Introduction to InVEST ArcGIS Tool

Nasser Olwero

GMP, Bangkok April 2-6 2012

Background of tool design

Why a tool/ArcGIS Tool?

ArcGIS Geoprocessing Framework

1. Tool dialog2. Command line3. Model builder4. Scripting (ArcObjects, Python, VB…)

a) The python geoprocessing object

Why Python?

1. Supported by ESRI2. Simple, easy to learn and use3. Robust4. Extensible5. Flexible

InVEST Installation process

• InVEST: The Application• Get InVEST• Install the core InVEST application

– InVEST statistics while that runs• Check installation• InVEST Marine Extensions

InVEST: The Application

• InVEST is a framework for mapping Ecosystem Services and evaluating tradeoffs.

• InVEST The Software consists of– A set of Python scripts dependent on ArcGIS

• generally one per model biophysical and valuation module

– Base datasets• Some required, some optional

– Documentation

Where to get InVEST

• InVEST is released as a Windows installer downloadable from our website– http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/

Alternative Download Options

• We offer alternative downloads for InVEST users with slow Internet connections:– Full (296 MB)– Models Only (56.7 MB)– Individual datasets (variable sizes)

InVEST Installation Procedure

1. Copy InVEST_2.2.2_Full_Setup.exe to your desktop (or other location)

2. Double click the icon to start the installation process

3. By default the InVEST toolset will copy itself to C:\InVEST_2_2_2 and take 1.9 GB of disk space.

4. This is will take a few minutes.

Checking Your Installation

• Open your file explorer and check for a directory in C:\InVEST_2_2_2

Checking Your Installation

• In C:\InVEST_2_2_2 you’ll find an ArcMap document and an ArcToolbox

• Open the ArcMap document and add the toolbox if necessary

You’ll End up With this

Complete Installation

• Enable Spatial Analyst Extension• Install Marine Python Extensions• Non-English Language in Windows?

– We might need to change the decimal symbol and digit grouping symbol.

Enable Spatial Analyst Extension

• Most InVEST models require the Spatial Analyst Extension

• Customize -> Extensions -> Spatial Analyst

InVEST Marine Extensions

• Visit www.naturalcapitalproject.org• Navigate to the download page• Download the “Marine Python Extensions” for

your version of Arc (9.3 or 10).– Install each of the installers:

• matplotlib• numpy• pywin32• Scipy

Check Marine Extensions

• Run the “Marine Python Extension Check”

ArcGIS Licensing and ArcToolbox

1. Licensing – ArcView, ArcEditor, Arcmap, Spatial Analyst

2. ArcGIS Tools and Toolboxes

Loading toolbox (tbx)

Setting script source

Setting tool parameters

1

2

Running model

Progress and error reporting

Custom errors

Windows Language Settings

• Some InVEST models require that floating point values are separated by decimals.– A problem in some non-English languages

• Windows 7 Users:– Go to Control Panel -> Clock, Language and Region– Under Region and Language choose "Change the date, time or number

format“– Easiest thing to do: Set Format to English (United States)– OR: To just do commas and periods, click "Additional settings..." then

change values in "Decimal symbol" to “.” and "Digit grouping symbol“ to “,”

• Windows XP Users:– Control Panel -> Regional and Language Options– Easiest thing to do: Under the Regional Options tab, pick English

(United States) from the drop-down– OR: To just do commas and periods, click "Customize..." then change

values in "Decimal symbol" to “.” and "Digit grouping symbol“ to “,”

InVEST Versioning Scheme

• 22.2.2 is the major version number– An increment means change of platform or

architecture• 2.22.2 is the minor version number

– This increments as new models are added to the suite

• 2.2.22 is the release number– This increments when bugs are fixed and released

with no new functionality

Release “Schedule”

• Generally we release a new InVEST version every 3-5 months:

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

InVEST 1.010/13/2008

InVEST 1.00112/16/2008 InVEST 1.002

4/17/2009InVEST 1.003

8/10/2009InVEST 1.004

3/12/2010

InVEST 1.0057/13/2010

InVEST 2.02/16/2011

InVEST 2.15/13/2011

InVEST 2.1.310/17/2011

InVEST 2.2.012/22/2012

InVEST 2.2.11/22/2012

• InVEST 3.0 will be the big one in late 2012

Folder/file/column naming:

1. No spaces2. Use shorter names3. Avoid special characters(eg hyphen)4. Naming consistency.

ChangeLog

Projections

1. Data should be in meters2. All data should have same projection3. If possible, project the vector to match

raster and not the other way round.

Software versions

1. ArcGIS 9.3, 102. Python 2.4, 2.53. Extensions

1. Spatial Analyst2. Numpy3. Scipy(See specific models)

Data locking

1. ArcGIS and Python are separate2. Close files before running model.

Resolution and file size

1. Set working resolution on tool interface2. High resolution takes time to compute,

demanding on computer resources3. Set resolution based on the model.

Results suffix

1. Uniquely identifies each run2. Restricted to 1 character3. Parameter log file records input

User Support for InVEST

• Online user’s guide, also included with the InVEST install.

• Need additional support or file a bug report? Email:– richsharp@stanford.edu

• InVEST user listserv launched

Editing tables

1. Edit in ArcMap OR Excel*2. Excel 2007 does not save dbf3. ArcGIS 9.2 does not read xlsx4. Use Open office.

Under the hood (advanced)

InVEST 3.0 Preview

Who Downloads InVEST?

• We started tracking user analytics on October 23, 2011. Prior to that we had “about 2000” downloads.

• InVEST 2.1.3 (released 10/17/2011)– 164 downloads

• InVEST 2.2.0 (released 12/22/2011)– 889 downloads

• InVEST 2.2.1 (released 1/22/2012)– 55 downloads

Who Downloads InVEST?

• Breaking down InVEST 2.2.0 downloads per country for those > 3% Country Percent of

InVEST 2.2.0 Downloads

United States 23.99%

China 22.61%

Brazil 4.27%

South Korea 4.04%

Mexico 3.69%

South Africa 3.34%