Lab 1:
Introduction to ArcGIS
Introduction
This lab will introduce the ArcGIS
software including the ArcMap and ArcCatalog
modules. You will learn the following skills in ArcView:
- Displaying
map data
- Navigating
a map
- Looking
at feature attributes
- Browsing
map data
- Searching
for map data
- Adding
data to ArcMap
Instructions
Read Chapters 1 and 2 of Getting
to Know ArcGIS Desktop. Then do the tutorial exercises in Chapters 3 and
4. You will need to load the data from the Getting to Know ArcGIS desktop
book onto the hard drive of the computer on which you are working. The
default directory for the tutorial data is C:\GTKArcGIS. Don't put it
there. Put it on a drive that you have access to. Make sure you
keep the CD since if you lose of corrupt your data then you will need to reload
it.
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 staples together. I suggest using
Microsoft Word interactively while doing the exercises.
Chapter 1
- What
is a map layer?
- What
is a feature?
- What
is a surface?
- What
are the three types of geographic objects in the vector system?
- What
is a raster?
- What
is an attribute table?
- What
makes it possible to ask questions about information in an attribute table
and bring the answer up on the map?
Chapter 2
- What
is the difference between ArcView, ArcEditor, and ArcInfo?
- For
what can ArcMap and ArcCatalog
be used?
- For
what can ArcGIS Spatial Analyst be used?
- What
is ArcIMS?
Chapter 3
- What
does the ArcMap table of contents list?
- At
the end of Exercise 3a you use the information tool to access the
attribute information from the point object representing Natal, Brazil.
Do the same for Paramaribo,
Brazil.
How much annual precipitation is there in Paramaribo?
- What
does a grayed-out check box mean in the ArcMap
table of contents?
- What
is the purpose of a view bookmark?
- At
the end of Exercise 3b you measured the distance from Howland Island
to Nikumaroro
Island. Use
the measurement and zoom tools to calculate the distance from Lae, Papua New Guinea to Nikumaroro Island. How many kilometers
is it?
- What
are fields, records, and cells in an attribute database?
- Sort
the flight path attribute table in ascending or descending order.
What was the shortest leg of the trip and how far was it?
- Using
the flight path statistics box, what was the sum of the total trip?
Chapter 4
- What
are some of the different types of data sets that can be viewed in ArcCatalog?
- What
three letter file extension does a geodatabase
have?
- You
have two choices within the preview tab within ArcCatalog
including Geography and Table. What kinds of information can you get
from each?
- Metadata
means data about data. What types of information is accessed through
the Description, Spatial, and Attribute tabs within the the metadata section of ArcCatalog?
- What
type of data is seafloor.lyr, raster or vector?
How did you know?
- What
is a layer file?
- How
do you add data from ArcCatalog into ArcMap?