ENVS 211 Prac Manual PMB - V

ENVS 211
Geographic Information Systems
Practical Manual
2016
Geography Department
(Pietermaritzburg Campus)
Student Name: _____________________________

Student No.: ___________________________
2016, Geography Department, SAEES

University of KwaZulu-Natal
Table of Contents
Contents
Practical 0 ................................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction to Computers and Microsoft Excel .................................................................... 2
Practical 1 .................................................................................................................................. 9
Introduction to the ArcGIS system and working with attribute data ............................. 9
Practical 2 ................................................................................................................................. 21
Map Projections .................................................................................................................... 21
Practical 3 ................................................................................................................................. 32
Selecting and Processing Geographic Data .......................................................................... 32
Practical 4 ................................................................................................................................. 40
Symbolising Data and Preparing Maps for Output .................................................................. 40
Practical 5 ................................................................................................................................. 46
Importing Tables into ArcMap and Creating Layouts.......................................................... 46
Practical 6 ................................................................................................................................. 50
Understanding GIS Problems and Revision ......................................................................... 50
Practical 7 (Remote Sensing) ................................................................................................... 55
Introduction to IDRISI Selva ................................................................................................ 55
PRAC TEST ............................................................................................................................. 62
2016, Geography Department, SAEES

University of KwaZulu-Natal
Practical 0
Introduction to Computers and Microsoft Excel
Topics
This practical covers the following topics:

Operating Systems.
Windows Explorer.
Storage Media.
Introduction to Microsoft Excel.
Data
The data for this practical can be found on the network at:
\\pmb-fs-1\student Share\Geog\ENVS211_PMB_2016\
Background
information
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is software which runs on an operating system (e.g.
Windows) which interfaces with the hardware of a computer and relies on the processing
power of the computer to perform functions and analyses very quickly. Therefore, in order to
operate efficiently in GIS it is important to have a good basic knowledge of computing. How
the hardware system works, how the software utilises the hardware and how to manage data
is an integral part of working in GIS. This practical exercise will focus on two essential
elements of computer software: The Operating System and Window Explorer (a File
Management System.)
Below are a number of links to sites on the web that outline what a computer consists of and
how it works.. If you have a limited idea of how a computer functions view these sites:
1.
http://openbookproject.net/courses/intro2ict/hardware/internal.html
Copyright 2011, Will Brady and Jeffrey Elkner. Created using Sphinx 1.0.7.
2.
http://cs.sru.edu/~mullins/cpsc100book/module02_introduction/module0201_introduction.html
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
Unported License.
Attribution: Dr. Paul Mullins, Slippery Rock University
These notes began life as the Wikiversity course Introduction to Computers.
The course draws extensively from and uses links to Wikipedia.
3.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/piazzaresources/h9gjnb2f2xi5ce/ha0zx72iyps588/hardware.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKI
AJKOQYKAYOBKKVTKQ&Expires=1437649750&Signature=OYi8Me%2BM
NXaQxIVp382i6iVW50s%3D
4.
http://www.yale.edu/pclt/PCHW/PLATYPUS.HTM
Copyright 1998, 2005 PCLT -- Introduction to PC Hardware -- H. Gilbert
You can link to these by opening Internet Explorer or an equivalent web browser and typing
the link into the address bar and navigating to the site.
Common Mouse Utilisation Terminology:
Left click: Use the index finger to depress the left front mouse button once.
Right click: Use the middle finger to depress the right front mouse button once.
Double click: Use the index finger to depress the left front mouse button twice in very quick
succession. (a tap-tap motion) This generally opens a file or programs through an icon.
ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN
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Select: Place the mouse cursor (pointer) over an object or icon and left click to select the
object.
Drag: Holding down the left mouse button drag the mouse in the desired direction forming
an area of selection or box. Used to select objects icons or files.
Operating Systems
The Operating System is the driving system of the computer. It allows the user to interface
with the computer and give commands.
Microsoft Windows is
the operating system that
runs the computers that
we use in our LANs. The
operating system is the
language
of
the
computer. It uses a
Graphical User Interface
(GUI) as it uses pictures
(called Icons) to access
the
programs
and
applications
on
the
computer. It forms the
link
between
the
computer hardware and
the user.
Icons
By having icons a mouse can be used to perform operations by simply clicking on the icon
for that particular operation. It also makes the management of Files and Folders much simpler.
We use the Windows Explorer interface to copy, move and delete files and folders while
looking at them in a tiered list.
Icons can be created or deleted. They are small picture representations of the software that
allow easy access to the software without having to search for it in the menus. They can be
moved around the background and grouped into ordered groups.
Everything that you need you can find using the
Start Menu. By clicking on the Start Menu you
activate a list of Options:
Access commonly used programs.
Access all software (programs) on the
computer.
Short cuts to various folders and
administrative services.
Shut down, Log off and Turn off the
computer.
The Operating System allows you to manage the entire computer environment. It allows you
to connect to networks with other machines, share files and folders with others, use the
internet, and many other functions.
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Windows Explorer
This is the application that is used to organise and manage files It is accessed in the following
ways:
Through the Start Menu by selecting My Documents.
By right clicking on the Start Menu and selecting Explore.
By using the Icon on the Desktop labelled My Documents.
By Holding down the windows button and pressing E simultaneously
Address Bar
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
List Pane
Folders Pane
The Explorer interface

comprises the Menu
Bar at the top, then the
Tool Bar with the larger
Icons followed by the
Address Bar. Below
this is split into 2 panes;
the left hand side is
known as the List Pane,
and the right hand side is
known as the Folders
Pane.
The Address Bar gives the location of the File or Folder you are looking at. The List Pane
contains a list of all Drives and Folders on and attached to the computer. (This can be turned
on or off depending on your preference) Once you select one of these drives or folders, its
contents (Files) will appear in the Folders Pane. As each Folder within a Folder is opened it
creates a multilevel, tiered file structure. This is reflected in the Address Bar above that gives
the path of the file or folder.
What are Files and Folders? Just like with paper documents, files are documents that are
created and worked on. Folders are storage units that can be named and are used to store files
that are linked or connected, just like in an ordinary filing cabinet.
Different programs and applications create different types of files that can only be opened by
that specific program. The different types of files are differentiated by their file extension.
This is the suffix of letters that come after the file name. These suffixes can be used to
determine which program was used to create the file. For Example:
Microsoft Word files: .doc or .docx
Microsoft Excel files: .xls or xlsx
ArcMap shape files: .shp
ArcMap Project files: .mxd
Folders are created to store files of the same theme. These are usually files
associated with a specific project or idea. Like files, folders are named according
to what files they hold. When creating a new folder the name of the folder is
given automatically as New Folder. However they can be renamed by right
clicking on the folder name and selecting the Rename option.
Computer Drives: The information stored on a computer is stored on the local hard drive.
All computers have at least one local hard drive, usually called the C drive (designated C:\).
The C:\ drive is routinely cleaned in most LANs, and what is stored on the C drive will be
lost. (So please ensure you save your files to your folder or storage device)
You will be using either the C:\Temp folder or the C:\My documents\ folder to work in. The
reason for this is that you will require full user rights to modify your files in these folders. Do
not work in the network folder
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The computer you are working on is known as a Local Workstation and is connected to the
other computers in the LAN (Local Area Network). Each computer has a unique name to
identify it on the LAN, for example GIS100, GIS101 etc.
Every computer is also able to connect to a Remote Server where all the data for each practical
is stored remotely. Because this is accessed via a network this is also known as a network
drive (as opposed to local hard drive). Because the network drives contain information that is
only accessible to registered students, it is protected by network security. This means that
only registered students can access the data on these drives. In order to access this data one
must supply a username and password. This is known as Logging In to the network. (This is
the Windows Login Screen). A simplified diagram of how the local workstations and remote
server are connected is shown below.
Tasks
Try to do the following tasks on your own:
Task 1 (Logging on to the local workstation)

To log onto the workstation you need to have a Windows Student Login. If you do not have
a Student Login, you need to go to the ICS Student Help Desk and obtain one.
The login procedure is as follows:
In the Windows Login window you will see a place to type in a Username and a
Password. Your Username is your Student Number. Next to Password type in
your password. The Login procedure logs you onto the University Network.
Task 2 (Opening Windows Explorer & locating the network drive )
Using the mouse do one of the following to open Windows Explorer:

o Click on the Start Menu and Select Computer
o Right Click on the Start Menu Button and select Open Windows
Explorer
Once you have accessed Windows Explorer you need to navigate to the Network
Drive. Type the following into the Address Bar:
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This will access the network folder in which your Practical Data is stored.
Task 3 (Creating and renaming a new folder)

Once again you will need to open Windows Explorer. Do this using one of the methods
described above. Once you have opened Windows Explorer type one of the following
addresses into the address bar:
C:\temp\
To create a New Folder try each of the following:
With Windows Explorer open, press Alt key on the keyboard to bring up the Menu
Bar, select File from the list of Options. Then select New and select Folder.
Alternatively,
Right Click with the mouse in an empty part of the Folders Pane. A content menu
will open. Hover the mouse (move the mouse curser over and let it rest there a
moment) over the New option and then select Folder.
You will notice that each time you create a New Folder it automatically names it New Folder,
New Folder 2 etc. You will need to delete all but the first new folder that you created. Try
each of the following methods:
Select the folder you wish to delete. Click on Organise in the Tool Bar, and then
click on the Delete. Alternatively,
Select the folder you wish to delete and right click on it using the mouse. Select
Delete.
In order to rename the remaining folder (it should be called New Folder) try each
of the following: Rename the folder using your Student Number.
Select the folder by clicking on it once, press Alt key on the keyboard to bring up
the Menu Bar, select File from the list of menus and elect Rename and type in Your
Student Number i.e. 211085465 to rename the folder or;
Select the folder by right clicking on it using the mouse. Select Rename and then
type in Your Student Number to rename the folder, or
Click twice, slowly (NOT a double click), on the name of the folder. It will highlight
in blue. Then type in your Student Number to rename the Folder.
Task 4: (Copying, cutting and pasting)

There are 2 options when moving files and folders on a computer. You can either:
Copy the item: Make an exact copy of the original item and place the copy in the new location,
thus retaining both items, or,
Move the item: Remove it from its original place and place it in its new location.
Copying: The Copy command is the process of creating an exact copy of the
item that can be stored in a different location. The item can be almost
anything, from a File or Folder to a piece of text, a picture etc.
Cutting: The Cut command is the computer lingo for moving. By cutting an
object, you are effectively deleting it from its current location to be placed
in a new location. Again the object can be almost anything.
Pasting: The Paste command is used after the Cut or Copy command. It is
used to place the Cut or Copied object into its new location.
Try each of the following:
Locate the folder called Practical_01 on the following Network Driver:
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Select the folder. Now Copy it and Paste into the C:\temp\Your student no folder
Now select the folder you just pasted into the C:\temp\Your student number folder
(called Practical_01). Cut and Paste it to the folder you created in Task 3).
Microsoft Excel
MS Excel is a spreadsheet application that works with data entered into a grid of cells using
Rows (number 1,2,3..) and Columns (letters A,B,C..). This enables one to easily create tables
and perform analysis on the data from simple to highly complex calculations. It also allows
for data to be sorted and grouped easily and for information to be easily extracted. It is the
application that we often use to input the data that we collect and input into ArcMap to
ultimately link to information contained in a map.
Creating a Spreadsheet: When creating a spreadsheet for your data, there are some very
important rules to remember.
It is important that the headers of the columns are properly descriptive, but short and
concise with no spaces if possible.
Column headings should not be CAPITALISED or bold
It is important that the columns are formatted properly for the type of data in that
column. for example number format for numeric data, Text for words, Date for dates
and times.
Formulas must be correct and the resulting data properly formatted this means
checking that your results make logical sense and performing a few manual
calculations to confirm this.
Locating a cell: Each cell is designated by a cell address. The cell address is the column letter
and row number of the cell. For example Cell C4 is in Column C Row 4.
Entering data: Data is typed into each normally, using a keyboard. To move between cells
use either the TAB or SHIFT/TAB keys, or the Arrow keys. You can also use your mouse
to select individual cells.
Selecting, copying, cutting and pasting: Once you have entered data into the cells, this data
can be copied to other cells, moved to other cells or deleted if incorrect. This applies to data
that has been entered directly as well as formulas that are used for calculations. First select
the cells that contain the data you want to copy. You can do this using the mouse, by clicking
and dragging or by using the Shift and Arrow keys in the keyboard. These active cells will be
highlighted in light blue and have a thick border. Once the cells are selected either click on
the Home ribbon and click on Copy or right click with the mouse and select Copy. Select
the location of the cells you want to copy to and select Home ribbon and click on Paste or
right click the mouse and select Paste. Cutting uses the same procedure as copying but the
Cut command is used to move cells from one place to another.
Deleting data: To delete data in cells, including formulas, select the required cells and use
the Delete key on the keyboard.
Saving data. In order that you do not lose your work, it is important to constantly save your
data. Remember the location of your working folder it is where you will save your data.
The location of this folder is: C:\your student number
There are 2 different versions of Microsoft Excel that are currently used. These are 2003,
2007, 2010 and 2013 versions. The 2003 version saves a document with the extension .xls.
The 2007, 2010 and 2013 versions use the file extension .xlsx. It is important to know which
of these file types to use. In Excel 2007, 2010 and 2013 you have the option of using the Save
As function to save a document in the 2003 format (using the .xls extension). However you
cannot use 2003 and save a document in 2007 (using the .xlsx extension) format. The naming
of files is also very important. Files should be named with appropriate names that describe
the file and make it easy to store and find again later. The file names should not exceed 10
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characters, have no spaces, and should not be capitalised. Where more than one word is
needed the words should be spaced using an underscore character: _
An example of a file name is: ukzn_data.xls
Formulas: A formula is a mathematical expression that performs a calculation on a specific
set of cells. Formulas make our lives easier by allowing us to perform a calculation on many
sets of data (cells) very quickly. Instead of performing the calculation manually for each cell
individually, the calculation is written as a formula and copied for all the cells that you want
calculated.
How to write a formula: It is important to first know what it is you want to calculate. Then
you can type it out. All formulas in Excel start the equals sign =
There are many different signs for different functions. The most common are:
+
*
/
()
Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Brackets
The formula must make mathematical sense and comply with the rules for basic algebra. It is
good practice to remember the order for basic algebra: BODMAS
B: Brackets
O: Orders (i.e. Powers, Square roots etc)
D: Division
M: Multiplication
A: Addition
S: Subtraction
The order of operations outlined above yield the following results:
5*5+6 = 31 but
5*(5+6) = 5*(11) = 55
Formulae are usually created to be run on a series of data that are in a series of cells. The
formula must be created in the cell in which the result is to be displayed. Use the cell address
to designate the cells containing data to be used in the calculation instead of typing in the data
you require. This will allow Excel to continuously recalculate the formula for each new cell.
This is known as a relative cell reference as it uses each new consecutive cell. An absolute
cell reference uses the same one cell each time the formula recalculates.
An example of a simple function is as follows:
=SUM(B2:B7) which means: add the contents of cells B2 to B7 or written another way:
=(B2+B3+B4+B5+B6+B7)
Tasks

Task 5 (Microsoft Excel)
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
To hand in
Please submit the following at the beginning of Practical 2:

The answers to the questions in the tasks (Q1 Q3)
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Practical 1
Introduction to the ArcGIS system and working with attribute data
Topics

An introduction to ArcCatalog.
An introduction to the ArcMap interface.
o Loading map documents.
o Adding data and displaying data layers.
o Changing the drawing order of layers.
o Using tools to view geographical data
o Using the overview and magnifier windows.
o Layer and data frame properties
An introduction to attribute tables.
o Selecting records by attribute.
o Querying data in attribute tables.
o Adding/deleting fields.
o Calculating field statistics.
o Creating graphs from data in attribute tables.
Read the Instructions carefully as instructions are not numbered and are contained
within the text. Execute each step carefully if Something goes wrong holding down
<CNTRL> and pressing Z will often undo your last step. Then read through the section
again and ensure you havent missed any steps.
Do not work from the network drive \\Local.ukzn.ac.za\Student share\ (or from \\pmb-fs1\student Share\Geog\ENVS211_PMB_2016\). Always copy the
practical folder into the C:\temp\your student no folder and work from there.
Data
Create a folder with your student number in the c:\temp folder of the computer.
The data for this practical can be found on the network in the folder Practical_01 at:
OR from ENVS 211 directory under http://learn.ukzn.ac.za/
Use Windows Explorer to copy the folder Practical_01 to C:\My document\gis2\your
student no\ (OR C:\temp\your student number).
Background
information
ArcCatalog
The ArcGIS system comprises a suite of two integrated computer programs: ArcMap and
ArcCatalog (see Appendix A). In this series of practical exercises you will be working mainly
with ArcMap to perform map analysis, data editing, and cartographic display and output.
ArcCatalog is a separate program which can be used to organise and manage GIS data.
The following terminology is relevant to using ArcCatalog:
ArcMap saves its maps in files called map documents (*.mxd).
Sets of spatial features of the same type are called layers. Layers contain point, line or
polygon features.
Spatial features are stored in shapefiles. A shapefile is not a single file but is actually made
up of a set of different files:
o *.shp files contain the coordinates of the spatial features.
o *.dbf files contain the attribute data for the spatial features.
o *.shx files maintain the links between the spatial features and their attributes.
o *.prj files contain projection information for the spatial data (this file is not
always present).
o *.xml files contain metadata for the spatial dataset (this file is not always present).
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*.sbn and *.sbx files contain spatial indexing information (these files are not
always present).
Because GIS data are comprised of linked sets of files, it is important to manage each set as a
single unit, which is what ArcCatalog does.
ArcCatalog is a file management application that has a similar layout and functionality to
Windows Explorer.
As in Windows Explorer. ArcCatalog has a Menu Bar, a Tool Bar and an Address Bar. There
are also 2 panes in ArcCatalog. The left pane (called Catalog Tree) contains a list of files and
folders in hierarchical form, in a similar manner as the List Pane. The right pane displays the
contents of the files or folders that are selected in the left window, again in a similar manner to
Windows Explorer.
In contrast to Windows Explorer, the File Pane has 3 tabs that Windows Explorer does not.
These tabs are: Contents, Preview and Description.
The Contents Tab shows the contents
of the folder as well as the types of files,
for example Point, Line and Polygon
features. It is in this tab that the lists of
files are displayed. Each shape file is
represented by a single .shp file. This
represents the group of files that make up
that particular shape file. If these files are
viewed in Windows Explorer they would
appear as separate files with different file
extensions (.shp, .dbf, .shx etc.). From
this window files can be copied, moved
or deleted. This is done in the same
manner as in Windows Explorer.
The Preview Tab is used to preview the data that is selected. By selecting a file from the left
window and activating the Preview Tab, that file can be displayed as it would appear in
ArcMap. However it cannot be edited in ArcCatalog. There is a selection drop down list at the
bottom of the right window. This gives 2 options: Geography and Table. The Geography option
is to view what the data looks like. The Table option is a preview of the attribute table of the
data. Most of the editing options available in ArcMap, such as adding a field, sorting the data
and running statistics are available in ArcCatalog.
Description Tab is used to view and edit the metadata associated with a file. Use the Metadata
Toolbar to access functions for editing and adding metadata.
Use google to find out more about what Metadata is.
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Tasks
Task 1 (Creating a new folder in ArcCatalog)
First you will need to open ArcCatalog. Once ArcCatalog is open try each of the following
steps to create a new folder.
Open ArcCatalog
Navigate to the C:\Users\student number\Documents\student number\ or
C:\temp\your student number. (If it does not exist create it in windows explorer).
Note: use the Catalogue window docked on the left side of ArcCatalog
Select File from the list of Menus in ArcCatalog and hover the mouse over New.
Select Folder. Rename the folder and call it Catalog.
In the same folder as above, Right Click in the empty space of the right-hand pane.
select New and select Folder. Rename this folder Deleted Folder.
When finished delete the folder called Deleted Folder.
Task 2: (Copying and pasting data)
Locate the file called prac_1.shp on the following remote server: \\pmb-fs-1\student
Share\Geog\ENVS211_PMB_2016\Practical_01
Challenges
Select the file, Copy and Paste it to the folder Called Catalog (the one you created in
Task 1) using ArcCatalog.
Use Windows Explorer to create a folder called Explorer in C:\temp\your Student

Number folder.
Using Windows Explorer copy and paste the file called prac_1.shp from the \\pmb-fs1\student Share\Geog\ENVS211_PMB_2016\\Practical_01 folder into the Explorer folder.
Now with Windows Explorer open, navigate to the Catalog folder you created in the
student number folder and look at the files in this folder. Was just one file or multiple
files copied when using ArcCatalog? Navigate to the Explorer folder you created
and look at the files in this folder. Was just one file or multiple files copied when using
Windows Explorer?
Using ArcCatalog to copy and paste GIS files ensures that all the necessary associated files
are copied and therefore should be the program used to copy these files.
Background
information
The ArcMap Interface

In Practicals 2 7 you will be working mainly with ArcMap to perform map analysis, data
editing, and cartographic display and output. ArcMap contains a suite of utilities in the
ArcToolbox that can be used to perform functions like geo-processing, map projection, and
data import and export. ArcToolbox can be accessed from within either ArcMap or
ArcCatalog.
The following terminology is relevant to this practical exercise (you should remember some
from Practical 1):
ArcMap saves its maps in files called map documents (*.mxd).
A map document allows spatial data to be viewed in either data view or layout view.
The data view is used for analysing and exploring the data and is the view you will use in
this exercise. The layout view is used for laying out the map page prior to printing. It
allows the user to place elements like north arrows, scale bars, titles, text and legends on
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the page.
The Table of Contents usually appears on the left hand side of the map and lists data
frames and the layers associated with each frame.
A data frame contains a set of features (layers) to be displayed together.
Sets of spatial features of the same type are called layers. Layers can contain point, line
or polygon features.
Spatial features are stored in shapefiles. A shapefile is not a single file but is actually
made up of a set of different files:
o *.shp files contain the coordinates of the spatial features.
o *.dbf files contain the attribute data for the spatial features.
o *.shx files maintain the links between the spatial features and their attributes.
o *.prj files contain projection information for the spatial data (this file is not
always present).
o *.xml files contain metadata for the spatial dataset (this file is not always
present).
o *.sbn and *.sbx files contain spatial indexing information (these files are not
always present).
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Table
of
Contents
Tasks
The ArcMap interface is

similar to the Windows
Explorer interface in that
they both have a Menu Bar
and a Tool Bar. The Table of
Contents in ArcMap is
similar to the List Pane
except ArcMap contains
layers of data that can be
turned on or off whereas
Explorer has a list of files and
folders that cannot be turned
on or off.
Look at the diagram on Page 19 and familiarise yourself with the ArcMap interface.
Task 3 (Opening a map document)

When you first start ArcMap, you may see the New Document window. This window
provides you with options to:
1. Create a new blank map (empty map).
2. Create a new map using a map template.
3. Open existing map documents that have been created (these will be displayed under
My Templates if they exist on your ArcMap session).
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1. A New Empty Map: by ignoring and closing the New Document window, a new empty
map is activated allowing the user to populate their GIS data in ArcMap allowing them to
view and/or manipulate these layers. Once this operation has been performed, the user can
save the ArcMap session/document and at a later stage be able to load the preset layers and
settings instead of adding all the data layers again.
2. A Template: Within the New Document window, the user can select this option if they
want to use layouts and base maps that have already been created or provided for various
geographic
regions.
3. An Existing Map: An existing map document created on the same session will be displayed
under My Templates allowing the user to quickly load these map documents. Alternatively,
any existing map documents can loaded from the File | Open menu within ArcMap.
Start ArcMap and load the map document called Practical 01 from the folder
C:\temp\your student number)
When you work in ArcMap you are working with a map document. A map document
can contain multiple data frames, which in turn are populated by spatial datasets. A map
document has an .mxd file extension. The area on the left side of the ArcMap application
window contains a list of layers and is called the table of contents. The area on the right
side of the application window contains the graphic display of the layers in the table of
contents.
Rest your mouse briefly on each of the tools (icons) on the tool bar. Read the description
of each tool from the yellow tool tip and also from the status bar at the bottom of the
screen.
Open up each Menu and have a look at the options available under each one.
Task 4 (Displaying layers)
Layers are displayed when the boxes next to them are checked . In the Table of
Contents make the Rivers and Main Roads visible by checking the display box.
If you wish to temporarily stop displaying a layer you can simply uncheck the box.
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You will notice that there is a particular problem with the layer for South Africa and that
there is a red exclamation mark next to the check box. ArcMap is informing us that the data
path for this particular dataset is incorrect.
To rectify the problem click on the check box for the South Africa layer. Once you have
clicked on the check box, the data source dialog will open up. Specify the data source as the
C:\temp\your student number\Practical_01\provincial.shp (depending on folder you used).
Task 5 (Adding data in ArcMap)

There are two ways to add data layers to the map display:
1. Go to File | Add Data | Add Data... on the main menu toolbar, or
2.
Click on the Add Data
button on the standard toolbar.
Use one of the two options described above to add the Cities layer to your map. The
cities layer can be found in the folder \Practical_01\ that you copied your files into
on your PC.
The user can add multiple data layers to the ArcMap Display. These layers can be made
visible or invisible by clicking on the check box located next to each layer name in the
table of contents. When multiple data layers are visible, the user can drag a layer to the
top of the table of contents in order to place that data layer on top of all of the other
layers.
Change the drawing order of the layers so that the Main Roads layer is at the top of
the list in the table of contents.
Task 6 (Zooming and panning)
Experiment with the following tools:

Zoom In/Out: Within the map display a box can be drawn around the
desired area the user wishes to zoom in or out to. Alternatively, the user
may click within the map display on a specific location to zoom in or out.
Fixed Zoom In/Out: The map display will zoom in or out by a fixed
amount on the centre of the data layer.
Pan: Within the map display the user can click and drag the entire map
layer to its desired location.
Go Back to Previous Extent: The map display automatically goes back to
the previous extent the user was viewing.
Go to Next Extent: The map display will go forward through the sequence
of extents the user has been viewing in the map display.
Full Extent: This will automatically update the map display so that it
displays the entire data layer within the frame.
Once you have experimented with the various zoom tools click the Full Extent
button to display the whole map.
From the Windows menu switch on the Overview Window. Use the zoom in, zoom out
and pan tools and view the results in the Overview Window. Close the Overview
Window and zoom out to the full extent of the map.
From the Windows menu switch on the Magnifier Window. Drag the Magnifier
Window around the map and note how the contents of the window change. Close the
Magnifier Window.
14 | P a g e
It is possible to save a particular zoomed view of a map as a bookmark. This allows the
user to easily navigate back to that region of interest. This can be done by going to the
Bookmarks, and clicking Create Bookmark.
Task 7 (Layer and data frame properties)
There are many different property settings associated with Layers and Data Frames.
These properties can be accessed by right-clicking on the Layer or Data Frame in the
Table of Contents.
Data Frame
Layers
In the Table of Contents, double-click on the name of the Rivers layer to bring up the
Layer Properties dialog box. Select the General tab and change the layer name to
Rivers of South Africa. Click the Apply button to apply the change. Note that this
changes the name of the layer in the Table of Contents but does not change the name of
the file permanently.
Briefly have a look at some of the other layer properties that can be changed with the
Layer Properties dialog box.
In the Table of Contents, right-click on the Data Frame and select Properties to bring up
the Data Frame Properties dialog box. Briefly have a look at the Data Frame properties that
can be changed with this dialog box.
Challenge
How many features (records) are there in the Main Roads layer? (If you cannot
answer a challenge continue with the prac and the answers will be revealed, or ask a
demonstrator for assistance).
Q1.
Change the name of the Data Frame from Layers Practical 1 to South
African Infrastructure.
Background
information
Attribute Tables
GIS data has two components:
1. Spatial (geographic) data which can be viewed as points, lines or polygons on a
map.
Points
2.
Lines
Polygons
Attribute data which describes the spatial data and can be viewed as a table.
15 | P a g e
The following terminology is relevant to this practical exercise:

An attribute table is a tabular file containing rows and columns. Each row (or
record) in the table is associated with one geographic feature while each column
represents an attribute of the geographic features.
A field is a column in a table. Each field contains the values of a single attribute.
A record is a row in a table. Each record contains the attribute data for a particular
geographic (spatial) feature.
In this practical you will be working with attribute tables.

Tasks
Task 8 (Viewing attribute information)
In the Table of Contents, right-click on the name of the Main Roads layer and select
Open Attribute Table from the menu that appears. Browse through the table of attributes.
Can you see the answer to the previous challenge anywhere?)
Close the Main Roads attribute table and then open the attribute tables for the other layers.
You will notice that each layer has attribute information attached to it.
Close ArcMap, dont save your changes.
Look at the diagram Elements of an Attribute Table on page 18 and familiarise yourself with
the various table elements.
Task 9 (Working with attribute tables)
Open ArcMap.
Add the Africa layer from the folder \Practical_01
In the Table of Contents, right-click on the name of the Africa layer and select
Open Attribute Table
from the menu that appears.
Sorting records: Sort the values in the SQKM (representing a Square Km field)
field in Ascending Order
by right-clicking on the field name and choosing Sort Ascending.
16 | P a g e
Field statistics: Right-click on the name of the POP_CNTRY (representing

population of individual countries in the attribute table) field and choose Statistics.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Selecting records: Move the table so that both the Map and Table are visible. Use
the record selector buttons (cell on the first column on the far left of the table) to
select individual records. Look at the map to see how the records you select are also
highlighted on the map.
Selecting multiple records: Select multiple records from the table by holding down
the <Ctrl> key and clicking the record selector buttons. Look at the map to see how
the selected features are highlighted. Click the Selected button at the bottom of the
table to show only the selected records.
Switching and clearing your selection: Make sure that all the records are shown by
clicking the Show all records
button at the bottom of the table. Switch your
selection by clicking the Table Options

button and choosing
Switch Selection. Experiment with the following commands, accessible from the
Table Options button: Select All, Clear Selection and Switch Selection.
Task 10 (Querying data in attribute tables)
Querying records: It is possible to select records in the table based on the values of
particular attributes. First, make sure that no records are selected. Then, click the
Table Options button and choose Select by Attributes Find the answers to the
questions below by entering the following queries (use corresponding buttons in the
Select by Attributes to enter queries/equation below):
Q5. "LANDLOCKED" = "N" AND "CURR_TYPE" = "Franc" "
Q5.
Q6. "SQKM" < 245630.75
Q6.
Task 11 (Adding fields)

In the Table of Contents, right-click on the name of the Africa layer and select Open
Attribute Table
from the menu that appears
Adding fields: First, make sure that no records are selected. Then, click the Table
Options button and choose Add Field Enter the following values in the Add
Field dialog box:
o Name: GDP_Per_Ca
o Type: Double
o Precision: 10
(Precision = number of digits)
o Scale: 0
(Scale = number of decimal places)
Note: This creates a new column (field) in your table. Values in this field will be
10 digits long and will have no decimal places. This field will be used in the next
exercise to calculate the per capita Gross Domestic Product of each country.
Task 12 (Calculating field statistics)
Calculating values: Make sure that no records are selected. Then, right-click on the
name of the GDP_Per_Ca field and choose Field Calculator. Enter the formula
17 | P a g e
[GDP_PPP] / [POP_CNTRY] and click OK. The GDP Per Capita for each
Country will be calculated by dividing the GDP Purchasing Power Parity by the
Population of each Country and will be entered into the newly calculated column.
Q7.
Task 13 (Creating graphs from data in attribute tables)
Tasks
Creating graphs: Select the 5 countries with the lowest GDP per Capita (exclude
the zero 0 values). Click the Table Options button, choose Create Graph and
enter the following information:
o Step 1 of 2 (1st window on Create Graph Wizard window):
Set Graph type to vertical bar.
Select GDP_Per_Ca in the Value field
Label X axis with: CNTRY_NAME.
Change graph color by changing Color option to Palette.
o Step 2 of 2 (2nd window on Create Graph Wizard window after click
Next > on first window):
Tick the Show only selected fields/records on the graph.
Title: Countries with the Lowest Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) per Capita in Africa.
Untick/uncheck Graph Legend.
Click the Finish button to view the graph. To change any of the graph options rightclick on the Title Bar of the graph window and choose Properties. Experiment with
the various properties that can be changed.
Try on your own to determine:

Q8.
Q9.
Q10.
Q11.
Task 14 (Deleting fields)
To hand in
Deleting fields: Right-click on the name of the LANDLOCKED field and choose
Delete Field. Answer Yes to the question that follows. Close the table.
Please submit your hand-in at the end of the practical:

The answers to the questions in the Tasks and Challenges (Q1-11) and additional
questions in the provided answer sheet.
Q12.
Q13.
Q14.
Q15.
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The Elements of an Attribute Table
19 | P a g e
The ArcMap Interface
20 | P a g e
Practical 2
Map Projections
Topics

An introduction to GIS Technology.
Satellite-based-positioning-systems
How does a GPS work?
Coordinate systems.
Field work: Using a GPS and inputting data into Excel.
Projections.
Exploring projection information for Layers and Data Frames
o Setting projections in the ArcMAP Dataframe
Datums in South Africa
Projections in South Africa.
Defining a projection using the ArcGIS ArcToolbox
Projecting data
Reprojecting spatial data
Data
Use Windows Explorer to copy the folder practical_02 to C:\temp\your student number\
Background
information
GIS Technology
Over this and the next few practicals you will learn how the different technologies all work
together with GIS. You have already covered working with computers, but there are other
technologies just as important. These include:
Satellites
GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers
Scanners
Printers/plotters
A simple diagram of how the different technologies work together is as follows:
This practical will look at the first path, i.e.
Satellite GPS/ReceiverComputer/GIS
software.
Satellite-Based-Positioning-Systems
There are 3 different satellite-based
positioning systems. These systems all rely on
satellites that orbit the earth to locate the
position of an object on the surface of the
earth. The less well known of the 3 are called
GLONASS (from the ex-USSR) and Compass Navigation System (operated by the Chinese).
21 | P a g e
The most well known of the 3 and the one we will study here is called NAVSTAR GPS (Global
Positioning System), developed in the United States of America.
There are a total of 24 GPS satellites in the NAVSTAR system (known as a constellation of
satellites) in orbit. For a GPS unit to calculate an accurate position, it needs to be getting a clear
signal from at least 3 GPS satellites. The GPS receiver calculates the time taken for a signal to
reach it from a satellite and hence the distance of that satellite from the GPS receiver can be
calculated. This distance describes a sphere around the satellite and the GPS receiver is
somewhere on this sphere.
By doing this with 3 different satellites the GPS receiver calculates the intersection of the three
spheres using a process known as Trilateration. The intersection of the first 2 spheres traces a
circle. The intersection of the third sphere intersects with that circle to define 2 points. The
location of these points is accurately calculated and the point closest to the earths surface is the
location of the GPS receiver. The use of more satellites in the same process adds to the accuracy
of the measurement and the reduction of errors.
Circle of
probability
The 2 spheres defining a circle of

probability (grey circle).
Using a 3rd sphere to define two points of

reference (black dots).
There are many different GPS units available as there are many different companies that
manufacture them. The two main manufacturers are Magellan and Garmin. We will be using the
Garmin brand. There are numerous different types of Garmin GPS units. We will be working
with the Etrex.
Most GPSs all share the same basic common features which you will be required to know:
On/Off button
Menu Button
Joystick and Enter button
The Location Screen
The following figure shows the design of the GPS unit and the layout of the layout screen.
Reviews and videos of the etrex 10
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvaHV4hle1Su5sS7DmRhQgGwPmQITdn-R
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByeCJfan-Uw
You may also make use of the PDF user guides for the GPS provided in this practicals data you
access from Moodle or student share directory.
22 | P a g e
Coordinate Systems
A coordinate system is an imaginary grid system placed over the earth. The most well known
grid system is the Geographic Coordinate System using Lines of Latitude and Lines of
Longitude. The Equator is defined as the line of 0 Latitude and the Prime (Greenwich)
Meridian is the line of 0 Longitude. The following is an illustration of Longitude and Latitude
How Longitude and Latitude are calculated
Another example of grid system is the Cartesian Coordinate System which is based on an x,y
coordinate system and not on latitude and longitude. The x- and y- coordinates in this system
23 | P a g e
refer to the distance East or West of the Equator and North or South of the Greenwich Meridian
respectively.
Always Remember: When writing geographic coordinates: by convention it is always the
Latitude that is written first (i.e.: the North or South coordinate) and the Longitude (East or
West coordinate) that is written second.
It is also important to remember that in cartography each hemisphere has a positive or negative
designation to ensure that the coordinates are plotted in the correct hemisphere. The Northern
and Easter hemispheres are always designated positive and the Southern and Western
hemispheres are designated negative.
The diagram below should help you remember this:
Tasks

Task 1 (Satellite-based-positioning-systems)
Q1.
Task 2 (Coordinate systems)
Q2.
Background
information
Field work: Using a GPS and inputting data into Microsoft Excel
This portion of this practical is to be completed in your own time. You will work in the groups
you have been divided into for practicals for the data collection part of this practical. You will
need to decide on a time (you will need approximately 2 hours) that works for the WHOLE
group.
This component of the practical will cover the following topics:
Using a GPS in the field to collect spatial data.
Recording of attribute data.
Entering data into Microsoft Excel.
Conversion of latitude/longitude readings from degrees/minutes format to decimal
degree format.
The GPS allows users to record their location anywhere on the earths surface to accuracies of
less than 10 metres by means of a handheld receiver. During this practical you will use a GPS
to collect data for eventual input into a Geographical Information System.
How to convert Degrees/Minutes/Seconds into Decimal degrees:
1. Divide the minutes reading by 60
2. Divide the seconds by 3600 (60 mins x 60 secs).
3. Add your answer to the degrees reading.
4. If your reading is South or West, make it negative.
24 | P a g e
Examples:
25 33 30South = -1 x (25 + 33/60 + 30/3600) = -25.558333
32 25 10 East = (32 + 25/60 + 10/3600) = 32.419444
(Note: record your decimal degree readings to at least 5 decimal places)
Tasks
You need to complete this field work practical and hand in the complete
practical before the start of Practical 6
Each group is required to perform the following tasks:
Prior to data collection
Collect and sign for a GPS Unit from the staff in the Cartographic Unit they will be
busy, so please be patient and go during office hours. You need to plan this well in
advance and not leave it until the last minute. Remember there are many more of you
than there are GPS Units. You may have a unit for 2 hours only, so please watch time
management.
The GIS Technician will explain the use of your unit to you prior to the practical. No
instruction on the use of the GPS will be given unless the entire group is present. Use
the space on your handin to write notes on the use of the unit to help you when you
are in the field.
Take the unit out into the field and only turn it on once you are away from buildings.
As a group, decide how you are going to collect your data and what attribute data to
record (e.g. colour, make, type).
Outside
Use the GPS to record the positions of 20 vehicles on campus.
For each vehicle you find, record the latitude, longitude and attribute information that
you as a group choose.
Each individual is to perform the following tasks:
In your own time
Plot your GPS points on the aerial photograph of your campus (this is provided under
this practicals data directory or Moodle / student share folder - a file called
PMB_Campus.tif).
Convert the latitude and longitude readings from Degrees/Minutes/Seconds format into
Decimal Degree format (see examples above).
Using the supplied form, write a report on how you collected your data, discussing any
problems you encountered. Also discuss the reasons for any inaccuracies in your GPS
measurements.
Enter your data into an Excel spreadsheet. Include all information from the data sheet.
Dont forget to save this in your student folder for later access. Call the file
ukzn_cars.xls. Ensure you save this file onto a memory stick or safe location. Not
C:\temp!
This will later be imported into ArcGIS; the method will be explained during Practical
6.
Additional to the provided form (i.e. GPS_Capture_Sheet also accessible form Moodle /
student share directory), write a report on how you collected your data, discussing any problems
you encountered. Also discuss the reasons for any inaccuracies in your GPS measurements.
Challenges
Q3.
Background
Projections
25 | P a g e
information
Because the earth is round, GPS coordinates record latitude and longitude of the threedimensional, spherical earth. Because computer screens and maps are flat, when working in a
GIS, this data needs to be converted from three dimensions into two dimensions. A projection
is the name of the operation that is used to do this.
Some of the simplest map projections are literally just that; a projection obtained by placing a
light source at some defined point relative to the globe and projecting its features onto a surface.
This, however, is not the case for most projections which are defined in terms of mathematical
formulae that have no direct physical interpretation.
Cylindrical
projection
Conical
projection
Planar
projection
3 map projections using

mathematical formulae
a simple map projection using

light source and globe
The creation of a map projection involves a couple of steps:

1. Selecting a model for the shape of the earth (either a sphere, ellipsoid or geoid), and
2. Transformation of latitude/longitude or geographic coordinates (i.e. the location of an
object on the earth) to x/y or Cartesian coordinates (i.e. the location on a map).
The set of coordinates (latitude and longitude) that define locations are part of a spatial
reference system. Together, the coordinate system and datum define the spatial reference
system.
What is a datum? Datums define the reference systems used to describe the size and shape of
the earth. They are composed of a reference point on the earths surface and a reference model
of the shape of the earth for computing a position. Because the earth is not a perfect sphere, the
reference model is represented mathematically by an ellipsoid or geoid.
It is important to note that latitude and longitude do not unambiguously define a location on the
earths surface. If you were to stand at one point and measure your location using one datum and
then re-measure your location using another datum you would find that the two measurements
are not the same. Without physically moving an inch, your location would be recorded as two
different places, which could be hundreds of metres apart! You therefore cannot define a location
using only latitude and longitude, you also need to describe the datum used.
Datums in South Africa

In South Africa all data collected prior to 1 January 1999 were based on the Cape Datum
which had its reference point at Buffelsfontein, near Port Elizabeth, and the reference model
used was the Modified Clarke 1880 ellipsoid. With the advancement of technology (satellites
and GPS) it became apparent that the Cape Datum contained many flaws and distortions.
Satellite measurements of the earth made it possible to develop the WGS84 (World Geodetic
Survey of 1984) ellipsoid that makes it possible to accurately map the entire earth. It for this
reason that on 1 January 1999 South Africa officially adopted the Hartebeesthoek 94 Datum.
This datum uses Hartebeesthoek (which was accurately surveyed in 1994 by the radio astronomy
26 | P a g e
telescope) as its reference point and the WGS84 ellipsoid as its reference model. As part of this
spatial reference system, our GPS receivers are set up to calculate position using the WGS84
datum. If you plot the position of a point on the earth surface in each datum respectively, the
position of the point will differ by approximately 300m even though its the same point on the
earths surface.
Projections in South Africa

Projections always introduce distortion of the surface in some way. The purpose of the map, for
example to get a person from A to B (direction), or to create a map of a certain area (area), or to
measure distances between things (distance), will determine which distortions are acceptable
and which are not. Because of this different projections have been created that preserve some
properties of the sphere at the expense of other properties.
A commonly-used projection in South Africa is the Gauss Conform Projection, which is a
generalisation of the Transverse Mercator Projection, depicted below.
The Gauss Conform Projection preserves the shape of the original data such that they have
uniform scale distortion along both x and y axes. This can only be achieved within small areas
and for this reason the system used in South Africa is defined in belts that are two degrees of
longitude wide. For each belt, an odd meridian is chosen as the central reference meridian and
27 | P a g e
is referred to as the LO or Longitude of origin for that belt. The LOs used in South Africa are
17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33.
When using the LO system in a GIS, the x-coordinates of the projected data represent the
distance East (positive, +ve)/West (negative, -ve) from the central meridian while the ycoordinates represent the distance North (positive, +ve)/South (negative, -ve) from the equator.
This means that in South Africa the y-coordinates are always negative while x-coordinates can
be either negative of positive, depending on whether you are east or west of the central meridian.
Note: In ArcGIS, the terms coordinate system and projection are often used interchangeably.
Tasks
Try to do the following tasks on your own

Task 3 (Exploring projection information for layers and data frames)
Start ArcMap with a new, empty map

Add the durban_cbd layer from the folder C:\Temp\student no\Practical_02
The dbn_cbd layer contains an aerial photograph of the central business district of
Durban. Double-click on the durban_cbd layer to bring up the Layer Properties. In
the Source tab take a look at the Spatial Reference properties and then fill in the
following
information:
Spatial Reference:
Central Meridian:
Datum:
Double-click on the data frame icon

to bring up the Data Frame Properties.
Examine the coordinate system properties for the data frame (Coordinate System tab).
Are these the same as the spatial reference properties for the dbn_cbd layer?
It is important to note that the data frame inherits the coordinate referencing system of
the first layer opened that has a defined coordinate system. It also sets the map units
and display units accordingly.
Task 4 (Setting projections in the ArcMap data frame)
According to the coordinate system properties the Datum is D_User_Defined. The

dbn_cbd layer uses the Cape Datum and this needs to be specified. Double-click on
the data frame icon
to bring up the Data Frame Properties. Within the
Coordinate System tab, and from Custom menu, right-click on
User_Defined_Transverse_Mercetor and then click on Copy and Modify. This
will bring up a Projected Coordinate System Properties window. Change the
Geographic Coordinate System by clicking the Change button, within the new
Spatial Reference Properties window, expand Geographic Coordinate System ->
Africa and select Cape. Click OK to confirm your selection on the windows still
open and when a warning widow is displayed, click Yes.
Add the Durban_Roads layer from the folder C:\Temp\student number\Practical_02

As the layer is loaded ArcMap will display a message indicating that the
Durban_Roads layer has an Unknown Spatial Reference. This is because no
projection information has been defined for this layer. Close the message by clicking
the OK button
Bring up the Layer Properties of the Durban_Roads layer. In the Source tab take a
look at the Coordinate System properties. What coordinate system has been defined
28 | P a g e
for this layer?
Use the zoom and pan tools to explore the two layers that have been loaded. What do
you notice about the two layers? Why is there an offset between the two layers?
Q4.
Q5.
Background
information
Tasks
Defining a projection
Defining the projection for a data set is a very important part of working in ArcGIS.
Although it is possible to work with data that has an undefined projection, it is not
possible to properly overlay data with different projections without first defining a
projection. Additionally, certain analysis tools can be inaccurate with data that does not
have a projection defined. Defining a projection is different from projecting data.
Defining a projection simply attaches the information ArcGIS needs to properly display
and geoprocess the data, it does NOT modify the coordinates of the data. The method
for defining the projection for ArcGIS data varies by data type, for example:
Geodatabase, coverage, or shapefile.
Task 5 (Defining a projection)

The reason for the offset between the dbn_cbd and Durban_Roads layers is that the
projection information for the Durban_Roads layers has not been defined. ArcMap is
therefore not able to project this layer so that it overlays the dbn_cbd layer correctly. Note that
the projection information for the dbn_cbd layer has been defined. To define the projection
information for Durban_Roads you will use the ArcToolbox. The process described below
will create a new file with the extension .prj that will be saved with the rest of the files making
up the Durban_Roads shapefile.
Open ArcToolbox by clicking on its button/icon

in the standard menu. You should
notice an ArcToolbox window docked on the right-side of your ArcMap window or
open in the main ArcMap window.
In ArcToolbox go to Data Management Tools | Projections and Transformations
and start the Define Projection tool.
Set Durban_Roads as the Input Dataset.
Click the Select Coordinate System
icon.
Note: There are two common methods for selecting a coordinate system accessible
from the Spatial Reference Properties window; via the Add Coordinate System
button
1.
2.
or from within the XY Coordinates tab. These are:

You can click on Select and choose a predefined coordinate system from the
selection list under the XY Coordinates tab.
If you have another file on the computer with the target coordinate system
3.
already defined, you can click on Add Coordinate System

button and
then Import, navigate to the defined shape file and use that same coordinate
system for the undefined shape file as well.
If you know all the projection parameters you can define your own coordinate
system from the Add Coordinate System
New. This is the approach we will
button and then click on

use in the next step.
Define a New Projected coordinate system as follows:

o Name: LO31 Hartebeesthoek
o Projection name: Gauss_Kruger
29 | P a g e
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Note: The Gauss_Kruger projection is also known as the Gauss

Conformal or Transverse Mercator projection
False Easting: 0
False Northing: 0
Central Meridian: 31
Scale factor: 1
Latitude of origin: 0
Linear Unit Name: Meter
To set the Geographic Coordinate System (i.e. the Datum) click the Change
button, expand Geographic Coordinate System -> Africa menu and choose
Hartebeesthoek 1994.prj.
Click OK on all the dialog boxes to apply the projection you have defined.
What do you notice about the roads after defining the coordinate system for the
Durban_Roads layer?
The roads should now be closer to their true position. The reason for the slight offset
that still occurs is that the two layers have been projected using different datums: the
durban_cbd layer uses the Cape datum while Durban_Roads has been projected
with the Hartebeesthoek 94 datum. Note that even though the two layers have
different datums, they have been projected using the same projection.
The final step is to ensure that the Data Frame is using the correct transformation between the
Cape and Hartebeesthoek 94 datums (i.e. to correct for the offset between the layers). This will
enable ArcMap to correctly overlay the two layers even though they have been projected using
different datums.
Double-click on the data frame icon
to bring up the Data Frame Properties. Under the
Coordinate System tab click the Transformations button and ensure that the data frame is:
Convert from: GCS_Hartebeesthoek_1994
Into: GCS_Cape
Using: Cape_To_Hartbeesthoek94
One you have specified the correct transformation the two datasets should be correctly aligned.
Background
information
Projecting data
In the previous section you learnt how to define the projection information for the
Durban_Roads layer. Note that you did not actually project the data; you merely provided the
correct projection information for a dataset that had already been projected. Once you had
supplied this information ArcMap was able to perform a projection on-the fly to ensure that the
two layers overlaid correctly.
In the next section of this practical you will physically project the Durban_Roads and save the
reprojected coordinates in a new shapefile.
Tasks
Task 6 (Projecting data)
To project data ArcMap needs to know what coordinate system the data are referenced with.
This was done in the previous section where the projection for the Durban_Roads layer was
defined. With this information defined, it is now possible to reproject the roads:
In ArcToolbox go to Data Management Tools | Projections and Transformations | Feature
and start the Project tool.
Set Durban_Roads as the Input Dataset.
30 | P a g e
Save the Output Dataset as a shapefile called Durban_Roads_Cape_Datum.shp in your data

folder.
Click the Output Coordinate System button
, expand Geographic Coordinate System ->
Africa menu and select Cape.
Set the Geographic Transformation to: Cape_To_Hartebeesthoek94.
Click the OK button to perform the reprojection. If the process fails and returns an error
message, you might have to delete the Geographic Transformation that is automatically added
to the list when you chose the Output Coordinate System by selecting it and Geographic
Transformation list and clicking on remove/delete
button once the , and
Cape_To_Hartebeesthoek94 as specified above has been added.
Using the Data Frame Properties, compare the coordinate system properties for both the
Durban_Roads and the Durban_Roads_Cape_Datum layers.
Challenge
You are provided with the DEM of Kwazulu Natal called KZN_final as well the
boundary for the EThekwini municipality called latest_unicity_boundary (see the
Challenge Data folder). The DEM is projected using the Gauss Kruger Projection and
World Geodetic System 1984 Datum. You are required to define the projection and
then project the unicity layer so that it overlays the DEM correctly. Conduct this
challenge on a new blank map document in ArcMap.
Q6.
To hand in
Please submit answers to question sheet provided (which also cover questions in tasks and the
challenge Q1 - Q6) at the end of the practical.
31 | P a g e
Practical 3
Selecting and Processing Geographic Data
Topics

Selecting features.
o Identifying and finding features.
o Measuring distances.
o Setting selectable layers.
o Selecting features interactively.
o Selecting features by attribute.
o Selecting features by location.
Processing geographic data.
o Clipping features.
o Dissolving features.
o Buffering.
o Union.
o Intersect.
o Merge.
Data
Use Windows Explorer to copy the folder practical_03 to C:\temp\your student number
Background
information
Selecting Features
Selecting features allows you to identify or more easily locate, a subset of features in your
map or in the attribute table of your data. This can prove to be a very vital tool when
dealing with large and complex datasets as it saves the user having to manually search the
map or through the records to find these features.
In Practical 2 you touched on some ways to select features based on the value of their
attributes. This operation is called Select by Attribute. A GIS provides another very
powerful way to query data, namely Select by Location. This operation allows features
from one or more layers to be selected based on their location in relation to features in
another layer.
Tasks

Start ArcMap and load the map document called Practical 3a from the folder
C:\Temp\your student no\Practical_03.
Task 1 (Identifying and finding features)
Features can be identified by using the Identify tool
. Within the map display,
the user can click on a feature (point, line, or area) and a window will pop up that
shows the attributes associated with the feature that has been clicked.
Select the Identify tool

and click anywhere on the map. In the
Identify From window set Layers to Airports from the drop-down menu. Click
32 | P a g e
on the different airports on the map and view the results in the Identify From
window. Set the active layer to Roads and use the Identify tool to examine these
features as well.
Particular geographic features can be located by means of the Find tool
Features are found based on the value of one of their attributes.
Use the Find tool

to locate the Durban Metro municipality in the KZN
Municipalities layer.
Task 2 (Measuring distance)

Measuring distance is done with the Measure tool
. As a line is drawn with this
tool, the length of the line is shown in the Measure window. A line can be drawn with
multiple segments: click once to start a new segment, and double click or press ESC
to finish. The distance is shown in the distance units specified using the measure tool.
Select the Measure tool

and use it to measure the straight line distance
between Durban International Airport (FADN) and Richards Bay Airport
(FARB) (Hint: switch off the Health and Fire Stations layer so that the airports
are easier to see). Experiment with measuring other distances as well.
Q1.
Task 3 (Setting selectable layers)
Activate the ArcGIS Desktop Help from Help menu. From the Contents tab
choose navigate to Interacting with layer content option by expanding
Desktop -> Mapping -> Working with layers menus and briefly look at the
selection by Location and Attributes (i.e. Using Select By Location and Using
Select By Attributes). Close the ArcGIS Desktop Help when you are finished.
Click on the List By Selection tool

under the Table Contents. Next to the
layers, click on the button to turn on layers from being selected so that only
KZN_ Municipalities remains in the Selectable list from the Selection menu
choose the Set Selectable Layers option. Now, under the Table of Contents,
click on List By Drawing Order tool
currently added to ArcMap.
to view the display list of the layers
33 | P a g e
Task 4 (Selecting features interactively)
Selecting features interactively: Click the Select Features

button on the
Tools toolbar. This is an interactive selection tool that allows you to interactively
select features by clicking on them. Select Durban Metro by clicking on it. The
outline of the municipality should be highlighted in a cyan colour.
Task 5 (Select features by attribute)
From the Selection Menu, choose the Select By Attributes function.
Choose the Airports Layer, and set Method as Create a new selection. Enter
the following: "AIRPORT_NA" = 'PIETERMARITZBURG' to select the
Pietermaritzburg airport (try to use buttons and tools provided within the Select
By Attributes window, instead of retyping this expression to avoid any errors).
The important thing to remember with this expression is that you are simply
telling the computer/software to search for the word PIETEREMARITZBURG
from a field (column) called AIRPORT_NA within the attribute table. Do not be
confused by the apostrophes, inverted commas and equal sign, however these are
required by the software to read the attribute table.
Once the above expression has been entered, click on Verify to verify if the
expression entered is correct. If it is not correct, make the corrections.
Click on OK to run the selection.
Task 6 (Selecting features by location)
Selecting by location: The Select by Location window allows you to choose

features based on their spatial relationship to features in another layer. The
syntax of the selection process is as follows:
o I want to <selection operation> (the Select method: option)
o the following layers <source layer> (the Target layer(s): option)
o that <selection method> (the Spatial selection method for target layer
feature (s): option)
o the features in this layer <selection layer> (the Source layer: option)
Depending on what <selection method> is chosen a number of other options
become available.
From the Selection menu choose the Select by Location
Select features from the KZN Municipalities that that have Airports in them:
o Selection method: select features from
o Target layer (s): KZN Municipalities
o Source layer: Airports
o Spatial selection method for target layer feature (s): contain the source
layer
option.
Q2.
Clear your selection.
34 | P a g e
Selecting by location (intersect): Turn off the Airports layers. Turn on the SA
Roads layer. Open the Select by Location window and enter the following
selection criteria:
o Target layer (s): SA Roads
o Source layer: KZN Municipalities
o Spatial selection method for target layer feature (s): intersect the
source layer feature
Note how only the portions of SA Roads that overlaps the KZN Municipalities
layer are highlighted.
Selecting by location (within distance of): Turn off the SA Roads layer. Turn on
the KZN Roads and Health layers. Open the Select by Location window and
enter the following selection criteria:
o Target layer (s): Health
o Source layer: KZN Roads
o Spatial selection method for target layer feature (s): are within a
distance of the source layer feature
Apply a buffer of 1 kilometre to the features in KZN Roads (i.e. below the
Apply search distance text, enter 1 and change the units to Kilometers or type
in 1000 and leave units in Meters).
Q3.
Take a few minutes to explore some of the other Select by Location options.
Close ArcMap, remember to save your work by clicking on the Save
NOTE:
Select by Attribute:
Select by location:
button.
Allows you to select features based on attribute data (found in

attribute table).
Allows for features to be selected based on spatial proximity
i.e.: the location of one feature based on its spatial location
relative to another feature.
Background
information
Processing Geographic Data

ArcMap contains a suite of utilities in the ArcToolbox that can be used to perform
functions like geoprocessing, data projection, and data import and export. ArcToolbox
can be accessed from within either ArcMap or ArcCatalog.
In todays practical we will focus on some Geoprocessing tools. These tools are used to
combine and manipulate layers in different ways based on the spatial relationships of the
features in the layers. The following operations are available:
Clip:
Allows you to cut out data from one layer based on the boundaries of
another.
35 | P a g e
Dissolve:
Allows you to aggregate (join together) features into a single feature

based on specified attributes.
Buffer:
A buffer is a zone drawn at a specified distance around features. The

width of the buffer may be either constant or variable (i.e. the distance
depends on the value of a particular field).
Merge:
Allows you to combine 2 or more features within the same layer.
Union:
Similar to the Merge function, but creates a new feature and retains the
original features. Can be performed across different layers.
Intersect:
Creates a new feature from the common parts of 2 features.
36 | P a g e
Tasks

Start ArcMap and load the map document called Practical 3b from the folder
C:\Temp\your student no\Practical_03.
For the following operations you will be using tools found in the ArcToolbox,
which can be opened by clicking on the ArcToolbox icon
in the standard
menu. You should notice an ArcToolbox window docked on the right-side of
your ArcMap window or open of ArcMap window. Take a few minutes to
explore the different tools that are available in the toolbox.
Task 7 (Clipping features)
Make sure that only the Provinces and Municipalities layers are switched on.
Select the province of Limpopo. From the ArcToolbox select Analysis Tools
then Extract and then Clip.
Enter the following information:
1. Input Features: Municipalities.
2. Clip Features: Provinces.
3. Specify the Output Feature Class:
C:\Temp\student no\Practical_03\Limpopo_Municipalities.shp.
Click the OK button to finish the Clip operation.
Turn off the Municipalities and Provinces layers. Ensure the Ethekweni layer is on and
zoomed in by right-clicking on the layer name in the Table of contents and then choosing
Zoom To Layer
Task 8 (Buffering)
In this section you will create a 5 km buffer around the Fire Stations in
KwaZulu-Natal. Turn on the Fire Stations layer. Open up the Buffer Tool in
ArcToolbox by selecting Analysis Tools then Proximity and then Buffer. To
create the required buffer you need to enter the following information:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Input Features: Fire Stations

Output Feature Class: : C:\Temp\student
no\Practical_03\Fire_Stations_buffer.shp
Distance: Type 5 and change units to kilometers (i.e. set buffer size
to 5 km)
Dissolve Type: All
Click the OK button to complete the buffer operation.

Q4.
37 | P a g e
Zoom out to the Temperature layer by right-clicking on the layer name and then
choosing Zoom To Layer
Task 9 (Union)
In this section you will join the Temperature and Rainfall layers of KZN. Take
a moment to look at each of the layers in turn, by turning off the Temperature
layer you can see the Rainfall layer underneath. You will notice that the rainfall
and temperature patterns are different. Open up the Union Tool in ArcToolbox
by selecting Analysis Tools then Overlay and then Union. To create the
required union you need to enter the following information:
1.
2.
3.
Input Features: Temperature and Rainfall

Output Feature Class: : C:\Temp\student
no\Practical_03\Temp_Rain_Union.shp
Join Attributes: All
Click the OK button to complete the union operation.

Open the attribute tables of the Temperature, Rainfall and Temp_Rain_Union
layers. You will notice that the Temperature layer has 6 records in 3 fields, and
the Rainfall layer has 10 records in 3 fields. The Union layer has 30 records in 5
fields because it now contains a combination of all the information from both of
the original layers.
Q5.
Q6.
Turn off the Temperature, Rainfall and Temp_Rain_Union layers.

Task 10 (Intersect)
In this section you will intersect the Ethekweni and Vegetation layers of KZN.
Open up the Intersect Tool in ArcToolbox by selecting Analysis Tools then
Overlay and then Intersect. To create the required intersected layer you need to
enter the following information:
1.
2.
3.
Input Features: Ethekweni and Vegetation

Output Feature Class: C:\Temp\student
no\Practical_03\Ethekweni_Vegetation.
Join Attributes: All
Click the OK button to complete the intersect operation.

You will notice that the new layer contains only the vegetation in the Ethekweni
municipality. This is similar to the clip function that you performed earlier.
Q7.
Turn off the Ethekweni and Ethekweni_Vegetation layers.

Task 11 (Dissolving features)
Open the Attribute Table for the Vegetation layer and inspect the values in the
Biome field. You will notice that in this field each Biome is represented more
than once because there are many Biomes in different areas. You can use the
dissolve features operation in ArcMap to condense the multiple records into
38 | P a g e
ONE record for each Biome.

From the ArcToolbox select Data Management Tools then Generalization and
then Dissolve.
1. Input Features: Vegetation
2. Output Feature Class:
C:\Temp\student no\Practical_03\ Biomes.shp
3. Dissolve Field: BIOME (i.e. ensure that BIOME is checked)
Click the OK button to finish the Dissolve operation.
Q8.
Task 12 (Merge)
Add the Northern Africa shapefile. Now add the Southern Africa shapefile.
Note that there is no overlap between these 2 layers. You can use the Merge
operation in ArcMap to join these 2 layers into one layer.
From the ArcToolbox select Data Management Tools then General and then
Merge.
1. Input Datasets: Northern_Africa and Southern_Africa
2. Output Feature Class:
C:\Temp\student no\Practical_03\Africa.shp
Click the OK button to finish the Merge operation.
Q9.
Save your work by clicking on the Save
Challenges
button.
Add the Roads layer. Create a buffer of 2 km around the N2 and N3 national
roads in KwaZulu-Natal.
Q10.
From the Vegetation layer select all those areas that fall in the Grassland biome
and are larger than 1000 hectares in area.
Q11 - 16
To hand in
Please submit the hand in at the end of the practical:

The answers to the questions in the tasks and challenges (Q1 14).
Q15.
Q16.
39 | P a g e
Practical 4
Symbolising Data and Preparing Maps for Output
Topics

Symbolising data.
Preparing maps for output
o Labelling features on a map
o Exploring the layout toolbar.
o Adding legends.
o Adding scale bars and north arrows.
o Adding a title.
o Adding graphs and tables.
Data
Background
information
Symbolising Data
Spatial data can be visualised or represented in a number of ways. Choosing how to
represent (or symbolise) the data on the map is very important as it determines what the
map communicates to the user or viewer. In this practical you will learn how to symbolise
your data in a number of ways:
Single symbol maps all data in the layer is displayed using the same colour
and symbol/pattern.
Unique values maps features are mapped based on some unique value that
identifies the feature. The unique values are obtained from the layers table of
attributes, e.g. Name of province, type of school.
Graduated colour maps these maps are used to show quantities or amounts.
The colours of the symbols change according to the values of an attribute in the
layers attribute table, e.g. Population, rainfall. Different colours represent
different ranges of values.
Graduated symbol maps these maps are also used to show quantities or
amounts but the size of the symbol varies. The size of the symbols changes
according to the values of an attribute in the layers attribute table, e.g. Number
of learners in a school, population of a city. Different sizes represent different
ranges of values.
Chart maps relationships between various related attributes can be depicted

using pie or bar charts.
Density maps density variables (e.g. Population density) can be mapped using a dot
density diagram. This allows the user to see where concentrations of density occur.
Tasks
Task 1 (Symbolising data)
Start ArcMap with a new, empty map.
40 | P a g e
Add the district councils, health, regional councils, roads and schools layers
from the folder C:\Temp\your student number\Practical_05
Make sure that only the schools and regional councils layers are turned on.
Make sure that the district councils and regional councils layers are at the
bottom of the Table of Contents.
Double-click the name of the schools layer to bring up the Layer Properties
window and select the Symbology tab.
Single symbol (Show: Features -> Single symbol): Change the symbol used to
display the schools to a red square with a size of 4.
Click the Apply button and look at the results on your map. Experiment with the
other Single symbol settings.
Graduated symbols (Show: Quantities -> Graduated symbol): In the Layer

Properties window, click on Quantities and then Graduated symbols. Select
the following options:
o Fields: set Value to LEARNERS and Normalization to <NONE>.
o Classification: click the Classify button. Set the Method to Defined
Interval and the Interval Size to 1000 and then click OK.
o Symbol size: from 3 to 20.
other Graduated symbols settings.
Graduated colours: Turn the schools layer off. Open up the Layer Properties
for the regional councils layer. Under the Symbology tab choose Quantities and
then Graduated colors. Set value to POPULATION and Normalization to
<NONE>. Set number of classes to 8. When you click the OK button the map
will display the number of people living within each regional council. Use the
Identify
tool and the legend to find out which regional council has the lowest
population and which has the highest:
Q1.
Q2.
Displaying the population in this manner is not always an accurate way of
portraying population because the sizes of the regional councils vary. A much
better way is to look at the population density. This can be done by
normalising (i.e. dividing) the population of each regional council by its area.
Open up the Layer Properties for the regional councils layer and set the
Normalisation to AREA_SQ_KM and click the OK button. Use the Legend to
find out to answer the following questions:
Q3.
Q4.
Density maps: Population can also be displayed as a dot density map. Under the
Symbology tab of the regional councils layer, choose Quantities and then Dot
density. In the Field Selection box click POPULATION and press the > button.
Click the Apply button and have a look at the resulting map. Is this a better way
of visualising population? Experiment with the various Dot Density settings.
Unique values (Points): Turn the health layer on. Open up the Layer
Properties for the health layer. Under the Symbology tab choose Categories
and then Unique values. Select the following options:
o Value Field: select CATEGORY and then click the Add All Values
button. If a warning message is displayed, click Yes.
o Color Ramp: choose any colour scheme you like.
o Unselect the <all other values> box.
41 | P a g e
Double-click the symbol for Hospital and change it to the Hospital 1

symbol with a colour of Red and a size of 10.
other Unique values settings.
Unique values (Polygons): Display each regional council in a different colour

according to the values in the RC_NAME field.
Chart maps pie charts: Turn the district councils layer on. Open up the
Layer Properties and select Charts and Pie. Hold down the <Shift> key and
select Male and Female and then press the > button. Click the Apply button and
look at the results on your map. Click the Properties button and experiment with
the settings that are available.
Chart maps bar graphs: Using the district councils layer create bar graphs
showing the relation between the number of votes received by the ANC and the
IFP in the 2000 Municipal Elections.
Q5.
Q6.
Q7.
Click the Save
button and save your work as a map document called
Practical_04 in the folder C:\Temp\student no\Practical_04.
Challenges
Symbolise the roads layer according to the values in the ROADS1_ID field
using the Unique values option.
Change the labels of the roads as follows:

o change label 1 to National.
o change label 2 to Provincial.
o change label 3 to Minor.
Background
information
Preparing Maps for Output

Up until now you have been working with your data in Data View. In this next exercise
you will learn how to prepare your map for printing using the Layout View. The layout
view is a WYSIWYG view What You See Is What You Get. This means that your
printed map will look just like the map on your layout.
The Layout View is used for placing various elements on your map. These can be things
like a scale bar, a north arrow, a legend, a title, etc. You can also place other items like
graphs, photographs and tables on the layout. Once an element has been placed on the
layout you have full control over its position, size and appearance.
ArcMap allows features in a layer to be labelled. The labels are usually descriptive text
derived from one or more of the features attributes. Their position on the map can be
controlled by the user. For instance, you can choose to display labels only for features that
meet certain criteria.
Tasks
Task 2 (Preparing maps for output)
Load the map document called Practical 4b from the folder C:\Temp\your
student number\Practical_04
42 | P a g e
Labelling all the features: Double-click on the name of the Africa layer to
bring up the Layer Properties dialog box. Select the Labels tab and tick Label
Features in this Layer. Set the following options:
o Method: Label all features in the same way.
o Label Field: CNTRY_NAME.
Click the Apply button and view the results on the screen.
Labelling specific features: In this section you will label only those countries
which have populations of over 20 million people. In the Layer Properties
dialog box set the Method to Define classes of features and label each class
differently.
o Tick the Label features in this class option.
o Click the Rename button and rename the class name to
Population over 20 million.
o Click the SQL Query button and enter the following query:
"POPULATION" > 20000000
Tip: You can click the Verify button to check that you have entered the
query correctly.
Click the Expression button and type in the following expression
exactly as it appears:
[CNTRY_NAME] & vbNewLine & " " & [POPULATION]
Tip: Once again you can click the Verify button to check your
expression.
Click OK to close the Expression dialog box.
Click the OK button to close the Layer Properties dialog box.
Changing individual labels: It is possible to move labels into better positions

and also to change their appearance by converting the labels to Annotation Text.
Right-click on the layer name Africa in the Table of Content and select Convert
Labels to Annotation from the menu that appears. In the dialog box that appears
choose to store annotation in the map and for all features and then click
Convert. Using the Pointer
, adjust the following labels:
o Move the labels for Morocco and Guinea so that they lie just offshore.
o Double-click on the South Africa label and then click the Change
Symbol button. Change the font so that it is Red, size 9, Arial and
Bold. Try and reposition the label so that it doesnt overlap the borders
of South Africa.
o Double-click on the Democratic Republic of Congo label and change
the text to:
Democratic
Republic of Congo
41025920
Reposition the label so that it doesnt overlap the borders of the country.
Symbolise the population density of the Africa layer using Graduated

Colours.
Switching to Layout View: From the View menu select the Layout View
option. In the Layout View ArcMap displays the Layout
toolbar:
Briefly place the mouse pointer over each of the icons on the Layout toolbar
and read the yellow tool tip that appears as well as the text on the Status Bar.
43 | P a g e
Click the Zoom Whole Page

Click the Full Extent
the page.
icon on the Layout toolbar.
icon in the Tools toolbar to view the whole map on
Adding a legend: From the Insert menu choose Legend

to open up
the Legend Wizard. The Wizard presents you with a series of boxes in which
you can enter the information required to generate a legend for the map. Enter
the following information in the appropriate sections:
o
o
o
o
o
Legend items: Rivers, Lakes, Africa.

(click Next)
Legend title font properties: Select Bold (B) and Underline (U).
(click Next)
Border: Choose 1.0 Point.
(click Next)
Legend Items: Select Lakes and then set Area to Water Body.
(click Next)
Spacing between: Set Legend Items spacing to 10 points.
Click the Finish button to view the legend on the map.

Tip: You can double-click the Legend on the map to change its properties.
Adding a scale bar: From the Insert menu, choose Scale Bar
and then
select Scale Line 1 from the Scale Bar Selector box. Click the Properties
button and set the following values:
o Number of divisions: 2
o Number of subdivisions: 4
o When resizing: Adjust division value
o Division units: Kilometers
o Label Position: below bar
o Label: Kilometres
o Gap: 5 pt
Click the OK button to close the Scale Bar dialog box.
Click the OK button to close the Scale Bar Selector dialog box and view the
scale bar on the map.
Adding a north arrow: From the Insert menu, choose North Arrow
and
then select ESRI North 1 from the North Arrow Selector box. Click the OK
button to close the North Arrow Selector dialog box.
Adding a title: From the Insert menu, choose Title

following title: Population Map of Africa.
Adding a table: Open the Attribute Table for the Lakes Layer. Click the
Options button
and then type in the
and select Add Table to Layout.
Arrange the elements on your page to give the map a pleasing look.
Tip: You can double-click any of the elements in your Layout View to change
their properties.
Add a column graph to your layout showing the area of each of the lakes.
Add a text field under the Title and insert your student number.
Save your map document using your student number in the Practical 5 folder.
Export the map as a .jpg with 100 dpi and name it using your student number.
Get your demonstrators e-mail address
44 | P a g e
To hand in
Ensure your demonstrator is able to mark your Map onscreen if you are unable to
e-mail them your map document.
NB!!! Ensure you confirm with your demonstrator that they have received
or marked your map. This is your responsibility and if it is not marked you
will not receive any marks.
Please submit the following at the end of the practical:

The answers to the questions in the tasks (Q1 -7) and additional questions in the
provided answer sheet.
Q8
Q9
45 | P a g e
Practical 5
Importing Tables into ArcMap and Creating Layouts
Topics

Importing tables into ArcMap
Displaying XY data
Creating Shapefiles from Table Data
Creating Map Layouts
Data
Background
information
One of the most important aspects of GIS is being able to use information that is not already in
a GIS. One of the most common means of obtaining data is in tabular form. Usually in the form
of an Excel table. In this practical we will look at importing Excel Tables into ArcMap and
displaying the data. We will look at how to create a shapefile from this data and use it to create
a layout that can be printed or saved as a JPG. Exporting maps to image files such as JPG files
or to PDF files makes it much easier to access and distribute these maps.
Tasks
Task 1: (Importing Excel tables into ArcMap):

Once we have either created a database within Excel, or received an Excel database from an
outside source, we have to get this data into ArcMap in such a way that we can use it. In order
to do this we must do the following:
Open Microsoft Excel and open your UKZN_Cars File (the one created as part of
Practical 3):
o Within Microsoft Excel it is important to save the document with a name as
short as possible that is still descriptive.
o In Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010 and 2013 we can save it as a normal .xlsx or as
a .xls document.
o If youre using Microsoft Excel 2003, save it as a .xls document.
o All columns headings must be correct and formatted as text.
o The cells containing the converted latitude and longitude (in decimal degrees)
must be formatted as a number with 5or more decimal places.
o The cells containing text (i.e. Make and Model of vehicle) must be formatted
as text.
Open ArcMap with a new Map Document. Add the shapefile of the relevant campus
that you are studying on (i.e. howard_college.shp, westville.shp, or pmb.shp). Then
add the excel table to ArcMap.
This is an Excel Spreadsheet. You must tell ArcMap which sheet to use. Double click
on the .xlsx file. Select Sheet1$ and add it.
Task 2: (Displaying Excel tables in ArcMap and converting to shapefiles):
46 | P a g e
There is now a table in the Table of Contents (TOC) window. In order to view this data in the
map you need to display it.
Right click on the table called Sheet1$, in the

TOC. Select Display XY Data.
In the X Field: select Long DD. In the Y

Field: select Lat DD
It is then very important to assign the correct

Coordinate System that must be applied to
the data. To do this click on the Edit button
under the Coordinate System of Input
Coordinates.
You have three options for setting the Coordinate

System:
o Select: Allows the manual selection of the preprogrammed coordinate system.
o
Import: Allows you to import the coordinate

system from another shapefile or object.
New: Allows for the creation of a new

coordinate system.
For the purposes of this practical we will import the coordinate system from the
shapefile of your campus. Click on the Add Coordinate System button
, click
on Import navigate to the folder containing Practical_06 folder and then select
pmb.shp from the list. Click Apply then click OK. The Coordinate system should now
be showing in the main box. Click OK and then OK again on the Display XY Data
window. You will see the following error message:
Click OK. You will notice that the points have been drawn on the map and a layer
called: Sheet1$Events. But there is nothing that can be done with this layer. In order to
be able to work with the data it must be converted into a shapefile.
To convert the Events layer into a shapefile, right click on the layer called
Sheet1$Events and select Data then Export Data. In the Export Field: Make sure All
Features is selected. Under Use the same coordinate system as make sure you select
the layers source data. Under Output shapefile or feature class: Click the Browse
Button and save the file as: cars_excel.shp. Then Click OK. It will ask whether you
want to add the exported data to the map as a layer; Select Yes.
Task 3 (Creating a layout):
47 | P a g e
You will recall from the last practical that at the bottom of the map window there are 2 different
views:
Data View and
Layout View
The Data View is the view you work in while you are busy working with your data. Once you
have finished working with the data and you want to create a map for output, you have to use
the Layout View. There are certain elements that all maps must contain. These are:
Title
Legend
North Arrow
Scale (Bar or Text)
Projection information
The first 4 of these are found in the Layout View under the
Insert Tab. The projection information you will have to
enter in using Insert Text.
Title: Click on Title. This will open an Insert Title window.

You can then Type in the Title. If you want to edit the Title,
then double click over the text box and it will bring up an
edit window.
In this window you can edit the text of the Title as well as
the Symbol, Alignment, and Character Spacing. Under
Change Symbol you can edit the Font, Size, Colour, etc.
Change the Title of your map to Location of Cars on
Campus and make it Font Comic Sans, Size 30, Colour
Green and Underline.
Legend: The Legend is of utmost importance. It gives a reference for everything that is
displayed on the map and allows the end user to read the map. It must be neatly and correctly
annotated and is usually placed in the lower half of the map.
When inserting a legend ArcMap will guide you through the process with a series of windows.
In the first window you are required to Select which features you want in the legend. In the next
window you can give the legend a title and format the title. The third window gives the options
for borders in the legend. The fourth window lets you change the symbol patches for line and
polygon features. The last window lets you set the spacing between the different objects in the
legend.
Set up a legend for your map that includes only the campus shapefile, cars excel file and cars
shapfile. Take time to experiment with each of the windows so you get a good understanding of
what each one does.
North Arrow: The North Arrow is another essential element of a map. By definition, all maps
have north pointing to the top of the map. However it is still necessary to include an arrow that
denotes the direction of North. ArcMap has a number of different arrow styles to choose from
and you can edit them as well.
Scale Bar and Scale Text: The Scale Bar and Scale Text are also essential map elements.
Either one or both can appear on a map, however it is essential to have at least one of them.
These elements define the scale of the map for the end user and make it possible do so
calculations based on the map.
When inserting either of these elements, ArcMap gives you the option to customise the scale
bar or text to your needs. Insert both a Scale Bar and Scale Text into your map layout. Make
sure your scale is in meters and is represented by the symbol m. For the Scale Text make sure
48 | P a g e
you are using centimetres to meters and that the symbols are cm and m. Hint: To format the
Scale, use the Properties button.
Adding other objects to the Layout: It is possible to add many different types of objects to
your layout in order to customise it to your requirements. For example we can add a table,
graph and picture to the layout. First you need to create a summary table of the make of the
cars. Once you have created this summary table and added it to the map, open the table and
click on properties and select Add To Layout. Create a bar graph showing the numbers of
different makes of cars. Once you have created this graph, add it to the map. Right click on the
graph and select Add to Layout. To add a picture, use the Insert Tab in the Layout View. Insert
the picture called Carto Logo.jpg
Neatline: A neatline is a line or border placed either around each object or around the entire
layout. This creates a neat, aesthetically pleasing result. A neatline is not an essential map
element.
To hand in
To submit at the end of the practical:

A printed final Layout (Black and White) that includes all the elements of a good map
as well as the names and student numbers of all the group members. Marks will be
allocated for neatness as well as the presence of each essential element. Marks will be
deducted for elements that overlap unnecessarily as well as the absence of student
names and student numbers.
Map Hand-in Method__________________ Demonstrator _____________________

LAN___________
Demonstrator received___________________________________
49 | P a g e
Practical 6
Understanding GIS Problems and Revision
Topics

Practicals 1 - 5
Data
Background
information
Understanding GIS problems

Now that we have outlined the most commonly used basic tools in ArcMap, you need to
understand how to utilise them in order to answer questions and obtain results for yourself
and others. To recap lets go through what will be some of the most important tools you will
use from here on:
Select by attribute - when you want to select something based on some property
or attribute.
Adding/deleting fields - when your data set is incomplete and you need to add to
it or remove fields to simplify your tables etc.
Calculating field statistics - to simplify the information in a given field into

some basic statistics like minimum, maximum, average etc. Can only be used on
numeric fields.
Identifying and finding features- a quick way to bring up attribute information

for a specific object or at a specific location.
Select by location - when you want to select something based on its location in
relation to something else, usually in a different layer.
Clip - extracts features from one layer based on the input feature of another layer
used for polygons only.
Dissolve - used to aggregate features of the same type.
Buffer - used most often when you want to know how many features are within a
certain distance of another and using the Select by Location function isnt
appropriate for whatever reason.
Union - joins together features in 2 separate layers, all features from the input
layers are preserved.
Intersect - joins together features in 2 separate layers, only the features that
overlap are retained.
Merge - joins features together, in the same or separate layers, and the user
selects which features attributes are preserved.
50 | P a g e
Defining projections - used when you obtain data that is already projected and
you need to specify what projection was used. Data collected using GPS almost
always has a geographic coordinate system selected and when you import this
information to ArcGIS you need to define which projection was used.
Projecting data when you want to measure areas, distances etc., or you have
one layer that is unprojected and you need to project it to overlay another layer.
Preparing maps for output- all of the aspects of this are important as this is
ultimately how you will display your data and findings.
Importing tables into ArcMap - often the data you collect or receive from other
sources is in tabular format and you need to import it into ArcMap in order to
work with it.
Displaying XY data - used to display information in tables that have Latitude

and Longitude information associated with it.
Creating shapefiles from table data- displaying XY data creates a table that
cannot be interrogated and may been to be converted into a shapefile for further
analysis.
It is important for you to remember that in the real world the data you get will not be nice
and neat as presented in your practicals. We have prepared the data to look the way we want
it to in order to simplify the practicals for you to learn specific objectives. The data you get
from other sources or even from us for future projects will need to be cleaned up by
yourselves prior to analysis and creating maps for yourself or others. You will use the tools
above for this.
You need to think about it and understand in which circumstances you will use which tools.
You should also remember that there are many ways to obtain the desired result and there
is no specific right or wrong way as long as you get the desired result. What this means is
understanding the question being asked of you and ensuring that the results you get make
sense. It is like stats in a way you can perform any one of a million statistical analyses on
whatever data you have, but does it make sense??
The first step in dealing with GIS problems is to read the question and pick out the key
phrases to determine what is required of you. The most important step, however, is to LOOK
AT YOUR DATA. Look at the where things are in relation to one another, look at what you
have been given and decide what you still need to get, if anything. This requires that you
look at your attribute table to see how much of what information you have been given for
each layer.
For this practical we will go through these steps in an example for you. Subsequent to that
we will provide you with some revision exercises that are in the same format that the test
will be in, in order to prepare you for the test. Please time yourself whilst doing these
exercises to practice for the test and see how much you will be able to answer in the allocated
time.
Tasks

Task 1 (Working through a GIS problem)
You are a GIS Technician working for a university. A colleague from another campus has
asked for your assistance on a research project. You have been asked to create a Map
Layout showing the Farms in KwaZulu-Natal that are most suited to farming. Your final
Map Layout should show the Geology of these Farms and the District Councils that they
occur in. You have the following information at your disposal:
A map of the Farms in KZN (Farms )
A map of the average Temperature Zones in KZN (Temperature)
51 | P a g e
A map of the average Rainfall Zones in KZN (Rainfall)

A map of the Geology of KZN (Geology)
A map of the District Councils of KZN (District Councils).
You are told that the best conditions for farming occur where the Temperature is 18 - 22
C and the Rainfall > 900mm.
Add Temperature and Rainfall shapefiles to a new ArcMap document.

If you look at the attribute tables of the Temperature and Rainfall layers you will
see that they have data in ranges, not single numbers. To get some idea of what the
spread of the data actually looks like you will start by symbolising the data using
Unique Values for both of these layers. Now turn each layer on and off in turn and
look at the areas that meet the criteria mentioned above. Can you see which areas
meet both criteria, just by looking at the map?
You will need to select from these only those that are most suitable i.e. the
Temperature ranges 18 19 and 20 22 and the Rainfall ranges 900 1000, 1000
1100, 1100 1200, and 1200 1300. You will need to use Select by Attributes
and build a query that selects ALL of the above ranges for both files. Try do this
for yourself. Look at your data again and verify that what you have selected is
indeed in the correct ranges.
Q1.
Q2.
Now that you have selected the areas where either the Temperature is most suitable
or the Rainfall is most suitable we need to select from only the area where BOTH
criteria are met. To do this you can use the Intersect tool from ArcToolbox. Do not
worry if you dont know exactly where this tool is located in ArcToolbox if you
click on the Index tab at the bottom of the Toolbox and then type in the keyword
to find (in this case Intersect), then double click on the result, the tool you are
looking for will open. Input the Temperature and Rainfall layers and name your
output file appropriately. Youll notice that because you had already selected only
the attributes you wanted that these were the only records used in the intersection.
Q3.
Youll now want to select those farms that are completely within this intersected
layer. To do this you will use Select by Location, youll select features from the
Farms layer that are completely within the Intersect layer. Look at your map and
confirm that all farms that lie on top of your intersect layer are selected and that no
farms outside of this layer are selected. Open the attribute table of the Farms layer
you should have 57 farms selected.
You are going to need to display all farms as either Most Suited or Not Suited
and therefore need to add a field in your Farms table to show this. To do so, go to
Option and Add Field. You may call it what you like, but be sure that the name is
useable later when creating your layout. I will call it Suited. You must specify
that it is Text in the Type menu and that the length is 50.
To add the attribute Most Suited to the farms you have selected right click on
the name of the field you created and select Field Calculator. In the bottom
rectangle where it says Suited = you type in Most Suited, because it is a text field
you have to include the quotation marks. You will note that the attribute
information is added to only the selected fields. Now you want to select the
remaining fields, to do so click Options and then Switch Selection. By the same
method outlined above add the attribute Not Suited to the remaining farms.
In order to determine the Geology of the Farms and the District Councils in which
they occur you will again use Select by Attribute and Select by Location. First you
Select the Most Suited Farms using Select by Attribute. Then select features from
the Geology and District Councils layers (can be done in one step) that contain
features from the Farms layer be sure to check the option to use selected features.
It should come up with 57 features selected in brackets.
52 | P a g e
Q4.
Q5.
With the attribute table of the Geology layer open use the Selected tab to show
only the selected records. Move the Geology field to the far left of the table by
selecting the field and dragging it. Now click on Options and Add Table to Layout.
Resize the Table so only the Geology field is showing.
Your map will be looking very busy with all the Geology fields selected. We have
the information we want for our table so go back to the Geology later, right click,
and go to Selection then Clear Selected Features. You will want to symbolise this
later with Unique Values for your final layout
Now do the same for the District Councils layer so that only the selected District
Councils show in a table on your map.
Now you are ready to move onto making the layout. Id symbolise the farms with
unique symbols according to suitability and choose bright colours. Next Id
symbolise the Geology layer using unique values and select an appropriate colour
ramp. From here Id give it a descriptive title, add my contact details, a North
arrow, Scale bar, legend and pretty the map up for display. The end result would
look something like this:
53 | P a g e
Revision Exercises
Please ask your demonstrator for the Revision Exercises and work through these exercises.
Try and do as much as you can without looking back in your book.
To hand in

The answers to the questions in the task (Q1 -5).
54 | P a g e
Practical 7 (Remote Sensing)

Introduction to IDRISI Selva
Topics

An introduction to IDRISI Selva.
File Types and Extensions
The Idrisi Interface
Idrisi Dialog Boxes
Terrain visualisation and Orthographic display
Map compositions
Data Types
Map Properties
Data
The data for this practical can be found on the network in the folder Practical_8A at:
Use Windows Explorer to copy the folder practical_8A C:\temp\your student number
Background
information
Introduction to IDRISI Selva

IDRISI Selva offers a complete image processing system for raster and/or remotely sensed
image data. It has strong capabilities for the analysis of vector attribute data, as well as rapid
vector-to-raster conversion routines. IDRISI differs from ArcMap in that it is primarily
oriented towards the processing of raster data. For this reason it is often known as a Raster
GIS program.
It is important to note that Idrisi can only work with files stores locally on the computer you
are working on. Idrisi CANNOT work with files stored on a NETWORK drive. Hence
ensure you copy your data to the C:\temp\Your student number folder as you did for in the
previous practicals.
IDRISI uses a number of different file formats for storing data:
*.rst files are used to store raster data.
*.rdc files store the documentation for raster data.
*.vct files are used to store vector data.
*.vdc files store the documentation for vector data.
*.sig files contain statistics on training sites.

IDRISI Selva contains over 200 modules that are used to input, process, analyse and display
geographic data. Most of these modules can be accessed by means of the menu and toolbar.
. Once you have completed the processing of your data, Idrisi has some basic functions that
allow you to produce a final map composition that you can then either save and distribute
as a file or print for use in a report, display or other printed media.
In this practical we will look at the following:
Exploring the Idrisi Interface
Exploring the Idrisi Tool Bar and Menu Bar
Working with the Idrisi Explorer
Display Launcher for viewing images and layers
Working with Dialog Boxes for Idrisi Modules
Modifying a Map Composition
55 | P a g e
Tasks
Task 1 (Exploring the IDRISI interface)
Start IDRISI by double-clicking on the IDRISI Selva program icon.

o To open IDRISI Selva click on the Start
button move the mouse
pointer to and click on All Programs, move the mouse across to
IDRISI Selva and click on IDRISI Selva icon
Main Menu
Toolbar
Workspace
Idrisi Explorer
Status Bar
Once the system has loaded, notice that the screen has five distinct components. At the
top, we have the Main Menu. Underneath we find the Toolbar of icons that can be
used to control the display and to access commonly used facilities. Below this is the
main Workspace and IDRISI Explorer, and at the bottom is the Status bar.
The Main Menu has nine sections: File, Display, GIS Analysis, Modeling, Image
Processing, Reformat, Data Entry, Window List, and Help. Collectively they provide
access to over 200 analytical modules, as well as a host of specialized utilities. The
Display, Data Entry, Window List and Help menus are self-evident in their intent.
Use your mouse to explore the different menu options. While navigating through
the menu structures, notice the menu descriptions that appear in the top left-hand
corner of the screen.
Now move your mouse over the Toolbars icons. Notice that a short text label
pops up below each icon telling you its function i.e. a hint. Several other features
of the IDRISI interface also incorporate hints. Experiment with all the icons you
find on the tool bar e.g. measure length, measure zone, display.
The general purpose of IDRISI Explorer is to manage and explore IDRISI files and
projects. Use IDRISI Explorer to set your project environment, manage your group
files, review metadata, display files and simply organize your data with commands
such as copy, delete, rename, and move. You can use IDRISI Explorer to review the
structure of IDRISI file formats and drag and drop files into IDRISI dialog boxes.
IDRISI Explorer is permanently docked to the left edge of the IDRISI desktop. It
cannot be moved but it can be closed, or minimized and horizontally resized
whenever more workspace is required.
If IDRISI Explorer is not visible on your screen click on the File menu and
choose the IDRISI Explorer option. If necessary, click the maximise
button
to display IDRISI Explorer.
56 | P a g e
With IDRISI Explorer open, select the Projects tab at the top of IDRISI Explorer
by clicking on it.
Q1. What does the Projects tab allow you to do?
Change your working folder to: C:\Temp\student number\ practical_09\

To do this:
o Under the Projects tab
Right click in the blank
space in the Idrisi Explorer.
A Browse for folder dialog
box is displayed.
o Browse to C:\Temp\student
number\ (or the directory
where you copied the prac
data), select Practical_08
folder and click on OK.
o Notice that a new project is added under C:\ Program Files (x86)\IDRISI
Selva\Projects [1], which can be checked (when you want to work with data
under its folder directory) and unchecked (to work with a different project).
It should have the name of the directory you selected. If you right click on
the project, notice that you can delete, rename or select it.
o The above directory (Project directory), will be the folder into which all files
that you create or modify will be stored until you change the output
directory.
Task 2 (Working with IDRISI dialog boxes)
Each of the menu entries, and many of the tool bar icons, access specific IDRISI modules.
A module is an independent program element that performs a specific operation. Clicking
a menu entry launches a dialog box in which you can specify the inputs to that operation
and the various options that you wish to use.
Click on the Display

icon on the toolbar. The Display Launcher box that
appears will guide you in opening files into IDRISI.
The Display Launcher prompts you to choose which file format you want to open.
Try loading the following layers:
To open a raster layer:
1. Select Raster Layer in File Type.
2.
Click the browser pick list button

and then select sierra234. Click OK
and click OK on the Display Launcher window to display the raster layer.
To open a vector layer:

1. Select Vector Layer in File Type.
2. Select contours from the browser. Click OK and click OK on the Display
Launcher window to display the vector layer.
57 | P a g e
Once the images are displayed, you can navigate around the image by clicking on the
image,
o Pan: with the cursor in top of the image, left-click, hold the left mouse
button and then move the mouse,
o Zoom-in: roll the mouse wheel forward,
o Zoom-out: roll the mouse wheel the backwards.
You can also zoom in and out by using the zooming tools
. The
tools can be used to zoom to the full extent of the image that is displayed.
Explore each of these tools.
Use the zoom tools icon to zoom into the water feature situated in the north
eastern part of the image.
Click on the Full Extent Normal icon
to zoom out to the entire image.
The majority of IDRISIs modules can be found in the GIS Analysis menu.
Click on GIS Analysis | Surface Analysis and explore the four sub menus there.
Now look for the CONTOUR menu entry and click on it.
From the dialog box, specify sierradem as the input raster image (remember to
use the Pick List button
or double-click on the input box). Enter
sierracontours as the output vector file. (For output files, you cannot invoke the
pick list to choose the filename because you are creating a new file).
Change the input boxes to specify a minimum contour value of 400 and a
maximum of 2000, with a contour interval of 100. Leave the default values for
the other two options.
Enter a descriptive title to be recorded in the documentation of the output file. In
this case enter the title 100 m Contours from SIERRADEM.
Click OK. Observe the status bar as the contours are created.
To appreciate the difference between raster and vector layers better, we can drape the
newly created contours over the digital elevation model (sierradem).
58 | P a g e
Click the Display icon

on the tool bar, select Raster Layer in the Display
Launcher and choose sierradem as the input file. Click OK to display this layer.
Now click Add Layer

from the composer. Select Vector Layer in the
Display Launcher and choose sierracontours as the input file. Click OK to add
this vector layer on top of the sierradem DEM raster layer already displayed.
Move the mouse over the raster file and observe the values in the status bar.
Tool bar icons are specifically designed to access interactive features of the display
system.
Click on the measure length icon located near the centre of the top icons and
represented by a ruler
. Then move the cursor into the sierradem image and
left-click to begin measuring the length.
Task 3 (Terrain visualisation using an orthographic display)

IDRISI provides a module for draping images over a three-dimensional relief model,
allowing for better visualisation of terrain. In this exercise we will drape the
sierra234 satellite image over the sierredem digital elevation model.
Close any open windows by clicking Window List | Close All Windows from
the main menu.
From the Display menu choose ORTHO to open the orthographic perspective
display dialog box.
Specify sierradem as the Surface image and sierra234 as the drape image.
Change the Output resolution to 1280 x 1024. Keep the default settings for all
other parameters and click OK.
Press the End key on the keyboard to maximize the display.
Task 4 (Modifying compositions)

The display window is also used to modify your display properties or Map
Composition.
In the following exercise you will add a scale bar, Map title, and legend to a
display window.
1. Display etdem using the default settings.
2. Right click on the display, and select Map Properties from the pop up
(this window can also be accessed using the Composer window)
3. Close the Map Properties window.
4. Click on the Map properties button in the composer
5. Make sure the Legends tab is active.
6. Ensure that the Visible option is checked in Legend 1.
7. If not already selected select etdem from the drop down.
8. Click on OK (You will see the legend for etdem is visible in the display)
9. Double click on the legend in the display window, handles will become
visible. You will then be able to move and resize your legend.
10. Move the legend to the top right of the Display. Once complete click
anywhere else in the display window.
11. Open the Map Properties window and activate the scale-bar tab. Make
the scale bar visible , change the Text label for scale bar units to degrees
(type in Degrees) and type in 4 for both the length and number of
divisions.
12. Move the scale bar to the bottom right corner of the display
13. From the map properties window select the North Arrow tab and make
the north arrow visible.
14. Resize and move the north arrow to the top left of the display.
59 | P a g e
Each of the menu entries, and many of the tool bar icons access specific IDRISI
modules. A module is an independent program element that performs a specific
operation. Clicking a menu entry launches a dialog box in which you can specify the
inputs to that operation and the various options that you wish to use.
You should end up with a display that looks similar to this:
Data Types
You will be using raster layers in the remote sensing practicals. Map Layers can be stored
using Byte, Integer and Real Number data types. Changing the data type affects the
storage size of a file. When manipulating data you need to ensure that the layers you use
have the same data type as IDRISI will not process different data types together.
Moving from small to large file sizes the data types are:
Byte: Byte allows values from 0 255 to be stored. (i.e. 256 values).
Integer: Integer allows whole numbers within the range of -32768 and +32767.
Real: Real allows values with decimal fractions from 1.0E-38 to 1.0E+38, with
seven significant digits.
These Data Types refer to the format in which the Digital Numbers are stored in the
image. Digital Numbers refer to the information that is contained in each cell and are
values of reflectance of either natural energy (e.g. sun light) or synthetic energy (e.g. laser
light or radio waves).
When creating or modifying layers you need to choose the data type that best fits your
requirement.
Byte is best for data with few categories and whole numbers. It is the most
commonly used data type for images with 256 values. It is a commonly used
format for displaying satellite images.
Integer is used for whole number data e.g. Altitudes.
Real is used where decimal places are required e.g. temperature.
60 | P a g e
Map Properties
There are numerous ways of displaying layers. You can change the way you display
layers by choosing different palette files. The 2 main methods to display data are
quantitatively and qualitatively. You can also choose to use a custom/user defined
palette.
Quantitatively: Quantitative data express differences of degree, such as elevation
Qualitatively: Qualitative data express differences of kind, such as magisterial areas
Q2. What would the best data type and method be for storing a raster Landuse layer? (2)
To hand in

The answers to the questions in the tasks (Q1 -2).
61 | P a g e
PRAC TEST
62 | P a g e

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ENVS 211

Geographic Information Systems

Student Name: _____________________________

2016, Geography Department, SAEES

2016, Geography Department, SAEES

This practical covers the following topics:

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

The Explorer interface

Try to do the following tasks on your own:

Task 1 (Logging on to the local workstation)

Using the mouse do one of the following to open Windows Explorer:

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Task 3 (Creating and renaming a new folder)

Task 4: (Copying, cutting and pasting)

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Try to do the following tasks on your own:

Please submit the following at the beginning of Practical 2:

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

This practical covers the following topics:

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Use google to find out more about what Metadata is.

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Use Windows Explorer to create a folder called Explorer in C:\temp\your Student

The ArcMap Interface

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

A data frame contains a set of features (layers) to be displayed together.

The ArcMap interface is

Try to do the following tasks on your own:

Task 3 (Opening a map document)

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Task 4 (Displaying layers)

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Task 5 (Adding data in ArcMap)

Click on the Add Data

button on the standard toolbar.

Task 6 (Zooming and panning)

Experiment with the following tools:

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

The following terminology is relevant to this practical exercise:

In this practical you will be working with attribute tables.

Add the Africa layer from the folder \Practical_01

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Field statistics: Right-click on the name of the POP_CNTRY (representing

button at the bottom of the table. Switch your

selection by clicking the Table Options

Task 10 (Querying data in attribute tables)

Task 11 (Adding fields)

Task 12 (Calculating field statistics)

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

Try on your own to determine:

Task 14 (Deleting fields)

Please submit your hand-in at the end of the practical:

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

The Elements of an Attribute Table

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

The ArcMap Interface

ENVS211- 2016, Geography, SAEES, UKZN

This practical covers the following topics:

The 2 spheres defining a circle of

Using a 3rd sphere to define two points of