Defining the database structure

The basic structure of a geodatabase consists of the feature datasets, feature classes, and nonspatial tables into which you organize your data, along with the attribute fields in feature class tables and nonspatial tables.

There are three ways to define the structure of a geodatabase. You may use one or all of the methods when building a single geodatabase.

 

 

The three methods for defining the structure of a geodatabases.

 

·  Import existing data

ArcCatalog provides tools to help you import existing data into a geodatabase. The data can be in one of the supported data formats or in another geodatabase. The import process creates new feature classes and tables. During import, you can rename attributes or exclude them.

 

·  Create the structure manually

You can use the wizards and tools provided in ArcCatalog to create new, empty feature datasets, feature classes, and tables and define the attribute fields. You can combine this method with the import method by manually creating a feature class and importing just the structure from existing data.

 

·  Use CASE tools

If you have an ArcEditor or ArcInfo license, you can use CASE tools to design and create a geodatabase. CASE tools are most useful for designing large, complex databases.

 

More information Working with CASE tools

CASE tools allow you to diagram the structure of the geodatabase using Unified Modeling Language (UML). UML is a notation system that has become an industry standard for diagramming object models.

The steps for generating a geodatabase schema are:

1.     Create your geodatabase design using UML in Microsoft Visio or Rational Rose.

2.     Export the UML diagram to an XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) file or to a Microsoft Repository, which stores the definition of all the UML elements.

3.     Add the CASE Tools Schema Wizard to the ArcCatalog interface, then use the Schema Wizard to generate the feature datasets, feature classes, and tables from your UML diagram.

 

Many ArcGIS data models are available as UML models in Visio format and can be downloaded from the ESRI website and modified to suit your needs.

For detailed information about creating geodatabase schema with UML and CASE tools, see the ArcGIS Desktop Help (Contents tab -> Building a geodatabase -> Building geodatabases with CASE tools).