introduction to geographic information...

5/4/2015

Introduction to Geographic Information SystemsGIS Foundations 1

Kevin Kuhn & Jennifer SmithWV GIS Technical center [www.wvgis.wvu.edu]

G I S F o u n d a t i o n s 1 | Page 1

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS 1)Course OverviewThis course is designed to introduce the fundamental concepts of geographic information systems, demonstrate their use and value, and provide practical skills which can be directly applied to the work environment. As a result, this course is a combination of lecture, demonstrations, and hands on activities.

LectureLecture is designed to be brief and introduce the main concepts central to using and applying geographic information systems in your workplace or workflow.

DemonstrationsLive demonstrations are used to reinforce the concepts taught in the lecture portion of each module. Demonstrations may be completed as part of the lecture or as a separate segment.

Hands-On ActivitiesThis workbook is designed to give you practical hands on experience using and applying GIS to everyday life, workflows, and tasks. They also build upon the key concepts demonstrated in the lecture portion of this course. At the end of the hands on manual you should be able to use online geographic information systems, customize online applications for your needs, locate and download geographic data, and know how to make a basic map.

2 Page | G I S F o u n d a t i o n s 1

Table of ContentsCourse Overview..............................................................................................2Lecture.............................................................................................................2Demonstrations................................................................................................2Hands-On Activities..........................................................................................2Module 1: What is GIS?.....................................................................................4

Hands On Activities........................................................................................4Activity 1: “From here to there, from there to here, funny things are everywhere.”.....................................................................................4

Module 2: Data Part I........................................................................................9Module 2 Hands On Activities:.......................................................................9

Activity 2.1: “So this is ArcMap…”.......................................................9Activity 2.2: “Finding Data”.................................................................15Activity 2.3: “Adding Data to ArcMap”..............................................16Activity 2.4: (Optional Exercise): More from “the Cloud”...............21

Module 3: Data Part 2....................................................................................25Module 3 Hands on Activities.......................................................................25

Activity 3.1: Data Types with Arc Catalog.........................................25Activity 3.2: “Metadata - data about the data”...............................29Activity 3.3 “Where in the world is … my map!”..............................31Activity 3.4: Importing a Coordinate System....................................36

Module 4: Basic Mapping...............................................................................38Module 4 Hands on Activities.......................................................................38

Activity 4.1: Map maker, map maker, find me a map!...................38Activity 4.2: Map maker, map maker, make me a map!.................45Activity 4.3: Map maker, map maker, export me a map!................54


Module 1: What is GIS?Hands On ActivitiesActivity 1: “From here to there, from there to here, funny things are everywhere.”In this activity, you will explore common geographic information systems with which you may already be familiar.

Open Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox on your computer. Go to www.bing.com/maps/ In the search box, type “98 Beechurst Ave, Morgantown WV” and hit

enter.

What type of information do you see in your map?

Most of the time, we use mapping websites such as Bing, Google Maps, Apple Maps, and MapQuest to obtain driving directions. Let’s say you’re planning a trip to south of Myrtle Beach.

Search a route from your house to Surfside Beach, South Carolina.

What are the geographies being used for your driving

directions?


What types of information are important in this process?

What information would be helpful with these directions?

What do you notice about Bing directions that is different from

MapQuest or google?

What were some of the steps taken to acquire this data?

Let’s look at other GIS applications which have been customized to a specific

purpose.

Go to

www.mapwv.gov.


http://www.mapwv.gov/

Click on the “Interactive Maps” Tab at the top of the window.

Scroll through the list of interactive maps and choose the “WV Flood

Tool”.

Take a moment to read through the information about the tool, then

click “Launch Tool”.

Agree to the disclaimer.

Type your address (if you live in

WV) to see if you are at risk for

flood. If you do not live in WV,

search 1017 Yankee Street, Wellsburg, WV 26070.

Use the links in the Flood Hazard area window to explore the

information contained in this online mapping application.

Change the “View” to Risk Map and click

on your house/address/ the property

again.

Next click on the Expert View.

How does the information differ between the three different

views?

Next we will look at geographic information through Google Earth.

Minimize your web browser.

Open Google Earth from your desktop.


(Note this is not Google Maps, this is the stand-alone Google Earth

application.)

On the following page are some tips for navigating in Google Earth.

Once you’ve reviewed these instructions, close the window.

In the search box, type in “New River Gorge Bridge, Victor, WV”.

Click Search.

Minimize the “tour guide” at the bottom of your screen.

Use the controls in the upper right hand corner of your

screen to explore the New River Gorge.

If you use the arrows on the second circle with the hand

in the middle, you can gain a 3 dimensional

perspective.

In this image, what is out of place? What is

wrong with this scene?


Go back to the search box and type in 98 Beechurst Ave, Morgantown

WV 26505.

Zoom in to Brooks Hall so that it is the only building visible in your

window.

What are some of the differences between this map and the

previous map you looked at in Bing?

How is the “system” component of “GIS” used in this

context?

Close Google Earth and return to the Map WV Flood Tool.

You will use the WV Flood Tool during the next section of the

course.


Module 2: Data Part IBe sure you have your WV Flood Tool Open as we will use it to illustrate concepts covered in this portion of the course.

Module 2 Hands On Activities:These hands on activities are designed to introduce you to ESRI’s ArcGIS platform. You will learn the basics of the ArcMap and ArcCatalog user interface, basic tools, and how to navigate within and around your map. These activities will also demonstrate the types of data discussed in the lecture portion of the course.

Activity 2.1: “So this is ArcMap…”

Use Windows explorer and browse to C:\student\ArcGIS1

Double Click the file “Module2_Activity2.1.mxd”. This will open ArcMap.

Note: The .mxd is the file extension used by ArcMap for a project. (It is equivalent to .docx for Word.) It is important to remember that the data is not actually stored within your .mxd. Your data may be located in a different location on your computer.

Maximize your window.

ArcMap is the main program used to view, analyze, and visualize GIS data. On the following page, you will find an ArcMap cheat sheet which will give you some clues to how to navigate the program.


Please follow along with the instructor during the demonstration. Try and explore the ways in which the tools are used.

In the Table of Contents, you will notice that several data sets have been loaded for you.

Zoom In to the area outlined in green (the subdivisions). Zoom In to the one of the building points (pink dot). Zoom Out a few times.


What do you notice about the pink point? Does it change in size?

Right click on the layer Newsp_buildings and from the list choose Properties.

A new window will open called Layer Properties. The Layer Properties window gives you all of the information about the layer of data including its geometry, attribute fields, and allows you to change symbology and labeling.

Click through each of the tabs in the Layer Properties window.

Click on the Symbology Tab.


In this tab, you are able to change the size, color, and appearance of the data.

Close the window.

Go to your Bookmarks menu and choose “The Villas”.

Click the Identify Tool. Then Click on the Bon Vista Drive (black road line, label may read ‘Bon

Vis’).

It may be helpful to turn off the imagery layer to see the building points.

To turn layers off and on in the Table of Contents uncheck or check the box next to each layer.

The identify tool is helpful because it not only tells you all of the information about the road, but it is also tells you what layer (or dataset) the road (feature) belongs to.

Hint: If at any point you get lost zooming, panning, or moving around you can go to the Bookmarks Menu and choose Sample Overview or use the

Return to Previous Screen button (back).

Return to the Bookmarks Menu and go to the Glenmark Subdivision.

Each structure should have a building and an address point. To make sure this is the case we will need to see if the address points are visible underneath of the building points. To turn layers (datasets) off and on in the Table of Contents, you simply check or uncheck the box next to the layer.

Uncheck the box next to Newspc_Buildings.

Do all of these households have address points?


Do any of the other subdivisions (denoted by the green

boundaries) have address points?

In the Table of Contents, right click on Newspc_Addresses and choose Open Attribute Table from the menu.

The information in this table corresponds to each address point in this dataset. Once you have the attribute table open you can move it around, to another screen, or you can “pin” it within the Arc Map window.

To “pin” your table, use the title bar at the top of the window, left click and drag it to the blue arrow at the bottom of the ArcMap window.

When the arrow turns a darker blue, release the left mouse click and the

table is “pinned” to the bottom of your screen. Using the

select feature tool, select one of the address points (yellow).

Scroll through the attribute table at the


bottom of your screen to find the corresponding row. (It will be highlighted in cyan (blue/green).

Hold the shift key and select several more of the addresses listed in the attribute table.

o To select additional rows in the attribute table, you need to select the row by clicking in the small grey box next to the left of the Object ID column.

Click the little push pin in the upper right hand corner of your attribute table to minimize the window and see which address points have been

selected.

Most of the windows and tool bars that you can access through ArcGIS can be minimized in this way.

Left click on the word Table in the lower left hand corner of the window.

Now move your mouse away from the table, and click somewhere else on the screen. (The table should minimize on its own.)

Turn off all the layers in the Table of Contents except for the Basemap (World Imagery) layer.

Zoom in to one of the houses, until all you can see is that house’s roof.

Describe what happens to your image as you zoom in:

In the Map Scale window under “Geoprocessing”, type the ratio 1:1.

Hit Enter.


How has your image changed this time?

Go to the bookmark “Heather”. Turn the roads_DOT_newspc layer back on. Zoom out until the roads_DOT_newspc layer and the basemap start to

make sense again.

Activity 2.1 demonstrated the difference between raster data (basemap - world imagery layer) and vector data (discrete - address points, road lines, and subdivision polygons). In the next activity, we will explore adding data to ArcMap and using its sister program ArcCatalog.

Activity 2.2: “Finding Data”Please follow along with the instructor to locate and download GIS Data.

The West Virginia State GIS Data Clearninghouseo http://www.wvgis.wvu.edu/data/data.php

ESRI’s Arc GIS Onlineo www.arcgis.com

ESRI’s Basemap Collection Organizations, Corporations, Clients

Open a web browser (if you do not currently have one open). Go to the WV GIS Technical Center’s WV State GIS Data Clearinghouse

o Either type the first link shown above or type www.wvgis.wvu.edu and choose the GIS Data Tab

Click the Search button without typing any keywords into the search box.

o A full list of available GIS data should appear. Go back to the search box and type in “Blocks with Population Data”. Click on the data set “Blocks with Population Data (2010 Census)”


http://www.wvgis.wvu.edu/

http://www.arcgis.com/

http://www.wvgis.wvu.edu/data/data.php

What is the map scale at which this dataset was produced?

What year was the data set created?

What information does this data file contain?

Under Data Download, click the UTM 83 link.

The data will download to the Downloads folder on your C: drive.

After it has downloaded, copy the data to

your C:\student\ArcGIS1\Data folder.

NOTE: ArcMap can not read data in a compressed format, and must be extracted into an un-compressed file before using.

The Data is downloaded as a compressed file in a .zip file format. This is very common when working with data downloaded from the internet. There are multiple compressed file formats, such as 7zp, gz, .rar and many others.

Right click on the dataset once it has copied, choose Extract All.


Be sure that your extracted files are going into your C:\student folder. Click Extract.

Activity 2.3: “Adding Data to ArcMap”GIS data can be found from a variety of sources. This activity shows you how to load that data into an ArcGIS project (.mxd).

Click on the ArcMap icon in your task bar. o (Or go to the Start Menu > All Programs > ArcGIS >

ArcMap 10.2.2). Click Cancel in the ArcMap Getting Started window. (You are not

interested in setting up a default geodatabase quite yet.)

Unlike the previous ArcMap project you were working in, this project is completely blank. There is no data currently loaded. There are several avenues through which you can add data to your project. The easiest way is by using Arc Catalog.

Catalog should be pinned to the right of your ArcMap window and looks like this:

In order to be able to add your data to the project, you will first need to connect to where the data is being stored on your computer. This should also clarify that ArcMap is used to view your data and it does not actually store it within the software program.

Click on the Catalog tab. Click the pin at the top to dock your window. (This will prevent the

window from disappearing when/if you move your mouse away from it.)

In the top menu, click the “Connect to Folder” button.

A new window will open.

Click on Computer.


Click on OS ( C: ). Scroll down to the student folder Click on the student folder.

Your window should resemble the window shown to the left.

Be sure that Folder: C:\student before you proceed.

Click OK. Return to your Catalog window. In the folder tree, Click the plus sign next to C:\student.

Several datasets should appear.

Click the plus sign next to Newspace_Development_Area.gdb Click the plus sign next to Address_Information. Left click on the Newspc_buildings and drag it into your ArcMap

window. Unpin ArcCatalog to obtain the full use of your screen.

You can also add data to your project by using the Add Data Button in your main toolbar.

Using the Add Data button, you can choose from several options.

Click the down arrow on the Add Data button to open your options.


From here, you can choose to Add Data that is stored on your computer or a local network drive, or you can add data from the cloud through the Add Basemap and Add Data from ArcGIS Online options. Most of ESRI’s basemaps are raster based, such as the imagery basemap used in Activity 2.1. However, with ArcGIS Online, you can search for datasets in raster or vector format.

Note: Data from ArcGIS Online is not always available! Be aware that the data publisher may change or remove the data at any time.

Note: Just because data is published in ArcGIS Online, does not state the data is produced by a reliable source. Be sure to view the available metadata about the data you are using to verify its accuracy, quality, date and intended purpose.

First you will Add Data stored locally in your C:student folder.

Choose the first option, “Add Data”.

Similar to using Catalog you will need to go to your Folder Connections. Because you’ve already set up your connection using Catalog, ArcMap should remember it. If

not, return to the previous page for instructions.


Double click Folder Connections. Double click C:\student. Double click the folder Blocks_Census_201111_UTM83.

Highlight the

Blocks_Census_201111_UTM83.shp in blue by clicking on it.

Click Add.


The previous datasets we’ve been working with were limited to a specific area; however, many datasets will be statewide datasets or national datasets from which you may need to extract a smaller sample or subset. Please keep in mind that very rarely will you find a dataset perfect for your project(s). Very often you will combine, extract, and add to datasets obtained to customize your data.

Turn off both of the layers you have added in your Table of Contents by unchecking the box next to them.

Your window should be empty before proceeding. Return to the Add Data Button and click the little black arrow to open

the drop down list again. This time choose “Add Basemap”. Choose the Topographic Basemap. Click Add. Zoom in and out to see all of the features this basemap has to offer. Zoom into the scale of 1:10,000.

o Either choose it from the drop down list in the scale window or type 1:10000 into the window.

o

Switch to one of the imagery basemaps. o Turn off the Topographic Map.o Add a new basemap following the same steps as above.

Next, we are going to add data through ArcGIS Online.

Go to the Add Data Button and click the arrow.

In the Search window, search ArcGIS online for WV Schools.

Choose the West Virginia Schools Feature Service.

Click Add.


We will return to this ArcMap Project at a later point in time. So you will need to save the project.

Go to File in the main menu. Choose Save As. Use the up arrow or drop down list to go to the C:\student folder. Name the file Activity2.3 (.mxd) Save

Activity 2.4: (Optional Exercise): More from “the Cloud”The schools feature service you just added has been uploaded to ArcGIS Online by an individual user with access and permission to share the data. Some organizations use ArcServer to distribute data. This can be an advantageous way to access your data because (1) you do not require the storage space needed for large data sets (2) someone else maintains and updates the dataset. The disadvantages are that you will require an internet connection to work and you do not have any control over the organization’s server. If the server is not working properly then you will not have access to the data.

To load data from a service go to your Add Data Button in the main toolbar.

Click Add Data (no need to use the drop down menu).

Your Add Data window will probably be in the last folder you used to access data. You will need to use the up arrow next to the folder name to return to other folder options.


Click the arrow until you return to the main folder options.

Double click the GIS Servers Folder.

Double click Add ArcGIS Server


Select Use GIS Services and click Next.

Enter the Server URL: o http://services.wvgis.wvu.edu/arcgis/services o (You will skip the User Name and Password)

Click Finish.


In your Folder tree, Double click the new Arc GIS Server you just added.

Double click the PlanningCadastre Folder.

Scroll to the right and add WV_Parcels to your map.

Zoom in beyond the scale of 1:24000 to be sure the parcel data will appear.

o If your parcel data does not appear, please note that parcel data is not available for all counties.

o Try zooming to Monongalia or Kanawha counties to see how this feature service works.


Note: ArcMap may give you a warning dialogue box about using multiple datum’s in one dataframe. You can close and ignore this box for now.

Module 3: Data Part 2Module 3 Hands on ActivitiesActivity 3.1: Data Types with Arc Catalog

Understanding the type of data you are working with is an important component of GIS. In this section, we will use Arc Catalog to examine some of the common types of data formats you will be working with.

Go to the Start Menu > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcCatalog 10.2.2

Connect to the C:\student folder.

ArcCatalog is useful to explore and organize your data before you pull it into Arc. It also allows you to preview the data and check the metadata of your files. For example, when importing data to ArcGIS, Catalog is helpful in verifying that the data was imported correctly before using ArcMap for

analysis and mapping. Similar to ArcMap, ArcCatalog has a window called the Catalog Tree and a Contents window which shows all of the files in the folder.


Click on the C:\student folder Click on the Data folder.

Notice that the list of information in the Contents window changes as you move through the folders in the Catalog Tree. Working with a few datasets this might not seem very important, but when you are using or accessing hundreds of different datasets it improves your workflow to use ArcCatalog for data management.

Open Windows Explorer. Browse to C:\student\ ArcGIS1\Data

How many files exist in this folder (C:\student\ArcGIS1\data)?

Return to ArcCatalog In your folder tree, click the C:\Student\ArcGIS1\Data folder

How many files exist in the folder when viewing it in Arc Catalog?

Note: Any time you need to make a copy, move, or rename a file you should use ArcCatalog. ArcCatalog groups files into gis datasets automatically. For example, a .shp (or a shapefile) has a combination of 5-7 individual files which together make up that dataset. Renaming them in Microsoft Explorer is inefficient, as you need to rename all files the same, it also creates room for error.

Close Windows Explorer. In ArcCatalog, click on the New_community_buildings.shp file so

that it is highlighted in blue.


Click the Preview Tab. In the bottom of the Preview window, change the preview from

geography to table. Change the preview back to geography.

What is the geometry of this dataset?

Another common way of storing data is in a geodatabase. Geodatabases focus on relational database concepts and provides a formal model for storing and working with your data. Data stored in geodatabases can be stored in several formats: feature datasets, feature classes, tables, and raster datasets.


Using Catalog Tree, browse to C:\student\ArcGIS1\data

Newspace_Development_Area.gdb Preview each of the datasets.

Datasets stored in a geodatabase may be both vector datasets, and raster datatsets. ArcCatalog is helpful in identifying and organizing your data, and distinguishes between them by icons.

Click on the Training_Aerial_clip.jp2 Preview the image Preview the other raster datasets and types

o .tiffo .jpgo .sid

Depending on the type and SIZE of your data, different raster formats serve different purposes. For example, aerial photography requires a large amount of storage space and the .sid file format compresses the image to increase usability and reduce file size. However to create .sid files a special software is required though they can be viewed with most GIS software.

Arc Catalog also serves as a means to view multiple database formats such as .xls, .xlsx, .dbf, and .csv.


Click on the site_type.dbf and view the table.

This dataset corresponds to the SITE_TYPE field in the Newspace_buidlings dataset.

Click on the .xlsx file Click on Sheet1$

All of these are information based files that can be used, combined, and imported into ArcCatalog and ArcMap.

When you are attempting to bring data into Arc, it is beneficial to import it into a geodatabase. This will help you determine if your original dataset is compatible with Arc formatting. Also, it can let you know if there is a problem with ArcMap or a problem with the original dataset. Tables are especially easier to import to ArcMap if they are already in a geodatabase.

Arc Catalog is used to create empty geodatabases and shapefies. In some cases, you will need to create them from scratch.

To create a new geodatabase in Arc Catalog:

Be sure that the Data Folder in C:\student is highlighted in blue

Right click > New > File Geodatabase

Name the geodatabase New_Parcel_Data

**Note: ArcGIS has some very specific naming conventions that you should follow at all possible costs to prevent data corruption, loss, and frustration. It is best practice to avoid using non-traditional characters or spaces when naming files. Replace spaces with underscores or dashes. Avoid periods, commas, hashtags, or dollar signs. Any of these items in a file name can spell disaster at a later point in time. Similarly, it is best to


try to limit file names to 13 characters or less. When creating tables which will be imported into Arc, follow the same conventions. Field names CANNOT be longer than 13 characters and your data will not import if you do not follow these naming conventions. It can be very helpful to establish a consistent file naming convention for simplicity and improved workflow.**

Activity 3.2: “Metadata - data about the data” Open ArcCatalog (if it is not still open from the previous activity). Navigate to your C:\student folder In your Catalog Tree, click on the Newspace_Development Area

geodatabase. Click on the Description Tab.

According to the description, what is/are the purpose(s) of this

data?

Where does the data come from?


Is this data reliable?


Click on the Newsp_SubDiv layer.

Which local organization created this dataset?

Is it considered a complete or unchanging dataset?

When was the roads_DOT_newspc dataset created? Why would

this information be helpful?

When creating, editing, or manipulating your own data you should keep

detailed records of how the data was created, changed, or manipulated so

that others will know exactly what the data represents.


Activity 3.3 “Where in the world is … my map!”

Open the Module3_Activity3.2.mxd in your C:\student folder

Note: this file contains a layer (basemap) from ESRIs cloud and may take longer than normal to open. Please be patient.

Maximize your window Right Click on the Global_View Data Frame in your TOC.

Choose Data Frame Properties at the bottom.

Currently your map is using a Mercator Projection. We will change the projection so that you can see how the earth changes as a result.

Recall from the lecture that the only perfect representation of the earth is a 3 dimensional globe. By flattening the globe to 2 dimensional space you will “distort” the map in size, shape, area, and direction. Specific map projections preserve one or more of these features, but never all of them.


To change the projected or geographic coordinate system:

Click on the tab for Coordinate System. Click the plus sign next

to Projected Coordinate Systems

Click the plus sign next to the World Folder.

At the bottom of the list, choose Winkel Tripel (NGS – world).

Click Apply. Move the Data Frame

Properties window out of the way so you can see how the map changes.

Change the projection to Azimuthal equidistant (also in the World Folder).

Click the minus sign next to the World Folder.

Scroll back up to the Continental Projections and click the plus sign next to Contiental.

Choose North America. Scroll through the list and choose North America Albers Equal Area

Conic. Click Apply.

You should get a warning about changing the projection. This is due to the fact that the datums are different for the map projections.

Click OK.

Using geographic or projected coordinate systems has a more subtle difference at the local scale, but a difference still exists.

Right click on the State_View Data Frame. Choose Activate.


The data in your window should have changed to West Virginia.

Right click on the State_View Data Frame and Choose Properties > Coordinate Systems. (Arc may remember you were just here and place you back in the correct tab)

What is the current coordinate

system of the State Outline?

Click on the plus sign next to Projected Coordinate Systems > UTM > NAD 1983 > NAD1983 UTM Zone 17N

Change the coordinate system UTM NAD 83 Zone 17N.

What happens to the shape and outline of West Virginia when

you apply this change?

Change the coordinate system to NAD_1983_StatePlane_West_Virginia_North_FIPS_4701_Feet

o Projected Coordinate Systems > State Plane > NAD 1983 (2011) (US Feet)

What happens to the shape and outline of West Virginia when

you apply this change?


Add the wvNorthernCoutnies_SPFT_NAD83.shp file from the C:\student folder to your project.

Return to the Data Frame Properties (Right Click on State_View > Properties).

This time we are going to clear the projection information.

Click on the Globe to access the rest of the menu.

From the menu, choose Clear.

Click OK. Zoom to the Full Extent of the

data by clicking the Full

Extent button in your main toolbar.

What is the result of your

zoom?

Open the State_View Data Frame Properties window again. Change the projection to

NAD_1983_StatePlane_West_Virginia_North_FIPS_4701_Feet Click OK.

Now the data lines up again.

Right click on the wvNorthernCounties_SPFT_NAD83 layer.


Go to Properties. Click on the Source Tab.

What is the Projected Coordinate System of this dataset?

What is the Projection?

Click Cancel. Right Click on the wvStateBoundary24k_USGS_200203_UTM83

layer. Go to Properties. Click on the Source Tab.

What is the Projected Coordinate System of this dataset?

What is the Projection?

Because these datasets have different reference systems they do not line up automatically. Rather, Arc lines them up for you by automatically applying the correct transformation (or calculation) to “project on the fly”.

Click Save.

Now that you have a better idea of why and how to use coordinate system and projection information, you will create a new shapefile in ArcCatalog.


Activity 3.4: Importing a Coordinate System Open the ArcCatalog tab on the

right side of your screen. Pin the tab to stay open. Expand the C:\student\ArcGIS1\

data Right click on your Data Folder. Select New > Shapefile Name: Park_Areas Feature Type: Polygon Click Edit to assign the shapefile

a coordinate system.

Rather than choose from the list, this time we will make sure our coordinate

systems match by importing a coordinate system.

Click on the little globe in the Spatial Reference Properties Window.

Choose Import. Double click the

Newspace_Development_Area geodatabase.


Select Newspc_parcels Click Add. Click OK.

Click OK again.

A new dataset should show up in the Data Folder.

Close ArcMap.

Module 4: Basic MappingModule 4 Hands on Activities

Activity 4.1: Map maker, map maker, find me a map!The ability to visualize the geographic aspects of data is one of the most vital and important outcomes of using a GIS. Making maps is an important analysis component, but there are some basic cartographic principles which should be


followed in order to make your map clear, legible, and understandable. This exercise walks you through the process of making a map in ArcGIS.

Open the Activity_4.1.mxd in your C:\student\ArcGIS1 folder.

What data do you currently have available in your TOC?

Is all of the data visible?

Is the map legible in its current format?

Today you will make a planning map for the Newspace Planning Authority. Community members have requested a park in the area and the Planning Authority would like a current map to demonstrate all of the recent housing

development, addresses, and parcel information.

You will start by changing the symbology of your map.

In the Table of Contents (TOC), right click on the Newspace_buildings layer.


Choose Properties at the bottom of the list.

The Layer Properties dialog window should open.

Click on the

Symbology tab.

In the Show window, change the value to Categories.


Under Categories, highlight Unique values in blue.

In the Value Field, use the pull down menu to select SITE_TYPE.

Click Add All Values at the bottom of the window.

Left Click on the word Symbol above the current symbology for the site types.

Select Properties for All Symbols.


Change the size of the symbol from 4.00 to 6.00. Click OK. If you want to change the colors, you can either:

o Change the Color Ramp: these colors are graphically designed to blend well together

o Double left click on each point to choose a color.

When you are satisfied with your points, click Apply. Move the window to view your changes in the map. Click OK. Click SAVE.

Next we will change the symbology of the parcel layer, which is currently obstructing the view of your imagery.

Right Click on Newspc_parcels > Properties > Symbology Choose Quantities in the

Show Window. Choose Graduated Colors

and choose a single color ramp, in either red or green.


In the Value Field, choose Shape Area. Normalization: None Click Apply. Move your Layer Properties window so that you can see the results

of your symbology.

Change over to the Display tab.

There are a lot of options here; however, you will only change the transparency of the layer.

In the Transparent box type 40 (%). Click Apply. Move your Layer Properties window so that you can see the results

of your symbology change.

Next you are going to label your parcels with their parcel number.

Go to the Labels Tab.


In the upper left hand corner, check the box that says “Label features in this layer”

Method: Label all the features the same way.

Note: ArcMap has a large variety of labeling styles, mechanisms, and toolbars and is a very powerful cartographic tool. However, exploring all of these options is part of ArcGIS Foundations III.

Change the Font Size to 10pt Arial, Black, and Bold. Click Apply. Click OK.

Go to the Bookmark “Newspace Development” Use the AddData tool and add the layer file C:\student\ArcGIS1\Data\

newspc_roads.lyr Right click on the newspce_roads.lyr in your TOC. Go to Properties > Symbology

What is different about loading this dataset than other

datasets such as .shp or .gdb files?


Lastly, we are going to symbolize our building footprints according to their type.

Close the Layer Properties for newspc_roads.lyr Right click on newspace_footprints > Properties > Symbology Under Categories > Unique Values In the Value

Field choose Type2

Click Add All Values

Click Apply Click OK Click the SAVE

button in the main toolbar to save the changes you’ve made to your project.

Activity 4.2: Map maker, map maker, make me a map!Now that your data is appropriately symbolized you will make it a map. Right now, you have all the ingredients for a very nice figure. Your figure becomes a map when you add the appropriate elements.

To make a map you first need to switch to Layout View.


Go to View in your main menu.

Click Layout View.

Alternatively you can click the page layout button in the bottom left hand corner of the data window.


The Default page size for Arc is 8.5x11. If you want to make your map larger or smaller, you can change the page size in your File Settings.

When creating your map, page size, extent of the area, and scale are linked. Knowing your final output is also important to establishing the correct settings in Arc. For example, if you are creating a map to include in a report, you should set your page size to be the same as the area you want to your map to be (7in by 7in). Alternatively, if you are creating a large map to be used in the field, then you should set your page size to be 24in by 36in.

Because different maps have different purposes, setting your page size is an important component of map design because it determines many aspects of cartography, such as font sizes, symbology and map elements.

Click on File. Click on Page and Print Setup.

Note: ArcMap allows you to set the page size independent of the printer being used. This is very handy if you wish to create a large format map and your office only has a standard print, you may still wish to export to a pdf. Under the Paper section, Change the orientation of your map to Landscape.

Check the box to “Scale Map elements proportionally to changes in Page Size”.


Click OK.

At this point, your figure should be in the center of your page. To organize the map, Arc provides guides to which your map elements will “snap,” or move on their own.

Set your primary guides at 0.5 in and 10.5 in on the horizontal axis, across the top of your map area, by clicking on the number in the ruler bar. (A cyan colored line will appear when you’ve set the guide.)

Set the following guides on the vertical axis:

o 8.2o 7.5o 1o 0.9o 0.3

Drag your data frame borders to line up with the center square of your guides.

Use the NewSpace Development bookmark to focus the map area.

Click on Insert in the Main Menu.

Choose Title from the list.

This is a newer feature in ArcGIS called “dynamic text” meaning that the text updates automatically based upon the settings established. In this instance, the “title” is being pulled from information already filled out in your map document properties.

Double click on the title to change the fonts and format.


Click Change Symbol Choose a bold font that fills the space. (Ex: Century Schoolbook, 36pt

font, bold) Click Apply to verify the font/text is clear. Click OK. Return to the Insert menu. From the list choose Dynamic Text > Service Layer Credits.

This will move the service layer credits out of the figure and create additional text. However, because it’s dynamic if you were to change the service layer, the credits would also change.

Drag the credits to the lower right hand corner of your map.

Snap them to your 0.9 horizontal guide and your 10.5 vertical guide.

Resize the box by dragging one of the highlighted blue boxes in to make it smaller (out to make it larger).


Double click on the service layer to change the font.

Choose change symbol and make the font size an 8.

Click OK. Click OK.

Return to the Insert menu. Insert > Legend.

The Legend Wizard will open.

Click Next.

Title your Legend, “Newspace Features” and click Next. Select a simple, .5 black frame for your legend.


o Click on the drop down arrow to see your choices.

Make the Background of your legend White. o Click on the background drop down menu. White is the last

choice in the second column. Click Next. The wizard automatically calculates these features, so click Next

again. It also automatically calculates the correct spacing so click

Finish. Shrink your legend so that it fits in the right hand side of your

map.

After your legend has been created, you may wish to edit additional features or make changes. For example, the spacing between the border and the background is quite large. To change this:

Double click the legend.

You can change the legend properties by using the tabs and editing features.


Go to the General Tab.

Under Title, click the Symbol… button.

Make the legend Title at 10pt font.

Click OK. Click Apply Click OK.

Return to the Insert Menu. Insert a North Arrow.

The North Arrow is also dynamic. It will always point north, even if you rotate the data frame. This is explored further in ArcGIS Tips and Tricks or Advanced Cartography.

Insert ESRI North Arrow 3. Drag it to the lower left hand corner of your map

and it will snap to your guides. Like with the legend, left click, hold and drag one

of the blue arrows to change the size. o Make sure the north arrow does not cover

part of your road.

Go to the Insert Menu.

Insert a scale bar.


From the scale bar selector, choose Scale Line 1. Click Properties

Be sure the units are set to Miles. Click OK. Click OK in the Scale Bar Selector.

Move your scale bar from the middle of the map to the bottom center of the gap below your figure.

Snap your scale bar to the 0.9 horizontal guide.


When inserting a scale bar, it is a best practice for the units to be logical, even when possible, and consistent. For example, your scale bar should read .2 miles or .3 miles. Ideally it would read .5 miles (multiples of 5) but the area in the map is too small for that. When creating larger maps, it’s better to stick with 1:24000 as opposed to 1:25456 , or 10 miles instead of 9.89 miles.

Next, you will add some text credits to your map to indicate who created the map and the map date.

Insert > Text

The Text box is in the middle of your map, like the other elements added; however, it may be more difficult to see. As long as the cyan dashed box is around the text, you should be able to drag and move it.

Move the text box to the lower left hand margin of your map, below the north arrow.

Double click on the word “text” while the blue box is around it to edit the text.

Type your name and today’s date. Click Change Symbol. Make it a 12pt font and choose a font style you like. Left Justify the font


Click OK. Move the text to line up with the guide on the left side of the

map.

Lastly, we will set the figure (our map area) apart from the rest of the map elements by adding a neat line.

Select the figure by clicking in the middle of it once. Right click on the figure. Go to Properties.

This will open up your Data Frame Properties.


Click on the Frame Tab. In the Border section, use the pull down menu to choose Triple

Graded. Leave the color Black. Click OK. Click OK when Arc alerts you to the potential dangers of

incompatible coordinate systems.

Depending on your map design, you may wish to insert a neatline that encompasses all, or a selection of map elements. For this map, only the north arrow and figure were used with the neat line.

At this point you should have all of the major map elements: figure (data, symbology), legend, title, credits, neatline, north arrow, and scale bar.

Activity 4.3: Map maker, map maker, export me a map!Data distribution is an important factor to consider when setting up any GIS project. If you are producing a static map, you will need to export it to a pdf. This is also highly important if you are printing. ArcMap has a terrible time printing maps from its software – so exporting it to a PDF first can help and speed up your results.

To export the map to a pdf (or jpg, gif, tiff, etc.)

Go to File Choose Export Map Click the drop down arrow to view all of

the different file types.


Change the Save As type to PDF.

Navigate to you C:\student folder

Name your file

lastname_firstname_activity4.3 Accept the current default resolution. Click Save. Go to your C:\student\ArcGIS1 folder and make sure the pdf

opens. You may Save your .mxd and Close ArcMap.


introduction to geographic information...

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