FAQs

Purchase

Can I try CrossView for a period of evaluation before buying it?
Yes. CrossView can be evaluated for a free 21-day trial. Click the Try menu on the A-Prime Software website or click on Download to download an evaluation copy of CrossView.

How do I buy CrossView and what happens when I do?
Click on the Buy menu on the A-Prime Software website. You can purchase CrossView over the internet with a valid credit card or you may contact the Sales and Marketing team at marketing@aprimesoftware.com to use a purchase order. Once your payment is validated, you are directed to a page where you download a ZIP file that contains the CrossView software, documentation, and a sample dataset. Soon after purchase, you receive a purchase confirmation e-mail containing your license number. After installing CrossView on your PC, you use this license number to activate the program.

ArcGIS Integration

How is CrossView integrated with ArcMap?
CrossView is a pop-up Wizard that is accessed from the custom CrossView toolbar that you add to your ArcMap environment. The Wizard provides you with an easy-to-follow workflow in which you select datasets present in your ArcMap document for inclusion in CrossView’s output cross section diagram. CrossView generates a set of shapefiles, in the folder of your choice, representing your selected datasets in “profile,” and places these in a new data frame on your ArcMap document’s Page Layout.

Which versions of ArcGIS Desktop are supported by CrossView?
CrossView will work with ArcGIS Desktop versions 9.3, 9.2, and 9.1. CrossView comes with specific setup (installation) executables specifically for each ArcGIS version.

What level of ArcGIS Desktop is required to use CrossView?
CrossView will work with ArcGIS ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo.

Do I need ESRI’s ArcGIS Spatial Analyst or 3D Analyst module(s) to use CrossView?
No. CrossView does not require that you have Spatial Analyst or 3D Analyst. However, you must have an acceptable ESRI surface dataset(s) in an ArcMap document before CrossView can be used.

When ESRI upgrades its software, will CrossView still be compatible?
As future Service Packs for ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 are released, we anticipate that CrossView will continue to be compatible with this powerful GIS desktop environment. When ESRI moves to 9.3 and beyond, A-Prime Software intends to upgrade CrossView as needed to maintain compatibility, and offer upgrades to our users.

Data Formats

What types of surface datasets can I use in CrossView?
Acceptable input surfaces for CrossView are:
ESRI GRID
ESRI TIN
USGS DEM
Other raster formats that would typically contain elevation data

What types of point datasets can I use in CrossView?
Acceptable input point datasets for CrossView are:
Geodatabase feature classes (personal, file, SDE)
Shapefiles
ArcInfo coverages
X, Y event layers

What output formats are supported by CrossView?
Shapefile
Geodatabase (personal, file)

Do the datasets used in CrossView need to be in the same projection/coordinate system?
As a general rule, the projection, coordinate system, and horizontal (X,Y) units of measure for all spatial datasets to be incorporated into the output cross section diagram must be the same, and must also match those of the source data frame. In addition, the source data frame and all its layers must be in a projected coordinate system (i.e., none of them may use a geographic coordinate system that uses latitude and longitude coordinate values).

There are several exceptions to this general rule. On-the-fly, CrossView can reproject GRID datasets that have different projections and coordinate systems from those of the source data frame. The same is true for TIN datasets if 3D Analyst is enabled.

Requirements

What are the hardware requirements for CrossView?
CrossView will work on any system that can run ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop 9.x software:

Intel Pentium 800 MHz processor
256 MB RAM
10 MB of free disk space

What are the software requirements for CrossView?

Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0 with Intel 4.0 Service Pack 6a
CrossView’s internet-based software activation utilities require Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0
ArcGIS Desktop 9.3, 9.2, or 9.1 must be installed on the PC prior to using CrossView

Are there other requirements for CrossView?
Yes, there are several conditions that must be met for CrossView to work properly:

CrossView must be properly installed and activated prior to use.
The CrossView toolbar must be added to the ArcMap document.
CrossView requires that an ArcMap document contains at least one appropriate surface dataset(s) – ESRI GRID, ESRI TIN, USGS DEM, other raster formats that would typically contain elevation data.
You must select a single line element that defines the planimetric course of the cross section the data view of your source ArcMap document prior to starting CrossView. The line can be a graphic drawing element, or a line feature in a geodatabase, shapefile, or ArcInfo coverage.
As a general rule, the projection, coordinate system, and horizontal (X,Y) units of measure for all spatial datasets to be incorporated into the output cross section diagram must be the same, and must also match those of the source data frame. In addition, the source data frame and all its layers must be in a projected coordinate system (i.e., none of them may use a geographic coordinate system that uses latitude and longitude coordinate values).
The exceptions to this general rule are:
On-the-fly, CrossView can reproject GRID datasets that have different projections and coordinate systems from those of the source data frame.
The same is true for TIN datasets IF 3D Analyst is enabled.

Installation

In the downloaded ZIP file containing the CrossView software, there are two executable (.exe) files. Which should I use?
That depends on the version of ArcGIS Desktop 9.x software installed on your PC. The executable files have been named purposely to make it as clear as possible to determine which you should use. If you are using ArcGIS Desktop 9.2, use the executable that has “9.2” as part of its name. If you are using ArcGIS Desktop 9.1, use the executable that has “9.1” as part of its name.

How hard is it to install CrossView?
It is very simple to install CrossView, and only takes a few minutes. Run the setup executable appropriate for your version of ArcGIS Desktop 9.x, and the installation wizard walks you through the necessary steps quickly and easily.

Do I need Administrative privileges on my PC to install CrossView?
Yes, you must have Administrative privileges on your PC to install the CrossView software.

Support

Is technical support available when I buy CrossView?
Yes. Technical support is provided for no additional charge after CrossView is purchased. Support is available by email from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Mountain Standard Time), Monday – Friday (excluding standard U.S. holidays).

support@aprimesoftware.com

How do I get up and running quickly with CrossView?
The Use Case Exercise is an excellent place to begin – it gets you up and running with CrossView in about 30 minutes. Beyond that, the CrossView User Guide is the definitive reference document for CrossView. Additional information can be found on the Resources page on the A-Prime Software website.

What documentation comes with CrossView?
Clear, comprehensive documentation is provided that covers every facet of CrossView, including installation, software functionality, and manipulation of CrossView’s output in ArcMap. CrossView’s document library consists of the following:

CrossView Requirements – a brief list of the hardware, software, and other conditions necessary for CrossView to operate properly on your PC
CrossView Installation Instructions and License Manager Guide – Where to go when the Quick Start Guide isn’t enough, with detailed information about software activation and CrossView’s License Manager utility
CrossView Quick Start Guide – a short and simple guide to installing and activating CrossView on your PC
CrossView Use Case Exercise – a straightforward, robust “walk through” of CrossView’s use and capabilities using the supplied Sample Dataset, plus Appendices containing a wealth of information about CrossView’s output and how to work with it in ArcMap
CrossView User Guide – the definitive reference document for CrossView, containing detailed information regarding the software’s use, functionality, and capabilities

Software Functionality

Can I use CrossView multiple times in a given map document?
Absolutely. You may create multiple cross section diagrams (output data frames and associated files) by using CrossView as many times as necessary within your map document. Simply select a new line element and re-run CrossView to generate as many cross sections as needed.

How do I create my cross section line?
CrossView can create cross sections based on simple two-point line segments, multi-vertex (3+) lines, and lines incorporating curves and arcs. Any line element that can be created in ArcMap graphically and/or stored as a line feature in a geodatabase, shapefile, or ArcInfo coverage can be used to define the planimetric course of a CrossView cross section.

Are there limitations to the spatial extent or length of the cross section I can create?
Cross sections created by CrossView can be as long as needed, as long as the planimetric line delineating the course of a cross section falls completely within the bounds of any surface to be represented in a CrossView profile.

How do I set my Cross Section data frame scale to match my source data frame scale?
Follow the simple steps in the Setting CrossView Cross Section Data Frame Scale document located on the Resources page on the A-Prime Software website.