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The Geologic Data Assistant (GDA) module for ArcPad is a collection of Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) shapefiles, XML, and VB script files that facilitate field data capture for general geologic mapping projects. The GDA files extend the behavior of ESRI’s ArcPad field mapping software which, for field use, runs on a PDA under the Windows CE operating system, although it can run on Windows 95 and later machine as well.

The module is designed around an ArcPad ‘applet’ (a VB script extension) which displays a toolbar that controls the editing of 4 shapefiles: Stations, Structure, Geolines and Mylar. Custom data entry forms appear upon the creation of spatial features and VB script routines extend the behavior of the form. Some features of GDA are:

• shortcut buttons that reduce ‘menu-surfing’
• automatic calculation of unique station ID’s based on a date/time string and the initials of the geologist
• on-the-fly addition of values to picklist dbfs
• the ability to plot stations with a bearing and distance from a ‘datum’ station and the subsequent relocation of those ‘offset’ stations when the datum is relocated
• enforcement of one-to-many relationships between stations and related subtables storing non-spatial data
• simple geologic symbolization for points and lines
• a scratch feature layer (the Mylar shapefile) for temporary annotation or notes.

This version of GDA runs best with ArcPad 6.0.3. Errors may occur with other versions.

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