Add custom locator to ArcReader

[StephanieMacuga]

Hi!

I have an mxd (9.3.1) that I am creating a pmf file from.  Is there any way to "embed" the custom locator into the ArcReader (pmf) file?  I have it in the mxd, but when I create the pmf, it disappears.  As it is now, my users will need to add it in every time they open the pmf and that could prove costly timewise as they will be using this application to respond to clients who call in. 

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Stephanie

[StephanieMacuga]

I think I answered my own question, but not how I was hoping.  I did find this thread that still seems to work even though it is a bit outdated - http://forums.esri.com/Thread.asp?c=93&f=1170&t=246201#833168

This doesn't solve my issue entirely as I would need to adjust the registry of every user the application goes out to.  Since we only have less than 50 users as of now, it is something that could be done.  Still looking for any other solutions out there if there are any 🙂

Stephanie

[TovyThomas]

I think I answered my own question, but not how I was hoping.  I did find this thread that still seems to work even though it is a bit outdated - http://forums.esri.com/Thread.asp?c=93&f=1170&t=246201#833168

This doesn't solve my issue entirely as I would need to adjust the registry of every user the application goes out to.  Since we only have less than 50 users as of now, it is something that could be done.  Still looking for any other solutions out there if there are any 🙂

Stephanie

Did you have any luck outside of the registry. I had published a locator using ArcMap 10 and saw it in ArcReader but then when I reopened the pmf it was gone agian.

[StephanieMacuga]

Unfortunately no.  I haven't done too much testing with ArcGIS 10 as we're moving to a XenApp environment (and thus, I'm sure that will have it's own bunch of fun issues to work through!).  The locator seems to be persistant in 9.3.1 with the registry changes - for now at least.

[TomMagdaleno]

I'm not sure if this works for 9.3.1 but in 10 you can tweak the file defaultlocators.xml located here
C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcReader10.0\Locators
You can comment out or remove all the other locator references.  Mine looks like this

- <locator_ref>
  <name>AddressLocSnglHse</name>
  <display_name>Address Locator Single House</display_name>
- <workspace_properties>
  <factory_progid>esriDataSourcesGDB.FileGDBWorkspaceFactory</factory_progid>
  <path>G:\CamarilloGIS\Databases\GeoDatabases\Camarillo_Utility_Landbase.gdb</path>
  </workspace_properties>
  </locator_ref>
  </default_locators>

Where I pointed it to the locator in a geodatabase on a network drive.  You still have to copy the updated file to every computer, but its easier to do through the back end than messing with the registry.  This will give them only one option in the drop-down.  So it saves confusion.

[AnnStark]

Thank  you Tom for posting your xml file location.  This is exactly what I was looking for.   I voted your answer up.

[TomMagdaleno]

Thank  you Tom for posting your xml file location.  This is exactly what I was looking for.   I voted your answer up.

Your welcome!