M6 - Georeferencing

 

University of West Florida Georeferenced Infrastructure and nearby Eagle Nest Protection

Three Dimensional Map Showcasing the University of West Florida Campus

The final laboratory assignment of this course was informative, exciting, and all-encompassing. I was able to apply concepts learned from previous labs while continuing to expand upon my GIS knowledge. This assignment resulted in the creation of two separate maps, one being of the final georeferenced image of UWF's Campus (and an inset map of the eagle nest), and the other being a 3D map of UWF's campus. I was able to use georeferencing to overlay pictures to create the UWF campus map and Heritage Hall's planning image. This was a skill that I greatly enjoy utilizing, as I find it very pleasing watching images align after placing control points. I used the editing tab to add a building (079) and road (Campus Lane) to be used in both the final campus and 3D map. For the 3D map, I was able to learn how Lidar imagery is useful and toggled with the 3D element enough for it to be useful in displaying the UWF campus in a new way. I enjoyed adding/removing control points while georeferencing to get my RMSE as low as possible, editing symbology to highlight trends in the maps I produce, and being able to put my own creative twist on my final maps. However, I did struggle with a few components of the lab and it did take me a great amount of time troubleshooting to overcome certain steps. For example, when georeferencing the Heritage Hall survey, it took me quite some time to come to the conclusion that I was to click the first point on the Heritage Hall map then the UWF Campus map for the survey to transform properly. I also struggled with getting my zoom commands down, but with a little help from my peers involving keyboard shortcuts and bookmarking, I was able to edit the map much quicker than in previous labs. Overall, this assignment and the class as a whole have taught me more than I would have ever imagined would be possible about GIS. I cannot wait to continue with this program's coursework and become as skillful as possible in ArcGIS Pro.