Lab 3: Exploration of ArcGIS software

Due Week 7 and worth 150 points

Learning Objectives

·         Gain a basic understanding of the ArcGIS modules.

·         Learn to navigate and utilize the ArcGIS help system.

·         Begin exploring the functionality of various toolbars in ArcGIS.

·         Become familiar with downloading GIS data from the Internet.

Overview

The geographic information system software package ArcGIS was developed by the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI). ArcGIS is designed to create, develop, and interact with new and existing geographic data. It’s designed to be a complete and integrated system for geographic data processing.

The desktop form of ArcGIS is available with three levels of functionality. The most basic level is called ArcView, which allows for many map making, visualization, and map analysis capabilities. For creating and editing spatial data that go into these analyses, ArcEditor adds capabilities on top of ArcView. Finally, more advanced visualization and analysis tools are available at the ArcInfo level. At all levels, users interact with Desktop ArcGIS through three interface components: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox.

ArcMap is used to perform map and data-based tasks. These include geographic and attribute data creation, editing, data viewing and querying, and map production.

ArcCatalog is designed to browse, organize, and document geographic data in a Windows Explorer-like fashion. Operations such as previewing, copying, moving, renaming, or deleting can be performed within this module.

ArcToolbox is the data management and geo-processing module embedded within ArcMap and ArcCatalog. Task wizards have been created for the most commonly performed geo-processing operations. Some of the functionality includes importing and exporting, overlays, buffering, and statistical calculations.

Part 1: Exploration of the ArcGIS Software

Instructions:

1.      Sign On to https://www.arcgis.com/features/free-trial.html with established free trial credentials.

2.      Click on the “Map” link at the top left-hand corner. Click on the [S1] 

3.      At the “My Map” page, click on the “Learn to make a map - Start Tour” link.

4.      For the first step, type in the name of your hometown city and state.

5.      Once at Step 12, create a “Web App” story book type, provide a screen shot of the map, and place it into a Word document that will be submitted to the assignment link as proof of step execution. Close out of the “Create Web App” window.

6.      Click the “About” menu option, and click on “Learn to style a map Start Tour >” link.

7.      For the first step, type in the location of your favorite vacation spot.

8.      When selecting a map template, choose “Recreation”.

9.      Add three different “Facilities” symbols to the map.

10.  Add three different “Recreation Labels” to the map.

11.  Take a screen shot of the map and put it into a Word document that will be submitted to the assignment link as proof of step execution.

12.  Click the “Save” menu option.

13.  In the top right-hand corner of the screen, click “New Map”; then, “Create New Map”.

14.  Click the “Learn to explore Living Atlas Layers Start Tour >” link. 

15.  For the first step, search for the location of the place you would most like to visit in the near future.

16.  Take a screen shot of the map and save into a Word document that will be submitted to the assignment link as proof of step execution.

17.  Click on the “Directions” option button. 

18.  Provide the distance between in miles and time the selected location in Step 15 for a destination within 100 miles. If the destination is not within 100 miles, select another destination that is within 100 miles. 

19.  Take a screen shot of the map and save into a Word document that will be submitted to the assignment link as proof of step execution. 

20.  Click on the “Save” option.

Deliverables

Include your signature (as per instructions in Lab #1) and appropriate captions to each of the three screen shots generated from the above exercises and save into a Word document. Submit the Word document created with applicable text and screen shots to the assignment link. Answer the questions below.

What have you learned from this assignment? What are the issues/challenges faced with ArcGIS software? 

Part 2: Finding GIS Data in the Public Domain

There are different kinds of layers. Some layers represent a particular type of geographic feature, while others represent a particular type of data. Each layer type has different mechanisms for displaying and symbolizing its contents and specific operations that you will perform against them. Many layers have special sets of tools for working with the layer and its contents. For example, you can use the Editor toolbar to manipulate feature layers and the Topology toolbar to work with the contents of a topology layer.

Here are a few of the common layer types:

1.      Feature layer—A layer that references a set of feature (vector) data that represents geographic entities as points, lines, and polygons. A feature layer’s data source can be a geodatabase feature class, a shapefile, an ArcInfo Coverage, a CAD file, and so on.

2.      Raster layer—A layer that references a raster or image as its data source

3.      Service layer—A layer used to display ArcGIS for Server, ArcIMS, WMS services, and other web services

4.      Geoprocessing layer—A layer that displays the output of a geoprocessing tool

5.      Basemap layer—A type of group layer that provides high-performance display of basemap content

Now that you have some familiarity with the layers, please complete the following.

Describe a problem statement or question in your research or professional field for which GIS could be applicable (this means it should include a spatial component). Your issue should be well thought out and clearly stated with some scientific rationale. List five data layers that you think are necessary to address your question (each layer should have a few sentences explaining how the layer might help to answer your question).

Find on the internet and then describe the following for your five listed layers:

·         The data layer

·         Where you found it

·         Whether the data can be downloaded

·         Whether the data was free or available at cost

·         Whether there are any disclaimers for use of the data layer

You do not have to download the layers you describe, but they should be existing data which you find specifically mentioned online or find download links for. A “data layer” is a file containing a single type of spatial information and which can be loaded into a GIS. For example, the “Assisted Living” dataset in Parts 7 and 8 was a data layer.

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Status NEW Posted 17 Apr 2019 02:04 AM My Price 8.00

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