Lab 5: Preparing Data for Analysis and Spatial Analysis

Introduction

This lab introduces data preparation for analysis and spatial analysis in ArcGIS.  You will learn the following skills in ArcView:

Instructions

Do the tutorial exercises in Chapters 11 and 12 of Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop.

Deliverables

Answer the following questions and produce the following outputs.  Hand them in to the instructor at the beginning of the next lab section.  Labs should be typed, include your name and lab number, be well organized, and stapled together.

Chapter 11

  1. What does it mean to dissolve features? Give an example of why you might do this.
  2. What are the different summarization options for the different fields when dissolving?
  3. At the end of exercise 11b, put your name on the map using a text box, switch to a layout view, and print the map.
  4. What is a spatial clip?
  5. At the end of exercise 11c, put your name on the map using a text box, switch to a layout view, and print the map.
  6. At the end of exercise 11d put your name on the map using a text box, switch to a layout view, and print the map.
  7. How do you create a new layer from a subset of spatial features?
Chapter 12
  1. What is a buffer?
  2. What is an overlay and what is the difference between a union and an intersect operation?
  3. How can you differentially buffer different features with different qualities?
  4. At the end of exercise 12a put your name on the map using a text box, switch to a layout view, and print the map.
  5. What happens to the attributes of the original files when you do an overlay?
  6. In a union of two buffer maps and another layer, what does it mean when both Bufdif fields in the output attribute table are 0? What does it mean when one has a value above 0 and the other is 0? What does it mean when both are above 0?
  7. Why did you need to recalculate the stand value in step 12 of exercise 12c? Why was the sum of stand values inflated?
  8. At the end of exercise 12c put your name on the map using a text box, switch to a layout view, and print the map.


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