Getting Started with ArcGIS

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Getting Started with ArcGIS

• October 3rd 2006
• Kang-tsung Chang, Introduction to Geographic
  Information Systems
• ESRI, ArcGIS Desktop
• ESRI, ArcGIS Extensions

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Three Views for a GIS

• The geodatabase view
• A GIS is a spatial database containing datasets
  that represent geographic information in terms of
  a generic GIS data model

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• The geovisualization view
• A GIS is a set of intelligent
• maps and other views that show features and
  feature relationships on the earths surface.

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• The geoprocessing view
• A GIS is a set of information
• transformation tools that derive new geographic
  datasets from existing datasets. These
  geoprocessing functions take information from
  existing datasets, apply analytic functions, and
  write results into newly derived datasets.

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ArcGIS
ArcGIS provides a framework for implementing GIS
for a single user or many users on desktops, in
servers, over the Web, and in the field. ArcGIS
is an integrated collection of GIS software
products for building a complete GIS.
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Building Blocks of ArcGIS

• ArcGIS DesktopAn integrated suite of
  professional
• GIS applications
• ArcGIS EngineEmbeddable developer components
• for building custom GIS applications
• Server GISArcSDE, ArcIMS, and ArcGIS Server
• Mobile GISArcPad
• ArcGIS is based on ArcObjects, a common, modular
  library of shared GIS software components.

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Desktop ArcGIS Components

• ArcMap
• ArcCatalog
• ArcToolbox
• Optional Extensions
• 3D Analyst
• Spatial Analyst
• Geostatistical Analyst

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ArcMap

• Central application in ArcGIS Desktop for
• all map-based tasks including cartography, map
  analysis, and editing.

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I - ArcMap

• Display, create and interact with maps

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• You can query your spatial data to find and
  understand relationships among geographic
  features.

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• You can symbolize your data in a wide variety of
  ways.

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II - ArcCatalog

• Helps users organize and manage geographic
  information (maps, models, metadata)
• Create and Manage Files
• Define, build, export, import geodatabases
• Connect to internet services
• Record, view, and manage metadata

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III ArcToolbox

• Data Management (import and export data)
• Data conversion (one format to another)
• Cartography
• Manage Databases
• Manipulate Vector and Raster Data
• Manage Tables
• Statistical analysis

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IV- 3-D Analyst

• With ArcGIS 3D Analyst, users can view a surface
  from multiple viewpoints, query a surface,
  determine what is visible from a chosen location
  on a surface, and create a realistic perspective
  image by draping raster and vector data over a
  surface.

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V Spatial Analyst

• Users can create, query, map, and analyze
  cell-based raster data, derive information about
  their data, identify spatial relationships.
• Contouring Data
• Combine Raster and Vector Data
• Raster Calculations (GRID functions)

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VI - Geostatistical Analyst

• Provides statistical tools for analyzing and
  mapping continuous data and for surface
  generation.
• trends,
• level of spatial autocorrelation,
• and variation among multiple datasets.

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Help

• Most functions are documented in the online help
• Help menus are easy to use and fairly complete
• http//www.esri.com offers additional help

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Vector versus Raster

• Vector Data Representation Uses X,Y
  coordinates and points to represent spatial
  features
• Raster Data Representation uses grid (rows,
  columns) to represent variations

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Raster

• A 2-D matrix with values for each cell
• Data are divided into rows and columns
• Location is a function of the structure (i.e.
  size of each cell).
• Each cell has a value,
• which may be assigned
• attributes.

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Vector

• Topological vector
• expresses spatial relationships (e.g., two lines
  meeting at a point, )
• Display quickly
• Simple and compact data storage
• Difficult to find and fix errors
• Spatial queries more difficult
• Method of choice when need a
• simple map
• Example Coverage

• Nontopological
• Does not
• More complicated and less compact data storage
• Can clean up maps easily.
• Facilitates advance spatial queries.
• Can easily develop measurements
• along routes
• Method of choice when need smart map
• Example Shapefile

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Building Topolgy Arcs
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Building Topology - Areas
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Attributes

• Spatial features in a GIS usually have associated
  data called attributes.
• Each feature may have a number of attributes

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Joining Spatial Attribute data

• Georelational Data Model (split system)
• Spatial data stored in graphic files
• Attribute data in tables
• linked by feature IDs
• Object-oriented data model (single system)
• Both stored in a single domain

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