AWhere, Inc.

Hi, will AWhere let me put a map into an Excel spreadsheet that can automatically be updated by the data in the Excel spreadsheet? We have a team of people working on different AOI's (area of interest polygons) and I would like to see the status of each AOI. I figured out how to import the AOI map to AWhere, but not how to get it into the Excel spreadsheet.

Thank you 

Hello...I want to make sure you understand that you do not have to view the map within Excel.  The intention behind AWhere (one of them, at least) is to allow you to load up your boundary map layer (your AOI map layer in this case, which it sounds like you have already been able to get into AWhere)...and once you have that AOI map layer loaded in AWhere, you can then use AWhere's Data Connection capability to dynamically link the map layer to your Excel spreadsheet.  With that dynamic linkage established, you can then edit the display of the map layer (within AWhere's map window, that is) to represent the data values coming over from your spreadsheet via the linkage.

Further to that, each time you update or make edits to your Excel spreadsheet, you can simply do a 'Refresh' of the data connection in AWhere, and the map (again, in AWhere) will be automatically updated to reflect the updated data values in your Excel table. 

Please refer to this forum post for more about the Data Connection capability in AWhere, it may answer your questions (http://forums.awhere.com/forums/thread/74.aspx )

If what I describe above is not what you need to do...if you absolutely need to have your map displayed within your Excel environment, please reply and someone will try to help, but I am not sure that that is directly possible with AWhere as it is, out-of-the-box.

Hi, yes the map has to be in the spreadsheet. I actually figured out how to do it. You export the shp file from arcmap as an EMF file to excel. Then you assign each shape a name that corresponds to the data in the spreadsheet. It's pretty neat. I would post a picture but the maps are considered confidential.

there's a helpful tutorial here:

http://charts.jorgecamoes.com/how-to-create-thematic-map-excel/

Hi, I am happy to see you found a solution.  You can also export emf files directly from AWhere using one of two methods:

 1. Use the "Copy" button in the tool bar.  Currently it is set as "Copy [Map] as [bitmap]", but you can change "bitmap" to "metafile" which will create a vector image in the clipboard.  You can then paste it into Excel.

2.  Export a "map graphic" using the "Export" selection in the file menu. This will save the metafile directly to your hard drive.

You can then use the steps in that tutorial to build the dynamic map. 

I have not seen this technique before used in Excel.  This should clean up workflow a bit as you would not need to bounce between three applications.  I know Excel used to have built in mapping capabilities, but Microsoft removed it starting wtih Office 2000 I think.  Not sure why, it is a useful tool to have.