GIS/MEA582: Geospatial Modeling and Analysis

Geospatial Data Introduction

Resources: ESRI Academy (Formerly ESRI virtual campus) ArcGIS Pro tips for Arcmap users

Request AGOL account and download latest ArcGIS Pro software. NCSU Software download page.

Make sure you have a Geostatistical Analyst, and 3d or Spatial Analysis Extension license: Project->Licensing. If you do not have one of these extentions, you will need to work with NCSU IT. Licenses are allocated through the online organizational account.

We will use sample data in geodatabes ncshape.gdb, ncrast.gdb. If you don't already have them downloaded, you can find the link to gdbs.zip file on Course logistics page or here: gdbs.zip

You can put the geodatabases in any directory where you have permissions to write. In these instructions we will refer to this directory C:\Users\myname\Documents\ArcGIS\582data.

Move both geodatabases to the directory: C:\Users\username\Documents\ArcGIS\582data

In the following instructions: LMC, RMC mean left and right mouse click.

Data management

Launch ArcGIS Pro and login with ArcGIS Online credentials if required. Select New> Map> Create New Project. Give the project a meaningful name like “Assignment1.” Set the location to a directory where you have permissions to write. We will use the default C:\Users\username\Documents\ArcGIS\Projects On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Windows group, click 'Reset Panes' and then click 'Reset Panes for Geoprocessing' (This ensures that the Contents, Geoprocessing and Catalog panes are open and that other panes are closed)

Adding data to ArcGIS Pro: Add the bridges feature class located in ncshape.gdb to your project. On the Map tab, in the Layer group, click Add Data. Browse to, or search for, the dataset you want to add to your map. Click the dataset to add it to the map. Examine the descriptive attributes associated with the bridge features.

RMC on the Bridges entry in the Table of Contents and select 'Attribute Table' from
the context menu.

How many attributes (data fields) are associated with the Bridges feature class?
How many bridges are shown in the Bridges feature class?

Create a new geodatabase to store data:

Find the Catalog tab on the right side of the ArcGIS Pro map window.
RMC on “folders” and 'add a new folder' connection to your data folder C:\Users\username\Documents\ArcGIS\582data
Navigate to and expand your assignment1 project folder connection.

Copy data from one geodatabase to another:

Open ncshape.gdb geodatabase in the catalog tree.
LMC on ncshape.gdb to open it.

Copy a feature class from one geodatabase to another:

Find and RMC bridges->Copy.
Navigate to the Assignment1 geodatabase; On the geodatabase icon: RMC -> Paste.

Convert a feature class to a shapefile:

Open ncshape.gdb in the Catalog pane.
RMC bridges->Export Feature Class To Shapefile.
Set Output Location to C:\Users\username\Documents\ArcGIS\Projects\Assignment1 (your Assignment 1 folder).
Set output Feature Class to 'bridges.shp'.
Click 'Run'.

Data view and symbology

Adding Raster Data into Data Frame:

On the Map tab, in the Layer group, click 'Add Data'
Browse to C:\Users\username\Documents\ArcGIS\582data\ncrast.gdb and select the elev raster layer, 'OK.'

You can also browse to a dataset in the catalog pane and drag a feature or raster onto the map frame or contents pane.

Turn the Bridges Layers Off:

LMC the check boxes (to remove the existing checks) next to each
of the three bridge entries in the TOC.

Zoom to the elev raster layer:

RMC on elev and select 'Zoom to Layer'

Change color scheme:

RMC elev-> and select 'Symbology'
Change the Color Ramp (Color Scheme drop down menu) to one that
represents elevation intuitively (it makes sense to you)

Add hillshade data into the data frame:

On the Map tab, in the Layer group, click 'Add Data'
Select elev_sh from the ncrast.gdb geodatabase and click 'OK'

Change the transparency of the hillshade:

Select the elev_sh layer in the contents window
Select the 'Appearance' tab from the top ribbon
Set Transparency to 70% in the 'Effects' group of the ribbon

Display vector points and lines:

On the Map tab, in the Layer group, click 'Add Data'
Add streets_wake, roadsmajor, schools_wake from the ncshape.gdb geodatabase
Hint: press and hold the control key to add multiple data layers

Change the line style:

RMC roadsmajor and select 'Symbology'
Click next to 'symbol' on the line represnting the road symbol
Select the 'Properties' tab in the symbology pane
Change the color to red and the width to 1.6
Click 'Apply'

Change the point style:

LMC directly on the symbol for schools_wake in the Contents pane (shortcut to the
symbol selector)
On the 'Gallery' tab in the symbology pane, search or select 'School'
On the 'Properties' tab in the symbology pane, Change the size to 14
Click 'Apply'

Trim the Vector Display to Match the Raster's Geographic Extent:

RMC 'Map' at the top Contents pane
Select 'Properties'->'Clip Layers'->'Clip to custom extent'
Expand 'extent of a layer' and select elev or elev_sh raster layer.
Click 'Apply'
Click 'OK'

Your display should now clip the roads and schools data so that these only: display in the are covered by the elev and hillshade rasters.

Save the map for your report:

Select the 'Share' tab from the top ribbon->Export Group->Map  (Save the file to your Assign1 workspace as pdf or png)
Click 'Export'

Exit ArcMap. You can choose to save your project, if you wish, however, it's not necessary.