ArcView 9 is a 100 percent Windows-compliant software package (see Figure 9.2). ArcView 3 had been built with a code base designed to permit cross platform use, so idiosyncrasies crept in. ArcView 9 adheres to dominant software standards for look and feel, with drag-and-drop operations, right-click options, movable toolbars, and so forth. Users who are knowledgeable about how current Windows applications work have an easy time figuring out how to accomplish a task in ArcView 9. (However, users who are not particularly comfortable with the multiwindow nature of sophisticated Windows software [with hierarchical options, cascading sub-menus, tabbed property windows leading to sequential dialog boxes, and stacks of toolbars] find the increased blizzard of options in ArcView 9 even more intimidating than in ArcView 3.)

ArcView 9 includes a specific application, ArcCatalog, for exploring and managing geographic data. Rather than relying on the viewing and analysis tool to be both the exploration and the management tool, ArcView 9 users can conduct more speedy layer-by-layer explorations of geographic data. ArcCatalog also facilitates creation of metadata.

The ArcView 9 three-dimensional Analyst extension includes a stunningly powerful application, ArcGlobe, (see Figure 9.3) which gives users a fast experience zooming from world display down to the local community. By integrating data sets, users can explore seamlessly over broad areas and represent data in a dazzling three-dimensional display. Users can also generate an animation with just a few clicks, customize it, and export it to video for sharing with others (see Figure 9.4).