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. Labs should be typed, include your name, be well organized, and be stapled together.

Do not print the PDFs!

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 new personal 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).

Additional Notes:

There is a version difference between the tutorial (9.1) and the software (10). Please replace the following steps in the Geoprocessing Workbook with the following where noted:

* Page 15 - 16 , Step 1 - 6:

o In ArcCatalog, right-click on the Results folder in the Spatial folder you unzipped, point to New, and select Toolbox.

o Name it "Site Analysis Tools"

o In ArcMap, right-click in the ArcToolbox window and select Add Toolbox

o Add the toolbox you just created.

* Page 17, Step 3:

o Remove the underscore from "find_site"

o just put the two words together with no spaces

* Page 18, Step 2 - 3:

o Check Workspace and expand it - Current and Scratch should also be checked

o Expand Processing Extent, check Extent

* Page 19, Step 7:

o Expand the Workspace section

* Page 19, Step 10:

o Expand the Processing Extent section

* Page 43, Before step 1

o Click on the Geoprocessing menu and select Environment Settings

o Expand the Raster Analysis section

o Make sure the cell size is the same as the elevation layer: 30

o Hit OK and proceed with the exercise

* Page 43, Step 9

o Leave rec_sites, schools, roads, opt_areas, opt_areasM (raster), opt_areasM (feature class), elevation, and landuse in your map

o Remove all other layers

* Page 44, Step 11

o Select features from Opt_areasM, Source Layer: roads, Spatial selection method: Target layer(s) features intersect the Source layer feature

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 a side-by-side comparison of the Output optimal areas raster (i.e., opt_areas) and the Output filtered optimal areas raster (i.e., opt_areasM). Zoom in on the final site area for this comparison (I do not want full extent). The only other layer to be included in this map is the roads layer. 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. Export the map to a JPG and paste it into your lab MS Word document.
4. Describe the benefits of having a GIS model?