There are several different types of source data that you may access when producing nautical data within ArcGIS for Maritime: Charting; however, most fall into one of two categories: raster and vector. With Maritime Charting, there are a variety of raster formats you can use as source data for your AML production efforts. See the list of supported raster formats for more details. When performing data production or maintenance, the editor will often load a raster image as a backdrop layer. If the raster image is not georeferenced, the editor will need to georeference the image before it is a viable source. Using the layer transparency settings will allow you to collect your data on top of the raster layer without having to worry about the draw order.
Vector data, the second major type of source data, can come in many different formats, including shapefiles, ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced coverages, DGN, and many more. The ArcGIS Data Interoperability extension further expands the number of third-party software formats available as sources for ArcGIS for Desktop. You can view S-57 ENC data in the standard S-52 display format using the S-57 Viewer. Using the S-57 Viewer, you can easily depict specific S-57 objects since they are rendered as they appear on an ECDIS. Because these are layers in ArcMap, you can easily copy and paste the features into your AML production database.
The data source content varies, often as much as the data formats listed above. Many sources can be used in the data collection process, such as sounding surveys in vector format, vectors autogenerated from raster scans, and bathymetric data to vector data from nonhydrographic sources, and so on. Being able to reference different data formats during your collection efforts will improve efficiency.