Vector Analysis 2 Module 10

Desoto National Forest Possible Camping Sites

In this weeks lab I performed buffering, dissolve, and overlay. Buffers and overlay are two of the most common operations in GIS. A buffer is a area that is x amount of distance away from a map feature. With buffers you can choose different areas to buffer based on the map feature. You can also apply multiple buffers to the same feature to create a range ring around the feature.

With the above map I was given the vector data and requires to create buffers around the lakes, roads, and rivers. These features were then overlaid with the conservation area file. The conservation areas I am not allowed to camp in, the areas of the conservation area that overlapped my buffers were then removed from the map. The buffers that I created were 500 meters of a river, 300 meters of a road, and 150 meters of a lake. Since I was only given the vector data I added a base map that allowed to see that this campsite was was in the Desoto National Forest.

GIS Data Search Module 7 and 8

In this exercise, I comprehensively mapped one county in Florida. I acquired and format data, then create one or several maps to display those data. To bring all these feature into map projects, I explored both the LABINS,USGS,and FGDL web sites.  These sites contained all the data files I needed to complete this project.

ArcGIS Online & Map Packages Module 4

I created an ArcGIS online account, which will allow me to access and share map packages and do analysis via a web browser. 

Map packages are a way to share maps with other users, by supplying all the inputs of a project in a single source - the package.  Map packages contain map inputs, such as layers, data, and other documents.  By 'packaging' these items, the entire project is easily distributed and shared.  Similar to map packages, tile packages were discussed.  Tile packages contain both vector and raster graphics.  Tile packages break the map project into equal spaced tiles, the pieces of which makeup the total project.  Tiles are well suited for raster inputs.

Below are two screen shots of map packages that I created.

GIS Cartography Module 3

“GIS is not just about making maps”

This lab focused on the cartographic output of GIS. GIS analyst needs to be able to create maps that convey information in a clear and concise manner. If the analyst is not able to do this through cartographic output their customer will not understand the research that they have conducted.

The first map for this lab involved more than one layer and how to manipulate and organize the layers in an intuitive manner. I downloaded an Adobe swatch exchange file from colorbrewer to have sequential colors that ramp upward in intensity to show increasing population in each state. 

In the second map I added road, rivers, and urban areas over 1 million. I then excluded smaller roads and rivers since the map was overly cluttered. Finally I added a inset map and labeled the large urban areas.

The finally map for this week was a elevation map. This map shows an increasing intensity of colors for the higher elevations.

Own Your Map! Module 2

In this weeks lab I worked on further manipulating the map within ArcGIS. I added two data frames which allowed a inset to be displayed on the map to give a overview of the area. I also added a interstate, river, and UWF Escambia county location shape-file. The interstate and river files were trimmed to the boundaries of Escambia county to keep the map clean. The star is the Escambia county campus for UWF.

ArcGIS Overview Module 1

Here is the first map that I have created for GIS4043. The process that the class uses is different that what I used though work. The layout view is hard to work with until you have experience with it, once you know how it works it becomes easier. I started by adding the country and city data to this map. After that I manipulated the data to break the counties up by their populations. I then added the legend, scale, North arrow, and title.