After an Australian Public Holiday that helped serve as a drumroll, the final set of improvements, and those I would most like to see in ArcGIS 10.2, are all related to Tables, in particular geodatabase tables:

• ArcGIS should provide the ability to modify the number of characters for a field
• ArcGIS should provide the ability to make changes to field types
• Alter Field Order during New Feature Class or Table Creation
• ArcGIS should allow the ability to permanently reorder fields in a table (which is currently “Under Consideration”)

Before leaving this countdown I will mention just one of the very many worthy ArcGIS Ideas that “missed my cut” which is 64 bit ArcGIS Desktop and currently “Under Consideration”.

With that I will handover to the Plenary presenters to hopefully fulfil more than just one or two of my wishlist.

At #4 are enhancements that I would like to see related to PDF support.  Most of these relate to “maps on demand” type Geoprocessing Services that I sometimes develop.

• Layered PDF to have legend item in same PDF layer as map layer it is linked to (I don’t understand why this has attracted so few votes)
• Include PDF as a file type displayed in Catalog window by default
• Layered PDF to support Transparency
• Export PDF maps with Hyperlinks active
• View GeoPDF Files in ArcMap (and Export Maps into GeoPDF too)

If you are keen to see any/all of the above implemented, then I encourage you to follow the links to find corresponding ArcGIS Ideas awaiting your vote.

Coming in at #5 are two enhancements that I would like to see for Definition Queries, the first of which looks like it should be simple to implement and very popular:

• Make Definition Query able to be turned on/off with Check Box
• Spatial definition query

If you are keen to see any/all of the above implemented, then I encourage you to follow the links to find corresponding ArcGIS Ideas awaiting your vote.

First of all I wish to give Esri much credit for opening up the power of ArcGIS for Desktop at Advanced license level (with Extensions) for non-commercial use via its ArcGIS for Home Use at a price of only $100 per annum.

However, I would like to see the bang for buck increased a little for its commercial users by beefing up the Basic (formerly known as ArcView) license level.  Personally, I would like to see the name Basic for such a great product dispensed with, and that level called Standard with more or less the precise level of functionality that Standard (formerly known as ArcEditor) has today.  The key restriction on this new Standard would be that it does not access an enterprise geodatabase only file geodatabases.  The capability to update enterprise geodatabases would be just a paid extension to Standard that comes free with Advanced (formerly ArcInfo).

Some of the key additions to today’s Basic that I would recommend are:

• Unlock Frequency tool with Basic and Standard level licenses – we can already emulate this with Summary Statistics but why make it harder to find?
• Permanent Sort at Standard & Basic License Levels or as an alternative let us Save Table View File to “implement” Permanent Sort Rows & Re-order Fields
• Include the Split tool
• Include the Erase tool
• Create a tool that disperses points that are on top of each other
• Extend Attachments toolset to the Basic License level for file geodatabases
• Licensing to allow Basic to edit/create relationship classes in file geodatabases
• If Basic cannot become the new Standard then perhaps Make Standard the New Advanced License
• MapInfo TAB and MID/MIF import/export within ArcView because this functionality is easily found in QGIS but many would prefer to have only one Desktop GIS installed

It’s a small thing, but while we are talking about license levels could Esri please Restore license level to window name – it seems bizarre that it was removed.

If you are keen to see any/all of the above implemented, then I encourage you to follow the links to find corresponding ArcGIS Ideas awaiting your vote.

Coming in at #9 are requests for More Control Over Text Font and Size:

First, particularly for the over 40s, please:

• Make ArcMap GUI Font Sizes Easier To Change (and Document How To)
• Change font size of Identify
• Enable Help menu fonts to be changed

Then for all ArcMap users let’s no longer have to use Change Symbol and interact with another dialog to be able to

• Edit text font and size in text properties

… plus enable Default Text Properties to be Set

If you are keen to see these too, then follow the links to find corresponding ArcGIS Ideas awaiting your vote.