Doug Corrin

Forestry Department

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FRST 328

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FRST 182 - GIS

Lab Resources

 

  • Export map as jpeg (click to expand)

    • provides a way of exporting your map so you can email it directly or include it in a Word document if you wish to add comments (saves on printing costs).

    • For creating a printout of your maps there are two options:
      1) print out the layout on a printer as you did with the previous lab assignments, OR
      2) export the map as a JPEG image that you can save on its own or insert it into a Word document
              With ArcGIS in map layout view click File, then
      Export Map…
              Browse to the appropriate folder (e.g. My Documents\My Pictures) and save it as a JPEG file
              Open MS Word and click Insert, then Picture, then
      From File
              Browse to the appropriate folder (e.g. My Documents\My Pictures) and select the file you just created

  • Calculating Area (click to expand)

    • if necessary, create a field named Area (preferred type = double, precision = 8, scale = 1)

    • right-click on field name and select Calculate Geometry

    • since the answer will be in square metres (provided your map units are set to metres) it needs to be divided by 10,000 to get hectares ... right-click on Area field and select Field Calculator
         
      double click "Area" field
         
      click the "/" (divide button
          type in 10000
         
      click OK


     

  • Managing your files (click to expand)

    • Copy Data:  Typically you start by copying a folder from the G: drive to your U: drive

    • Map Document (*.mxd):  If a map document already exists simply open it and start working.  If not, then you open ArcGIS to start a new map document, add data to the TOC and save the document.  *** Save your new map document in the same folder where your data resides.

    • Working Directory:  Make sure all new map layers created are saved to the same folder you have been working with (a.k.a. your working directory).  Sometimes the directory for new map layers is simply uses the last directory where you saved work (i.e. last week's lab).  Other times it is the "\temp" directory on the C: drive - hence the data would NOT be on your U: drive.  In the computer lab the C: drive is wiped clean every day or two.  Thus, even if you came back to the very same computer it is likely the data will be deleted.  If you have opened your GIS project and found red exclamation marks beside the map layers, it means that ArcGIS cannot find your data.  Most likely cause - you did not save the data correctly.

    • Relative Path:  By default ArcGIS uses 'full paths' to refer to your map layers.  For example, for Lab 2 the path for the Forest map layer would be U:\Lab2-BufferAnalysis\Forest.  This means that the map layer forest is found on the U: drive in the Lab2-BufferAnalysis folder.  All is fine except that I will want to look at your work.  So when you submit it to me it will still utilize the same directory path - problem ... the data is no longer there ... it is now on my computer in a different directory.  Solution ... a) save your map document in the same folder as your data (as per step 2 above), b) use relative paths
          click File
         
      select Document Properties
         
      click Data Source Options button
          select Store relative path names to data sources


     

  • Adding the Buffer Wizard (click to expand)

    • Click the Tools menu and click Customize

    • Click the Commands tab

    • Click Tools in the Categories list

    • Click and drag Buffer Wizard in the Commands list to the Tools menu on the Main menu
      The Tools menu will open and you can drop it within the menu at any location.

    • Click Close on the Customize dialog box