Running ArcGIS 10.0 in our environment.
I created a styles db and saved it on the server. Can multiple users access the styles at the same time or only one?
Second, after experimenting I can add the style with the Style Manager and then click on "Set as Default List" and I think that will make it so that any new map created will reference the styles by default, or is it only for that map?
I don't quite understand how the styles are referenced. Is it per map or per ArcMap session?
Best Answer
I cannot answer fully because I don't know all the intricacies of the personal Access MDB behaviour in a server environment. Perhaps this will help; the Style file is an mdb MS Access database so all the rules of the MS Access mdb apply, this includes locks, etc. Access is not a multi-user MDBMS so there will likely be issues with multiple users attempting to save symbols but reading symbols should be OK.
As for the second question; styles will be always assigned arbitrarily but if you create and save a simple style and name it the same as a feature class (say Lakes or Waterbodies) any feature class you will add to map whose name is Lakes or Waterbodies will inherit that particular style. I believe this only works with a simple symbols; suppose you have sub-types defined which will not work because more than one symbol will be assigned to the layer based on subtype. Any symbology that is more complex than a single simple symbol needs to be handled via layers (save and import layer symbology).