ArcGIS Desktop: Comprehensive GIS Mapping and Analysis

ArcGIS Desktop software developed by Esri. It is widely used for GIS professionals to create, analyze, manage, and share Geographic Information so decision makers can make intelligent, informed decisions. It’s allowing to create maps, perform spatial analysis, and manage data.

ArcGIS was first released in 1999 and originally was released as ArcINFO, later it’s merge into ArcGIS Desktop.

Features:

• Interactive map creation
• Spatial and statistical analysis
• Visualize, analyze, and manage Data
• Combine 3D, CAD, imagery, and other data on a single map
• Connect people and data with ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World

ArcGIS Desktop Download

The ArcGIS Released Version: 10.8 (February 2020). Download ArcGIS Desktop and create mapping and analysis.

As of 2025, ArcGIS Desktop pricing generally depends on license type, user level, and whether it’s for personal, educational, or commercial use.

ArcGIS Desktop version:

Core Products

ArcGIS Desktop provide 4 main applications:

1. ArcCatalog:

Use for managing the spatial data holdings and database designs, and for recording and viewing metadata.

2. ArcMap:

Use for mapping and editing tasks, as well as for map-based analysis.

3. ArcScene:

Use in specialized 3D visualization and analysis (small datasets).

4. ArcGlobe:

Use for Global 3D visualization and analysis (large datasets).

ArcGIS Main Menu

• File
• Edit
• View
• Bookmarks
• Insert
• Selection
• Geoprocessing
• Customize
• Windows
• Help

File

On the File menu, Open, Save, Share, Add data, Basemap, Export, and Print your project. Also you sign into ArcGIS Online.

Edit

On the Edit menu, editing your current project. Edit features are; Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Delete, etc.

View

On the View tab, you can select Data view or Map view. Create and manage Graphs and Reports, Show/Hide Scroll and Status bar.

Some other features available in this section, like Data frame properties, Pause/Resume Drawing and Labeling

Bookmarks

Create and Manage Bookmarks your project file.

Insert

The Insert menu basically use for Map Layout, like Title, Legend, North line, Scale, etc.

Selection

The Selection menu helps you to select your project map/data Attributes, Locations, Graphics, and more.

Geoprocessing

The Geoprocessing menu provides Spatial Analysis tools, like Buffer, Clip, Intersect, Union, Marge, Dissolve.

Also in this section you can access, ArcToolbox, Environments settings, Result, ModelBuilder, and Python.

Customize

The Customize menu is the most importent part on Arc-GIS. In this section you can add/remove Toolbars, Extensions and manage ArcMap options.

Windows

The Windows menu also one of the most important part on Arc-GIS. Windows offers to Overview, Magnifier, Viewer features.

Add Table of Content, Catelog and Search, and also provide Image Analysis option.

Help

Help menu helps you to Arc-GIS Desktop help, Web help documentation, and more details about Arc-GIS.

How to Use ArcGIS Desktop

Two main impotent Toolbar used: Standard and Tools toolbar.

• The Standard Toolbar is managed to full of work in ArcGIS.

• The Tools toolbar is is one of the primary ways that you interact with geographic information displayed in the data frame.

Button	Name
	Zoom In
	Zoom Out
	Pan
	Full Extent
	Fixed Zoom In
	Fixed Zoom Out
	Back
	Forward
	Select Features
	Clear Selection
	Select Elements
	Identify
	Hyperlink
	HTML Pop-up
	Measure
	Find
	Find Route
	Go To XY Location
	Open Time Slider Window
	Create Viewer Window

ArcGIS Desktop vs ArcGIS Pro

Read: Difference Between ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Pro.