ArcGIS and ArcMap

These instructions are based on ArcMap version 10.8.1 and assume you have set the default coordinate reference system in ArcMap to British National Grid (EPSG 27700).

If your ArcMap is older than version 10.0, or if you do not have access to the Quick Import (Data Interoperability) extension, use the translation tools available in FME or QGIS (see previous sections for instructions) to convert the GML data to shapefiles before loading them into ArcMap.

Certain versions of ArcGIS Pro (for example, version 2.5) and ArcMap (for example, version 10.8.1) require GeoPackages to have a spatial index added before the data can be viewed on the map. This can be done in the Catalog by opening the Feature Class Properties window within the 'Indexes' page.

Loading and displaying the GML supply using the Quick Import tool

You can import GML data into ArcMap using the Quick Import tool. The imported data will be un-styled.

Due to the large file size, some 5 km2 grid tile imports (especially within larger cities) may take time to process.

To load GML data in ArcMap:

1. In the top bar, click the ArcToolbox icon.

2. Expand Data Interoperability Tools and double-click Quick Import.

   

   ArcMap ArcToolbox menu showing the Data Interoperability Tools > Quick Import menu option.
3. In the Quick Import dialog:

   • Input Dataset: Click … to open the Specify Data Source dialog:

     • Format: Select GML SF-0 (Geography Markup Language Simple Features Level SF-0 Profile).

     • Dataset: Click …, then navigate to and select the GML file on your computer.

     • Click OK.

       

       ArcMap Quick Import > Specify Data Source dialog.
   • Output Staging Geodatabase: Click the folder icon, navigate to and select the output folder on your computer.

   • Click OK.

ArcMap Quick Import dialog.

The Quick Import tool creates a new geodatabase and imports the data into it.

To display the GML data in ArcMap:

1. Click Add Data in the tool bar.

ArcMap UI Showing Add Data action

1. In the Add Data dialog, select the file geodatabase (created in the previous procedure) on your computer and click Add.

ArcMap Add Data dialog.

Your GML data now displays in the Layers panel and map area. The data is un-styled and will look similar to the following example:

ArcMap UI showing Layers panel and map area.

Loading and displaying shapefiles

As an alternative to using ArcMap’s Quick Import tool (previous section), you can convert your GML data to shapefile using QGIS or FME, and then add it directly to ArcMap. There are instructions on how to do this in previous sections of this guide.

To load and display shapefiles in ArcMap:

1. Open an existing project or create a new one.

2. In the top bar, click Add Data.

ArcMap UI Showing Add Data action

1. In the Add Data dialog, select the shapefile you want to load, and click Add.

If the required folder does not display in the tree, click the Connect To Folder icon and navigate to the folder from there.

ArcMap Add Data dialog.

1. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to load the additional shapefiles (AccessPoint and RoutingPoint) that make up each 5 km2 tile of OS MasterMap Sites Layer.

Your data now displays in the Layers panel and map area. The data is un-styled and will look similar to the following example:

ArcMap UI showing Layers panel and map area.