GIS 1 Lab 3

Goals and Background

The primary goal Lab 3 was to obtain GIS and standalone data and use it for mapping and analysis. One of the main objectives was to take standalone table and transform it into an attribute table which can be mapped. The US Census Bureau's statistics were utilized in these methods to transform collected data into a visual map. Once the data was transformed, the static map was was uploaded to ESRI Online using a feature service, with the primary goal being to create a dynamic web based map.

Methods

The lab was started by visiting the US Census Bureau's fact finding website. Once on the webpage, the advanced search tab was used to select more specific data sets that were useful in completing the lab. Specifically the 2010 SF1 data under the topics selection narrowed the data down to the 2010 census data. Once that was added, Wisconsin's counties' data were added by selecting geography, then "Select a geographic type", then once that is selected: "County". After county is clicked, a list of states pops up and Wisconsin is selected, and the next step is to add all of the county data from Wisconsin into the search currently ongoing. After the search is completed, the 2010 Population Data is downloaded in a Microsoft Excel file. For the personal choice, Household Units were selected to be downloaded as well. While looking at the data, the Wisconsin shapefile is downloaded by clicking "map", then within the download screen shapefile is selected. After all the data is downloaded, the next step is to format the Microsoft Excel tables into doubles to be added to the attribute tables of Wisconsin within the shapefile in ArcMap. After the numbers are configured, the data is saved as an Excel Workbook.

After all of the downloaded data is reformatted, it is added to a new map within ArcMap, starting with the shapefile of Wisconsin. Once the standalone tables are in the table of contents, it is opened alongside the shapefile's attribute table. These are joined by Geo_ID. After the tables are joined, two gradient colored maps are made. One based on the population density of counties within Wisconsin. The other of personal choice from the US Census Bureau Data (Housing Units). These maps are then made to look cartographically pleasing by manipulating them using the layout view.

After these steps are done, the map made by personal choice is uploaded to ESRI Online to be created into a dynamic map. It is published through the feature service  - "UW-Eau Claire Geography and Anthropology Department". It's capabilities are changed to be feature access only. After this, an item description is created. It is then analysed for errors and published. Once it is on the feature service, ESRI is accessed online. Within "My content" the map is found as a feature layer. It's pop up configurations are changed to remove decimal places within doubles, and to rename the aliases within attributes. After this, the map is shared with our colleagues. 

Results

Static Maps

This map represents Wisconsin's housing units per county.

This map represents the overall population per county within Wisconsin.

Dynamic Map

This screenshot represents the dynamic map created with housing units data collected from the US Census Bureau.

Sources

US Census Bureau

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/searchresults.xhtml?refresh=t

ArcGIS Dynamic Map

http://uwec.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=856ecccc4ca642a8b6d46d2c290075bd

GIS 1 Lab 1

Goals

The goals and background of Lab 1 were to build several data frames which showed feature data of the world through different projection systems. It was also our goal to create a new shapefile for the state of Wisconsin and change the projection system of it. We worked with data sets in different projection systems as we went through the lab. We ultimately created a map displaying each of the projection data frames we created, as well as a map of the counties and rivers in central Wisconsin.

Methods

Projection Data Frames

The first method we used in creating the projection data frames was to add the country and geogrid shapefiles within the WORLD folder from our Lab 1 data. We did this 7 times in seven different data frames to create seven different maps of projection systems. After we added the shapefiles, we changed the projection systems to: GCS of WGS 1984, Mercator Projection, Sinusodial, Equidistant Conic, a Wisconsin UTM data frame, and I chose the Azimuthal Equidistant as my last one.

Problems

The States.shp file projection did not line up with the stroads.miv5a.shp projection so we had to project the states' projection into the state roads' projection system. To do this we imported the states' projection into the available projection systems to the stroads. This allowed us to overlay the two on top of each other with the same projection system.

Central Wisconsin Counties and Rivers

The second method we used in creating our lab was to create a map with Wisconsin's central counties and rivers. We first added the Central_WI_Cts.shp file from the Central Wisconsin folder in the Lab 1 data folder. When added, you are informed that the shape file has no spatial reference. Looking further into this, we discovered that the file does not have a projection system. We looked in the meta-data to find out that the file has been made from the NAD 1983 datum. We then gave the file NAD 1983 North American Zone 16N G.C.S. to ascribe it to the part of Wisconsin that has the specific zone the counties are in. We then added the  Lower_Chip_strms.shpfile from the Central Wisconsin folder. We had to change the projection system of the shapefile to NAD 1983 North American Zone 16N to match up with the counties file.

Results

This map represents 7 different projection systems in place upon maps.

This map represents the central Wisconsin counties and all of the rivers that run through them.

Citations

Projection Coordinate System Data Frames

Central Wisconsin Counties and Rivers