Map Path Editor

Map Path Editor is a tool that allows you to inspect, repair, and replace the workspace paths or SDE connection properties in map documents (.mxd) and map service definition (.msd) files. The tool is based on the Eclipse Rich Client Platform(RCP) framework and leverages the ArcObjects APIs provided by the ArcGIS Server for Java Edition installation.

Replacing Workspace Path of Layers/Tables

To check and replace the broken Workspace paths for layers/tables in an .mxd or .msd document, launch the Map Path Editor by using the provided executable and script. These are mappatheditor.exe for Windows and startMapPathEditor.sh for UNIX, both under <ArcGIS Server Installation Directory>/arcgis/server10.0/java/tools/mappatheditor.

% <ArcGIS Server Installation directory>/arcgis/server10.0/java/tools/mappatheditor/startMapEditor.sh

After Map Path Editor starts, click the Open icon and browse to an .mxd or .msd document . The layers in the map document are listed in the Table of Contents (TOC) on the left, and the map image is drawn on the right with the default map extent. All layers with broken Workspace paths will be preceded by a red exclamation in the TOC.

Map Path Editor allows you to repair and update workspace path or ArcSDE connection properties even when the data source is not available at the moment when the map document is being prepared for publishing. Right-clicking on any one layer in the .mxd or .msd document opens one of the Replace menus, either Replace Workspace Path or Replace Connection Properties, depending on the data source type of the layer/table’s being repaired.

If your layer/table's data resides in an enterprise geodatabase, the Replace Workspace Path dialog will allow you to change the ArcSDE connection properties of your workspace.

If your layer uses file-based data, the Replace Workspace Path dialog will allow you to browse to your layer's workspace folder.

On Linux/Solaris, make sure that the dataset's name has no case differences with what the layer/table expects. For example, in the situation shown above, the layer being repaired expects a raster, hillshade.img, as indicated in the Raster dataset field of the Replace Workspace Path dialog. Hence, the /data/Yellowstone folder must contain the raster hillshade.img. If there is no matching raster dataset name due to a difference in case, such as Hillshade.img in this example, the layer will remain broken.

A map document can have multiple data frames. The active data frame is always visible in the map window. All other data frames are grayed out in the TOC. To inspect the content of the inactive data frames, right-click the data frame and select View Data Frame. The inactive data frame will be visible in the map window.

The Map Path Editor can only modify the layer/table’s workspace path. It cannot be used to change the dataset name or workspace type of the layer/table’s data source. After specifying the new workspace folder or connection properties, you can apply the change to only that layer/table by using the Replace button, or to all layers/tables in the map document pointing to the same workspace by using the Replace All button. You can save the modified map by using the Save button. The Save dialog gives you the option to store the absolute or relative path in the map document.

Supported layers

Map Path Editor can replace the workspace path of layers/tables that use the following data source types:

• Coverage
• Shapefile
• TIN
• SDC
• VPF
• netCDF
• Geodatabase
  • File
  • Personal
  • Enterprise

• Raster
  • ESRI GRID, GRID Stack, BIL, BIP, and BSQ
  • ERDAS IMAGINE, 7.5 LAN, 7.5 GIS, Raw
  • TIFF, GeoTIFF
  • JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP
  • MrSID
  • NITF
  • CIB
  • CADRG
  • ADRG
  • ER Mapper, ECW
  • ASCII Grid
• CAD
  • AutoCAD DWG, DXF
  • MicroStation DGN

Layer/Table's workspace

A layer/table’s workspace specifies where the layer/table's data exists. When the data is in an enterprise geodatabase, the workspace is represented by the ArcSDE connection parameters used to access the enterprise geodatabase. When the data is represented by a file or a set of files, such as shapefiles, the workspace is the folder containing these files. When the data is represented by a folder or a set of folders, such as GRID rasters or coverages, the workspace is the folder containing these folders. For file geodatabases, the workspace is the folder ending with the .gdb extension, and for personal geodatabases, the workspace is the file ending with an .mdb extension. Being familiar with a dataset's workspace will help replacing the broken workspace paths of a layer/table.

Online updates

You can use the Map Path Editor’s built-in update manager to check for and download updates that are posted on the ArcGIS Resource Center Web site. To do so, click Help > Update.

This opens the Product Configuration dialog box. Select Map Path Editor Web Update Site, then click Next.. Follow the install instructions to complete the update procedures.

If there is currently no update available, the following pop-up windows will be returned.