GIS Projections Part 1

Good Day GIS'ers and people who randomly found there way here.
This post will be all about map Projections based on this weeks Intro to GIS assignment on the same. This is a two part theme with part one being this week with the second part to come later. some key learning objectives are below

• Recall the basis in which projected and geographic coordinate systems are measured
• Add geographic data and observe software rules and “on-the-fly” functions while adding data with and without a defined coordinate system to a map data frame
• Utilize the Project tool in ArcGIS to reproject a data layer to a common Projected Coordinate System
• Visualize data being displayed in three different projected coordinate systems on a single map and note the differences
• Quantify the difference in area (square miles) between data being displayed between three different projected coordinate systems

 So lets break down a couple of the above. First, this lab was done entirely in ArcGIS Desktop, and its purpose was to display the same data set (size of Florida and its counties) under different projections or coordinate systems. A map projection is a transformation of the 3-dimensional (globe) earth into a 2-dimensional flat map. There are many ways to accomplish this projection, and you can then add many different coordinate systems to it. I wont go more in depth with that here. The lab took county data for Florida and had me change the projection from one projected coordinate system, (that is a coordinate system designed for a flat surface) to another. It also had me observing what and how this is done in ArcGIS Desktop. This is finally portrayed for you the map user to see by showing the same mapped area, in three different projections, highlighting counties across the state as an example, and showing their measurement in square miles compared to each other. See below:

Upon looking at this map you can see that right away, they are essentially 3 of the same map minus the color change to set them apart. The projection used is highlighted at the top of the otherwise identically laid out maps. When you look a little further you can see the same four highlighted counties in each map, and a little closer still shows that the square mileage is slightly different in each. you can see that in the extreme from one projection to the next an entire county is different by 19 square miles. All of this is due to the projection type used and where its origin lies in reference to the map. This can also show you a good reason of why its important to make sure that all the data you gather for a project is in a usable format or can be changed to suit your needs. 
I hope you enjoy referencing the above and at least learned something about map projections. Did you notice the subliminal patriotism?

ArcGIS Online and Map Packages

Hello readers,
      This weeks entry is in regard to my Intro to GIS class assignment about ArcGIS Online and Map Packages. This weeks objectives are to be able to create a Map Package via ArcMap and share it to arc GIS Online, as well as gain a better understanding of the services offered by Arc GIS Online, ESRI, and their interoperability with ArcMap. This was done through two virtual training courses found at ESRI.com in concert with ArcMAP desktop. If this doesnt make sense at first see below.

First: Build your essential map data layers via Arc Map. This should be data that you absolutely need to share to the community at large. The sharing will take place via Arc GIS Online under your personal Content tab. An example of uploaded data is below.

As you can see, this data page is titled Yosemite Operational Data, as in data that I need to get to some user. It has been uploaded to my Content on ArGis Online, and is ready for sharing to the masses.

Here is another example:

This is a variation on the same theme above, just with more detailed background information. So how do these things work for you. Well, these are packaged map data that I have composed and simplified for you to view. Ideally you would view this through ArcGIS online once it was shared with you. A combination of the above map package (which is your important data) with a tile package (which is your background information) and you have something like the below at your fingertips.

Ideally, you would use the combination of this information to assist you in the job at hand. The example above is in regard to environmental sampling data obtained from trees in these various water drainage areas.
The basic concept above is that I can take the data that I need for whatever job, and package it for sharing to anyone on my team, or boss, or customer for their specific use. That is what was learned this week. Thank you.

Cartographic Skills: Typography

Good day everyone,
        This post is in regard to this weeks Cartography assignment with lab exercise on Typography. Typography is the art or process of specifying, arranging, and designing type. This assignment included the below overall learning objectives:

•  Demonstrate general typographic guidelines when making a map

• Employ proper type placement for different feature types (point, line, area)

The lab to facilitate these objectives gave me a mapped area of Marathon Florida, sans labels. With this area I then had to employ the various tenants and practices associated with good typography to effectively label 17 different specific areas/items.

There are many different considerations to take into account when labeling items on a map. A rough outline of some of the key decision's is below:

    These come after you know you need a label, and have placed a label, and added the text to the label.

1.    Determine Font 
•   Serifed vs non serifed, does the text font match the other fonts being employed for its symbol type or mesh with your theme overall? 
•   Color also goes with your theme and visual hierarchy. 
•         Should it be less noticeable as base information, or stand out brightly as thematic information? 
2.    Adjust Size 
•   Reference your visual hierarchy for text size determination. 
•   Larger fonts down to smaller fonts in rough order of Title, Legend, key symbology, base information,  name/date/source data etc. 
3.    Adjust placement 
•   This is heavily influenced by type of object being labeled. 
• Point: get the label as close to the area without overlap as necessary following the Text book guidelines (Figure 11.24, pg 206 Thematic Cartography…) 

•  Line: Refer to the above table, but try and keep the text above or parallel to the line, without going upside down. 

•   Area: Can the text fit into the area feature, or need to go close by? 

•  Add call out or leader line as necessary to avoid confusion. 

Here is my completed map of Marathon Florida with Marathon layout provided by UWF and edited by me exclusively in Corel Draw x7:

Since this lab was in reference to typography ill start there. I have employed one font, Cambria Normal throughout, with the exception of different water features labels being italicized. However with this font, varying sizes, outline colors, and positioning have been employed. Also, all of the Keys have utilized a leader line to subtly emphasize the area they belong to.
With this background, I wanted two things. First, a realistic water body for the island of Marathon to rest on, as well as a sense of the water and figure being up closer to you on the lower portion of the image, with the distance falling away as you continue higher along the map. This background picture, compliments of Google images, is from Destin Florida.
My map key: I also personalized the map key to be another element of florida by portraying a segment of grassy sand dune. The white sandy portion provided a good location for my symbology elements. Additionally, since the theme of this map is largely in part the Florida Keys, I utilized a drawing of a key (key being another suitable term in place of legend).
One last added touch: I had left a white border around the map to facilitate the feeling of having a horizon at the top of the picture to better facilitate figure ground with the water.
Thank you for your time. 

Cartographic Design

Greetings,
      This blog is in regard to this weeks Cartography assignment on Cartographic Design. Below are this weeks key Learning Objectives:

•  Conceptualize and create maps according to need of end user
•  Establish and implement visual hierarchy to emphasize important map features
•  Apply contrast to map features to imply their relative importance
•  Employ figure ground to make important map features appear closer to the end user
•  Achieve map balance with the harmonious organization of map elements and empty space
•  Symbolize layers by

The above learning principles were highlighted through this weeks laboratory assignment of creating a map of Washington DC's Ward 7 schools. The basic data for this map to include Washington DC Schools, Street/Highway's, Ward 7 boundaries, Park areas, etc were provided by the instructor/UWF.

My task was to take the data provided and create a map after having reviewed Gestalts Principles of perceptual organization. These are summarized with the key concepts from the text of: closure, common fate, continuity, figure-ground, proximity, similarity, smallness/area, and symmetry. Further these are enhanced by the aptly named cartographic design process which adds the following considerations: visual hierarchy, visual weight, contrast, figure-ground, and balance.

Here is my take on this weeks assignment created exclusively using Arc Map 10.2 desktop, composed of all mandatory layout elements with the addition of an inset map trying to work on the principles identified above.

Initially, I followed the hint from the assignments page and read through the lab instructions completely before beginning. I had just opened the Ward7Schools.mxd at the same time and was faced with more layers in Arc Map than I had yet seen applied to the table of contents. This was very daunting at first. The best thing that I did after completing my review of the instructions was to dedicate time to just orienting (I pointed myself east toward Asia, then realized being deployed, I’m actually in Asia (Cartography humor?)) myself to the items I had in front of me. This included turning off / on the various symbols, layers and changing their colors. Gaining this familiarization to the layers wasn’t an explicit written step, but most definitely one that I felt has to be implied to get over the initial daunted-ness. Applying the instructions seemed very much simpler thereafter.

For the execution of the map, the Gestalt Principle, and subsequent cartographic design principle which I wanted to focus on most is Figure-Ground relationship. This is established in a multitude of ways. For example, the school buildings are almost popping off the page, as they are an emphasized figure, and they lay on the ground which is ward seven. Further, Ward 7 becomes the figure by being lighter than the surrounding gray area which is now ward 7's ground. Other figure-ground relationships which mesh hand in hand with the principle of contrast can be seen with the font used. For example, the title is the largest font with other fonts being sized roughly in order that I want you to view them. This goes all the way down to the almost imperceptible name, date, and source data block. 
I could continue with my explanation of how I attempted to implement each cartographic design principle. But suffice it to say, I tried to follow the books example. I would be happy to add any further clarification or comment as necessary. Thank you for your time.


Brandon

Intro to GIS; GIS and Cartography

Good day GIS enthusiasts.
The following is in regard to my Intro to GIS class assignment GIS and Cartography. This lesson and subsequent lab builds further upon the foundation of Arc Map use while building three fundamentally different maps seen below while using sound cartographic principles.
Student Learning Outcomes include:

• Create and alter the symbology of maps created in ArcGIS
• Examine files from ArcCatalog and the ArcCatalog Window
• Review raster pyramids Compare and contrast raster and vector data files
• Identify and use all Table of Content (ToC) Views
• Utilize dynamic text in a map layout
• Create group layers
• Review how to save a map as a map package

 The maps created through this lab build the above skills with data provided by the school using various aspects of our neighbor to the south, Mexico, as the focus area. With three individual maps that all build upon each other we will start with a look at Mexican population by state. Then see an overview of central Mexico highlighting major urban areas, federal roadways, major and primary rivers, and railways. And end off with a cartographic overview of Mexico. Once all the maps were processed they're respective layouts were tailored to include a title, neatline, legend, north arrow, scale bar, and name/date/source data. These elements are the minimum requirements for a sound map in this class.

The key skills and focus areas that were introduced in this lab were as follows: Creating your own shapefile from a more expansive layer of information. This is essentially taking a broad overview of data and tailoring it to the specific information you need to be effective. As such, I took an overview of states of multiple countries and selected and exported those from Mexico only into a new file. Additionally, extensive Layer review was explored showing different ways to navigate and use the data you add to Arc Map. And possibly most importantly to this lab, different methods of displaying the symbology provided by the various types of data. We will see this more below.

Map 1.

This map shows the states of Mexico utilizing a graduated color scheme of light tans (lower population) to dark browns (highest population) while not being overshadowed by surrounding elements.

Map 2.

This map shows you some of Mexico's largest urban areas and the sprawl of railways, roadways, and river ways that crisscross Mexico's landscape. It also gives you an inset map highlighting where in North/Central America your focus lies. One of the neat features I learned about and utilized in this map is that only cities with a population above 1 million people are labeled. You can also see I maintained a similar color and largely similar layout for the map elements as the previous map.

Map 3.

This map shows you the elevation throughout Mexico utilizing a raster Digital Elevation Model (DEM). It uses a stretched continuous flow color scheme. This starts with light greens as the lows, moving to yellows, tans, and ending with reds highlighting the peaks in the country. This layout also maintains an inset map highlighting Mexico and the focus area again. The other elements mostly maintain the previous maps standard layout with minor changes to the compass rose and name/date/data source elements due to spacing.

Thank you again for your time and interest.

v/r

Brandon

Owning My Map

Good day to you,
      Here we have a post dedicated to me owning my map. What this means is that I had an assignment about all the things that go into owning my map. A map isn't a map without several things to include a title, cartographers name, source information, scale, legend, neat-line or border, and north arrow. Now, yes there are map documents out there that are so well presented that some of these items might be omitted. However for the purpose of the class and assignment this was generated from all of the above are necessary. So adding these items to a map highlighting the location of the school I'm attending via internet (University of West Florida) was the task. However the real purpose of the lab was to continue to familiarize myself with the Arcmap program by having to add multiple dataframes, layers, and design elements to culminate into the below map while employing the basic elements common to most maps.
      If you happen to have read my previous post I can tell you that I apparently didnt learn my own lesson the first time. I once again reaffirmed to myself that when working with these wonderful programs, save early, save often. An hour or so into my creation I attempted to much processing at once causing the system to go unresponsive and have to be forcibly quit. On the plus side, I was able to get back to the point I was in less than half the time based on the first rounds experience.
    Ultimately as you can see I completed the below. To summarize, it shows the location of the UWF Campus in Escambia county while simultaneously highlighting Escambia county amongst all of Florida's 67 counties. Hopefully you find it simple yet elegant. Thank you.

Florida via Corel Draw

Hello loyal blog viewers and people who stumbled by randomly.
Today's post is dedicated to my Cartography class and this weeks assignment on enhancing a basic map exported from Arc GIS utilizing Corel Draw X7. The basic premise was to take an overview of Florida showing counties, major cities, the capital, and waterways and adding key map elements utilizing Corel Draw to change the basic map elements, then export as a usable JPeg. The map elements that were originally missing were the title, north arrow, neat-line, and map information to include data source, the creator (me) and the date created. Additionally it is up to the designer to import some additional imagery, to which i chose the state flag, state bird, state flower, nickname, and state seal. in the process of collecting all of these images and trying to figure out how to organize them I came up with both of the below images. I decided to utilize the same features with two layouts because of the grading rubric involved. I feel that I like the Landscape version better, however due to the overlapping of some items, and the state flag being the background I thought it might be downgraded a few points. Vice the standard portrait layout which has all the rubric required elements, it just doesn't strike me as aesthetically pleasing in either case, both were created by importing internet pictures with the wonderful Snipping Tool, and adjusted using Corel Draw. The tools I used most were the Picking tool, Text editer, and some color utilities.
So why would I spend so much time creating two maps instead of just one? Easy, its only the second week of class so I'm trying to feel out the grading rubric. Both clearly meet the rubric criteria, however the one with more design freedom being used might go a tad overboard, and with two maps I should most definitely have demonstrated all of this weeks necessary skills in manipulating Corel Draw.
So, I feel I should inform you of this most valuable lesson when dealing with Corel Draw, ArcMAP, remote Access Servers/Desktop... Save Early, Save Often. I was halfway through my first rendition of my map when all of a sudden I was kicked from the remote connection. Now I did notice before that I was doing my work during a standard maintenance time, but everything had been smooth up to that one instant. So all in all, I got to exercise all the skills I had just learned over again, while saving repeatedly.
So what do you think, which map is the better one in your opinion?

Thanks for stopping by.


v/r



Brandon