Esri Mapping Center - Ask a Cartographer

Map created from a template in Arc10 compatible in 9.3?

August 11 2011 | 2 comments
Categories: ArcGIS Methods, Map Data

Hi!

We have a large number of maps created from a client's template in ArcGIS 10 and when we do a "Save a Copy" in 9.3 format (we have only one license for Arc 10), it looses the layout and all the links to the data is gone. Is there a compatibility problem that prevents us to save our maps created in ArcGIS 10 into 9.3.1?

Thanks!

Mapping Center Answer:

The Save a Copy option to save an ArcGIS 10 .mxd as a 9.3.1 copy should not cause problems, if you have not upgraded the geodatabase to 10 yet. Here is an excerpt from an ArcGIS Desktop blog entry about this:

"Geodatabases can remain in 9.3.1 format and be used in 9.3.1 and 10. However, if you want to take advantage of the new geodatabase improvements in ArcGIS 10, you need to upgrade the geodatabase to 10, at which time 9.x clients will not be able to read it."

If we don't have a geodatabase? posted by Francois Turcotte-Goulet on Aug 12 2011 8:39AM

All of our data is in shapefile and map annotations. There's no geodatabase. The only thing that could have been in ArcGIS 10 format is the "template" (I think it was a map package) from which the map was made (I'm relaying information). Could there be something linked there that make the layout disappears and all links to data broken?

Please Contact Technical support posted by Charlie Frye on Aug 12 2011 9:12AM

That doesn't sound good; your best bet is to contact technical support--they may know about it and have a workaround in their database.

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