Exercise 2b: Exporting data with the Quick Export tool

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: ArcGIS Tutorial Data Setup Data Path: C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\ Goal: Export geodatabase data to a MapInfo TAB dataset using the Quick Export tool.

The Quick Export tool converts geodatabase feature classes or feature layers to any external dataset supported by the Data Interoperability extension using a simple one-to-one translation. This tool is ideal for exporting data to nonnative datasets when your workflow does not require feature geometry or schema to be modified.

In this exercise, you export geodatabase zoning data to a MapInfo TAB dataset.

Using the Quick Export dialog box, you perform the following tasks:

• Specify the geodatabase data source.
• Choose the FME writer and specify the data destination.
• Accept the default writer parameters.
• Accept the coordinate system defined by the data source.
• Export the data.

After exporting the data, you add the dataset to ArcMap to verify your results.

Open the tool and specify input

Prerequisite:

The Data Interoperability extension must be enabled.

Before starting this exercise, you must have completed the previous exercise, Exercise 2a: Importing data with the Quick Import tool.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Click the Catalog Window button on the Standard toolbar.
3. Find and open the Quick Export tool using the Search window .
4. Type C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\zoning\zoning.gdb in the Location text box and press ENTER.

   The location is added to the Catalog tree under the Folders Connection heading.

5. Drag the zoning feature class into the Input Features text box.

Specify the output and run the tool

Steps:

1. Click the Output Dataset browse button.

   The Specify Data Destination dialog box opens.

Choosing the FME writer

Steps:

1. Click the Format browse button.

   The FME Writer Gallery dialog box opens.

2. Type tab in the Search text box.
3. Click the row listing MapInfo TAB (MITAB) and click OK.

   The FME Writer Gallery dialog box closes.

Specifying the data destination and running the tool

Steps:

1. Click the Dataset browse button.

   The Select Folder dialog box opens.

2. Navigate to the C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Data Interoperability\zoning folder and click Open.

   The Select Folder dialog box closes and the Dataset text box is populated with the path. By default, the MapInfo TAB writer uses the input feature class name.

3. Click OK.

   The Specify Data Destination dialog box closes.

4. Click OK.

   The tool executes the conversion in the background. A progress bar at the bottom of your map displays the name of the tool. When the tool is finished, a pop-up notification appears in the system tray. You can examine the details of the conversion in the Results window.

Add the data to ArcMap

Steps:

1. Click the zoning folder and press F5 to refresh the contents.
2. Expand the new zoning.tab dataset in the Catalog window.
3. Drag the zoning Polygon feature class into ArcMap and verify your results.

This completes the exercise.

Continue to the next exercise: Exercise 2c: Automating quick conversion tools with ModelBuilder.