Week 2 - Own Your Map - Process Summary

This simple map still had a list of steps to get through before it came out as it did.
Here's how the recipe was put together.

Own Your Map- Process Summary Description

1)      Began in eDesktop, start, ArcCatalog, opened IntroGis, created Week2OwnYourMap file, downloaded lesson file, unzipped.  Found 3 files, somehow I had an extra OwnyourMap.mxd- deleted it.

2)      To new map where layers were found, added Cities_feb04 and cntbnd layers to map, saved map.

3)      Renamed layers for legend. Opened attribute table on cities. Moved attribute table out of my table contents. (Just kept trying until I eventually dragged it out.  Attribute table opens across page now. Examined labels in Attribute table. 

4)      Created new layer of cities for county seat. On cities layer, selection, selection by attribute, found “feature” put into dialog- get unique value- opens list of options, clicked on “county seat”. Set up my inquiry “feature” = “county seat”.  Apply.   

5)      On map. Back to cities layer to selection to create layer from selected features. New layer created, renamed County Seat, right click again to save it as layer.   Did this same procedure for Capitol but used “name” = Tallahassee. 

6)      Experimented with sizing, color and shapes of attribute labels for cities, county seat and capitol.

7)      Followed lab instructions for Layout view, had trouble having two paper sizes on screen, eventually deleted one and started over with second.

8)      Added Neatline, tried various colors for background.

9)      Added title. Had difficulty inserting actual text into box.

10)   Added legend, went back into table of contents to fine tune listing of layers for best appearance on  map.  Re-adjusted Symbology  for better appearance.

11)   Added North Arrow.

12)   Added scale

13)   Added name, date and data source in text boxes. Again struggled getting text box to allow me to type into box.

14)   Catalog Window did not show all my layers.  Will look into what happened here.

15)   Overall:  more actions were smoother than before. Started over fewer times.

Own Your Map - Week 2 - Intro

Florida here we come! County Seats and the Capitol are highlighted as additional points of interest.

Cartography - Week 1 Good Map

GOOD MAP - It Comes from my old TextBook

GOOD MAP

Title of Map:    Railroads in the United States, 1860

Description:     Black & White map, in college text book for class on Civil War.

Location:   The Civil War and Reconstruction, J.G. Randall, David Herbert Donald (1937, 2nd Edition 1969), page 10.

                        Commentary:   This is a classical styled map found in many of my college textbooks. (I was a history major).  The intended main feature of this map is the railroads. They stand out clearly as solid lines. The state divisions are shown as softer dashed lines which do not distract ones eye from the railroad locations. Land mass distinctions between the United States, Canadian borders and the Atlantic Ocean are clear but not overpower the central railroad theme.

Cartography Week 1 - Bad Map

BAD MAP -  And he paid for this?

BAD MAP

Title of Map:    Doug’s Mugs

Description:     A special paid advertisement with location map in the “Coupons Online" section of a local telephone directory delivered to the door of residences and business establishments. (It was left in my driveway).

Location:  Found in the 411Henry.net, The Henry Directory, 2010-11, “Coupons Online” section, page 423.

                        Commentary:    This map was chosen because it was part of a paid advertisement. At first glance it appears that the Coffee House is located just above the name reference at the 401 circle. As one studies the map, the 401 circle is a state road reference on an intended main road - Interstate I-75. Reference to Interstate I-75 is found at the top of the map obscured by the inconsistent road width of the selected thoroughfare. Upon further inspection the tag pin for the Doug’s Coffee House pin is nearly off the map on the left side.   There is no Exit number for Interstate I-75 which we are so familiar. Lastly, the very road one needs is illegible.   

Intro to GIS: Week 1 Overview ArcGIS

Our first map project covers the world population based on 2007 population information.  Experimenting with the color pallet for the population division was important for this display.

Process Summary Description

1)      Opened eDesktop, in the GISDs2 directory, found the drives H,I,R & S as needed. Opened R found the IntroGIs folder.  Found Overview copied it, put in S drive, unzipped it, made folder for Overview and Week1. 

2)      Opened ArcGis, Opened new map, Didn’t see the World_countries & cities.  Fumbled through some directories, stopped everything, Watched tutorial again. Still missed something, Kept opening the list, eventually found the computer tree part, then the "add data" part had our files. found files and copied to maps. Yea!  My tool bar was already in place.  Saved base map file.

3)      Changed name of World Countries layer.   (Base Data file “World_Countries_pop.mxd”)

4)      Opened Attribute table, worked on questions. Sometime with questions, clicked on "attribute table" so that it opened up in table of contents instead of window across screen.  Did not spend time to fix this, Just used it 'as is' as it landed to save time.

5)      On World Countries layer, through properties, symbology, changed color scheme, went through color pallet experimented with appearance of many colors. Followed instructions, graduated color scheme, chose pop2007 as value, classes to 7.  Followed rest of Lab guide. Added Draw toolbar.

6)      Read about adding elements before going through list. Read articles about making maps from Cartography class. From insert, experimented with guides,  inserting north arrow, scale bar, title & legend.  Inserted these, experimented, deleted tried over again.  Spent several hours on these. Went back & forth on map to tune various parts, Continued to save file over again and again.

7)      Saved Final Map as “Overview_Map_kfm4.jpg”. Back to tutorials for adding to drop box.