How to Get Field Data Into ArcView: Points

To get points with x,y coordinates into ArcView (maybe a table of field data collected by gps, or data converted into a table from some other source):

1. Open Excel  and enter the data. You need to include at least: column A = sample label, column B = mE (or longitude), column C = mN (or latitude), make sure that the first row (1) includes a text label for the data (e.g. label, mE, mN)

(Note: if using lat/long, be sure that you use the proper sign (- longitude for west longitude, + latitude for north latitude); you can also add other attribute information in additional columns if you want)

Example:

2. Choose File/Save as/DBF4. Press OK when warning message appears.

3. Go to ArcView; project window, table, add table, and navigate to the DBF file that you created in Excel.

4. Go to a View that you want the data to appear in, choose View/Add Event Theme; choose your table from the pull-down window next to "Table"; set X field to equal mE, Y field to equal mN (or x=long, y=lat if your data are in lat/long); press OK.

Your point data should now appear as a theme in your view.