimes “
…
users will have to grapple with (the question) to find a balance
that works for them.
” (page 117), as “
…a project is intended to
be used by an individual, not a group, unless special precau-
tions are taken.
” (page 117).
Wisely and reiteratively, Dr. Price warns us about the
few shortcomings that ArcGIS Pro has when compared with
ArcGIS for Desktop [“
… Users who rely on certain advanced
strategies might need to stick with ArcMap for editing annota-
tion, at least for a while.
” (page 136); “
…but ArcGIS does not
yet have as many construction tools as ArcMap.
” (page 149).]
Special attention is given to the issue of cardinality under
the “
Joining and relating tables
” section (page 84), where the
author expands on how the concept changes when applied to
a spatial join.
Part lifesaver and part travel companion, Dr. Price’s work-
book constitutes essential reading for the GIS professional,
as one commits to embark anew in a migration cycle heralded
by Esri. “
Switching to ArcGIS Pro from ArcMap
” gives us
the opportunity to safely leave behind the familiar and safe,
but now constraining shores of ArcMap and cross over to the
bountiful, promising land of ArcGIS Pro.
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 85, No. 12, December 2019, pp. 861.
0099-1112/19/861
© 2019 American Society for
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.85.12.861
Switching to ArcGIS Pro from ArcMap
Maribeth H. Price
Esri Press, Redlands CA, 162 pp., color figures, index.
ISBN-13 978-1589485440, ISBN-10 1589485440
Reviewed by
Demetrio P. Zourarakis, Ph.D., GISP,
CMS (GIS/LIS, LiDAR, RS), GIS/Remote Sensing
Analyst, Independent Consultant
