In progress -- currently incomplete

Creating Map Sheets using ArcView

For this project, I suggest you keep all files in the same directory. This will make it easier to move between computers.

Step 1. Create a ArcView Data file in Excel

The simplest way to get this information into ArcView is from Excel. You should start the process with an Excel worksheet containing the following information:

1. Point Number
2. Elevation
3. Easting
4. Northing

• Save the worksheet as a regular Excel workbook
• With the worksheet containg the data in view, use the File ... Save As menu to save the worksheet as a tab-delimited text file (.TXT extension)
• You will be warned that this procedure will only save the active worksheet -- all the other data will be lost (this is why you started by saving  a copy as an Excel file!)
• Exit Excel.

Step 2. Import points into Arc View

Start ArcView

Create a new project

From the project window, select the TABLES item, and then click on the ADD TABLES

Step 3. Scale the map

The next step is to work out the map scale you want to use. Surfer works in inches, and the total station data we have is in meters. The conversion factor is 1 inch = 2.54 cm. So, if we want a scale of 1:100, or 1 cm represents 1.00 m, this is the same as 2.54 cm represents 2.54 m, or 1 inch represents 2.54 meters.

• Click on the map to select it
• Use the Map … Scale menu item to get the Scale dialog box
• The dialog box is in terms of 1 inch on the paper = units on the ground. Our ground units are meters. So for a map of scale 1:100 enter 2.54 in the dialog box. Surfer will calculate the size of the map for you.

Common map scales are given in the table below.

You should add a scale bar to your map using the Map … Scale bar menu item. This will let you check your map scale.

Step 4.Print the map

• When you have created your map and it is at the correct scale, save the Surfer file.
• You can then use the Epson 1500 to plot your map.
• Use the File … Page Layout menu item
• Select a paper size of "Ledger" (11 x 17 inches) and select OK
• Use the View … Page menu item to see if the plot fits on this size paper. If the paper is too small, select the File … Page Layout menu item and change the paper size to "Other" and set the size to a width of 22 inches and a height of 17 inches. This is the largest size paper we have available.
• Surfer can "Tile" plots. That is, if the map is bigger than the paper specified it will print the map on several overlapping sheets.