Lab 3: ArcGIS ModelBuilder

Introduction

This lab teaches you how to use ArcGIS tools in ArcToolbox and ModelBuilder to build an analysis model.

Instructions

Follow the instructions to finish all exercises. Hand in your answers and the associated outputs to the TA. Labs should be typed, include your name, be well organized, and be stapled together.

Read Chapter 8 and skim chapter 9 of Geoprocessing in ArcGIS (Geoprocessing_in_ArcGIS.pdf). The pdf is in the I:\Students\Data\GIS\ArcGIS Documentation\ArcGIS9.1_documentation\ESRI_Library\ArcGIS_Desktop folder. You can download the lab data file (Spatial.zip) here.

• Please refer to Using_Spatial_Analyst_Tutorial.pdf  in the I:\Students\Data\GIS\ArcGIS Documentation\ArcGIS9.1_documentation\ESRI_Library\Tutorials folder for the lab instructions that follow.
• First, create a geodatabase named Site.mdb to store your output information (the exercise will ask for this on page 43 in exercise #2). To create a new geodatabase, open ArcCatalog, right-click the folder that is your working directory, click >New >Personal Geodatabase, and name it 'site'.
• Next, start ArcMap and add elevation, landuse, rec_sites, roads, and schools to a data frame.
• Then, do exercise # 2 (pages 15-46). Note: To open the slope tool (page 20), you'll need to first turn on the Spatial Analyst extension license if it isn't already on (via >Tools >Extensions on the menu).

Some clarifications

• Page 16, Step 3: Set the location for the "My Toolboxes" folder to a place where you have write access
• Page 17, Step 3: Remove the underscore from "find_site"
• just put the two words together with no spaces
• Page 18, Step 3: Output Extent is the same as Extent

Answer the following questions while you do the exercise:

1. Look up the majority filter tool in the ArcGIS Desktop Help. Read the help topic and explain how the filter works in terms of using FOUR and EIGHT neighbors.
2. Print out the model (from design view) you created in this exercise.
3. Create a map showing Output optimal areas raster (i.e., opt_areas) and Output filtered optimal areas raster (i.e., opt_areasM) and export the map to a JPG and paste it into your lab MS Word document. You will need to insert a second data frame and move one of the raster layers to the new data frame to show two data layers in one map.
4. Describe the benefits of having a GIS model?