Projections Part I

In this 5th week, we were taught about what Map Projections are and why they are important when considering your maps. We learned about the various Coordinate Systems and Georeferencing in Chapter 2 of the text. There was a dizzying amount of information and we are told that it is normal to feel a bit overwhelmed by all this material. It is apparently only after many years working with it will we feel perfectly comfortable. If this is so, then I am right on track. It did feel overwhelming at times but with perseverance and sheer determination, I was able to construct the map below depicting 3 dataframes with 3 projected layers. Each map shows a specific map projection and indicates how these varying coordinate system,s by necessity, will show slight variations as indicated by the differences in square miles for 4 selected Florida counties.

ArcGIS Online and Map Packages

This week showed us how to utilize the ArcGIS Online system for creating and sharing maps. The outcome was the creation of 2 maps that we shared in this online forum. The first exercise dealt with using and modifying map and tile packages as depicted in the first illustration below while the second screenshot shows the outcome from optimizing a map package.

The last screenshot shows how newly shared maps appear in the ArcGIS Online My Content section after registering as a user. I can easily see how working in partnerships this capability could be very useful. I work for a federal agency and not everyone always has the same access or programs. This will allow sharing of data much more easily.

Week 3 GIS Cartography

This week we were  instructed to make 3 maps showing different elements of the same geographic area in Mexico. We worked with ArcCatalog, raster pyramids and  created dynamic text to mention a few of the required tasks. Here are the 3 reprentations of vector and raster data maps for Central Mexico.

This week also provided a better opportunity for understanding the use of color in a professional manner for best possible visual results. Chapter Ten in our text was very helpful in deciding effective and appropriate color schemes. This was probably my most favorite part of the lesson as it directly relates to my need to create visual data in my work environment. Knowing how to best represent data is essential for getting your point across to a particular audience.

I did have some difficulty with saving the various .mxd files each time when creating the next map. I had to recreate Map 2 at one point and can now see I missed an element in the Legend as I post it. I simply ran out of time to correct this but will learn from this mistake for future lessons. Although this was fairly intense because of the amount of work required, I thought the written instructions were pretty straight forward for the most part and the exercise was fun.

ArcGIS2 - Own Your Own Map

This map was a representation of the Escambia County, UWF Campus Location as it relates to Escambia County, FL. I worked from 2 seperate layers and created a map showing the exact location of the UWF campus on one with an inset map of the county at large.

This exercise was easier and more fun. Getting all the Orientation issues resolved allowed me to concentrate on the course content.

ArcGIS Overview

Proud of my first map-making effort.