ALOHA ArcMap Import Tools

The ALOHA ArcMap Import Tools allow you to import ALOHA threat zones into ArcMap 8.x and 9.x.

If you are running:

• ArcMap 9.2 or 9.3, you should use the aloha_92.dll file.
  
• ArcMap 9.0 or 9.1, you should use the aloha_91.dll file.
  
• ArcMap 8.x, you can still use the aloha_8.dll file. However, be aware that using units other than parts per million for your chemical release may cause the Import Tool to fail (this bug was fixed in the more recent 9.x releases).

In the future, only the Import Tool for ArcMap 9.3 will be supported. The other ArcMap tools will continue to be available for download in their current versions, but they will not be updated.

Note: In versions of ALOHA prior to 5.4, the term footprint was used instead of threat zone. Some of the ArcMap Import Tools may use the older footprint terminology.

Note to Windows Vista users:

To install any ArcMap DLL file, you will need to:

• be logged on as "Administrator" and
  
• have the User Account Control (UAC) turned off

When you are logged on as Administrator, go to Control Panel > User Accounts. A checkbox will show the current status. If the UAC box is checked, uncheck it and restart your computer. You can then proceed as detailed below. Once the DLL(s) are installed, you can recheck the UAC checkbox and restart your computer to turn the UAC security back on.

Downloading and Installing the Import Tool

To download an ArcMap Import Tool, click the appropriate download link at right. These files are in zipped (compressed) format so that they can be downloaded quickly. We recommend saving it with the other ArcMap DLLs in C:/arcgis/arcexe9x/bin or C:/arcgis/arcexe8x/bin (as appropriate).

The zip files are self-extracting, so they should uncompress automatically. (Your computer may display a message that it is unable to open the file because it does not know what application created it. Disregard this message and continue with the installation.)

To install the import tool:

1. Launch ArcMap.
   
2. Right-click on the ArcMap toolbar and scroll down to Customize (or choose the Customize option under the Tools menu).
   
3. Select the Commands tab on the Customize window.
   
4. Click the Add from file button. Navigate to the DLL file on your hard drive. (If you don't see the file, your browser may not have unzipped the compressed version. Try using WinZip or StuffIt Expander.) Select the file and click Open to add the ALOHA Import Tool to your available tools. Click OK.
   
5. In the scrollable list on the left side of the Customize window, highlight ArcObjectTools. To the right you should see the Aloha Footprint Extension (vs 2.1.1) command (or in ArcMap 8.x, the Aloha Footprint Extension command). Note: If you are upgrading from the ArcMap 8.x Tool, while this window is open, select the ALOHA hula girl icon that is currently on your tool bar and drag it off the tool bar.
   
6. Click the hula girl icon next to the Aloha Footprint Extension (vs 2.1.1) command (or in ArcMap 8.x, the Aloha Footprint Extension) and drag it onto your standard toolbar. Release the mouse button when the cursor becomes a vertical bar. (You need to release the mouse button at or before another icon on your toolbar.)
   
7. Exit the Customize window.

You are now ready to use the ALOHA Import Tool!

Using the Import Tool

When a threat zone (footprint) is displayed in ALOHA, a file called alo_ftp.pas is created and placed in the ALOHA directory. This file will be deleted when ALOHA is shut down, so it is best to rename the file in case you want to import the threat zone into ArcMap after ALOHA is off. Be sure, however, to retain the .pas suffix so that ArcMap will recognize the file as an ALOHA threat zone.

International Users: Important Information

To use the ArcMap Tool, simply click on the ALOHA icon and you will be guided through the import process. You will need to provide the source site of the release, either in decimal degrees or degrees, minutes, and seconds. The geodatabase that is created will have a defined coordinate system (geographic coordinates, WGS84). This allows ArcMap to reproject the threat zone layers if you have other data layers in a different, defined coordinate system.

You will also need to navigate to the ALOHA threat zone PAS file. You can specify a name for the geodatabase that will be created (by default it is named for the chemical released).

The mapped output will include a layer for each level of concern specified in the ALOHA PAS file. The layers will be named with these levels of concern. In addition, a balloon callout box containing the parameters of the spill and other relevant information is displayed. This box and the red dot showing the release site are graphic elements and may be moved or deleted using the graphic selection tool.

With the aid of this tool, you will be able to view and query the ALOHA threat zone output with other data layers available for your ArcMap session.

Removing the Import Tool

To remove the ALOHA Import Tool from the toolbar, open the Customize window and drag the ALOHA icon off the toolbar.

If you are getting unexpectedly large footprints on the import of the Aloha plume to ArcMap, please read the following:

Several European countries use the comma (,) as the decimal separator and a period (.) or space ( ) to separate thousands groupings. The ALOHA tool assumes the numeric protocol of the U.S., where the comma (,) represents the thousands separator and the period (.) is used to designate the decimal part of the number.

Examples:

• Thousands separator: In the U.S., one thousand twenty-five is displayed as (1,025); in Portugal, it is displayed as (1.025).
  
• Decimal separator: In the U.S., one thousand twenty-five and seven tenths is displayed as (1,025.7); in Portugal, it would appear as (1.025,7).

Negative numbers may also be an issue. This tool assumes the negative sign will be the leading character of any number less than zero (0).

Until this tool is modified, you can open the Aloha .pas file in a text editor and replace any numeric commas with periods and simply delete any numeric periods. The result should be the properly scaled plume. [Back to text]