GIS 4043 Lab 3: GIS Cartography

This lab began with an introduction to ArcCatalog and an examination of the data available for view therein.  I know viewing, creating and editing metadata is an important component of GIS, so I appreciate the introduction in this lab.  The main activity, however, was the creation of three maps displaying data pertaining to Mexico.  Each map was different, although all were designed to further our understanding of cartography and the essentials of a good map.

The first map we created was a choropleth map depicting the population of Mexico by state.  I wasn't terribly creative in this map, altering primarily the data frame background to blue and adding a drop-shadow, grey background and rounded edges to the legend.  I adjusted the scale bar to have a maximum unit of 1,000 kilometers; I also adjusted its properties to have four divisions and four subdivisions to make the units easier to use.  Additionally, I experimented with the "mask" option for the state labels in an attempt to make them easier to read.  However, my results were not quite satisfactory, due in part to the resulting appearance being quite different when viewed within ArcMap compared to the exported JPEG.

Our second map for this lab depicts the largest roads and rivers along with the railroads and urban areas of central Mexico.  It also required the addition of an inset map showing the location within Mexico of the depicted region.  The amount of data presented was a challenge to symbolize to retain legibility.  Symbolizing rivers a shade of blue was a given, but balancing the remaining elements (roads, railroads, urban regions and Mexico itself) proved more challenging.  Additionally, as noted for the bad example of this map provided for our course, the vein-like appearance of the rivers, roads and railroads creates a danger of Mexico looking like a lobe of a human cerebral cortex.  I am not confident I have avoided this danger entirely, but an attempt was made.  Again, I applied a blue data frame background and tweaked the appearance of the legend.  I also altered the background of the inset map data frame to provide more contrast with the outline of Mexico while remaining subdued so as not to draw attention from the main map.  Finally, the "mask" option for the labeled urban regions was essential in retaining their legibility.

The third map served as an introduction to rasters in this course and the difference between classified and stretched raster symbology.  The above map depicts a stretched symbology, in which there are no discrete categories of data depicted.  As seen in the legend, the data are depicted on a continuum of (theoretically) infinite gradations.  A classified symbology, on the other hand, would break the topographic data into categories.  A classified symbology might be more useful if the data tended to cluster at distinct intervals.

GIS 3015 Lab 3: Cartographic Design

The third lab in our Cartographic Skills course built upon the previous introduction to Adobe Illustrator as well as giving us further practice in making well-designed maps.  This lab did not call for using ArcGIS, forcing us to complete our design solely in Illustrator using the supplied layers.

The instructions for this lab provided some very useful tools for the required task.  In particular, using the 'direct selection' tool to simultaneously change the color of multiple counties as well as the corresponding legend panel was a greatly appreciated tip.  For the most part, however, we were encouraged to use the basics we have already learned to explore the many options of Illustrator.  Even with my currently limited knowledge of the program, I can already see how Illustrator allows cartographers to create more visually pleasing maps than ArcMap; even a simple drop-shadow looks much better when done in Illustrator than in ArcMap.

The only real difficulty I experienced was at the end of the lab; while finalizing the map elements, I spent some time not understanding why I could not select an individual county to correct an earlier mistake.  I finally realized that, even though the "Florida Hispanic" layer was unlocked, the sublayer (also labeled "Florida Hispanic") remained locked.  I had made the assumption (unwarranted, it turns out) that unlocking the highest layer would unlock all layers contained therein.  I learn something new every day.

GIS 4043 Lab 2: Own Your Map

The aim of this lab exercise was to ingrain in us some of the basic requirements for a professional map presentation while also encouraging us to explore the many options available for preparing map layouts.  The basic elements of title, north arrow, scale bar, legend, creator, date of creation and data source are required for all the maps we produce.  Exactly how these items will be presented in the finished map, however, is up to us.

I explored just a few of the many options provided by ArcMap in creating my final map layout.  I added muted colors as backgrounds for the data frames and legend (Yucca Yellow for the inset, Olivine Yellow for the main background, and grey for the legend), changed the fonts of the titles, scale bar and text to italicized Times New Roman, added a drop shadow to the inset map, and rounded the corners of the legend.

On a final note, the utility of making the scale bar units multiples of 2 or 5 was something I had not been aware of previously; in this map I followed the advice of the lab instructions in doing so.

GIS 3015 Lab 2: Introduction to Adobe Illustrator

Our lab this week introduced us to the use of Adobe Illustrator to create the finishing touches on maps produced in ArcMap.  While the above map is simple in appearance and could easily have been produced in ArcMap alone, the lab challenged us to examine the layers and elements of the map file as imported into Illustrator.  We could then see how an element like the scale bar is altered from being one object in ArcMap to being separated into multiple objects in Illustrator; every number, word and line composing the scale bar becomes its own object.  To alter the scale bar as a whole, therefore, one must locate and group all its component objects in the layer palette.  Stress was also placed on the importance of grouping the map layer files (in this case, two shapefiles representing Florida cities and counties respectively) with the scale bar in Illustrator.  Not doing so leads to the risk of disassociating the scale bar with the map, rendering their scales incompatible and the scale bar worthless.

While the map produced is simple, I can see how the tools of Adobe Illustrator learned in this lab can be a powerful asset when creating a final map product.  It allows much more freedom and control over the map's appearance.  This could be extremely important for producing a map for a specific audience or a specific purpose.  I look forward to becoming more familiar with Illustrator as we progress.

GIS 4043 Lab 1: Overview of ArcGIS

Behold the first map borne of this GIS journey.  Not the prettiest map, perhaps, but a start nonetheless. 

Overall, I appreciated the design of the lab material.  The lab goes into some depth to explain the processes involved while forcing the student to bring the processes together and pay attention to details.  At many points during the material of this introduction week, the instructors of both courses (Cartography and Intro to GIS) have emphasized that students are expected to learn much on their own through trial and error as well as extensive use of the 'help' function in ArcGIS, so the training in efficient 'help' usage was certainly useful. The map itself was not difficult to create, although I have some prior coursework in the basics of ArcGIS.  Even so, the process of creating the above map was a good exercise to refresh my memory on some of the functions and options of the program.

GIS 3015 Lab 1: Map Critique

                                                         

Well-designed map example:

                 Source: http://bigthink.com/strange-maps/291-federal-lands-in-the-us

The above map adheres to multiple design principles.  It is, above all, a simple and efficient presentation of the data (Tufteism 2 and “Simplicity from Sacrifice”).  The red state outlines make a clear and reasonably accurate impression of the data while the exact percentages are also present for those viewers who need them (Tufteisms 1, 5, 6, 13).  There is no “chart junk” (Tufteism #18 and “Maximum Information at Minimum Cost”); even the legend and north arrow have been eliminated.  While a legend labeling the color scheme could be used, my perception and interpretation of the map were clear without such explanation.

On the other hand . . .

Poorly-designed map example:

Taken from the map collection provided for this lab, the above map is headache-inducing and clearly fails to apply many design principles.  Our initial look at the map becomes confused by the many massive bubbles obscuring smaller bubbles along with the state outlines underneath.  Five large bubbles in the east were forced into displacement due to the bubble crowding.  The displacement combined with the overcrowding and lack of state labels make accurate identification of where some bubbles belong difficult.  The legend, unfortunately, only adds to the confusion.  What, exactly, do the numbers labeling each bubble size mean?  One intuitive answer is “millions of people,” but this cannot be correct.  Thus, we know (or assume) larger bubbles represent capitals with a larger population than those represented by smaller bubbles, but the numbers of people represented remain a mystery.

It may be easier to delineate the few principles this map doesn’t break rather than note the ones it does.  Primarily broken, however, are the “clarity, precision and efficiency” of Tufteism 2; “Simplicity from Sacrifice” and “Maximum Information at Minimum Cost” from the Five Principles of Cartographic Design; Tufteism 7 and Commandment 3 on labeling; and Commandment 6 with its demand for evaluation.

Introduction

Greetings!  My name is Ty Evans, and please bear with me as I accustom myself to the blogging world.

Nearing the completion of my second bachelor's degree, this one in archaeology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I was looking for additional skills to complement what I have already learned.  Having read of the power of GIS in archaeology (and many other fields), I took three online GIS courses through Nevada community colleges.  While these were great introductions, I feel a lack of coherency and a limited depth of understanding in my knowledge of the software and its capabilities.  After much research, I believe the online UWF archaeology track GIS graduate certificate is the best single program available, especially by offering an archaeology focus.  My highest hope is to utilize the knowledge and experience gained from this program to begin a career in archaeology with the National Park Service or other government agency in the Southwest/Great Basin region.  Given the ubiquity of GIS, however, I would not be against seeking jobs in other fields in which GIS skills are needed.

I look forward to diving into the program and getting to know my fellow students.