ArcGIS Desktop – Making Map Document (*.mxd) Locked/Uneditable

arcgis-10.0arcgis-desktoparcmapmxd

I am wondering if its possible to create a locked map document?

I have a document that multiple users will be accessing and as a way of preventing them from making any accidental errors, am wondering if I can create a map document that is locked as to prevent any modifications.

Best Answer

Right click the mxd in windows explorer, choose properties, check Read-Only.

This should force 'Save-As' when the user goes to save the map leaving your original in-tact. If you need to make changes to your "template" you'll have to disable this checkmark.

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[GIS] Why does ArcGIS “forget” the specified default GDB for a map document (mxd)

This ArcGIS help for Setting the Default Geodatabase might be what you are looking for. I believe the "Default" is something that has to be set upon each map document's creation. After that, it should be accessible through the settings in the MXD. I'm away from my station so I can't confirm the exact toolbar rigamarole.

However it should be noted that your scratch Workspace is not always the same as your Workspace (they are different by default, if I recall). When using arcpy, environments are inherited if you use the arcpy.mapping class to create a reference to a given MXD (I think), but I know they can all be set through use of arcpy.env.

If you want to set your database/workspace specifically when using a Geoprocessing tool in ArcMap, you can :

In ArcMap, click Geoprocessing > Environments. This opens the Environment Settings window.
Expand the Workspace category and enter the path to the workspace.
(See This page for more information.)

[GIS] Add layer to open mxd using ArcObjects from outside the map document crashes ArcMap

You're adding a layer "FC" to your map which should be "FL" or "LAN". Either the feature layer or the layer should work.

Be aware that the map may be in data view instead of layout view in which case pMxDoc.PageLayout is incorrect... I can't tell what pLayout is as it's not defined in the code block.

It would be safer to use IMXDocument.FocusMap as this could be either of type layout or data view.

assuming pApp is IApplication:

IMxDocument pDoc = (IMxDocument) pApp.Document;
IMap pMap = pDoc.FocusMap;
pMap.AddLayer(LAN);

OR

(pApp.Document as IMxDocument).FocusMap.AddLayer(LAN);

I usually do it on the three lines so it's not so confusing for the reader.

oops! that was C#, my bad! The VB isn't too hard to work out from here as you're already up to the pMap = pMxDoc.FocusMap.

p.s. I personally prefer to dim my objects, it makes it easier to work out what's happening:

dim pMxDoc as IMxDocument = ctype(pApp.Document, IMxDocument)
dim pMap as IMap = pMxDoc.FocusMap

That way the reader knows for a certainty what each object is.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[GIS] Why does ArcGIS “forget” the specified default GDB for a map document (mxd)

[GIS] Add layer to open mxd using ArcObjects from outside the map document crashes ArcMap

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