Friday, February 17, 2017

Lab 1


GIS Lab 1

Goal and Background:
        The goal of this Lab exercise was to be able to apply our knowledge learned in lecture and lab on geographic coordinate systems and projected coordinate systems to. Mostly to demonstrate our understanding of the differences between geographic and projected coordinate systems, and how to apply them to the GIS data in an appropriate format. Additional goals of this lab were to be able to correctly identify errors in the projections of GIS data and therefore be able to project or re-project them in a way they are usable in GIS. 

Methods:
          To begin this from the WORLD sub-folder I added the layers country and geog-rid to ArcMap and changed the legends on each shape-file. Then I applied the appropriate projection provided by the lab instructions, GCS -World- WGS 1984, to the same shape-files by going to the layers properties coordinate system tab. In separate data frame I then applied this for the next three changing the projections to the one provided (In order PCS- World- Mercator(world), PCS- World- Sinusoidal), and PCS- World- Equidistant Conic). Then for the fifth and last choose my own projection as directed which I went with PCS- World- Robinson.
          Then, still in the same Arcmap just another data frame, I inserted the states shape-file from the USA sub-folder. I then selected Wisconsin by going to select attributes and exported Wisconsin to its own shape-file. Like for the world maps I changed the symbolization and coordinate system to UTM, NAD 1983, Zone 16N.
          Again, I created a new data frame and then added the states shape-file and the stroads_miv5a shape-file from the USA sub-folder. There was a problem with the projections, so I needed to the tool box go to Data Management-Projections and Transformations-Feature-Project and go to the Project tool. I inputted the stroads_miv5a.shp file and then applied the states.shp file to make them both the same projection which is PCA-Continental-North America-North American Lambert Conformal Conic.I then arranged all of these 7 maps on the layout view with labels and other components thinking about cartography.
         Lastly, in a new ArcMaps I added the shape-file Central_WI_Cts.shp. There was an unidentified projection, so I changed the coordinate system by going to the tab in properties to GCS: North America_1983 and fixed the projection by going to the projection tool in the tool box and changing it to the PCS-State Plane-Wisconsin Central. Then I brought in the shape-file Lower_Chip_strms.shp. The projection didn't fit with that of the last shape-file, so again I went into the projection tool and changed it to match which was PCS-State Plane-Wisconsin Central. Then putting it in layout view I added labels and components.

Results: Figure 1 shows the multiple world map projection coordinate systems I talked about before, the Wisconsin UTM projection, and the States projection matched up with the roads shape-file all in a layout view. Figure 2 shows  central Eau Claire county and the counties surrounding it with the rivers showing the fixed projections of the shape-files. 

Figure 1. These are the images of the map projections demonstrated in Lab 1. 

Figure 2. This is the map showing the projection changes for Eau Claire and surrounding counties
Sources: Database from Dr. Cyril Wilson database folder Lab1_data.zip