There are two options for how to do this.
Option 1: Obtain standalone XML files and use the FGDC to ArcGIS Translator tool
Option 2: Download the dataset and use the ArcGIS Update tool
Before you begin: Download a zip of the project’s Custom ArcGIS Toolbox of Batch Metadata Scripts. Unzip the folder into a location that you can access from within ArcCatalog.
Option 1: Standalone XML files
Use the Esri Translator with FGDC2Esri_ISO selected on standalone XML files. All metadata except the reference system information will be retained.
1. Place the XML files in their own folder. Make sure that no other types of files are in the folder.
2. Open ArcCatalog and use the Catalog Tree to navigate to the downloaded folder of custom scripts.
3. Expand the toolbox and select the tool called “Translate FGDC to ArcGIS for Standalone XML file”
4. The input is only the folder containing the XML files. Details about the tool:
- The input is a folder with a XML files.
- The tool will only look for XML files.
- The tool will create new files with the extension _arc.xml appended to the original file name.
- The tool will stop if it encounters a file that is invalid. Remove that file from the folder and restart.
5. The folder is now full of FGDC metadata files that end with .xml and ArcGIS Metadata format files that end with _arc.xml. Separate out just the ArcGIS metadata files and proceed to “Administrative Metadata.”
Option 2: With the Dataset
Shapefiles
1. Download the datasets and unzip all of the files into a flat folder. The helper script called WGET can make this process easier.
2. Open ArcCatalog and use the Catalog Tree to navigate to the downloaded folder of custom scripts.
3. Expand the toolbox and select the tool called “Upgrade FGDC to ArcGIS for Feature Classes.”
4. The input is only the folder containing the data files. Details about the tool:
- The input is a flat folder with one or more feature classes.
- The tool will use the existing Upgrade model tool to create ArcGIS Metadata 1.0 format XML files.
- This tool also processes the metadata with tools such as synchronize.
- Existing FGDC metadata will be overwritten by the ArcGIS Metadata Format.
- This tool can not be used on standalone FGDC metadata files.
5. The folder is now full of feature classes and newly updated ArcGIS Metadata format files. Separate out just the ArcGIS metadata files and proceed to Part 2: “Administrative Metadata.”
Geodatabases
Geodatabases do not store metadata as XML files, and the feature classes are nested inside the database structure. If an external FGDC xml file needs to be merged, this must be done one by one. This process is followed by an export to the ArcGIS format.
1. For each item, navigate to the feature class in the geodatabase
2. On the Description tab for the feature class, click “Import”
3. For Source Metadata, navigate to the external metadata file.
4. For Import Type, select FROM_FGDC
5. Unclick the enable automatic updates box.
6. Click OK and wait for the process to complete.
7. Open the ArcCatalog custom toolbox and double click on “Export to ArcGIS Metadata.”
8. Add one or more feature classes to this window and save the exported files to a separate folder.