GIS1: Lab

Department of Geography

Al Maqam Campus

Building 80, Room 223, GIS Lab

Instructor: Mohsin A. Abbasi

Exercise1: Exploring GIS with ArcMap

This exercise will show you how to start ArcMap and examine some of the layers in the table of contents. You can move around the map using tools toolbar. You can change display symbols, identify features and can add graphics to the map.

Step1: Starting ArcMap

ArcMap lets you explore geographic data and create maps for display.

• Click the start button on the windows task bar.
• Point to programs.
• Point to ArcGIS.
• Click the ArcMap.

Step2: Opening the existing map document

The first time you start ArcMap, the startup dialog box appears. The startup dialogue box offers you several options for starting your ArcMap session. For this exercise, you want to open an existing data using Add tool.

• Click on Add tool on top. A dialog box will open. You navigate to the folder of airport data given to you in lab and double click on airport.mdb file. Select all the files and click add.
• All the layers of airport.mdb data are added in ArcMap.

ArcMap also stores a map as a map document so that you can redisplay it, modify it, or share it with other ArcMap users. To the left of the ArcMap display window is table of contents, showing you which geographic layers are available for the display.

Step3: Moving around the map

The tools toolbar lets you move around the map and query the features on the map. Place your pointer over each icon without clicking to see description of each. Use Zoom In, Zoom Out and Pan Tool to explore map.

Step4: Displaying a layer

The table of contents lets you turn layers on and off in the display. To display a layer check the box next to its name and to turn it off, uncheck it. Display schools and runways by checking their boxes in the table of contents.

Step5: Changing the display symbol

ArcMap lets you change the color and symbol you use to display features. You will change the symbol for schools from dot to a standard symbol.

· Click the dot symbol in the table of contents to display the Symbol Selector window

· Scroll down until you find the school 1 symbol. Click it.

· Click OK. The schools are drawn with a new symbol. You can also open symbol dialog by right click the layer name, choosing Properties from the menu that appears, and clicking the symbology tab. To simply change the color, right click the symbol on the table of contents to display the color palette.

Step6: Identifying features

• Using Zoom In tool draw a box around any school in display.
• Click the identify tool in the Tools toolbar.
• Move the pointer over the school and click. The name of school is listed in the identify tool window. OR
• Click on select tool from Tools toolbar and make a rectangle around a school to select it. Right click on the school layer in the table of contents and click open attribute table. You can see the school selected in the map is seen in the table with color marked.

Step7: Adding graphics

You can add text and other graphics to your display using the Draw toolbar at the bottom of the ArcMap window.

• Click the new text button. The pointer changes to a crosshair with a T.
• Move the mouse pointer near the school identified and click.
• In the text box that appears type the name of school as “Maqam Campus” and press enter. You can drag the text to a new position by clicking and holding down the mouse button while dragging the text and then releasing the button.

End of Exercise