Reese's GIS Expedition

     This week, in the fifth GIS lab, it was about adding XY coordinates to ArcGIS Pro and learning to Geocode.      The first lab part, adding XY coordinates, started with utilizing excel to calculate degrees, minute, seconds into readable decimal coordinates that ArcGIS Pro can use. This had us organize each factor into their own cells, and then calculate them into the correct decimal XY coordinate points. Once that was done, it was simple to save the excel sheet and then go into ArcGIS Pro. Next, we used the XY point data tool, which allowed us to select the decimal XY coordinates from the excel sheet, and apply them to the map layer. Once done, and to confirm we plotted the points correctly, we projected the points into state planes to ensure everything had gone correctly.       The second part of the lab, Geocoding, was more involved with its use of excel. We selected from Manatee County a sizable number of schools to plot onto a ma...

     This week, in the fourth GIS lab, was learning about Vector Analysis in ArcGIS Pro.       The result of the lab being the map below, where we used certain vector overlay operations to create a map, showing suitable camp sites in De Soto National Forest in Mississippi. The aim of the lab was to find suitable camp sites that were a specific distance from lakes, roads, and rivers but also not in the conservation areas in the national forest.       To get what we have below, we applied buffer analysis tools to both roads and water. For roads, we used a set distance of three hundred meters and a variable distance of one hundred and fifty meters for lakes and five hundred meters for rivers. Once both buffer layers were complete, we added a feature field to each so we could note where the roads and water layers overlapped. After doing so, we used the union tool to combine their layers together. From the layered union, we selected the ...

      This week, in the third GIS lab, concerns learning to collect data points and utilizing projections as the objectives for lab.      The lab was split into two parts, one concerning data collection and the other was projections. Starting with the data collection, it was expanding on how to program and utilize domains in ArcGIS. This had us make domains and feature classes, in order to make it easy to collect data points without worry. There was also use of last weeks cartography lab, with setting up the symbology we would need for out data points. They would be labeled and symbolled as new, good, or bad concerning the quality of the features we would collect. Continuing on from that, we learned to utilize ArcGIS online, which would allow us to upload our collected data points. Lastly I went on a walk and sought out features to use for the lab and viewed  my results once finished. This was a good lesson as it was followed up with all the many diffe...

   This week, in the second GIS lab, it was about learning how to make an effective map layout, but also how to add essential map elements with concerns to cartography.       The lab started with reviewing the metadata that is linked to the assignment. The metadata contains all the information about the cities, counties, interstates, etc. that we use for the labs. This information being the year the data was relevant, the data type, who created the information, and the coordinate system used. Continuing on from learning where to find the metadata, the lab began in earnest by needing to make two maps. One was to be all of Florida as an inset map with Escambia County highlighted, and the main one to be just Escambia County. This proved fruitful in learning how to set the references for the maps used at this scale, but also figure out the extant boundaries in different measurements.      After setting up the map layout, the next step was to prun...