FAQ
- What is Wolfware?
Wolfware is an NCSU web-based course management system used for some courses at NCSU for delivering online course content. Courses can be found at http://courses.ncsu.edu. From here, the students access their courses' online content and tools. The tools include discussion forums, gradebooks, and feedback. For more information, see http://classic.wolfware.ncsu.edu/help/CH10-eosguide06.pdf
- What is Moodle?
Moodle is an open source course management system used for some courses at NCSU to deliver online course materials. Some of the components of Moodle that may be used by the instructor are chat, discussion forums, wikis, and announcements. For more information, watch the orientation video linked here.
- What is the VCL?
VCL stands for Virtual Computing Lab. NCSU VCL provides a remote access service that allows you to reserve a computer with a desired set of applications for yourself, and remotely access it over the Internet. This gives you free access to useful applications such as ArcGIS, PythonWin, Matlab, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and many others. Watch this VCL demonstration video to see how it works.
- What is Jing?
The free version of Jing allows you to capture an image or an (up to) 5 minute video. Then you have the option to save it to disk, copy to clipboard, or best of all put it on the web and get a link to it at Screencast.com. This is a great communcation tool for explaining 'what goes wrong when I try to do it'. Download the software and install it on your desktop. Watch the overview video to see why it's useful.
- What is Blackboard Collaborate?
Blackboard Collaborate provides remote desktop sharing with chat and voice interaction for participants with microphones. For example, you can be at home talking to your TA at NCSU and show her exactly what's happening on your computer or vice versa. Instructors using this tool will provide a link to their session or the name of their session which you can search when you log in to NCSU Blackboard Collaborate here. When you go to participate in a session, you will be prompted to allow your browser to run the Java Web Start Launcher. Watch this video to see how it works.
- What if I have trouble installing software needed for the class?
Write to cnr_help@ncsu.edu with a description of your problem. It may take some time to resolve. In the mean time, use the VCL to complete assignments.
- How do I post images on the message board?
Use html img tag. For more information click here.
- Where should I place images to post on the message board?
Unity space, Jing + Screencast, PicasaWeb, Googledocs, etc. For more information click here.
- I used html to link to an image on the message board. Why isn't my image showing up?
Copy image location as the link. For more information click here.
- How do I post my script with the correct formatting on the message board?
Wrap your code in HTML preformatting tags.
<pre> and </pre>. Then your indentation will be retained.
- What program should I use to capture my project presentation?
We recommend Jing. It is a free program and quite easy to install and use for recording video (it also has nice screen capture capabilities). It only allows you to record in 5 minute increments, but that's okay with us. Save your screen captures, labeling them so that we can understand the appropriate ordering, and them submit the files as instructed on the project page.
- How can I get the VPN to work on Windows 8?
if you are running windows 8 you may need to make sure you have the latest vpn software. Some times the version that is auto installed is not the latest. Note you have to scroll down to get to the unsupported windows 8. Here is a link to the latest as of Dec 2013:
http://oit.ncsu.edu/data-network/vpn-manual-installation-instructions-and-downloads
- I just installed PythonWin and I get an error when I import arcpy. What's wrong?
We have seen an issue in the past where the path file is not set correctly in PythonWin. To make sure your PythonWin is configured correctly open PythonWin and type import arcpy in the Interactive Window and hit enter. If you receive any errors, then your path is not set correctly. To correct that, open
C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\pywin32.pth with notepad.exe and copy the following lines into the file and save:
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\Lib\\site-packages\\pythonwin
C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Desktop10.1\arcpy
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\DLLs
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\lib
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\lib\\plat-win
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\lib\\lib-tk
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\Lib\\site-packages\\pythonwin
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\lib\\site-packages
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\lib\\site-packages\\win32
C:\\Python27\\ArcGIS10.1\\lib\\site-packages\\win32\\lib
C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Desktop10.1\ArcToolbox\Scripts
C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Desktop10.1\Bin
Then retest by closing PythonWin and starting it again and typing import sys …then import arcpy. If you don’t get an error, it’s working correctly.
- I'm using ArcGIS 10. PythonWin is hanging when I import Python or set the workspace environment variable. What's wrong?
Make sure your service packs are up-to-date.
- How do you use the Raster Calculator from Arcpy?
You can't. The Raster Calculator tool is built for use in the ArcGIS Desktop application only as a GP tool dialog box or in ModelBuilder. It is not intended for use in scripting and is not available in the ArcPy Spatial Analyst module. To perform raster calculator type operations from a script, call map algebra tools (plus, minus, times, etc.).
- I am calling a Python script from VBA and getting an error: Run-time error '-2147467259 (80004005)':
Automation error Unspecified error
Check the script tool name and other properties for proper setup.
- The Python print statement won't work after I call gp.CalculateField or some other tool.
This is a known unsolved 9.3 Esri bug. Workaround: write to a text file rather than printing.
- I have a set of custom VBA buttons/tools from Arc 9.x and I want to migrate them to Arc 10.x. Would the best solution be to migrate them to VB.NET and deploy them as Esri "Add-In's"? These old VBA buttons/tools use ArcObjects and have custom forms/etc.
I recommend using Script Tool interface capabilities, which have really improved in recent versions of Arc. You can create some nice GUI's just using those.
Here's Esri's Script Tool help:
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//001500000006000000.htm
Also, search on "script tool" in the course schedule to see related slides.
Esri recommends VB or C# flavored Add-ins as a replacement for VBA interfaces.
Here's a tutorial on the topic: http://help.arcgis.com/en/sdk/10.0/arcobjects_net/conceptualhelp/index.html#//0001000001ms000000
There are some drawbacks to the VB or C# Add-ins:
- VB or C# are lower level programming languages, thus more difficult to learn (than Python).
- You need to use MS Visual Studio (see this ) but:
a. Vis Studio is very powerful and much more complex than, say, PythonWin
b. Vis Studio is expensive (though free while you're a student) and unless you work for a company that happens to be in software development, they probably won't have a licence.
- Creating Add-ins is straightforward for the canned examples in the tutorial, but going beyond those examples would involve much more time.
One other thought is that Arc 10.1 is going to provide Python Add-ins. Watch the Virtual Campus course on the topic to find out more. It looks...well, it still looks like more work than simply creating a Script Tool, though it seems better than VB or C# Add-ins, because there's no need Vis Studio, and Python is easier than either of these languages. The other consideration is they haven't yet added all of the functionality that VB and C# have to the Python add-ins.