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Getting Started

Version 1.0.2 Beta

Introduction Thank you for downloading the ArcGIS Public Garden Data Model 1.0.2 Beta! This document contains

instructions on how to install the model, a brief tour of its key features, recommendations on how to get

started using it, options for getting technical support, and instructions on how to provide the Alliance for

Public Gardens GIS with feedback on your experience using the data model.

By participating in our Beta Program you are helping us make the ArcGIS Public Garden Data Model

better for all public gardens. Thank you!

System Requirements The ArcGIS Public Garden Data Model is a geodatabase template that requires Esri's ArcGIS Desktop

software version 9.3 or higher. For complete functionality, including automated tools and detailed

object descriptions, we highly recommend ArcGIS 10. ArcGIS Desktop comes in three licensing levels

that increase in functionality from ArcView to ArcEditor to ArcInfo. The ArcEditor license level is

required at minimum for data creation and editing, and the ArcInfo level is optionally recommended for

performing spatial analysis.

For advanced spatial analysis functionality we also optionally recommend Esri's Spatial Analyst

extension, and for advanced text labeling functionality that is helpful in collection map production we

optionally recommend Esri's Maplex extension. Please note that the Maplex extension is included with

the ArcInfo license, but not the ArcEditor license. For mobile data collection we optionally recommend

Esri's ArcPad software version 8.0 or higher.

For more information on these Esri products, please visit the links below.

System Requirements | ArcEditor | ArcInfo | Spatial Analyst | Maplex | ArcPad

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Download & Installation 1. If you haven’t done so already, please download the beta version of the ArcGIS Public Garden

Data Model by first registering for the beta program and then downloading the model by visiting

the link below.

Beta Program Registration and Data Model Download

2. If you haven’t done so already, save the file when prompted to a folder on your computer’s hard

disk.

Note: You must have full administrative permissions to read, write, and modify data in this folder for the data model to function

correctly. If you are unsure about your permission levels, please contact your computer support staff before continuing. It is also

recommended that you save all work related to your GIS project in this folder for simplicity and that you back this folder up regularly

to avoid losing any work.

3. Open ArcCatalog and navigate to a folder on your computer’s hard disk where you would like to

store your GIS project data.

Note: It is recommended that you create a connection to this folder in ArcCatalog to make it easy to access your GIS project data by

clicking on the Connect to Folder icon on the Standard Toolbar and selecting the folder in the resulting window.

4. Create a new geodatabase from the File menu by selecting New > File Geodatabase. In the

Contents pane you should now see a gray cylinder icon named New File Geodatabase.

5. Rename the geodatabase to “Temp” by right-clicking on it and selecting Rename from the

resulting context menu.

Note: This geodatabase will be deleted during a later step.

6. Import the data model into the geodatabase by right-clicking on it and selecting Import > XML

Workspace Document. From the resulting window select the Schema Only option as shown in

Figure 1 below, and click the folder icon to browse to the location you saved the downloaded

file in Step 2. Click the Next > button. Click the Finish button. You should see a new window

displaying the progress of the import.

Note: If the Import > XML Workspace option is grayed out, it is likely that you do not have the correct license level of ArcGIS Desktop.

ArcEditor or ArcInfo is required to import and work with the data model. Please contact Esri or your computer support staff to obtain

the correct license level.

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Figure 1. Import XML Workspace Document

7. Verify that the import completed successfully by double-clicking on the geodatabase. You

should see objects inside the geodatabase named BaseMap, Enclosure, etc.

Setting the Spatial Reference 1. Create a new geodatabase from the File menu by selecting New > File Geodatabase. In the

Contents pane you should now see a gray cylinder icon named New File Geodatabase.

Note: You may create a Personal Geodatabase or an Enterprise Geodatabase for the data model if you wish. For more information

on which type to choose, please consult the ArcGIS help.

2. Rename the geodatabase to anything you like by right-clicking on it and selecting Rename from

the resulting context menu.

Note: A good name should include the version of the data model you downloaded to be used for future reference.

3. Open ArcMap and select Start using ArcMap with A new empty map and click the OK button

from the startup window in ArcGIS 9 if it appears automatically, or just click the Cancel button in

the getting started window in ArcGIS 10 if it appears automatically.

4. Click the Add Data button from the Standard Toolbar, navigate to the Temp geodatabase

created in Step 4 of the Download & Installation section, and add the AreaOfInterest polygon

feature class from the BaseMap feature dataset by selecting it and clicking the Add button. Click

the OK button on the Unknown Spatial Reference window if it appears.

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5. Add the Distributed Geodatabase toolbar to ArcMap from the View menu in ArcGIS 9 or from

the Customize menu in ArcGIS 10 by selecting Toolbars > Distributed Geodatabase.

6. Start the Extract Data Wizard by clicking the Extract Data button on the Distributed

Geodatabase toolbar.

7. Select the Schema Only option for What do you want to extract as shown in Figure 2 below.

8. Select the Geodatabase option for Which geodatabase do you want to extract to as shown in

Figure 2 below.

9. Click on the folder icon and navigate to the geodatabase created in Step 1 above.

10. Click the Show advanced options for overriding data extraction defaults when I click Next as

shown in Figure 2 below, and then click the Next > button.

Figure 2. Extract Data Wizard

11. Click the Next > button again.

12. Select the Specify a new spatial reference for the extracted schema option, and click the Edit

button.

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13. Change the spatial reference of the BaseMap feature dataset by clicking on the Select button to

choose the coordinate system from a predefined list or the Import button to import it from

another GIS dataset on your computer as shown in Figure 3 below. The value in the Name box

should change to reflect your selection. Click the OK button to finish and close the window.

Note: It is recommended that you use the coordinate system of your local governing jurisdiction to make data sharing and exchange

easier. If you are part of a campus, park, town, or city, contact the facilities or planning department to determine the appropriate

coordinate system. In the United States, the State Plane system for your area using the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83), is

the most common choice.

Figure 3. Feature Dataset Properties

14. Click the Next button and the Finish button to complete the process. You should see a new

window displaying the progress of the import.

15. Close ArcMap when the import completes.

16. Return to ArcCatalog and verify that the import completed successfully by double-clicking on the

geodatabase created in Step 1 above. You should see objects inside the geodatabase named

BaseMap, Enclosure, etc.

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17. Navigate to the Temp geodatabase and select the AerialPhotographyCatalog and

PublicGardenTools (ArcGIS 10 only) objects and copy them by clicking Copy from the Edit menu.

Note: You can select multiple objects by holding the Control (CRTL) key while clicking.

18. Navigate to the geodatabase created in Step 1 above, paste the copied objects into it by clicking

Paste from the Edit menu, and click OK in the Data Transfer window. Now your new

geodatabase should contain all of the objects in the data model.

19. Delete the Temp geodatabase by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete from the context

menu.

Exploring the Data Model Now that the data model is installed and the spatial reference is configured, you should take some time

to explore the data model and to learn where the features you will add to your GIS will be stored. If you

are not familiar with Esri’s geodatabase model, a good place to start is the ArcGIS Desktop help section

titled An overview of the geodatabase. Please visit the link below that is appropriate to your version of

ArcGIS Desktop and read through the entire section as necessary.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 and 9.3.1 | ArcGIS Desktop 10

Objects Once you are familiar with the geodatabase and its terminology, we can look at the objects of the data

model in detail. In ArcCatalog, browse to the location of your GIS determined in Step 3 of the Download

& Installation section of this document, and examine the objects contained in your geodatabase.

If you are using ArcGIS 10, you can select any object in the geodatabase and click on the Description tab

in the main window to display descriptive information about the use of the object as shown in Figure 4.

The Tags section of the object description contains key words that can be used in conjunction with the

ArcGIS 10 Search feature to quickly locate an object for a particular purpose. For instance, if you search

for “plants, data model”, the search will return all of the objects in the geodatabase that are associated

with plants, along with the information in the Summary section of the object description, so you can

quickly determine where to store your plant features. Object descriptions along with the search feature

are the best way to learn about the data model, and for that reason alone, we highly recommend the

use of ArcGIS 10.

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Figure 4. Object Description in ArcCatalog

Thematic Groups Objects in the data model are categorized into thematic groups based on their intended use. The name

of the thematic group that an object belongs to is included in the Tags section of the object description.

It can be used in conjunction with the ArcGIS 10 Search feature to quickly locate an object for a

particular purpose. A brief discussion of each group and a list of its members with their types, subtypes,

relationship, and topology rules are included in the Appendix at the end of this document for reference.

Note: Relationship classes are not included in this discussion, but are tagged with the names of the thematic groups their related feature classes

are members of.

Recommended Work Flow Since the data model is quite broad in its scope and can be used to map and analyze data for a wide

variety of uses, it can be difficult to determine a strategy for getting started. Whether you are starting a

new GIS program or migrating your data from one already in progress, following a few simple guidelines

can help make sure that things so as smoothly as possible.

Aerial Photography No matter what you plan on using the data model for, obtaining high resolution aerial photography for

your area of interest is always the best place to start. The planning department of your local

government should be able to provide you with these images by email or on disk for little or no cost

upon request. When requesting the images, be sure to make sure that they are orthorectified to

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remove the distorting effect of topography, that they are uncompressed if possible, and that you are

provided with information on the spatial reference of the images. Once you have obtained the images,

you can load them into the Aerial Photography Catalog by following the help topics for your version of

ArcGIS below.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or 9.3.1 | ArcGIS Desktop 10

Boundaries Once you have loaded aerial photography into the geodatabase, the next recommended step is to

import or create features for the boundaries of your garden. Many of the other feature classes in the

data model can be linked to their associated boundaries through the use of the feature ID number, so by

creating these boundaries first, it will be easier to link features together later. As detailed in the

Appendix at the end of this document, there are many feature classes included in the data model for

delineating boundaries starting at the small scale (zoomed out) with the Area of Interest feature class all

the way down to the large scale (zoomed in) with the Planting Bed feature class. Since the majority of

these boundaries are designed to nest inside one another, it is a good idea to start at the small scale and

work down to the large scale.

While complete instructions for creating new features is beyond the scope of this document, the general

procedure is to load the appropriate feature class into ArcMap, start editing, and digitize the features

using your aerial photography as reference. For more help on creating new features, please review the

entire section of the ArcGIS help for your version below.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or 9.3.1 | ArcGIS Desktop 10

If you have existing data that you would like to load into the data model, you can find more information

on how to do this by following the help topics for your version below.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or 9.3.1 | ArcGIS Desktop 10

Linking Features Many of the feature classes in the data model are connected to each other through the use of

relationship classes. This means that a given feature in one feature class can be associated with zero,

one, or many features in another feature class or table. An example of this is that a feature in the Mass

Planting feature class (used to delineate the boundary of a group of plants that may be too complex to

map as individuals) has several features in the Plant Center feature class (used to map the center point

of a given plant specimen) associated with it through the Mass Planting Has Plant Center relationship

class. By entering the value in the Mass Planting ID field for the mass planting polygon of interest in the

Mass Planting ID field of the plant center points of interest, these features are linked together. This

means that you can click on the mass planting polygon in ArcMap and quickly see which plant center

points are related to it or in another example, quickly run a report on all of the plants in a given section

of your garden.

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To employ this functionality, it is important to take special care to maintain unique values in the feature

ID field (i.e. Mass Planting ID, Plant Center ID, Section ID, etc.) in each feature class as you create or load

features into it. The easiest way to do this is to use the Calculate Field function available by right-

clicking on the column header for the feature ID field, and setting the expression equal to the OBJECTID

field. This will set the feature ID to be the same value as the OBJECTID field, which will always contain a

unique number. Once you have entered feature ID values for your features you can use these values to

link features in related feature classes together. For more information on working with related features,

please review the ArcGIS help for your version below.

ArcGIS 9.3 or 9.3.1 | ArcGIS Desktop 10

Topology The data model includes an extensive set of rules that govern the spatial relationships between features

in the geodatabase called Base Map Topology. These rules help to maintain data quality and assure that

any reporting or analysis you perform on your data will be accurate. A simple example of a topology

rule is Section Must Not Have Gaps. This means that the Section feature class must not have any gaps

between the polygons or they will be shown as an error. These rules make it easy to locate any errors

you may have made while creating the features in your GIS.

As you complete creating or loading the features for a particular feature class, it is always a good idea to

validate the topology and to correct any errors found. The rules in the Base Map Topology were created

as general guidelines for data integrity, and may not always work perfectly for your garden. In this

situation, you may mark a particular error as an exception so you do not encounter it in future validation

attempts. For more information on the topology rules associated with each object, please see the

Appendix at the end of this document. For more help on working with geodatabase topology, please

review the entire section of the ArcGIS help for your version below.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or 9.3.1 | ArcGIS Desktop 10

Next Steps Once you have created or loaded the boundaries for your garden and validated them using the included

topology rules, where you go next is dependent on what you plan to use your GIS for. Many gardens will

choose to work with the feature classes included in the Plants group of thematic objects, but others may

focus on facilities. Whatever direction you choose, the basic strategy you follow should always remain

the same: create or load your features, link them to any related feature classes, and then validate

features using the topology.

As you are working with the data model, you may find that the included objects and their subtypes,

fields, domains, and topology rules do not meet your needs. The data model is meant to serve as a

starting point, and is completely customizable. While it is recommended that you attempt to work

within the constraints of each feature class by not deleting anything, you should feel free to add

additional subtypes, fields, domains, and topology rules to meet your needs. If you feel that your

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customizations might benefit other gardens, please let us know and we will consider including your

revisions in future versions of the model.

Getting Help As you are working with the beta version of the ArcGIS Public Garden Data Model it is likely that at some

point you will need help or encounter errors with the ArcGIS Desktop software and the with the data

model. The Support section of the Alliance for Public Gardens GIS website contains help resources for

both ArcGIS Desktop and the data model, and should be your first stop for finding a solution.

If you need help with working with the data model, we encourage you to join our Google Group forum

and post your question or request to the group. An APGG representative or another member of the

group will respond as soon as possible with a solution or resource for additional help. If you prefer to

talk with someone in person or would like someone to help you with your project, we encourage you to

consider our project and support services available in the Services section of the APGG website.

If you believe that you have encountered an error with the data model, we ask that you use our bug

report form to document the issue and request assistance. We will attempt to respond to your request

and get back to you with a solution as soon as possible. While it may be at times difficult to determine if

the software or the data model is responsible for an error you encounter, a good rule of thumb to follow

is that if ArcGIS crashes and an error reporting screen is displayed, your problem is likely with ArcGIS

Desktop and not the data model.

We understand that even for the trained GIS analyst, creating and working with a GIS can at times be a

difficult task. We find that the best way to overcome many of the difficulties you may encounter is with

proper education. The APGG is working to assemble a comprehensive training program for working with

the data model and creating a public garden GIS, and is posting these resources along with those

provided by Esri to the Training section of our website as they become available.

APGG Support | Google Group | APGG Services | Report a Bug | APGG Training

Thank you once again for downloading and working with the ArcGIS Public Garden Data Model. We are

committed to helping make your experience and that of all public gardens as smooth as possible, and

are anxious to hear your feedback. Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions and

comments via the link below. Good luck with your GIS project!

Contact the APGG

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Appendix

Thematic Groups

Animals

The data model is designed to work in conjunction with an animal management system like the

Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS). The Enclosure table is designed to store

information about animal enclosures and can be connected to information in an animal management

system by creating a relate using the Enclosure Code field.

Object Name Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Enclosure Table Amphibian

Bird

Insect

Fish

Mammal

Plant

Reptile

Mixed

Other

Barrier

Exhibit

Structure

N/A

Boundaries

Boundaries are one of the most complex and diverse set of objects in the data model, and feature

classes are included to meet most needs. Many of these feature classes are designed to nest inside of

one another to form a seamless set of boundaries with ever increasing detail as shown in Figure 5, while

others can be used independently to define work zones or restricted areas.

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Figure 5. Nesting Boundaries

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Area of Interest

Boundaries of a data set or project.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Construction

Dataset Extent

Event

Renovation

Research

Other

N/A N/A

Collection Plant or animal collection boundaries.

Polygon N/A Plant Center Must Be Covered By Feature Class Of Property

District Broad administrative boundaries.

Polygon N/A Operational Area

Property

Must Not Have Gaps

Must Not

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Section Overlap

Exhibit Boundaries of exhibits.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Animal

Art

Botanical

Educational

Mixed

Other

Enclosure

Section

Must Be Covered By Property

Must Not Have Gaps

Guest Experience

Boundaries of visitor amenities.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Amusement Ride

Arcade

Gift Shop

Petting Zoo

Picnic Area

Playground

Restaurant

Restroom

Show

Tour

Transportation

Other

N/A Must Be Covered By Property

Interpretive Area

Boundaries of areas used for education and interpretation.

Polygon N/A N/A Must Be Covered By Section

Must Not Overlap

Operational Area

Operational areas for administrative, curatorial, facilities, horticultural, janitorial, and other staff.

Polygon UNKOWN

Administrative

Curatorial

Horticulture

Facilities

Janitorial

Other

District Must Cover Each Other District

Subtypes Must Not Overlap

Subtypes Must Not Have Gaps

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Planting Area Boundaries of plantable areas.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Soil

Turf

Wild

Mixed

Other

Plant Center

Planting Bed

Section

Must Be Covered By Section

Must Not Overlap

Planting Bed Boundaries of planting beds.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Level

Raised

Other

Planting Area

Plant Center

Must Be Covered By Planting Area

Property Property boundaries.

Polygon N/A District

Entrance & Exit

Institution

Property Must Be Covered By Dataset Extent

Must Not Overlap

Must Cover Each Other District

Must Not Have Gaps

Must Cover Each Other Section

Reference Grid Reference grid for living plant collection mapping and/or map book creation.

Polygon N/A N/A Must Not Overlap

Must Not Have Gaps

Restricted Area

Boundaries of areas with restricted access.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Construction

Equipment Yard

Hazardous Materials

Nursery

Quarantine

Staging Area

Entrance & Exit Must Be Covered By Property

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Undeveloped

Other

Section Detailed administrative boundaries.

Polygon N/A Bench

District

Exhibit

Planted Hardscape

Planting Area

Structure

Must Not Have Gaps

Must Not Overlap

Climate

The data model includes the capacity map and model climate data with the Weather Station feature

class and the associate Weather Observation table. Observation data can be analyzed to produce

climate maps based on temperature and relative humidity that can be divided into areas with similar

microclimates that can be stored in the Bioclimatic Zone feature class.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Bioclimatic Zone

Boundaries for microclimates.

Polygon N/A N/A Must Be Covered By Property

Must Not Overlap

Must Not Have Gaps

Weather Station

Locations of weather stations.

Point N/A Plant Center

Product Information

Weather Observation

Must Be Properly Inside Dataset Extent

Weather Observation

Weather observation data.

Table N/A Weather Station N/A

Cultural

The data model includes three feature classes for mapping cultural features based on their geometry.

Cultural Area can be used to delineate a cultural resource area such as a historic property, Cultural Line

can be used to map linear features like a historic route or wall, and Cultural Point can be used to map

points of interest or a historic well.

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Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Cultural Area Boundaries of cultural resource areas.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Cultural Resource

Point of Interest

N/A Must Be Covered By Property

Cultural Line Cultural line features.

Line UNKNOWN

Cultural Resource

Point of Interest

N/A Must Not Self Overlap

Cultural Point Cultural resource point features.

Point UNKNOWN

Cultural Resource

Point of Interest

N/A Must Be Properly Inside Property

Facilities

The data model includes a number of objects for mapping facilities. The Structures and Landscape

Structures feature classes can be used to map buildings and other built items in the landscape. The

Barriers feature class can be used to map fences and walls. The Entrance & Exit feature class can be

used to map the locations of ingress and egress points. Visitor amenities can be mapped in the Barrier

and Waste Container feature classes.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Barrier Barriers like fences, walls, moats.

Line UNKNOWN

Barrier

Fence

Gate

Moat

Railing

Retaining Wall

Seat Wall

Wall

Other

Enclosure

Entrance & Exit

Planted Hardscape

Must Not Overlap

Bench Benches, chairs, and

Point UNKNOWN Product Information

Must Be Properly Inside

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tables. Bench

Chair

Picnic Table

Table

Other

Section Property

Entrance & Exit Entrances and exits to, from, or through barriers, people movers, properties, restricted areas, and structures.

Point UNKNOWN

Barrier

People Mover

Property

Restricted Area

Structure

Other

Barrier

People Mover

Property

Restricted Area

Structure

Barrier Must Be Covered By Line Barrier

People Mover Must Be Covered By Boundary Of People Mover

Property Must Be Covered By Boundary Of Property

Restricted Area Must Be Covered By Boundary Of Restricted Area

Structure Must Be Covered By Boundary Of Structure

Landscape Structure

Boundaries of landscape structures.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Arbor or Pergola

Deck

Fountain

Gazebo

Ornamental Bridge

Rock Work

Stage

Trellis

Other

Planted Hardscape

Must Not Overlap With Structure

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Product Information

Product installation and maintenance information.

Table N/A Bench

Bollard

People Mover

Traffic Sign

Waste Container

Weather Station

N/A

Structure Buildings and other structures.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Administration

Education

Exhibit

Facilities

Horticulture

Research

Visitor Amenity

Mixed

Other

Enclosure

Entrance & Exit

Planted Hardscape

Section

Must Not Overlap With Planting Area, Planting Bed, Landscape Structure, Trail, Pavement Segment

Exhibit Must Be Covered By Exhibit

Waste Container

Containers for trash, recycling, and other waste.

Point UNKNOWN

Compost

Cardboard Recycling

Metal Recycling

Paper Recycling

Plastic Recycling

Mixed Recycling

Trash

Other

Product Information

Must Be Properly Inside Property

Hydrography

The data model includes many feature classes for mapping and modeling water. These feature classes

are based on the Arc Hydro data model, and if the modeling of runoff and flow is desired, upgrade to the

full model is easy and recommended.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

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Hydro Area Boundaries of water bodies and related hydrologic structures.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Waterbody

Structure

Other

Hydro Line Must Not Overlap

Must Not Overlap with Structure

Hydro Drainage

Watershed and catchment boundaries.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Watershed

Catchment

Other

N/A Catchment Must Not Overlap

Catchment Must Not Have Gaps

Catchment Must Be Covered By Watershed

Watershed Must Not Overlap

Watershed Must Not Have Gaps

Hydro Line Linear hydrographic features such as flowlines and shorelines.

Line UNKNOWN

Flowline

Shoreline

Other

Hydro Area

Hydro Point

Flowline Must Not Self Overlap

Flowline Must Not Self-Intersect

Shoreline Must Not Intersect

Shoreline Must Not Overlap

Shoreline Must Be Covered By Boundary Of Waterbody

Hydro Point Hydrographic point features.

Point UNKNOWN

Monitoring Point

Other Point

Hydro Line

Water Sample

Monitoring Point Must Be Covered By Line Hydro Line

Water Sample Water Table N/A Hydro Point N/A

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quality analysis.

Imagery

The data model includes the Aerial Photography Catalog that can be used to store all aerial photography

in its original, unprocessed format and displayed selectively by date.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Aerial Photography Catalog

All aerial photography in its original, unprocessed format from the data source.

Raster Catalog N/A N/A N/A

Plants

The ability to map and analyze plants is a core feature of the data model and a number of feature

classes are included to facilitate this on multiple scales. The Plant Center feature class is the center of

this group and is used to map the center point of a plant specimen. It is closely related to the Mass

Planting feature class which is used to map the boundaries of groups of plants that are too dynamic or

complex to map as individuals. These two feature classes are related to one another so that a Mass

Planting feature must contain one or more Plant Center features to indicate the individual species the

mass contains. A number of tables are related to the Plant Center feature class to store information on

tree benefits, tree health and hazards, and maintenance. Unmanaged vegetation can be mapped with

the Natural Vegetation feature class.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Mass Planting Boundaries of groups of plants.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Homogeneous

Mixed (2 species)

Mixed (3 species)

Mixed (4 species)

Mixed (5 species)

Mixed (5+

Plant Center Must Not Overlap

Contains Point Plant Center

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species)

Natural Vegetation

Boundaries of natural or unmanaged vegetation areas.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Forest & Woodland

Shrubland & Grassland

Semi-Desert

Polar & High Montane Vegetation

Aquatic Vegetation

Nonvascular & Sparse Vascular Rock Vegetation

N/A Must Not Overlap

Plant Center Center point for living plant specimens.

Point UNKNOWN

Plant Center

Mass Planting

Collection

Mass Planting

Plant Center Annotation

Planted Hardscape

Planting Area

Planting Bed

Plant Maintenance

Tree Benefit

Tree Hazard & Health

Weather Station

Must Be Properly Inside Planting Area

Plant Center Annotation

Map labels for plant center points.

Annotation Mass Planting

Plant Center

Plant Center N/A

Planted Hardscape

Boundaries of planted hardscape.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Barrier

Container

Barrier

Landscape Structure

Pavement

Must Be Covered By Section

Must Be

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Landscape Structure

Pavement

Structure

Other

Segment

Plant Center

Section

Structure

Covered By Planting Area

Plant Maintenance

Plant work orders and maintenance history.

Table Maintenance

Work Order

Plant Center N/A

Tree Benefit Required fields to perform a tree benefit assessment using the i-Tree Eco model.

Table N/A Plant Center N/A

Tree Hazard & Health

Fields required for performing a tree hazard and health assessment.

Table N/A Plant Center N/A

Reference

The data model includes two tables for storing data about the GIS called metadata. The Institution table

stores information about the garden that can be used in data sharing efforts, and the Journal table can

be used to track your progress building the GIS.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Institution Institutional identification information and statistics.

Table N/A Property N/A

Journal List of objects in the geodatabase and their completion

Table N/A N/A N/A

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status.

Soils & Geology

A number of feature classes are also included for mapping soils and geology. The Soil feature class

should be used to store information derived from a local soil survey and the Soil SSURGO feature class

should be used to store soil data downloaded from the NRCS and can be linked with the SSURGO data

model.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Geology Boundaries of geologic units.

Polygon N/A N/A Must Not Overlap

Must Not Have Gaps

Soil Boundaries of soil types.

Polygon N/A Soil Sample Must Not Overlap

Must Not Have Gaps

Soil Sample Soil point sample locations.

Point N/A Soil

Soil SSURGO

Must Be Properly Inside Dataset Extent

Soil SSURGO USDA NRCS SSURGO soil survey map unit boundaries.

Polygon N/A Soil Sample Must Not Have Gaps

Must Not Overlap

Topography

Elevation data can be stored in the data model with the Elevation Contour and Elevation Point feature

classes. This data can then be used to build a Triangular Irregular Network (TIN) model that can be used

to derive slope, aspect, hillshade, and other elevation products.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Elevation Contour

Topographic contour lines of equal elevation.

Line UNKNOWN

Index

Intermediate

Supplemental

Depression

N/A Must Not Intersect

Must Not Self-Intersect

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Elevation Point Spot elevations.

Point N/A N/A N/A

Survey Monument

Locations of survey monuments.

Point UNKNOWN

Angle Point

Auxiliary Meander Corner

Intersection Point

Location Corner

Location Monument

Lot Corner

Meander Corner

Mile Corner

Mile Post

Point on Line

Witness Point

Other

N/A Must Be Properly Inside Dataset Extent

Transportation

The data model includes several feature classes for mapping and modeling transportation. The

Pavement Segment feature class is the core of this group, and many of the other feature classes relate

to it. It is used to map paved surfaces, and is analogous to the Trail feature class which is used to map

unpaved surfaces. Centerlines can be generated from both of these feature classes and stored in the

Pavement Centerline feature class for use in routing.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Bollard Bollards, posts, and similar traffic regulation devices.

Point UNKNOWN

Fixed

Removable

Retractable

Temporary

Other

Pavement Segment

Product Information

Must Be Properly Inside Property

Curb Curbs that Line UNKNOWN Pavement Must Not

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are generally on the edge of roads.

Rolled

Square

Ramp

Other

Segment Intersect

Must Not Self-Intersect

Pavement Centerline

Centerlines for pavement features.

Line UNKNOWN

Alley

Arterial

Bridge

Collector

Highway

Local

Pathway

Pedestrian Ramp

Sidewalk

Stairway

Trail

Vehicle Ramp

Other

Pavement Segment

Must Not Intersect

Must Not Self-Overlap

Must Not Overlap With Curb

Pavement Segment

Paved surfaces like roads, sidewalks, and patios.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Bridge

Driveway

Dock or Pier

Parking

Pathway

Patio or Terrace

Pedestrian Ramp

Road

Sidewalk

Sport Surface

Stairway

Other

Bollard

Curb

Pavement Segment

Planted Hardscape

Traffic Calming

Traffic Sign

Must Not Overlap

Must Not Overlap With Structure

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People Mover Boundaries for people movers.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Elevator

Escalator

Walkway

Other

Entrance & Exit

Product Information

N/A

Rail Rail lines. Line UNKNOWN

Train

Tram

Monorail

Other

N/A Must Not Overlap

Must Not Self-Intersect

Traffic Calming Locations of traffic calming devices.

Line UNKNOWN

Dip

Speed Bump

Speed Hump

Speed Table

Other

Pavement Segment

Must Not Intersect

Must Not Overlap With Curb

Must Not Overlap

Traffic Sign Locations of traffic signs.

Point UNKNOWN

Regulatory

Warning

Guide

Other

Pavement Segment

Product Information

Must Be Properly Inside Property

Trail Boundaries of trails and other unpaved roads and pathways.

Polygon UNKNOWN

Bridge

Parking

Pathway

Road

Stairway

Other

N/A Must Not Overlap

Must Not Overlap With Structure, Planting Area, Planting Bed, Pavement Segment, People Mover

Other

The Base Map feature dataset contains all of the feature classes in the data model that participate in the

Base Map Topology. The Public Garden Tools toolbox that is only available in the ArcGIS 10 version of

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the data model contains a set of geoprocessing tools and models that can be added to ArcToolbox.

These tools simplify performing common tasks such as attribute population, and will be expanded as the

data model continues to evolve.

Object Name Description Object Type Subtypes Relationships Topology Rules

Base Map Base map feature classes, relationships, and topology.

Feature Dataset

N/A N/A N/A

Public Garden Tools

Geoprocessing tools and models.

Toolbox N/A N/A N/A