Marshall Kirchner's UWF GIS Blog

This week's laboratory assignment was based on terrain and elevation data, and how to best display and communicate it using the tools and capabilities within ArcGIS Pro. From contours, to hillside, to 3D modeling, there are a variety of ways in which one may display varying topography. I often referenced the two readings assigned this week throughout this lab assignment, as the authors provided excellent insight on the types of visualization I would be working with.  Firstly, I was tasked with creating and labeling contour lines on a DEM located in Jackson County, Oregon. I enjoyed creating the contours and labels to make sense to the viewer. Using the mask tool was instrumental in allowing the elevations to be placed within the contour line and not having them cover any of the lines, rather them be placed inside the lines. For my final map layout, I chose to utilize natural elevation symbology (greens to reds) and I adjusted the labels so that they would be visible in this zoomed-...

Utilizing the correct coordinate systems and projections is a crucial skill in creating accurate maps that reduce deformities and portray the globe's true properties. This laboratory assignment involved creating a variety of maps, selecting the best coordinate systems / projections, and analyzing the impacts of deformities on a map due to projections. I chose to assess the state of Vermont as my area of interest. The coordinate system I chose to implement for Vermont was NAD 1983 (2011) StatePlane Vermont FIPS 4400, because this system proved to be the most accurate and resulted in the least distortion for the map area. The other options available were less appropriate because State Planes are the most accurate, compared to UTM and other projections, as they are tailored to their specific states. Since the state of Vermont only lies in one state plane, this meant that it was appropriate to use the State Plane projection. I was tasked with altering projections on a world map and ass...

This week's laboratory assignment emphasized the use of map design and typography to communicate messages and trends to map viewers. I particularly enjoyed this assignment, as I believe a map is useless if it is not communicating a clear message. The lecture for this week covered the five cartographic design principles: visual contrast, legibility, figure-ground organization, hierarchal organization, and balance. These principles are instrumental in creating effective maps. I will further assess how the maps I created this week satisfy these principles. The first part of this assignment was creating a tourist map for the city of Austin. This map was to emphasize elements of the area that tourists should be aware of, excluding live music. I utilized appropriate symbology to communicate the important map elements appropriately.  I chose to symbolize the Travis County layer with a black outline and light beige fill. This allowed for the other features to stand out. I symbolized the ro...