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:

• Dissolving features
• Creating graphs
• Clipping layers
• Exporting data
• Buffering features
• Overlaying data
• Calculating attribute values

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 field summarization options 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. How can you differentially buffer different features with different qualities?
3. What is an overlay and what is the difference between a union and an intersect operation?
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. Why did you need to recalculate the stand value in step 9 of exercise 12c? Why was the sum of stand values inflated?
7. 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.