Learning ArcGIS for Desktop E-Book

Daniela Cristiana Docan

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 396

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Create, analyze, and map your spatial data with ArcGIS for Desktop

About This Book

• Learn how to use ArcGIS for Desktop to create and manage geographic data, perform vector and raster analysis, design maps, and share your results
• Solve real-world problems and share your valuable results using the powerful instruments of ArcGIS for Desktop
• Step-by-step tutorials cover the main editing, analyzing, and mapping tools in ArcGIS for Desktop

Who This Book Is For

This book is ideal for those who want to learn how to use the most important component of Esri's ArcGIS platform, ArcGIS for Desktop. It would be helpful to have a bit of familiarity with the basic concepts of GIS. Even if you have no prior GIS experience, this book will get you up and running quickly.

What You Will Learn

• Understand the functionality of ArcGIS for Desktop applications
• Explore coordinate reference system concepts and work with different map projections
• Create, populate, and document a file geodatabase
• Manage, create, and edit feature shapes and attributes
• Built automate analysis workfl ows with ModelBuilder
• Apply basic principles of map design to create good-looking maps
• Analyze raster and three-dimensional data with the Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions

In Detail

ArcGIS for Desktop is one of the main components of the ESRI ArcGIS platform used to support decision making and solve real-world mapping problems. Learning ArcGIS for Desktop is a tutorial-based guide that provides a practical experience for those who are interested in start working with ArcGIS.

The first five chapters cover the basic concepts of working with the File Geodatabase, as well as editing and symbolizing geospatial data. Then, the book focuses on planning and performing spatial analysis on vector and raster data using the geoprocessing and modeling tools. Finally, the basic principles of cartography design will be used to create a quality map that presents the information that resulted from the spatial analysis previously performed. To keep you learning throughout the chapters, all exercises have partial and final results stored in the dataset that accompanies the book. Finally, the book offers more than it promises by using the ArcGIS Online component in the tutorials as source of background data and for results sharing

Style and approach

This easy-to-follow guide is full of hands-on exercises that use open and free geospatial datasets. The basic features of the ArcGIS for Desktop are explained in a step-by-step style.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Learning ArcGIS for Desktop

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewer

www.PacktPub.com

eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why subscribe?

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Downloading the color images of this book

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Getting Started with ArcGIS

Hardware and software requirements

Hardware requirements

Software requirements

Installing ArcGIS for Desktop

Obtaining a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop

Installing on Windows

Exploring ArcGIS for Desktop

ArcCatalog

ArcMap

ArcToolbox

Getting help

Summary

2. Using Geographic Principles

Using coordinate systems

The ellipsoidal coordinate system

The spherical coordinate system

The spherical polar coordinate system

The three-dimensional (3D) Cartesian coordinate system

Geodetic datum and geoid

Global and regional datums

The geoid and heights

Using a coordinate reference system

Using map projections

Classifying map projections

Comparing map projections

Cylindrical projections

Conic projections

Azimuthal projections

Transforming coordinate reference systems

Summary

3. Creating a Geodatabase and Interpreting Metadata

Creating a geodatabase

Components of a geodatabase

Creating a file geodatabase

Importing existing data

Evaluating existing data

Defining a geodatabase structure

Adding data to a geodatabase

Documenting a geodatabase using metadata

Creating metadata

Importing metadata

Summary

4. Creating Map Symbology

Creating symbols

Creating point symbols

Creating line and area symbols

Creating labels

Working with graphic text

Working with dynamic labels

Creating a thematic map

Summary

5. Creating and Editing Data

Creating and editing features

Editing features

Creating and editing map topology

Using spatial adjustment

Creating and editing attribute data

Editing the feature attributes

Creating and calculating an attribute field

Creating new features

Digitizing features

Creating point features using XY data

Summary

6. Analyzing Geographic Data and Presenting the Results

Planning the data analysis and preparing data

Planning data analysis

Defining the problem

Identifying the conditions

Identifying the necessary data

Planning the analysis process

Preparing data for analysis

Performing the analysis

Attribute queries

Location queries

Creating a data report

Summary

7. Working with Geoprocessing Tools and ModelBuilder

Working with Geoprocessing tools

Planning data analysis

Preparing data for analysis

Performing site selection

Sharing the analysis results

Working with ModelBuilder

Creating a model

Using a model

Summary

8. Using Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst

Using Spatial Analyst

Performing suitability analysis

Performing a least-cost path analysis

Using 3D Analyst

Creating a TIN surface

Creating 3D features from 2D features

Calculating surface area and volume

Summary

9. Working with Aerial and Satellite Imagery

Using aerial imagery

Georeferencing an orthorectified image

Using satellite imagery

Accessing imagery

Displaying multispectral imagery

Image processing

Summary

10. Designing Maps

Working with the map layout

Creating a map layout

Designing the map elements

Creating an inset map

Exporting the Map

Working with map templates

Applying a map template

Modifying the map template

Summary

Index

Learning ArcGIS for Desktop

Learning ArcGIS for Desktop

Copyright © 2016 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: March 2016

Production reference: 1220316

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

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Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78217-579-7

www.packtpub.com

Cover image by Emilian Dobroslav (<[email protected]>)

Credits

Author

Daniela Cristiana Docan

Reviewer

Tripp Corbin, GISP

Commissioning Editor

Dipika Gaonkar

Acquisition Editor

Vivek Anantharaman

Content Development Editor

Anish Dhurat

Technical Editor

Hussain Kanchwala

Copy Editors

Priyanka Ravi

Sonia Mathur

Project Coordinator

Bijal Patel

Proofreader

Safis Editing

Indexer

Rekha Nair

Production Coordinator

Manu Joseph

Cover Work

Manu Joseph

About the Author

Daniela Cristiana Docan is currently a lecturer at the Department of Topography and Cadastre at the Faculty of Geodesy in Bucharest, Romania. She obtained her PhD in 2009 from the Technical University of Civil Engineering, Bucharest, with her thesis Contributions to quality improvement of spatial data in GIS. Formerly, she worked at Esri Romania and National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration (ANCPI).

While working for Esri Romania, she trained teams (as an authorized instructor in ArcGIS for Desktop by Esri) from state- and privately-owned companies, such as the Romanian Aeronautical Authority, the Agency of Payments and Intervention for Agriculture (APIA), and the Institute of Hydroelectric Studies and Design. She also trained and assisted the team in charge of quality data control in the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) project, in Romania.

For the ANCPI, she created the logical and physical data model for the Romanian National Topographic Dataset at a scale of 1:5,000 (TOPRO5) in 2009. She was a member of the workgroup that elaborated TOPRO5 and its metadata technical specifications and the Report on the implementation of the INSPIRE Directive in Romania in 2010.

Prior to this book, Daniela worked on ArcGIS for Desktop Cookbook, Packt Publishing, which covers the following topics: designing a file geodatabase schema, constraining the geometry and attribute values of the data, geocoding addresses, working with routes and events, and using spatial ETL tools.

I would like to thank Mohammed Fahad, Anish Dhurat, Hussain Kanchwala, and everyone else at Packt Publishing who worked on this book.

A special thanks to technical reviewer, Tripp Corbin. His work and practical advice made this book better.

I want to express my gratitude to Emilian and my friends for their continuous support.

About the Reviewer

Tripp Corbin, GISP is the CEO and a cofounder of eGIS Associates, Inc. He has over 20 years of surveying, mapping, and GIS-related experience. He is recognized as an industry expert with a variety of geospatial software packages, including Esri, Autodesk, and Trimble products. He holds multiple certifications, including Microsoft Certified Professional, Certified Floodplain Manager, Certified GIS Professional, CompTIA Certified Technical Trainer, Esri Certified Enterprise System Design Associate, and Esri Certified Desktop Professional.

Tripp is a very active member of the GIS professional community. He currently serves as the President Elect of URISA and as an At-Large GITA Southeast Board Member. In recognition of his contributions to the GIS community, he has received several awards, including the URISA Exemplary Leadership Award and the Barbara Hirsch Special Service Award. Tripp also recently authored the book, Learning ArcGIS Pro, Packt Publishing, which is the first book published on Esri's newest desktop GIS application ArcGIS Pro.

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Preface

Welcome to Learning ArcGIS for Desktop. ArcGIS for Desktop is one of the main components of Esri's ArcGIS platform, which is used to support decision making and solve various mapping problems. It contains a wide variety of tools to create, manage, analyze, map, and share spatial data.

Learning ArcGIS for Desktop starts with the computer hardware and software recommendations. Then, this book goes on to show you how to obtain and install a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop (Advanced) on Windows. The second chapter explores coordinate reference system concepts. In the next three chapters, you will learn how to create a file geodatabase and manage, create, edit, and symbolize spatial data. Then, this book focuses on planning and performing spatial analysis on vector data using geoprocessing tools and ModelBuilder. Next, you will analyze raster data using the Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions. Finally, basic principles of cartography design will be used to create a professional poster map.

The book is a tutorial-based guide that will lead you through the basic concepts and functions of Esri's ArcGIS for Desktop software.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Getting Started with ArcGIS, covers the hardware and software requirements and shows you how to obtain and install a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced, single-use version. This chapter introduces you to the main ArcGIS for Desktop applications: ArcCatalog and ArcMap.

Chapter 2, Using Geographic Principles, explains the basic concepts of geographic and projected coordinate systems. You will explore the major categories of map projections using the ArcMap application. Furthermore, you will learn how to use the ArcGIS datum transformations to correctly convert and transform different coordinate reference systems.

Chapter 3, Creating a Geodatabase and Interpreting Metadata, shows you how to organize the spatial datasets acquired from external resources in a file geodatabase. You will also learn how to document your file geodatabase using two metadata standards, ISO19139 and INSPIRE.

Chapter 4, Creating Map Symbology, shows you how to create and customize symbols and labels on a map. You will learn how to display geographic features based on their attributes using symbols to create qualitative and quantitative thematic maps.

Chapter 5, Creating and Editing Data, explains how to create and edit data. You will learn to work with editing tools to create and edit feature shapes and attributes. Also, you will learn how to create point geometry using tabular data.

Chapter 6, Analyzing Geographic Data and Presenting the Results, covers how to plan and perform data analysis. You will learn to prepare and combine the spatial datasets to obtain new information using specific analysis tools. Furthermore, you will learn how to generate a report to present the results of your spatial analysis.

Chapter 7, Working with Geoprocessing Tools and ModelBuilder, describes the advanced tools to automate an analysis workflow. You will gain a deeper understanding of GIS analysis by working with the geoprocessing tools and models.

Chapter 8, Using Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst, covers how to visualize and analyze vector and raster data using the Spatial Analyst and 3D Analyst extensions. You will learn to perform site selection and a least-cost path analysis using raster data. You will also learn how to create 3D features from 2D features and how to calculate surface area and volume.

Chapter 9, Working with Aerial and Satellite Imagery, explains the image-processing functions. You will learn how to georeference an aerial photograph. You will also use the Image Analysis toolbar to display and extract information from the satellite imagery.

Chapter 10, Designing Maps, describes the main cartographic design principles that are applied in the ArcGIS Map Layout. You will learn to add, customize, and organize map elements in a map layout. Moreover, you will learn how to create a professional poster map using a standard template from the ArcGIS collection of templates.

What you need for this book

To complete the exercises in this book, you will need ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3 or 10.4 (Standard or Advanced) installed on your system.

Depending on your software version, please download and install the latest patches (bug fixes) or service packs (compilation of bug fixes) from http://support.esri.com/en/downloads/patches-servicepacks.

You need a web browser and access to an Internet connection to add datasets from ArcGIS Online and other public sources.

Data used in this book is freely available on the Packt Publishing site.

Who this book is for

Learning ArcGIS for Desktop is for users who are comfortable with the basic concepts of Geographic Information Systems and want to learn how to create and edit geospatial data, perform spatial analysis, and create effective maps with ArcGIS for Desktop.

Conventions

In this book, you will find a number of text styles that distinguish between different kinds of information. Here are some examples of these styles and an explanation of their meaning.

Code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles are shown as follows: "Start ArcMap application and open your map document named AccessingImagery.mxd from <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter9\MosaicData."

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular item, the words are shown as follows: "The result will be a high resolution multiband image or a pan-sharpened multispectral image with a spatial resolution of 15 meters."

New terms and important words are shown in bold. Words that you see on the screen, in menus or dialog boxes for example, appear in the text like this: "Use the Select Features tool that is located on the Tools toolbar to select the five visible city points."

Note

Warnings or important notes appear in a box like this.

Tip

Tips and tricks appear like this.

Reader feedback

Feedback from our readers is always welcome. Let us know what you think about this book—what you liked or disliked. Reader feedback is important for us as it helps us develop titles that you will really get the most out of.

To send us general feedback, simply e-mail <[email protected]>, and mention the book's title in the subject of your message.

If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, see our author guide at www.packtpub.com/authors.

Customer support

Now that you are the proud owner of a Packt book, we have a number of things to help you to get the most from your purchase.

Downloading the example code

You can download the example code files for this book from your account at http://www.packtpub.com. If you purchased this book elsewhere, you can visit http://www.packtpub.com/support and register to have the files e-mailed directly to you.

You can download the code files by following these steps:

Log in or register to our website using your e-mail address and password.Hover the mouse pointer on the SUPPORT tab at the top.Click on Code Downloads & Errata.Enter the name of the book in the Search box.Select the book for which you're looking to download the code files.Choose from the drop-down menu where you purchased this book from.Click on Code Download.

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WinRAR / 7-Zip for WindowsZipeg / iZip / UnRarX for Mac7-Zip / PeaZip for Linux

Downloading the color images of this book

We also provide you with a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots/diagrams used in this book. The color images will help you better understand the changes in the output. You can download this file from http://www.packtpub.com/sites/default/files/downloads/LearningArcGISforDesktop_ColorImages.pdf.

Errata

Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you find a mistake in one of our books—maybe a mistake in the text or the code—we would be grateful if you could report this to us. By doing so, you can save other readers from frustration and help us improve subsequent versions of this book. If you find any errata, please report them by visiting http://www.packtpub.com/submit-errata, selecting your book, clicking on the Errata Submission Form link, and entering the details of your errata. Once your errata are verified, your submission will be accepted and the errata will be uploaded to our website or added to any list of existing errata under the Errata section of that title.

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Questions

If you have a problem with any aspect of this book, you can contact us at <[email protected]>, and we will do our best to address the problem.

Chapter 1. Getting Started with ArcGIS

All over the world, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used by small and large organizations alike to manage the environment and to support decision-making in different industrial sectors, such as healthcare, transportation, utilities, communications, petroleum, minerals, and even real estate, banking or insurance. GIS tools are also used by the academic and non-academic institutions in their research projects or disciplines (for example, geology, biology, history, environmental sciences, urbanism, cartography, or cadaster).

Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) was founded as a company by Jack Dangermond in the late 1960s. In 1982, Esri released their first commercial software called ArcInfo that had a command-line interface. In the early 1990s, Esri released their first desktop solution with a graphical user interface called ArcView GIS. The ArcView software made the GIS tools more accessible to local administration, academic environments, students, and ordinary users. In 1999, Esri transformed ArcInfo into a modular, scalable desktop and enterprise platform called ArcGIS 8.x. The ArcGIS Desktop 8.x version had three levels of functionality and cost: ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo. All these levels of functionality shared the same three applications: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox.

In 2012, Esri released the ArcGIS 10.1 version. Starting with this version, each ArcGIS for Desktop license includes an ArcGIS Online organizational account with a number of named users and service credits. ArcGIS Online is a cloud-based GIS service that gives organizations the necessary tools to collect real-time data and discover, visualize, create, combine, analyze, manage, and share geospatial information (source: www.esri.com).

In 2015, Esri released the ArcGIS Pro application along with the ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3 version. ArcGIS Pro allows users to work with geospatial data in 2D and 3D environments within the same application.

In the last few years, ArcGIS became a powerful integrated Web GIS platform, which gathers different others technologies, such as Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), remote sensing, for example, LiDAR—Light Detection and Ranging, web services, wireless communications, and handheld or mobile devices.

In this chapter, we will cover the fundamental aspects of theArcGIS for Desktop software. We will explore what is needed in terms of hardware and software. We will also show the reader how to install and activate a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced Single Use version. By the end of this chapter, you will be ready to run the software and understand the functionality of the main ArcGIS for Desktop applications. We will cover the following topics in this chapter:

Hardware and software requirementsInstalling ArcGIS for DesktopExploring ArcGIS for Desktop

Hardware and software requirements

Before you begin installing ArcGIS for Desktop, you need to check whether your computer meets the minimum hardware and software requirements to properly install and run the ArcGIS applications.

Hardware requirements

In this section, we will list the minimum hardware requirements, and we will check the computer system specifications using the System Information tool in Windows 8.

To install ArcGIS for Desktop, we need the following minimum hardware requirements:

Central processing unit (CPU) speed: 2.2 GHzProcessor: x86 or x64 with SSE2 ExtensionsMemory/RAM: 2 GB; ArcGIS for Desktop exists only as a 32-bit application and, as such, is limited, only being able to use up to 4 GB of RAMScreen resolution and display properties: 1024x768 pixels at normal size (96 dpi), 24-bit color depthSwap space: 500 MBDisk space: 2.4 GBVideo/Graphics Adapter: 64 MB RAM; ArcGIS for Desktop will work better on a 24-bit capable graphics accelerator with a minimum of 256 MB dedicated video card memory than on integrated graphicsNetworking Hardware: TCP/IP Protocol, Network Interface Card (NIC) for the license manager (for Concurrent Use) or authorization information (for Single Use)

Use the System Information panel to get information about your system, as shown in the following screenshot:

To begin, right-click the Start button and select Run.In the Run box, type msinfo32, as shown in the following screenshot:Click on OK to open the System Information panel.

Software requirements

In this section, we will list the minimum software requirements and the supplementary disk space necessary to install additional components.

To install ArcGIS for Desktop 10.4, we need the following minimum software requirements:

Operating system: 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10, and Windows Server 2008, and 2012Admin privilege: Administrative privileges are required to install this softwareFramework: Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 or higher must be installed prior to installing ArcGIS for DesktopInternet Browser: Esri indication is Internet Explorer 9 or higher; however, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome could be also used

The ArcGIS geoprocessing tools require Python 2.7.10, Numerical Python (NumPy) 1.9.2, and Matplotlib 1.4.3 to be installed.

Note

ArcGIS for Desktop installation wizard will automatically install the Python components.

Installing ArcGIS for Desktop

In this section, we will cover the steps necessary to obtain and install a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop (Advanced Single Use) on Windows.

Esri license authorizes to run ArcGIS for Desktop as the following:

Single Use: This is when software and its extensions are authorized to run on a single computer.Concurrent Use: This is when a license server manages a given number of floating licenses through a computer network. The computers that have ArcGIS for Desktop installed are authorized by the license server to run the applications (for example, ArcMap) using the ArcGIS License Manager.

Obtaining a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop

Follow these steps to obtain a trial of ArcGIS for Desktop:

Open your browser and type in the following address: www.esri.com.Navigate to Products | ArcGIS for Desktop.Click the orange 60-Day Free Trial button or click the Free Trial tab, as shown in the following screenshot:Provide the required information and click the START TRIAL button.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail from Esri Customer Service with the subject Esri—Activate Your Free ArcGIS Trial. Check your e-mail and use the link to activate your ArcGIS Online account.

Choose and type the username and password for your public account. In the Organization field, specify the name of your organization (for example, Student_Your Name).You will be the administrator of your own organization.

Note

Do not select an existing organization from the drop-down list. If you select the name of an organization from the drop-down list, you will need to request permission from the selected organization.

Carefully read the Terms of Use and check I accept the terms & conditions. Click the CREATE MY ACCOUNT button.In the Set Up Your Organization page, complete the form with the required information and click the SAVE AND CONTINUE button.Click on the GET THE APPS button to download the components of ArcGIS for Desktop, as shown in the following screenshot:We will download the ArcMap component, as shown in the following screenshot: Click on the DOWNLOAD button and save the archived software to your hard disk. The download process may take a while depending on your internet speed. Please note that you will receive an authorization number for the ArcMap application. We also recommend that you download all the other components, such as ArcGIS Pro and Data Interoperability, for further study.

Note

If you want to obtain an Esri Technical Certification and need to learn for more than 60 days, we recommend that you purchase a license ArcGIS for Desktop Home from the following link:

http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcgis-for-home.

Installing on Windows

Now, we will install and activate ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced Single Use. Remember that the term "Advanced" refers to the license level of the applications that are included with ArcGIS for Desktop: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcGlobe, and ArcScene. Follow these steps to install this software:

Double-click the self-extracting .exe file named ArcGIS_ Desktop_103x_xxxxxx.exe and click the Run button to unpack the installation files.In the second panel, select the destination folder for the extracted files and click Next. Keep the Launch the setup program option checked and click the Close button to start the installation wizard, as shown in the following screenshot:Follow the next panels to install ArcGIS for Desktop. The installation may take several minutes.Click on the Finish button to exit and launch ArcGIS Administrator Wizard, which is shown in the following screenshot:

The ArcGIS Administrator Wizard window will help you to activate the ArcGIS for Desktop before using it.

Tip

If you accidentally closed the Administrator Wizard window or you want to authorize the product later on, you can manually start ArcGIS Administrator by navigating to Start | All Programs | ArcGIS | ArcGIS Administrator. Select Desktop and check the Advanced (ArcInfo) Single Use option.

Click Authorize Now. In the Authorization Options panel check I have installed my software and need to authorize it. Click Next and check the Authorize with Esri now using the Internet option.Click on Next and for the next two panels, complete the forms with the required information. Click on Next to see the panel, Software Authorization Number.Enter the software authorization code that you received in the Esri Customer Service e-mail or the one displayed on your public account in the Trial Downloads section.

Tip

To return to the download page, log in in to your public account using the username and password that you chose in the previous section. Click on your name in the upper left-hand corner of the site and select the Trial Downloads link.

Click on Next and check the I do not want to authorize any extensions at this time option. Go to the next panel, select all available extensions, and add them into the Evaluation Software Extensions list, as shown in the following screenshot:Go to the last panel to initiate the authorizing software. Click on Finish when the authorizing process is complete. To close the ArcGIS Administrator window click on OK.

Now, your ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced Single Use is ready to run.

Depending on your ArcGIS for Desktop version, please download and install the latest patches (bug fixes) or service packs (compilation of bug fixes) from http://support.esri.com/en/downloads/patches-servicepacks.

Exploring ArcGIS for Desktop

As you saw inArcGIS Administrator Wizard, ArcGIS for Desktop has three levels of functionality: Basic (formerly ArcView), Standard (formerly ArcEditor), and Advanced (formerly ArcInfo). All these three products comprise two main applications: ArcMap and ArcCatalog. These two applications look and work the same for the three license levels but are differentiated by the functionality that they provide. The 10.3 version of ArcGIS for Desktop released a third new application called ArcGIS Pro in January 2015.

Note

This book will not cover the ArcGIS Pro concepts.

If you want to learn about ArcGIS Pro, we recommend the book Learning ArcGIS Pro, Tripp Corbin, Packt Publishing, which can be found at https://www.packtpub.com/application-development/learning-arcgis-pro.

ArcCatalog

The ArcCatalog application allows users to explore, manage, and even document their spatial or nonspatial data. The interface of ArcCatalog is shown in the following screenshot:

Catalog Tree shows the folders and data files, geodatabases, database connections, GIS servers, and custom and system toolboxes. Think of the Catalog Tree as the Windows Explorer of ArcGIS. The Catalog Tree window can be accessed in the ArcMap application, too.

The Preview window allows you to view and explore the geometric shapes and attributes of features stored in the dataset selected in the Catalog Tree.

ArcCatalog has three options to view the selected items in the Preview window:

Contents: This is a quick view of the content of a selected item in the Catalog Tree (for example, a folder or geodatabase content)Preview: This is used to view and explore the geography (geometry) and attributes of features stored in the dataset selected in Catalog TreeDescription: This is used to view and edit the information about data, known as metadata or "data about data"

Note

This book includes datasets that you will need to complete the exercises here. Before you can work with these datasets, you have to download them from your account at http://www.packtpub.com.

If you purchased this book elsewhere, then you can visit https://www.packtpub.com/books/content/support and register there to have these files e-mailed directly to you.

This training dataset will require at least 10 GB of free space on your working hard disk. Extract the training data from the archive on your working disk in a new folder named LearningArcGIS.

Follow these steps to add some publicly available data from NaturalEarthData.com:

From www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/, download the following themes after navigating to Medium scale data (1:50m) | Cultural—Admin 0-Countries (click the Download countries button) and Populated Places (click the Download populated places button). Also, download the Natural Earth 1 with Shaded Relief raster from the Raster\Natural Earth 1 section.Unzip the archive files to <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter1\NaturalEarthData.

Tip

If you didn't succeed in downloading and unzipping the data, you can find the necessary datasets at <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter1\Results.

Follow these steps to explore the data in the ArcCatalog application:

Start the ArcCatalog application by navigating to Start | All Programs | ArcGIS.To see the downloaded datasets in the panel from the left-hand side of the window named Catalog Tree, click Connect To Folder from the Standard toolbar. Go to <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter1 and click OK. In Catalog Tree, expand the NaturalEarthData\ ne_50m_admin_0_countries folder and select the polygon shapefile named ne_50m_admin_0_countries.shp, as shown in the previous screenshot.If you don't see the file extension of shapefile (*.shp), go to the Customize menu, select ArcCatalog Options, click the General tab, and uncheck the option, Hide file extension. Click OK to close ArcCatalog Options.

Note

The shapefile format (.shp) is an Esri vector data format. Even if ArcCatalog displays it as a single file, shapefile is a set of differently-related files that store geometric and attribute information of the geographic features. For more information about the shapefile format, please refer to ESRI Shapefile Technical Description, ESRI White Paper-July 1998 at https://www.esri.com/library/whitepapers/pdfs/shapefile.pdf.

In the right-hand side of the window, select the Preview tab to see the map of the countries. Use the Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Pan tools from the Geography toolbar to explore data in the preview window.From the Geography toolbar, click the Identify tool. Then, click on any country in the preview window. The Identify Results window shows the attributes of the country that you have just clicked.If you want to see the attributes for all countries, click the drop-down arrow next to Preview from the bottom of the preview window and select Table. You can now see the attribute table of all 241 countries.Let's examine these attributes. Scroll through the table and select the name field. We will search the United Kingdom value in the selected field. Click the Table Options button from the bottom left corner of the preview window and select Find. In the Find window, for Find what, type United Kingdom. Check the Search Only Selected Field(s) option and click Find Next to search for the record. The record with the FID=77 value and the name =United Kingdom field is underlined in the attribute table. When finished, click Cancel to close the Find window.Return to the geography view mode by selecting Geography from the drop-down arrow next to Preview.Repeat these steps to explore the shapefile named ne_50m_populated_places.shp and the shaded relief file named HYP_50M_SR_W.tif.

Tip

The shapefile's green icon next to the shapefile's name indicates what type of geometry is stored in it: point, polyline, or polygon. Also, the color of the icons is tied to the data format. For example, the geodatabase icon is gray, and the CAD files are blue.

Close the ArcCatalog application.

ArcMap

The ArcMap application allows users to visualize, create, edit, query, and analyze spatial or nonspatial data. ArcMap works with map document files. A map document file (.mxd) stores the reference to the data source (for example, the reference to the ne_50m_admin_0_countries.shp shapefile), the reference to your symbol styles, how your data is displayed and symbolized on a map, and other properties related to your data.

Tip

A map document does not store a copy of your data.

The ArcMap interface is shown in the following screenshot:

In ArcMap, a Data frame is a container for the layers displayed on a map. Think of the data frame as a classic map. All layers from a data frame will be displayed in the same coordinate system, which is the property of the data frame. In one map document, you can have multiple data frames with different coordinate systems.

A Layer is a visual display of your dataset in ArcMap. For example, you can add the same shapefile, named ne_50m_admin_0_countries.shp, three times in ArcMap, and the Table Of Contents window will automatically display them as three layers, symbolized with different symbols, as shown in the following screenshot:

A layer can be stored in a map document(*.mxd) or as an individual layer file(*.lyr). ArcMap has two methods of map display: Data View andLayout View. In the Data View mode, you can view, create, edit, symbolize, and analyze data from only one data frame at a time. In the Layout View mode, you can use multiple data frames to create final professional maps (map layout) for print or digital view.

Note

Note that all steps in this subsection have to be completed in one session.

Follow these steps to add spatial data as layers to ArcMap:

Start the ArcMap application by navigating to Start | All Programs | ArcGIS or using the ArcMap button on the Standard toolbar, in ArcCatalog application.In the ArcMap-Getting Started window, select the Blank Map user template from New Maps | My Templates, as shown in the following screenshot:Click on OK. The ArcMap interface will open with an empty and untitled map document.Click on the Add Data button from Standard toolbar. Double-click Folder Connections and select the HYP_50M_SR_W.tif raster from <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter1\NaturalEarthData\HYP_50M_SR_W. Click the Add button.The land cover raster has been added in the Table of Contents window as a layer in the default data frame named Layers. To change the name of the data frame, click the word Layers to select it, then click it again, and type Natural Earth 1:50m.

Tip

If you accidentally double-click the data frame's name, the Data Frame Properties window will be opened. If you double-click the layer's name, the Layer Properties window will be opened.

Change the name of layer from HYP_50M_SR_W.tif to Land cover&Shadedrelief by following the previous step.

Let's try another way to add data to a map document:

Click on the Catalog tab on the left-hand side of the ArcMap interface. The Catalog window can be also opened using the Catalog button from the Standard toolbar.In the Catalog window, double-click Connect to Folder and select the ne_50m_admin_0_countries.shp shapefile from <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter1\NaturalEarthData\ne_50m_admin_0_countries. Drag the selected polygon shapefile and drop it into the map display area.Repeat the previous step to add ne_50m_populated_places.shp shapefile to Table Of Contents as a layer.You can reordering map layers in Table Of Contents by clicking the layer and dragging it below or above the existing layers. You can order the map layers, only if they are in List by Draw Order. You cannot adjust the layer order in Table of Contents if they are listed in the following ways of listing layers: List By Source, List By Visibility, and List By Selection.

We will now change the name and symbols of the last two layers:

In Table of Contents, right-click the ne_50m_admin_0_countries.shp layer and select Properties.In the Layer Properties window, click the General tab; and for Layer Name, replace the existing name by typing Countries. Changing the layer name does not change the name of the source dataset. Click Apply.Click on the Symbology tab, and for Symbol, click the rectangular symbol button to open the Symbol Selector window, as shown in the following screenshot:In the Symbol Selector window, select the Olive style and click OK to close the Symbol Selector window.

You may have noticed that the Countries layer is obscuring the shaded relief layer in the map display. You will now add transparency to the Countries layer symbols:

In the Layer Properties window, click the Display tab; and for Transparent, type 50. Click the Apply button to apply the changes to the layer and click OK to save the applied changes and close the Layer Properties window.Use the Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Pan tools from the Tools toolbar to inspect the results in the map display area.Click on the Find tool from the Tools toolbar and set the parameters, as shown in the following screenshot:Check whether the Features panel is active; and for the Find text box, type Mumbai. For the In drop-down list, select the Populated_places layer (ne_50m_populated_places.shp), and for the In field drop-down list, select NAME. Click Find. At the bottom of the Find window, right-click the displayed result and select Zoom To. The city has been centered in the map display.If you want to see the attributes of the point feature, right-click the search result and select Identify. In the Identify window, scroll through the fields list and search for the ADMoNAME field to see the name of the country. Click Cancel to close the Find window.Let's confirm the country name using the information stored in the Countries layer. Click the Identify tool and click the map display. For Identify, from the drop-down list, select the Countries layer (ne_50m_admin_0_countries.shp).

Now let's explore another part of the world using their geographic coordinates, as shown in the following screenshot:

The coordinate system of our datasets is WGS 1984, which is a geographic coordinate system, and units of measurement are expressed in degrees. Let's search for a location using geographic coordinates:

Select Go To XY from the Tools toolbar. By default, the geographic coordinates are expressed as Degrees Minutes Seconds. You can change this to Decimal Degrees by clicking the drop-down arrow from the top of the Go To XY window. Under the field Long:, type 5 degrees, and for Lat:, type 50 degrees. Press the Enter key.Click the Add Labeled Point button under Go To XY window to add a graphic point with information about its geographic coordinates in the map display.To get some additional information about the area around the point, select the Identify tool and click the green graphic point. For Identify window, from the drop-down list, select the Countries layer. What is the name of the country that you selected?Close the Identify window.

Before closing the ArcMap, save your map document work, symbols, and green point labeled into an ArcMap Document (*.mxd):

From Main menu, go to File | Save As....Go to <drive>:\LearningArcGIS\Chapter1\NaturalEarthData.Name the file as MyChapter01.Exit ArcMap by selecting File | Exit from the Main menu.

ArcToolbox

The ArcToolbox window is embedded in both applications: ArcCatalog and ArcMap. ArcToolbox contains collections of toolboxes, toolsets, and system tools for data management and analysis, cartography, data format conversion, and other tasks, as shown in the following screenshot:

To increase its efficiency, ArcToolbox should be used in conjunction with the Search and Results windows. Both are available in ArcCatalog and ArcMap applications, from the Geoprocessing menu.

Some tools require their corresponding extensions to be enabled. For example, if you want to use the 3D Analyst processing tools, you should manually enable the 3D Analyst extension before working with them. To enable this extension in the ArcCatalog application, click the Customize menu and select Extensions. In the Extensions window check the 3D Analyst extension and click Close. The same step is also available in the ArcMap application.

Getting help

Getting help while you are working with ArcGIS for Desktop applications will increase productivity. If you are stuck or you want to quickly get more information about a tool or a button, then use ArcGIS Help which is accessible from all ArcGIS for Desktop applications.

There are three tabs in the upper right-hand corner of the ArcGIS Help window:

Contents: This is where the help topics are organized into books on the left-hand side panelFavorites: This stores a list of your favorite or most-viewed help topicsSearch: This searches for a help topic by entering one or more keywords

Tip

To discover the ArcGIS community (for example, Web help, blogs, and forums), use ArcGIS Resource Center, which is available at http://resources.arcgis.com.

Summary

In this chapter, you learned how to obtain, install, and activate a 60-day trial of ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced Single Use version.

After installing this, you explored some publicly available data from NaturalEarth Data using the main ArcGIS for Desktop applications: ArcCatalog and ArcMap. In ArcCatalog, you learned how to explore the geometry and attributes of your spatial data. In ArcMap, you learned two different ways to add spatial data as layers to ArcMap. You used the Identify tool in conjunction with Find and Go To XY tools to access information about two different countries.

In the next chapter, we will explore the geographic principles, such as geodetic datum and coordinate reference systems, and we will learn to work with different map projections.