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Creating exchange sets

An exchange set is a package of files that contains one catalog file and at least one S-57 dataset file (New Edition [EN] and/or Revised Edition [ER]). Once you have exported and published your S-57 data, you need to package the S-57 dataset files into a valid S-57 exchange set. This allows a mariner to view the Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) datasets in an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) for shipboard navigation.

You can create a valid S-57 exchange set with the Exchange Set tool. All S-57 exchange sets generated by the Exchange Set tool package the files into a default ENC_ROOT directory. The Exchange Set tool gives you the option to decide which files you want to package into the S-57 exchange set and point to a directory containing any referenced external files.

  1. Start ArcCatalog.
  2. Add the Exchange Set tool to a toolbar by completing the following steps:
    1. On the main menu, click Customize > Customize Mode.

      The Customize dialog box appears.

    2. Click the Commands tab.
    3. In the Categories list, choose Nautical S-57.
    4. In the Commands list, click and drag the Exchange Set button Exchange Set to a toolbar.
    5. Click Close.
  3. Click the Exchange Set button Exchange Set.

    The Create S57 Exchange Set dialog box appears.

    Create S-57 Exchange Set dialog box

  4. Click the browse button next to the Output Location text box to set your output location.

    The Browse For Folder dialog box appears.

    Browse For Folder dialog box
  5. Click OK once you have selected your output location.

    The Output Location text box shows the path of your directory location.

  6. Click Add in the Content area to add S-57 dataset files.

    The Add File to Exchange Set dialog box appears.

  7. Browse to the directory that contains your dataset files.
  8. Select the dataset file you want in your exchange set.

    Example of a selected dataset file
    Example of a selected dataset file

  9. Once you have selected your dataset files, click Open.
  10. Repeat steps 6 through 9 for additional dataset files.

    The table view in the Content area contains record rows for your selected datasets.

    Create S57 Exchange Set dialog box

    In the example above, all .txt files have <No Path> listed in the Path or Location field.

  11. Optionally, you can manually set the external file location for files with <No Path> by completing the following steps:
    1. Right-click the <No Path> field value and click Browse for Location.

      The Browse for Location command allows you to set the path to where the file is stored.

      The Browse for Location dialog box appears. The dialog box automatically populates the File name and Files of type fields with the missing file name. You are unable to select any file but the missing one.

    2. Browse to the file's location, select it, and click Open.

      The Create S57 Exchange Set dialog box disappears, and the external file's path is listed in the Path or Location field.

  12. Check the check boxes next to all the files you want to include in your exchange set.
  13. You can exclude an external file by doing one of the following:
    • In the table view, select a row referencing an external file, displayed as <No Path>, and click Remove.
    • In the table view, uncheck the external file reference and click Create.

    If you click Remove, the record is physically removed from the table view.

  14. Click Create.

    A progress bar appears. A message box informs you when the process is completed.

  15. Click OK to close the message box.

  16. Use Windows Explorer to browse to your selected output location where you can find the ENC_ROOT folder.

    The folder will contain a catalog file and all the selected files for your exchange set.