GIS is a powerful tool. But it can be a bit confusing for people just
starting out. Menus and buttons, reams of data, infinitely variable scale, new principles
to understand ... it can be a bit much at first. That's why ArcVoyager can help.
ArcVoyager is a special suite of data and projects that allow teachers to explore the
world, their country, or US states down to county level, right from the start. ArcVoyager
uses the powerful engine of ArcView GIS software, but provides an easy, tiered approach to
learning to use GIS, including a specially constructed help file for teachers and
students. Together, they provide the chance to be productive in class right away. There
are also some ready-to-use lessons included, and more available online.
Within this Site is an installable version of ArcView GIS coupled with ArcVoyager Special Edition. This special combination is a
"preview" set which is fully operational. You can explore continents and
countries and counties. You can make a zillion maps, explore countless bits of information
about places, add new data, print out maps, and save screen shots. The only standard
activities that you cannot do with this Special Edition package are save projects, export
data, or open other ArcView projects. You can do all those with regular
ArcVoyager, which
is available free to licensed users of ArcView GIS software.
If you are interested in the images on this page and want a more detailed tour of ArcView GIS and ArcVoyager, you'll want to check out the demos that are on this Site, in this location:
ArcView GIS software and ArcVoyager require some robust hardware. Here is the minimum configuration needed in order to run ArcVoyager Special Edition:
... each with ...
ArcVoyager Special Edition needs to be installed on each computer's own
hard drive; this version is not designed to be operated across a network. Full version
ArcView and ArcVoyager can work across a network, though performance will vary according
to the computing power, network capability and demand, and the size of data sets being
explored. In a networked setting, each machine running ArcView and ArcVoyager would need
to meet the above specifications; it is not sufficient to have just the server meet the
above specifications.
When you are ready to install ArcVoyager Special Edition, click on this link:
Engage the installer, known as "SETUP.EXE" on the Windows side or
"ARCVOYAGER INSTALLER" on the Macintosh, and follow its directions. The
installer will create the application and a series of additional
support documents including starting lessons.
Did you take a good look at the proprietary rights for this Site? If you didn't read it carefully, this may be a surprise! You can use this Site to install at school this special edition of ArcView GIS software and ArcVoyager data on any number of stand-alone or networked computers. You may also install this on any number of teachers' home computers, and even on students' home computers. There is some additional "fine print" that you'll want to read, describing that installations must be for educational use rather than commercial use, and controlling redistribution and so on, but the general idea is that you can use this Site for a lot of computers at school!
