Using a Pen and Tablet PC to Digitize in ArcGIS

[jasonnov118]

How many vertices does drawing a line using a tablet create? If a lot, is there any way to condense the amount of vertices and sacrifice a little accuracy? Thank you for your response.

[megstewart2]

@jasonnov118 Hi Jason, I made the video and use Windows-based tablet PCs to map. I am not sure how many vertices are created using a pen and drawing a line in ArcMap. All I can say is the straighter the line, the fewer the vertices. The nice feature of using the pen as opposed to using a mouse and a "heads-up digitizing" approach (ie, click, move, click, move, click, move, etc) is the smoothness of the line and that it's super easy. You can always do that with a pen and reduce vertices. I guess.

[asparch]

Can you elaborate on the the process by which a paper map is digitized? I've heard talk of a "tablet" of some sort, but it would be more convenient if I could simply scan the map and load it into ArcMap as a JPEG. Is this possible, and if so, are there disadvantages?

Regards

[megstewart2]

@asparch Yes, you scan a paper map and bring the digital map into ArcMap, but then you have to georectify the map. This is not an easy process in ArcMap. Search for How-to's on this in YouTube for some guidance. You pick points on your scanned map that correspond to points on another projected map in ArcMap (ideally a topo sheet or an aerial photo). What you are talking about is traditional "head's up" digitizing. Search that too. You can use a mouse or a pen (with a tablet).

[GISatVassar]

ArcMap and ArcCatalogue recognize both the tablet PC and the GPS receiver. The ArcGIS suite comes ready for Windows XP Tablet edition and Vista needs no special tablet edition (I'm told). There's no special install. Thanks for writing.

[superfranthemanfjan]

if you have a tablet do you need to connect the device to arc catalog? or would arcmap recognize it?