Top Three ArcGIS Extensions ESRI Should Have Included by Default

The main software that I use at work everyday is without a doubt ArcGIS. I use to to do mapping, data management, Analysis and just good old fashion data clean-up and migration. That said, ArcGIS includes a whole host of tools but some of them are hard to find or simply none existent. When I get into this situation there are three main utilities that I use to fill the gap.

Spatial Technique’s ET Geo Wizards- I’ve been using this Extension since the ArcView Days. The main features are quite staggering and I’ve used many of the tools from the various functional areas over the years. Many of the functions in this extension are free but if you need more you can grab a single license for $195.

Data East- Xtools Pro- Xtools Started out as a free extension and then went to a Pro Version a number of years ago. Xtools have many of the same functionality as the ET Geo wizards but has a few more. You can buy it for $211.88 if you need to go beyond the free functions. Some of my favorite tools include; Auto Save MXD, Multi- delete Fields, Table Restructure and a few others. Check out the tool descriptions.

Spatial Ecology- Hawth’s Analysis Tools for ArcGIS- As the name suggests the tools are for performing analysis. The best thing is that these are FREE. I have relied on the Count Points in Polygon Tool Many times as well as Polygon in Polygon Analysis, Zonal Statistics and quite a few of the table tools. Have a look at the toolset and their descriptions here.

Please note that I do not derive any income of any sort from these companies neither am I affiliated with them.