Final Project

For our final project, we were assigned to analyze a proposed transmission line route in the Manatee and Sarasota counties of Florida. Through the use of many tools and procedures, I was able to create five maps detailing the study area, including information on the lands, homes, daycares, and schools directly imposed by the preferred corridor of the line. I hope that I have portrayed the information sufficiently and accurately. Here I have provided the link to my presentation:

ftp://ftp.students.uwf.edu/web/IntroGIS/FinalProject/Finalproj.pptx

Georeferencing

For our last lab, we learned about georeferencing, editing, buffer analysis, and ArcScene. Georeferencing is a process one may use to tell a raster dataset “where it belongs”. This is done by identifying a common point on the target layer and an already referenced control layer and linking these common points. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this. And then checking each match-up's "Total RMS Error" number; as long as it was below 15, the rate of error was acceptable. We then added a conservation buffer zone around an eagles nest. I had the most trouble figuring out what URL to add to the attribute table, to connect a link to the image. Lastly, we mapped a 3D scene of our digitized features.

This map includes two raster images of the UWF grounds, the UWF roads and buildings, and an eagles nest with buffer zones just beyond campus. Through georeferencing, I matched up points on the raster images to points on the buildings and roads layers, because they were already spatially defined. I also created a conservation buffer around the eagles nest and added a basemap.

Geocoding/ Model building fun

The main components of this weeks lab were utilizing the geocoding and network analyst tools. Geocoding is the process of transforming a description of a location, such as a name or address, to a location on a map. We used this application in the real-world scenario of geocoding addresses and mapping EMS locations within a certain county. We then used the network analyst tool to find the most optimal route based on stops made. Also, I became familiar with the ArcMap ModelBuilder, which is a visual programming language that is capable of manipulating models. This is a reminder that ArcGIS is not only about maps.

I find myself trying to follow the instructions too closely and I get hung up on small steps which makes these assignments take extra long. However, I will say that the video tutorials are quite helpful. Another thing is, the file I downloaded from TIGER somehow was not correct. And of course caused my points to not match up to my base map. After re-downloading a new "Edges" file, from the TIGER website, my points matched up and worked correctly.

Here I have included an image of my map, displaying EMS stations of Lake County, FL and an optimal route from one station to another, while passing through a third station.

Vector Part 2

For week 10, we were asked to utilize several features from the Arctoolbox, such as the overlay and buffer tools. We also dabbled with Arcpy, or Python, which is a coding tool that allows you to use and tool more than once at a time. So when we wanted to make multiple buffer zones, I was able to make them at the same time. The biggest skill I learned was how to include and exclude certain features on my map, using some of the overlay operations. Also, I became familiar with how to manipulate attribute tables, which can be very useful.

In the end, I created a map displaying available campsite locations according to several parameters including not being within any conservation areas.

Data For GIS: Indian River County, FL

Week 7/8: Midterm

This week we utilized all the skills we have learned up to this point. We were asked to download all original data from different online databases, such as Labins and  FGDL. Then we had to ensure that all of the data was on the same projection system, which I almost successfully did. I went with the original projection from the FGDL website, since that is where most of my data came from. I now realize that it would have been better to choose a projection system that all the features supported. My quad image did not support the Albers Conical projection system that all my other data was in. For some reason, it interpreted it as NAD_HARN_Albers. All in all I gained essential knowledge on how to create a map from scratch, even for just one particular location.

This map includes:

Invasive species, county boundary, cities, major roads, surface water, public parks, and an aerial quad

This map includes:

DEM and county boundary

This map includes:

Wetlands, county boundary, and cities

Projections and Reprojections

Week 6-

This week we covered many concepts and tools within ArcGIS; from downloading map features and aerial images from web databases to using Excel to create data tables. I became very familiar with reprojecting layers from one coordinate system to another using the project tool. There is a vector project tool and a raster project tool.

At the end of the lab instruction I was prompted to create my own map with several different types of layers from different sources. I used the project tool to reproject most of the layers so that they were all on the same coordinate system. This ensures that all of the map features and scales correlate. I also became familiar with how to add data from an excel worksheet where I did conversions to longitude and latitude. It took me 6 hours or so to get through the lab and the process summary report, and then another 3 hours to create my map. My map consisted of a quad index, the county boundaries of Florida, the major roads, and an aerial quad from Escambia county. I also included a data layer with a list of all the petroleum storage tank contamination monitoring sites in town. I added this layer from an Excel file. All and all this lab was a tough-y.

A Few Map Projections in GIS

Lab this week mainly detailed when and how one would use the various map projection types within ArcGIS. We compared the area (in square miles) of four respective counties within the state of Florida, for each projection type. The varying values that are displayed within the attribute tables, which I have provided on my map, show that each projection type is slightly different from the other. And not only that, but it displays the data inconsistently, even though the data material is the same. We also touched on how to reproject a map and how to define a map that is classified as undefined.

Three different projections of the state of FL:

• Albers
• UTM Zone 16
• State Plane N