Boosting Geoprocessing Productivity Continued from page 53 Task 1: Customize the ArcToolbox Window Now customize the ArcToolbox window. This project uses only a few toolboxes. Removing unneeded toolboxes will make it easier to find the ones that will be used. Removing toolboxes from the ArcToolbox window does not delete them from the program. All tools in toolboxes covered by the license level remain available and can be loaded back into ArcToolbox. To add a toolbox back into the ArcToolbox window, just right-click in the ArcToolbox window and select Add Toolbox. Navigate to the Toolboxes folder (typically C:\Program Files\arcgis\ ArcToolbox\) and select the desired toolbox. 1. Start removing the toolboxes not needed for this project by right-clicking 3D Analyst Tools and selecting Remove. Toolboxes are removed one by one, but once the process is done, it’s done. All the system tools that should be collected in the SystemTools toolset are shown. 2. Repeat this for all toolboxes except Analysis Tools, Conversion Tools, and Data Management Tools. 3. Save these settings by right-clicking in the ArcToolbox window and choosing Save Setting > To File. Name the file BufferSelectedWellsInStudyArea and save it to the project folder with the same name. Task 2: Create a Project Toolbox A project toolbox will be created in the BufferSelectedWellsInStudyArea project folder so geoprocessing work can be performed without having the ArcToolbox window open. 1. To change the default location of toolboxes and models in ArcCatalog (or ArcMap), Select Tools > Options, click the Geoprocessing tab, and navigate to the BufferSelectedWells InStudyArea_12Octk09 folder, click Apply and click OK. [To reinstate the default location for storing toolboxes, go to this dialog box again and click the Reset button.] 2. Right-click in the ArcToolbox window, choose New Toolbox, and name the new toolbox BufferSelectedWellsInStudyArea. 3. The project uses two types of tools: System tools that come with ArcGIS and Project tools that will be created. Creating two toolsets will keep these types of tools separate. Create the first toolset by selecting the BufferSelectedWellsInStudyArea toolbox, rightclicking it, and choosing New > Toolset. Name the new toolset SystemTools. [Note: Two toolsets may be generated—this is a known issue. Simply go to ArcCatalog and choose View > Refresh to remove the extra toolset from the display.] Drag the Create Folder tool onto the model. Right-click the tool and choose Make Variable > From Parameter > Folder Location. Right-click in the ArcToolbox window and choose Save Settings > To File to C:\ and name the file defaultATBwindowSettings. [Note: In ArcCatalog, it is necessary to save the settings, whether default or custom, to preserve them. In ArcMap, each new map document is created with the default settings. Changes are saved with the map document (.mxd). Settings changed in ArcCatalog can be saved as an .xml file. This file can be loaded into ArcMap where the settings become part of the map document or can be shared with others.] Open the Model Properties dialog box, click the Iteration tab, select Get the iteration count from this variable, and select Folder Name from the drop-down menu. 54 ArcUser Spring 2010 www.esri.com