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Geographical Information Systems

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Practice Exercise

Workshop GIS – ArcView 8.3

2004

Project Seagull

Proj ect part- financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) within The BSR INTERREG III B Neighbourhood Programme.

DistansGIS DistansGIS Page 1 ( 59 ) Practice samples

EXERCISE 2a. CREATE YOUR OWN MAP DOCUMENT AND IMPORT INFORMATION. Task: Create your own map document (ArcMap Documents) with the name “erb.” Import information from from the Overview Map (1:000 000) layers and a satellite image of land use. Note: Save all map documents you create under C:\distgis_b\project\my_data Tip: Save the project at regular intervals as you work to avoid losing it. The simplest way to do this is by clicking on the Save button Sample solution!

1. Start ArcMap by double clicking on the icon on your desktop. Select New Empty Map in the dialogue window and end by clicking on OK! ArcMap has now been initiated. At the top of the frame you will now see “New Map – ArcMap – ArcView” (Equivalent). 2. Save the map document. Select “File” from the menu and then “Save.” You also have the option to use “Save As.” Save the project with the name: “erb.mxd” under C:\distgis_b\project\my_data 3. Set the properties for the map document Select “File” – “Map Properties…” The Title is taken from the map document and the Author is taken from the user name on your computer. Change if necessary and type in any comments in the Comments field. Click on Data Source Options. Select Store relative path names. OK – OK Tip! Relative path names allow you to distribute your map to others if they have access to the data sources. Here, this means that the search paths are defined based on the map document in the “Ego” folder. If, for example, you create sub-files in the Ego folder into which you can download data for your map, you can burn a CD or change the Ego folder’s library. The map will function regardless of whether or not the user has saved it on C:\ or D:\ or the equivalent. Layer files that are saved will also have relative path names.

- GIS, overview in a moment - © Roland Nilsson, DistansGIS


If you do not select Relative path names, ArcMap will save the reference (search path) to the data you are using with the full search path.

4. Add layers

Select “File” from the menu and then “Add Data” or click on this button Please note: Some of the “maps” or layers do not in any way resemble real maps. Don’t worry, we will fix this problem in the next exercise.



You can import the Euroregion Baltic layer (Euroregion_baltic.shp) from C:\Distgis_b\Administration\Euroregion Baltic\. Double click on the file name (Euroregion_baltic.shp) or click on the Add button. A message may appear telling you that one or more layers lack spatial references. You can ignore this at this time and click on OK. The C:\Distgis_b\Infrastructure\Mainroads layer has public roads (mainroads.shp) and population centres in C:\Distgis-b\Maps\Baltic region\City\ (city.shp). Import also layers of the subregion of the Euroregion Baltic. C:\Distgis_b\Administration\Subregion. Import all six layers. Import the satellite image from C:\distgis\Maps\Baltic region\Raster\. (lc_gen). This is a raster image. You can also import picture chart. This layer is a raster image. When you import raster maps (images) you may be asked if you want to create a pyramid. Answering Yes here makes displaying easier when you zoom etc. Tip! By using the shift or Ctrl key when you select the layers, you can select all of the ones you wish to import at the same time if they are in the same folder. 5. Display layers. Click on the little box next to each layer to “turn off” or “display” the layer you want.

This is what you will see when the “sports fields” layer has been displayed:



Tip! If you hold down the Ctrl key when you turn off a layer, all layers will be deactivated, and vice versa when you display layers. 6. Change the display order in the map document’s index. In order for the layers to be displayed appropriately, you need to place the various maps/layers in a specific order in the index. The layer that is placed at the top of the list becomes the top layer of the map document and the layer that comes next in the list is displayed under the first one etc. In many cases it is appropriate to place layers that are raster images at the bottom and vector maps at the top. Think about the reason for this. Select (activate) a layer and drag it over to the correct place in the index. See below how the layers should be placed for display. Feel free to experiment by placing the layers in various orders. Turn on (display) and turn off the layers to see how the map display is changed. We recommend that you use the display order below. Before you begin, check that Display and not Source is selected under the index.

Click here to activate the layer. Hold the mouse button down and drag it.



7. Change the display scale. Right click on a layer, e.g. subregion_se and select “Properties” to display the Layer Properties dialogue window. This contains a number of tabs. Make sure that the General tab is open as shown below. Select Don’t show layer when zoomed: and type in 2500000 as shown below.

Please note (minimum scale) and (maximum scale). This may not seem very logical if you interpret the words “maximum” and “minimum” as numbers. Read therefore: Don’t show layer when zoomed. “Out beyond 1:” and “in beyond 1:” and it will make sense. You should repeat the above for the other layers of sub regions and also set the scale range for displaying the layers as described below. (Please note: There should be no spaces or commas in the scale value.) Confirm by clicking on OK. - Satellite image of land use (lc_gen) and Euroregion Baltic (Euroregin_baltic.shp): all scale. - City (City.shp): maximum scale 5000000 - Main roads (Mainroads.shp): maximum scale 5000000



8. Test different zooming and adjustment tools. Turn on/display all layers that you have in view and try zooming in and out, zooming to layers etc. With these tools:

Zoom to the full extent Zoom in, manually (zoom to all layers in view) (By dragging up a box or clicking)

Zoom out, manually

Pan

Fixed Zoom In, in stages Fixed Zoom Out, in stages

Go Back To Previous Extent – Go To Next Extent Zoom to a particular layer: Right click on the layer - select Zoom To layer Test the Bookmark function which you will find under the menu: “View” – “Bookmarks.” Here you can create one or more suitable zooming ranges and centre a certain area that you want to quickly return to as you work. Experiment with it until you have an understanding of how it works. 9. Test by typing in different scales.

Type in a scale in the box and click on Enter. (You do not need to type 1:) Click on the arrow to select rounded scale ranges. At this point you will probably encounter a problem. The little box to the right of the Add Data button is inactive and the scale indicated is 0:0. This is because the program does not know which reference system you are working in. We are going to use WGS 84 which is the generally accepted system for international land data. If we use maps in the same refernce

system we only need to right click on the “Layers” in the top of Table of Contents and put in “Units” as meters. Now you have indicated the coordinate system (Reference system) or units for display and the program now knows how to handle scales and measure distances.



You can test it by starting to zoom from the county level down to the municipal level (Your own) etc. so that you get down to the population centres level of your own population centres. 10. Save the map document. Select “File” in the menu column and then “Save,” or this button 11. Viewing a layer’s properties Select a layer and right click on it. Get an idea of the functions you can choose from here:

Now select Properties and get an idea of what you can do here too by opening the different tabs shown in the screen shot below. In future exercises we will learn more about how to use these tabs.



12. Open a finished ArcView map document containing DistansGIS maps. (Not in this education example – go to Tip at next page) Now that you have familiarised yourself with ArcMap and to some extent the different maps, both in raster and vector format, you are going to open a finished project created in ArcView 3.3. to get more familiar with the maps. You are now going to import this kind of map document, which in this version of the program is called “project.” We will close the current ArcMap and then start by restarting ArcMap again and selecting a New Empty Map. Then select “File” – “Import from ArcView project.” In the dialogue window you select “Distgis/kartor/kartdemo.apr” as shown in the screen shot below. In the next dialogue window indicate Map demonstration. It will take a few seconds before the entire project is converted to a map document in ArcView 8. You will now find a map document here containing all of the “public” maps that are available in the Practice Database. When you open the project, all of the vector layers are turned on and displayed. You can also turn on the other layers, which are raster maps. Zoom in and out, zoom to active layers, pan and type in different scales etc. to see how they are displayed or turned off. Check the layers’ properties as well. The layers have different display properties. The terrain map and Ortophoto are compressed (LZW) so there is no certainty that you will be able to retrieve these maps, or a black box may appear in place of the map. Bear in mind that all maps have display areas so you must be in the correct scale range to see the particular map. You also need to have a sense of where the map is in order to see it because not all of the maps cover the whole of Kalmar County.



When you have finished making your way around the maps, you can end by closing the project. When asked if you want to save the map document, you should answer No. Tip! You can import maps/applications from external GIS servers directly online. You can simply get connected via your map document. We will now add a map of Sweden to your “Kalmar” application. Open it (Kalmar.mxd). Select “File” – “Add Data from Internet” from the menu and then select “Geography Network” (a very useful GIS server where you will find maps from all parts of the world, many of which are available for use free of charge) Under Optional Keyword (e.g., river): Type Sweden. Search. Publisher: ESRI Sweden Content Title: ArcSverige - ArcSweden An overview map And click on “Add to ArcMap” You have now added a good background map to your application. Now test the new map to see what it is like. If you save your map document you will automatically be connected to the server with the map of Sweden the next time you open kalmar.mxd.



EXERCISE 2b. CHANGE SYMBOLS AND COLOURS WITH “SYMBOL SELECTOR.” Task: Make a suitable display layout for the layers you have created. You will learn, among other things, to change colours and symbols, classify features in the layers, limit the display of features and add text labels etc. Work in the map document erb.mxd that you created in Exercise 2a. Sample solution! 1. Change the display symbols for roads, population centres etc. Open the map document erb.mxd We will start by working with the public roads layer of the Overview Map (mainroads). Click on the symbol for roads which is the small line under “mainroads” in the index. The Symbol Selector will appear. Select by clicking on, for example, the black line Arterial Street and then on OK.



Check into the map document and see what has changed. If you are not satisfied, make the change again in the same way as described above. Repeat the process for other layers. You do not need to change the display for the raster images, road map and the satellite image because the images already have the colours they are supposed to have. Later on in the course you will learn more about raster images and how to handle them. Tip: Left click on the symbol and Symbol Selector will appear Right click and you will go directly to Color Palette. Some layer is be best made transparent. Try to do the Euro Region Baltic layer (Euroregion_baltic) transparent. To do this, right click and select No Color.

2. Limit the number of roads you display using the Selection option. You are now going to work with the roads layer (mainroads). Select “Selection” – “Select By Attributes” in the menu as shown in the screen shot below.



The “Select By Attributes” dialogue window will appear. See below. Check that the correct Layer (mainroads) is selected, if not, click on the downward arrow and select the correct layer. Check also that the correct Method is selected as shown in the screen shot below. Double click on Fields – “NUME1” Check that ‘NUME’ appears in the big box below, then select operator: > with a single click. Then double click on “ ' ' ” in the Unique Values box on the right in the dialogue window. In order for all of these roads to be fully displayed, you need to add with the operator “OR.” Repeat ‘NUME2 > “ ' ' ” . Tip: If you hold the cursor over “the Unique Values” the full text will appear so you can see which Unique sample values you will be selecting. The option will look like this: "NUME1" > ' ' OR "NUME2" > ' ', see below in the “Select By Attributes” dialogue window. Now click on “Apply” and “Close.”



Now all parts of roads with numbers E4 – E462 are displayed (In the Baltic area). Click on the Full Extent button

if you want to see the entire road network.

To delete the selection from the layer (Mainroads), go back to the “Select By Attributes” dialogue window and click on the button. End by clicking on . As you will notice, the selected feature is still there in the map document. To delete the selected feature in the map, right click on the layer (Mainroads) in the index select “Selection” and “Clear Selected Features.” What do you do if you want the selected roads to be displayed and others removed? The answer is that you right click on the layer and select “Selection” in the dialogue window and then “Create Layer From Selected Features.” But this is an exercise you will do later on. 3. Add information text/labels Work with the Euroregion Baltic map layer (Euroregion_baltic). Before we make labels, we should study the attribute table to see in which fields we can find the appropriate information for labels on the map.



Right click on the layer and select “Open Attribute Table.” Study the table and you will see that the NAME field is suitable because it contains the names of the sub Region. Close the table. Right click on the layer and then select “Properties” – In the “Layer Properties” dialogue window select the Labels tab. In Label Field: Select NAME as shown in the screen shot below. Under the Labels tab you can also select Symbol, Label Placement Options, Scale Range etc. Feel free to experiment with different settings and see the results.

There are two ways to write the text on the map:

- Select Label Features in this layer in the “Layer Properties” dialogue window as shown above.

- Right click on the layer in the index and select “Label Features.” To take away the labels, right click and take away the “tick” that you now see by Label Features in this layer as shown in the screen shot above. (Simply click on the “tick.”) 4. Add Properties in the symbol key (Classify). You are now going on to work in the same layer (Euroregion_baltic) and present the population in different colours based on the number of residents with the help of the “Population” field. This makes it easy to show which region have few or many residents.



Right click on the layer and then select “Properties” – In the “Layer Properties” dialogue window, select the Symbology tab as shown below.

Under “Show” select Quantities and Graduated colors . Under “Fields, Value” Select Population The program suggests 5 ranges. If you would like to adjust the classification, do so under Classify. Select a suitable Color Ramp. Under Classify - Break Values it is possible to adjust the values as shown in the screen shot. Please note that it is normally sufficient to indicate the upper value. Now click on “OK.” Check the result on the map. Experiment by yourself: Go back to “Layer Properties” and “Symbology” and test different settings for Show, Classify, Color Ramp etc. Please also note that it is possible to import suitable symbology from another layer under Import.



5. Add text to the map document. Typing in text creates a separate “layer” regardless of which layer is selected. You work with the text in exactly the same way as in any other Windows program.

- GIS, overview in a moment -

Select Elements New text Start by retrieving the tool for New text. Place the cursor over the map in the map document and type in “Euroregion Baltic” By selecting Select object, you can select or deselect the text box. The text is deleted by right clicking and clicking on Delete or by selecting it and striking Delete on your keyboard. If you want to delete several text objects simultaneously, select Edit” - “Select All Elements” and then strike Delete on your keyboard. During the last part of the course you will create an attractive layout for your maps. At that time we will practice text placement further. 6. Change the name of the Data Frame and Layer in the map document’s index. It is a good idea to change file names that are hard to understand in the index. For example, the name for the layer lc_gen is not easy to associate with Map, Baltic Sea Region. Please note that you should only change the layer name in your map document, the original name should not be changed. Change the name of the layer lc_gen to Map, Baltic Sea Region. Right click on the layer (lc_gen) and then select “Properties” – In the “Layer Properties” dialogue window select the General tab. Under Layer Name change the name to Map, Baltic Sea Region. See the screen shot below.

© Roland Nilsson, DistansGIS


Now in the index you will see Map, Baltic Sea Region instead of lc_gen. Please note that the original name (file name) is still there, and that you can find it in the “Layer Properties” dialogue window under the Source tab. At the same time you can see the search path and where the layer is saved. Do the same thing for the Data Frame Layers. Change to Euroregion Baltic. Improve the index by changing your own region and other layers to comprehensible text Subregion_se Subregion_ru Subregion_lv Subregion_lt Subregion_pl Subregion_dk



EXERCISE 2c. CREATE AND USE LAYER FILES. (Not in this education example – go to: 3. Create and save your own layer files In this chapter)

Task: Create layer files for the population centres map of Kalmar’s population centres. You will be using the skills you have learned in previous sections. You will be setting symbols, styles and colours so that the map will be attractive and easy to read. When you have finished you will save your layer files in your Ego folder where you will create a sub-file called Layer files and under this, a folder that you will call Population Centres Map. This is where you will save the five layer files that make up the map. Sample solution! 1. Turn off the layers that you do not need and turn on (display) only the layers that belong to the population centres map. The layers you need now are: sports fields (t22280ip), land use (t22280mk), public buildings (t22280of), roads (t22280vg) and finally, railways (t22280sp). Now the population centres map’s layers are displayed and the others are “turned off.” There is a possibility at this point that you may not see any map at all. This is probably because the scale range of the map when it was displayed was outside the range you selected for the population centres map (up to 1:30 000) or that you are not in the right area. “Right click” – “Zoom To Layer.” Check the scale and you will see that it is over 1:30000. As you know, all you need to do is type in 29000 in the box and then click on “Enter” on your keyboard and you will see the map. It is a good idea to study the section of map and index below. You can experiment with the colours you would like to use. If you are not sure what to do, study the methods you learned in previous exercises.



3. Create and save your own layer files. It’s easy to create your own layer files! It is also very useful when you want to create a symbol key that will be a standard feature in a map document, and which others can also use. When you have changed the symbol key for the layer and you are satisfied with it, save the symbol key. Right click on the layer and select “Save As Layer File.” Save in the Layer Files folder that you created in your Ego folder. Tip! When you order maps in vector format from suppliers, make sure that the layer files with the correct map symbols are included. Unfortunately you cannot always take this for granted. Finally, you can neaten up the layers from the Overview Map (Red) which you have in your map document.



EXERCISE 3a. TABLES. Task: Import a new layer, Ports, that are called Ports (point-layer). The associated attribute table “Attribute for Ports” will be made more user-friendly because only the PORTNAME, CALLS_Y, PASSEN_Y and TOTAL_TY fields will be displayed. The names of the fields will also be more comprehensible. Then you will add up the passenger per year in the ports more than 300,000 passinger. In addition to this, you will add a field, Ferry terminal, (FERRY_T) to the table. Remain in the erb.mxd project. Sample solution! 1. Add a new layer and improve the appearance of the attribute table. Add ports, you will find this layer under C:\distgis_b\Infrastrukture\Port\ Right click on the Ports layer and select “Properties.” Then select the Fields tab.



Please note! In order to be able to work freely with the layer and, for example, to save the layer as a layer file, the FID and Shape fields must be there. Never touch these fields!!!! You should always start by selecting the respective field under Name as shown in the dialogue window above. Deactivate the fields that are not to be visible by clicking away the √ symbol next to Visible. Type appropriate names under “Alias” for the fields that are to be visible. (CALLS_Y = CALLS/YEAR, PASSIN_Y = PASSINGER/YEAR. Now click on “OK.” 2. Make a selection from the table, select total ton per year with more than1,000,000 ton. Select “Selection” from the menu and then “Select By Attributes.” You will recognise this because we did the same thing in a previous exercise. Check that the Layer is Ports at the top of the dialogue window “Select By Attributes” as shown in the screen shot below.

Double click on the TOTAL_TY field by Fields, now click on the operator >, and type 1000000. The syntax or option will look like it does in the screen shot above. Check that the “Method” is Create a new selection.



“Apply” – “Close” Right click on the layer and open the attribute table. Notice what has happened to the table (a number of items are selected). Zoom to the “Map Baltic Sea Region” layer. (Right click on the layer and select Zoom To Layer). Note that Ports with more than 1,000,000 tons are highlighted in the map document. 3. Calculate the total number of tons (Statistics). Select “Selection” from the menu and then “Statistics”: Now select Layer and Field as shown below

Unfortunately, there is a bug in the programme here which means that if you entered an alias for a field, Selection Statistics does not work. To get around this, you have two alternatives: A: Reset the alias to PASSIN_Y. Note that you must type in PASSIN_Y in the Alias field. B: Calculate the statistics directly from the table. Please note! If you have made no selections, you will get statistics for all items, but if you have made a selection, you will only get statistics for the selected items/objects. Tip! It may sometimes be useful to switch a selection. You can do this with the “Options” button in the attribute table and “Switch Selection.” Take away your selection and select “Options” – “Clear Selection” in the attribute table. 4. Methods for circumventing write-protected layers/tables to be able to edit. (Use it only if you have problem under the exercises. In that case, use the first example)



If you have a write-protected layer or table that you are unable to edit, you need to remove the write protection. Here are three methods you can use: • Export as a shapefile. This method is the simplest and the one I recommend. This is what

you do: Right click on the layer you want to export, e.g. c_orter, select “Data” and then “Export Data. ” The following dialogue window will now open:

“Output shapefile …..” Here you choose to save the layer in a folder that you have write rights to and give the layer a new name so you can tell it from the original. You have already indicated the coordinate system (WGS 84) in the Data Frame. By selecting the coordinate system as shown above, you have assigned your shape theme a coordinate system. Please note: From a purely logical point of view, it seems as if it would be easier to right click and Save As Layer File. The problem, however, is that a layer always points to the data source. Even if you change the name when you save, the layer will always appear with the original name and any changes made will end up in the original. If you want to create a copy that you can play around with without affecting the original, you have to use the Data and Export Data method.

• Export table. Normally only for tables that you want to edit and when exporting attribute tables.

• Remove write protection for files. This is done in Windows with the help of Explorer/

File Manager. Find out where the layer is saved. Select the file and then select “File” – “Properties.” In the “Properties for ...” dialogue window click away the tick in the little box by Write protected. Then click on the “Apply” button and then on “OK.” This method is not recommended during this course, instead you should use Data – Export Data. (Export to shapefile)

Save the Port layer according to the method recommended above (Export to shapefile). Save the layer under C:\distgis_b\project\My_data and call it My_ports. Then answer Yes and the layer will be added to the map document. Now you have two identical layers and you can take away the Port layer by right clicking on the layer and then clicking on “Remove.”



Check that you can edit the My_port.shp layer by right clicking and clicking on “Open Attribute Table” and then on the “Option” button and “Add Field” i.e. that it is not toned down. If it is, you need to do the following: Go into Explorer and take away the write protection as described above. 5. Edit and add fields to the table. Open the attribute table for My_port. Select “Option” and then “Add Field” Now you can add a new field to the attribute table by selecting an option from the menu column. The “Add Field” dialogue window will open, see below.

Tip! Get into the habit of never typing a field name (or file name) containing the Swedish letters å, ä and ö unless you are certain that this will not cause a problem. The main reason for this is that when you create a file/table in a server in the network at your workplace and a back-up is made, there may be a problem rereading the back-up copy. Check with the computer expert at your workplace if you are unsure. Please note! The table cannot be editable when you create new fields. This may seem somewhat illogical – but this is the way it is. By Name write: FERRY_T as shown above. Type: select Text (it’s important to select Text in order to be able to type in text and numbers). Fields Properties: type 5 (The field size will be 5 characters, in other words you will have space for 5 characters in the field).



Now click on “OK” The new field is now to the far right in the table. Now you are going to enter information for the field “FERRY_T” You must first make the table editable. Do this with “Editor” in ArcMap. See the screen shot below. If the Editor field is not activated (visible), you can open it with “View” – “Toolbars” – “Editor” or Select “Start Editing” and then select the relevant catalogue in the dialogue window.

Now place the cursor in the desired cell under the “FERRY_T” field and type Yes in the cell for the cities with ferry terminals and type No the other ports. End by clicking “Editor” – “Stop Editing.” Answer Yes to the question “Do you want to save your edits?” 6. Deleting a field from a table (Delete). Right click on the field in the table that you want to delete – select Delete Field. Delete the field ID, confirm with Yes. 7. Identifying the result with the information tool.


Close the table if it is open. Retrieve the Identify button and use this tool by clicking on a feature on the map document. Normally the top layer is identified, but you can also go to Layers in Identify Results, which is the dialogue window that appears when you click with the Identify button on the feature on the map. See below



By identifying a feature in this way, you can quickly learn about its attributes. Experiment by going to Layer and selecting All Layers and see what happens when you click on a feature. Another method is to use Show Map Tips. You set this under Layer Properties. (Remember that you can find this by right clicking on the relevant layer). Tick by Show Maps Tips under the Display tab. Set the primary display field under the Fields tab. Select the PORTNAME field. Set this function for the My_ports layer. When you place the cursor over these features on the map the name will appear. This applies regardless of which button or tool you have selected.



8. Export tables or attribute tables Exporting a table or a layer’s attribute table is useful if you want to make changes or if you want to use the table in some other context. Go ahead and export the My_ports layer attribute table. This is what you do: Open the attribute table for My_ports. (Remember that you right click on the layer and select Open Attribute Table). Select the “Options” button and “Export.” The dialogue window below will appear:

Fill it in according to the example above. Please note that the export format will be dbf (dBASE).



Save the file/table under C:\distgis_b\project\My_data and give it the name My_ports2.dbf. After you have exported the table, you can add the table to your map document, for example, to edit it or combine it with another appropriate table. Note also that the FID and SHAPE fields which control the georeferencing are not there. It is no longer a layer but a table. By placing the map document in the Source position instead of Display under the index, you can see that the table is included. Open it and check. Table management can be a little complicated in the beginning. Hopefully you managed to do it all! It is a good idea to later repeat this section. You will find it very useful as you continue the course.



EXERCISE 4a. EDITING LAYERS. (CREATING LAYERS). Task: You are going to create a very simple overview map of the Kurzeme Planning Region in a new map document. The Kurzeme Planning Region administrative area, its population centres and roads will be selected and made into separate layers. You will call the map document Kurzeme.mxd. (If you want, you can do this exercise for your own region) Sample solution! A simple way to start is by opening erb.mxd and saving this map document as Kurzeme.mxd 1. Create new shapefiles (layers). Tip! Create a new catalogue in File Manager/Explorer in Windows for each new layer (shapefile) that you intend to create so that you can save the three files in one place. A shapefile consists of at least three files with the file suffixes *.shp, *.shx and *.dbf. It’s a good idea to give the catalogue the same name as the layer you have created. This is very useful when you want to move or copy layers. Create a new folder or catalogue with the name “Kurzeme Planning Region” in Explorer under Windows. Create the catalogue under C:\Distgis_b\project\My_data. While you are there, create folders under “Kurzeme Planning Region” and call them Kurzeme, Kurzeme_roads and Kurzeme_ towns. Please note that you find this data under C:\Distgis_b\Maps\ERB. We will start with the Euroregion Baltic layer. Retrieve the Select Features tool Click with Select Features on Kurzeme Planning Region. It will now be highlighted in the colour option you selected. Now right click on the layer in the Table of Contains and select “Data” and then “Export Data.” The dialogue window below will appear. Make sure that the settings are the same as in the dialogue window and type in your search path and the name of the shapefile you have created.



Tip! Do not choose the same name for the shape themes that you create as the original. This will make it easier to differentiate between the original and the “copy.” In the dialogue window, answer Yes to the question: “Do you want to add the exported data to the map as layer?” This method is a very clever way of creating “new” information based on existing information. The method: Make your selection, export the layer and only the selected information will be included. Now remove the Euroregion_baltic layer and open the new Kurzeme layer and zoom in to the layer so that Kurzeme Planning Region now covers the entire map window. Repeat the above by creating shapefiles for roads (roadline.shp) and population centres (town_p.shp) that only cover Kurzeme Planning Region in the catalogues you created under C:\Distgis_b\project\My_data\Kurzeme There are different methods for using Select Features to select features. You can click on a feature to select it and if you want more features, hold down the shift key at the same time as you click. Another method is to use the tool to hold the left mouse button down and draw a box over the features that you are interested in. The features that are within the box or that the box intersects are selected. To select roads and population centres within the municipality, there is an even better method. We use “Tools” in the menu and then select “GeoProcessing Wizard.” Here you select Clip one layer based on another and Next. Now all you have to do is follow the guide which includes explanations. You will find this guide very useful. Below is an example of what it looks like when you have filled in other stages in the guide.



When you have finished with the roads, continue with the population centres in the same way. If you haven’t done so already, import and add these layers, select roads, population centres within Kurzeme Planning Region, export to shapefiles and save the layer roadline.shp with the name Kurzeme_roads.shp under C:\Distgis_b\project\My_data\Kurzeme\Kurzeme_roads. Give the town_p.shp layer the name Kurzeme_towns.shp and saved under C:\Distgis_b\project\My_data\Kurzeme\Kurzeme_Towns. Answer Yes to the question of whether you want them to be visible. When you have finished delete the “original” layer that was visible at first so that you now only have three layers remaining. (Kurzeme_towns, Kurzeme_roads, Kurzeme and the Satellite Image). It is unnecessary to have both the original and the copy visible. To remove one or more layers, remember that you must right click. Then it takes care of itself. Take away all of the layers that have information outside the boundaries of Kurzem Planning Region. Now you have created a very simple overview map of Kurzeme Planning Region. Save your project at regular intervals. The easiest way to save is by clicking on this button

Tip! If you have a problem with error messages when you are using GeoProcessing Wizard, it is probably because the layers are not projected (georeferenced). Likewise for a message telling you that you do not have a valid licence.



EXERCISE 6a. PLACING OBJECTS DIRECTLY ONTO THE MAP (ON-SCREEN DIGITIZATION) Task: You have been assigned the task of placing six control points for traffic frequency for different intersections in Kurzene Planning Region. Create a new shape-file for the control points as point features. We call these ctrlpoint.shp. To the attribute table you will add the fields ID, ROAD, PCAR_D, TRACK_D, T_CARS_D, DATE and MARKS. Work in the map document kurzeme.mxd that you created in Exercise 4a. Sample solution! 1. Open the map. Start with open Kurzeme map document. “File” – “Open.”

C:\distgis_p\project\My_data\kurzeme.mxd

2. Add new features to the map. To help you there is a small overview map at the end of this exercise. On it you will also see where the control points should be placed.



New information in the form of new layers and sharefiles etc. is created in ArcCatalog. We

will go there by clicking on this button Start by creating a new folder in ArcCatalog

under C:\Distgis_p\project\My_data which you will call Ctrlpoint. (Don’t forget to make a folder named Ctrlpoint). Select “File” – “New” – “Shapefile” from the menu. The dialogue window below will appear. By Name type in Ctrlpoint. By Feature Type select Point for your features. Check what the other options are here. You should take the opportunity at this time to choose the coordinate system for your shapefile. Tick by Show Details in the dialogue window and then the Edit button. In the next dialogue window you select “Import” and then open the folder for Kurzeme and chose Kurzeme.shp and end by clicking on Add and then Apply. When you have finished, the dialogue window should look like this:

Click on OK. Ctrlpoint.shp is now under C:\Distgis_b\project\My_data\Kurzeme in ArcCatalog. Close ArcCatalog to get back to ArcMap.

You can now import the layer you have created. Change to an appropriate symbol and colour by clicking on the point to get to the “Symbol Selector” and make your selection.



If the Editor tool is not opening as in the picture below, open it with: Now select “Editor” and “Start Editing.” Make sure that the settings are the same as in the picture below. Now retrieve the “pen.”

Place the cursor (+) and click with the mouse where you want to place the feature on the map. Place the six points with the help of the Control Points Map section that you will find at the

end of this exercise. If you click in error, remove the point by retrieving the Editor tool

and selecting the point (left click), and then strike delete on your keyboard. Now place a new point in the correct position. When you have placed all of the control points, save the change using “Editor” – “Stop Editing.” Open and look at the attribute table. Right click – “Open Attribute Table.” You will notice that the program has automatically created three fields: FID, SHAPE and ID. Never edit the first two fields as these contain information about the geometry and its links to the attributes, but ID can be used so that you do not need to create this field. 3. Add new fields. The new fields are (ID), ROAD, PCAR_D, TRACK_D, T_CARS_D, DATE and MARKS. Use the same method as in Exercise 3a. Select “Options” in the dialogue window Attributes for Ctrlpoint and then “Add Field.” Now you can add a new field to the attribute table by filling in the “Add Field” dialogue window, see below.




Tip! Don’t forget to get used to never typing field names (and file names) containing the Swedish letters å, ä and ö unless you are entirely certain that this will not cause a problem. The main reason for this is that when you create a file/table in a server in the network at your workplace and a back-up is created, there may be a problem rereading the back-up copy. Check with the computer expert at your workplace if you are unsure. In the “Add Field” dialogue window, by Name type in “ROADS”. By Type: select Text By Length: type “10” (Field size in characters). End by clicking on “OK” For the other fields, select: The field PCAR_D: Short Integer by Type. The field TRACK_D: Short Integer by Type. The field T_CARS_D: Long Integer by Type. The field DATE: Date by Type. The field MARKS: Text by Type, Length 50. Please note! If you have integers greater than 9999, you will need to select “Long Integer.” After each field, end by clicking on “OK” and repeating “Options” – “Add Field.” If you have indicated the wrong field definition, it is possible to delete the field. To do this: Right click on the field name and select “Delete Field” and answer “Yes” to the question. Then select “Options” – “Add Field” and redefine the field. 4. Type in information in the table. The first problem is to ensure that you type in the correct information for the correct point. Begin by opening the attribute table and dragging the window to a place where it does not conceal the points on the map. Retrieve the Select Features tool

in the map document

and click on one of the measurement points (Sometimes you may need to click twice). The figure that belongs to this point is now selected in the attribute table. First the table must be made editable before you can insert the data. Do this with “Editor” – “Start Editing” as shown below.




When the table is editable, this is indicated with a “Pen” to the right of the Options button in the dialogue window “Attributes of Ctrlpoint” (the table). Now enter the information for each point according to the table that you will find at the end of this exercise. Place the cursor in the appropriate cell in the “ID” field and type e.g. 8001 in the cell or another ID that corresponds to the point etc. If you place a point (feature) in the wrong place and want to move it in the map document, change Task in the Editor tool to Modify Feature. Place the cursor over the point, hold the mouse down and drag the feature to its new position. When you have finished you will have created a point layer with attributes. Save the map document!! Tip! When you create area and linear layers, you will want to include area and length. Appendix 6 explains how to do this. Make sure you do this exercise. Overview map Control Points! The control points are indicated on the map below with a black dot on a grey background. There are six altogether. (Next page)



8001

8002

8003

8004

8005

8006

Table Ctrlpoint:



EXERCISE 6b. IMPORTING REGISTER/TABLE DATA AND DISPLAYING IT IN THE MAP DOCUMENT Task: With the help of a table containing x and y coordinates of Airports and co in the south part of Baltic Sea Region, you will place these on the map. You will be working with the map document erb.mxd. Sample solution! 1. Create a layer and display the features on the map. Start in ArcMap and the erb.mxd map document. Select “Tools” – “Add XY Data…”

Retrieve theTable_airport.dbf table under C:\Distgis_b\Infrastructure\Airport Select the correct table that is in your project (elever.dbf) X-Field: Select “X” Y-Field: Select ‘Y” Please note! If we have Swedish data we need to select and switch the x and y coordinates because the ArcView GIS program is an American program and in the US, the x and y coordinates are the other way around compared to Sweden. X is Y and Y is X. Don’t forget this!



As you can see in the dialogue window above, the spatial reference is “Unknown Coordinate System”. I don’t think it will be any problem in this exercise. End with “OK” You have created a layer based on a table with x and y coordinates. This is both simple and useful. Have a look at the attribute table as well. Change the symbols to a “airplane”. (Tip: More Symbols) Save your project! That was easy, wasn’t it?



EXERCISE 6c. JOINING TABLES. Task: You are going to work with the Airports Map and have been given a table containing more data of the airports. The table is from the ERB office and is in dBASE format. You want to include this new data and make it visible in your Overview Map. Open the erb.mxd map document and work in this document. Sample solution! 1. Connecting/joining tables This method is a good one when you have a layer with spatial references e.g. a point layers for airports which there is limited attribute information. At the same time, the attributes (data) are stored in a table that does not have spatial references but that describes the airports better. By merging these – provided that both tables have fields with common content – it is possible to transfer the information from the tables to the layer’s attribute table and in this way be able to process, analyse and carry out spatial selections. Please note! This function can be used if you have an attribute table with a ratio of 1:1 or 1:M in relation to the table you are using to add new attributes. You need airport layer and a new table to work with. Check that you add the layer Tabel_Airports_Events that you made in the exercise before to the map document. Right click on the layer and select “Properties” Select the Joins & Relates tab. Under Joins select Add and the dialogue window below will appear: Fill it in as shown in the screen shot. You will find the table containing more data of the airports inventory under C:Ddistgis_b\Infrastructure\Airport with the name airport_info.dbf.



“OK” The result is that you now have a table that also contains the new information about the airports. All of the fields in the related table (airport_info.dbf) will appear to the right of the other fields in the attribute table for Attributes of table_airports Events. See the table below. Note that the field headings indicate which table the various fields come from.



Now you can display the layer with different values using information from the Airport_info.INT_NAT field. Fill in the dialogue window for Layer Properties as shown below. If you are not sure how to do this, go back to Exercise 2b.

Study the results on the map. Save your map document! Tip! This method of adding data to GIS information is very useful in many contexts.



EXERCISE 7a. ANALYSIS, SELECT USING “SELECT BY LOCATION.”. Task: The Blekinge, Kalmar and Kronoberg regional authority working with communications planning. The planning committee has no alternatives locations for establishing a new national airport. According to “A Better Place for Communication,” the buffer zone is 50 km for a good distance to reach a national airport. Your task is to find the most suitable alternative taking into account the number of towns who would be affected. You will be working in a new map document: subregion_se.mxd. Sample solution! 1. Open the ArcMap. Start with open a new Map document and named it Subregion_se.mxd. 2. Import layers. Add Subregion_se C:\Distgis_b\Administration\Subregion\Subregion_se. Add the layer with the location of Airports. This layer is found under C:\Distgis_b\Infrastructure\Airport\ Add also the layer Town_p under C:\Maps\Baltic region\Town To make the map more suitable you also ad the layer “Sea”. C:\Maps\Baltic region\Sea Change the symbols if necessary. Tip! In order to obtain suitable background maps change the display order so that the layer called Sea.shp is displayed over Subregion_se.shp. 3. Using “Select By Location.” First you should zoom in so that you can see and select the airports. Select with the help of the selection tool “Select Features” for the regions_se. (Use the shift key to keep your selection.) Tip! Start with the “Selection” menu and select “Set Selectable Layers.” Make sure that only your layer for the relevant airports and towns_p is “ticked.” If you work with lines click between the intersections. If you click in the wrong place so that the wrong line is selected,



click on this line once to unselect it. When you have finished don’t forget to restore “Set Selectable Layer”!!!! Now make selections from the menu. Select “Selection” – “Select By Location.” As you have probably realised, we would also be able to do this task by applying a buffer. We are testing the Select By Location method as shown below. Make sure that the selections and typed data are the same as in the screen shot.

Now click on the “Apply” button and then “Close.” If you have statistics in the attribute table for the selected properties, than you can note the result by studying the statistics. This is the same method as you can read about in previous exercises. Think about what you have just done. Which other alternatives are there to accomplish this type of search/selection? Questions:



How many towns are affected by the distance of 50 km? Which alternative is the most appropriate to recommend to study for a new airport?

Extra task: The analysis you have just completed only takes into account the towns in the Swedish subregion. Please study the situation for the hole of ERB.

Tip! Create Layer From Selected Features is a very useful function. You will have a lot of use for it and we therefore recommend that you try it out. To get to it, right click on the layer that you have made selections in and then select “Selection” – “Create Layer From Selected Features.” A new layer will be created right away with the same name as the layer you made the selection from with “selection” added. Study the new layer and go to “Properties.” Notice that the layer’s “Source” is the original layer’s source. This means that if you want to edit the layer you created by, for example, adding a new field in the attribute table, you will have to do this in the original layer. 4. Select using circles and retrieve the number of people affected. (Not in this exercise. Only read this example). A simple way to solve this problem is to use the drawing tool and create a graphic in order to make selections with the help of the graphic. Zoom in so that you can locate the location alternatives for the power and heat plants. Use the drawing tool circle, drag it to a distance of around 700 m from the centre of the different alternatives. Do one plant at a time.


The “circle” is here.

Tip! In case you should lose the mark (handle) or you cannot find the circle, select “Edit” – “Select All Elements” and the circle will be visible again and you can delete it if you wish with Delete and make a new circle.



When you have made a circle, double click on the symbol (Circle) – Under the “Size and position” tab as shown below. Change the Width to 1400 m. Note that is says 1400 and not 700. Why?

Make the circle transparent by selecting the “Symbol” tab above and Fill colour No Color. Make a selection in ArcMap using the menu as shown in the picture below, by clicking on

“Select By Graphics.” Please note! The circle must be active; indicated with a “handle.” Now all features in the fastbef layer that are inside the circle should be highlighted in the colour chosen.



Now open the layer (fastbef.) attribute table. Right click on the “Total” field in the attribute table.

and select “Statistics,” this tells you the number of residents and properties in the selected area. Show the selections in the table and you will quickly understand how to read the statistics. Note the result.



Please note that “Count” stands for the number of selected properties and “Total” stands for the number of people. It is also possible to Summarize instead of selecting Statistics to save the result in a table. Do the same as above for the other alternatives as well. Now test the “Buffer” function which you will find under “Tools” – “Buffer Wizard.” This is the absolute best method for making selections when you have a fixed distance from a point, line or area. Use selections with graphics here as well. Tip! Make sure that the buffer that you analyse is an active “handle” and coloured with the colour option. Right click and select Selection and Erase the selected feature when you delete selections in a layer. If you have one selection and make a new one, the previous one will disappear. In the last picture in the guide you have the option to answer yes or no to how the circles are to be drawn. Answer no so that you can make selections and analyse one circle at a time. What is the most suitable location, based on the least amount of people affected, to establish a power and heat plant?



EXERCISE 8a. ACTIVE LINKS (HYPERLINKS). Task: You are going to add pictures of three intersections to the ktrlpkt.shp layer which you created earlier in exercise 6a. The picture below shows which intersections you will use. Work in the kalmar stad.mxd map document. Sample solution! Overview of the three intersections for which pictures exist. The picture file names are shown at the side of the picture in the small boxes.

rondell.tif

korsn2.tif

korsn1.tif

1. Retrieve pictures with Active Links (Hyperlinks). Activate the ktrlpkt layer in the map document. Open the layer’s attribute table. Select “Options” in the table – “Add Field.” Fill in the dialogue window as shown in the screen shot below.



Select “Editor” – “Start Editing.” Check that the correct layer is editable as shown below.

Now you can type in the search path to the picture file under the “Bild” (Picture) field for the feature it belongs to. See exercise 3a, point 5 if you have forgotten how to edit tables and enter information into cells. Type in the search path, see below, in the cell under the Bild field for the items in the table that have pictures. The picture for the intersection to the north is under the following search path: C:\distgis\bilder\fys_plan\korsn1.tif The picture for the intersection in the centre is under the following search path: C:\distgis\bilder\fys_plan\korsn2.tif The picture for the intersection to the south is under the following search path: C:\distgis\bilder\fys_plan\rondell.tif Tip! If you want to enter a search path for several items that have essentially the same search path, it is a good idea to use “Calculate Values.” Make the field active for pictures. Right click on the field.



Select Calculate Values and fill in the dialogue window as shown below. Remember “---” before and after the search path!

Select “String” Select the text box and type in the search path, for example: “C:\distgis\bilder\fys_plan\korsn1.tif” Note that in “Field Calculator” you need quotation marks around the text. When you have obtained all selected items with the same search path (Bild, Picture). All you have to do now is to change the file name plan11.gif to plan2.gif etc. Go to the layer’s properties and select Display as shown below. Tick by Support Hyperlinks using fields and select Bild as shown in the dialogue window below. Now all you have to do is click on “Apply” and close the box.



When you have finished, select “Editor” – “Stop Editing” and save your changes. Retrieve this tool

Hyperlink and click on some of the feature’s measurement points.

Hopefully, the pictures of the respective intersections will now appear. Simple and effective, isn’t it? Please note: Instead of Document in the dialogue window above, you can choose to add a link to URL (websites). In this case, instead of the search path to a picture file, you will type in the URL (address) of the website e.g.: www.megaconsulting.se Test this by linking to websites, text documents and other types of document files.



EXERCISE 8b. HANDLING STATISTICS, (SHART). Task: You are going to present population statistics for Kalmar municipality’s population centres that have a population of over 1,000, in the form of a map with pie charts. Close previous map document and create a new one. Sample solution! 1. Create a new map document for population. Save the document under C:\distgis\projekt\ego and call it befolkning.mxd. Import a suitable background map of Kalmar municipality, e.g. kalmar kommun.shp which you created earlier in exercise 4a, point 1. Add also roads for Kalmar kommun that you created earlier. Import also C:\distgis\teman\allman\katatort. This layer contains information about different age groups of the population for the population centres that you will be using. Change the lines for the road layer to something more appropriate than ArcView has created. Click on the layer’s symbol and select a suitable symbol in “Symbol Selector.” Now you have what you need to create a simple overview map with information about residents in the municipality’s population centres and the age distribution. 2. Present the distribution information on the map with a pie chart. Before you start creating the chart, you should select the items in the table for the population centres so that it only shows population centres with over 1,000 residents. You should be able to do this, but if not, just go back to previous exercises and repeat the process. Now you are going to create the actual diagram using “Properties” for charted centres and Layer Properties will appear, as shown below. Select the Symbology tab and under Show: Charts, Pie



Under Field Selection, move the fields over as shown above. By double clicking on the colour symbol in the list on the right you can change the colours for the various age groups if you wish. Click on Apply to see the result on the map. Now practice making changes in Properties and Size in Layer Properties as shown in the screen shot above. Practice making a bar graph. It’s as easy as that to create a simple graph/chart on the map. You can, of course, delete the chart and reset the map. You do this in Layer Properties under Symbology by selecting Features, Single symbol, but at this time you are going to leave the chart on the map. Save the project by clicking on this button.



Tip! If you want to create a more advanced graph, you can do so in “Tools” “ Graphs” – “Create.” The graph will be presented and saved here in a special window. This is particularly useful for layout. Use the program’s help function if you need more help.



EXERCISE 8c. LAYOUT. Task: You are going to present the age distribution of the population in the population centres of Kalmar municipality. This presentation will be used as a basis for OH slides. Stay in the befolkning.mxd project which you created during the last exercise. Sample solution! 1. Create the layout for a map with existing templates. Start by selecting “View” –“Layout View” from the menu:

This is what will appear:

Click on the Change Layout button to the right. Here you will find a number of templates to retrieve and use. Retrieve the Europe template as shown below. Notice that the templates have the file suffix .mxt Notice also that there is a tab that enables you to save your own templates.



You can make any necessary adjustments, e.g. scale, headings etc. Double click on the text or the feature. Print out the map layout by first selecting the print format etc. “File” – “Page Setup,” set the type of printer you have as well as paper size and select portrait or landscape depending on which type of layout template you have chosen. Now select “File” – “Print.” The map will be printed according to your selection in “Page Setup.” You can also to export the layout in picture format. “File” – “Export Map." Now choose a name for the file and select the picture format that you want to save it in. We recommend JPG. You may have a small problem to solve. See the picture below:

Legend

kavagar

Ålder 0-6 årBEF_7_18BEF_19_64BEF_65_

kalmar_kommun This type of symbol key is not helpful to the reader. Instead of kavagar it should be Roads and instead of BEF_7_18 etc. it should be Age 7-18 as in the first line: Age 0-6. How can you fix this? Since we have come to the end of the course, I am handing this problem over to you to solve. Here’s a tip – Solve the problem as close to the “source” as possible.



Extra task: Create your own layout instead of using the templates. 1. Create your own layout Open one of the ArcMap documents you have created during the course (.mxd) Start the same way as in the previous exercise by selecting “View” – “Layout View” from the menu. The key is “Insert”. (See picture)

The first thing for you to try is adding an overview map, e.g. of Kalmar County. For this you will use Data Frame. Note that a frame appears in the map window that you can drag to the appropriate position. Also, a new Data Frame will appear in the Index. Select it and import the county map: C:\distgis\kartor\roda\vektor\h_lan\lankarta. Adjust the map to give it attractive colours. Use a different colour for Kalmar County. Test Title, Text, Neatline, Legend, North Arrow, Scale Bar and Scale Text for yourself and choose what you like. Finally, import a logo if you have access to one, e.g. your agency, school or company logo. (Picture) Congratulations!!! You have completed the exercises to give you a good understanding of how the basic functionality in ArcView 8.x works and is used. If, as you work on your own projects, you return to the various exercises in this manual and use the methods you have learned, you will soon graduate from “beginner” to GIS user. Practice makes perfect! Good luck with your future GIS projects! Did I mention that practice makes perfect? A good exercise is to start a “project” that is completely your own in which you can use GIS. Once again, Good Luck!!!! Roland Nilsson, DistansGIS


DistansGIS DistansGIS Appendix 1 Practice exercises Page 1 ( 3 )


AN INTRODUCTION TO ARC GIS. The ArcView 8.3 user interface. Program

window

Menu bar

Button b

Toolbar

Status

ArcGIS Desktop Application. ArcMap + ArcCatalog + ArcToolbox. The work that you do in ArcView is stored and organised in an Application (Document). A application is a file that contains maps, tables, diagrams, layouts and scripts that you can use for a particular ArcView or other related application. The document steers where and how these files will be displayed. The actual files that you use containing geographic data and tables are not stored in the document file. It is the references to the location of these data sources on your network or disk that are stored. This way of storing makes it possible to use the same data in other

© Roland Nilsson, Project Seagull



projects and applications. If, for any reason, these data are changed, the changes will be shown in the applications that have references to this data. An ArcView application is saved as a file that has the extension (*.mxd). ArcMap.

- Visualising - Map production - Editing - Questions - Reports - Analysis - Chart

ArcCatalog.

- Ad data - Copy, Remove etc - Reference systems - Set up index - Produce and view

Metadata - Search for data - Make new shapefile and

personnel database


DistansGIS DistansGIS Appendix 1 Practice exercises Page 3 ( 3 ) ArcTollbox.

-


- - - -


21 tools Converting dataImport Export Etc



A short introduction to the Help function in ArcGIS version 8.3 ArcView’s Help function is a comprehensive on-line help tool. With it you can easily get answers to questions or help with trouble-shooting problems that you may encounter when running the program. You can always access Help in a project or when you are working with the various documents that make up the project. Getting help for a particular button , tool or menu selection Place your cursor on a button or a menu selection and you will see a short description in a yellow box. See below.

and also on the Status bar at the bottom of your screen.

You can get additional information by clicking on the button on the Button bar. If you then click on the button, tool or menu selection for which you need help a Help box that contains relevant information will appear. You will often see that one or more words in the text are underlined and highlighted in green. If you click on a green word you will get more information and help. To get help about an open dialogue box press the F1 key on your keyboard. To search through the index of ArcView’s Help Click on Help on the Menu bar. You will see the pull-down menu shown below.




Click on ”ArcGIS Desktop Help and placed in a dialogue box that is shown below.

Under the Contents tab you will see a list of “books”. Point and click to select a relevant “book”.




The book will be opened. Select a relevant subject and then click.




In the box that you access by clicking the Index tab in the ”ArcGIS Desktop Help” box you can type the word or text string for which you want help.

If you click on the menu line ”Related topics” in the top of the frame you will get information similar to that given above. If you click on the menu line ”About ArcMAP” to get information about the ArcView software ArcView GIS 8.3, such as the licence type and the product ID.




SOME COMMON PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS It may happen that your program does not function or functions in an unexpected way when you give a command. For example, you make a layer active but it is not visible and no changes take place. Below is a short description of some problems that may occur together with ways of carrying out simple trouble-shooting and correcting them. A theme is not plotted in the view! • Check that the theme is checked (turned on) for plotting and that it has been made active.

This is indicated by a faint thin frame around the theme in the Table of Contents for the map document.

• The map document shows an area in which there are no features in the layer. Right click

on the layer and “Zoom to Layer”. If the layer didn’t appear...

• Check the drawing order in the view’s Table of Contents. It may be that another theme has been plotted on top of the theme that you want to view. You can either drag and drop the layer onto the first line in the Table of Contents or turn off the other layers that lie over the problems layer.

• Check the layers properties, tab general and check if scale interval has been set. Change or

remove the smallest and largest scales or type a new scale in the map. This should make it possible to draw it.

• A feature selection may have been defined for the layer so that no features in it, or only a

few of them, are to be plotted. Check the layer and remove all selections.

• The layer is drawn but the feature’s symbols are not visible. This may be because the symbols are the same colour as the map’s background (white) or because they are transparent. Change to another suitable colour and symbols for the layer’s features. If the layer contains polygon features it may be best to draw them using a transparent pattern filling and without outlines. Edit and change to other symbols.

If it is still not possible to draw the layer, the best thing to do can be to remove the layer, retrieve it once again, set its attributes and try to draw it.
