Christa's GIS Archive

Module 5 covered adding XY coordinate tables into ArcGIS Pro and also geocoding schools, which we eventually publicized the data on ArcGIS Online. I've had a few occasions in the past where I've received nothing but excel sheets from clients, but it doesn't happen all that often -- so, it was good to refresh how to go about it. For the Add XY part of the lab, we cleaned up coordinate data to be useable in ArcGIS Pro, then ran the XY Table to Point tool in order to have the Eagle Nests points populate at their proper locations. It was fairly straight forward; however, the geocoding section of the lab was a little more demanding. I thought it was good practice to get us used to actually retrieving the data for once from organizations, since the data we had been working with so far had been mostly just given to us. Albeit, we weren't looking for the data blindly (and the websites were given), but getting used to where to find credible and substantial data useful to what yo...

We're hitting the halfway mark of the Introduction to GIS course, and this week's lab is on vector analysis. We focused on running spatial queries in the first half of the lab and ran buffers in the second. I learned a lot about other ways of running buffers that I haven't yet to perform in my workplace, such as compound/multi-ring buffer. I can see how this would be useful in cases where certain distance thresholds must be met, like distance from road that is safe to build sidewalks or enough cushion for a safe bike lane, etc. The map that was created this week centered around the buffer tools, where we had to take De Soto National Forest feature classes and find out possible site locations for future amenities, such as campsites, pavilions, and the sort. We did this by running various buffers on both the water and road feature classes and finding where the buffers overlapped, while also taking into consideration conservation areas, which are non-construction zones. Screen...

Module 3 focused on two topics: ArcGIS Field Maps and Projections. For the first half of the lab, it required individuals to go out and collect data. It truly gave me a small sliver into what the inspection teams at work have to go through when they go out into the field. Being able to go out for once--I ended up choosing to "inspect" Cascades Park's amenities--and actually use the Field Maps app instead of having to troubleshoot what's going wrong with the device or the app itself was a nice change of pace. Although, speaking of troubleshooting, I did have a few occasions where the app would not keep my data point or photos if I didn't submit the point and instead turned the display on my phone off. It was when I had found trash in the main water fountain that I had went to recycle the cans and wash my hands in the middle of recording data. I learned the hard way to not expect the app to retain that submission window when turning my screen back on. Simply submit ...

This week's lab assignment was a walkthrough on how to be a good cartographer and what a map layout entails in order to convey information effectively. Even if you have all the knowledge/data to get a point across, if you can't display or deliver it in a way that's understandable, it's not an effective map. Thankfully, I'm confident that I can and will continue to create meaningful and clear maps. Screenshot of the UWF Main Campus map assignment for Module 2, Lab 2. It showcases Escambia County, FL and its major features. The main star (quite literally) is the UWF Main Campus location. Being able to flesh out a full layout with all the key elements was very satisfying. When making the orientation map last week, I was so tempted to complete the layout despite the directions not saying to do so; however, I did follow the directions and did not get ahead of myself. So, it was cathartic this week to be able to create a complete map and have free-reign over some decision...