Intro to GIS - M3 - Data Collection w/ ArcGIS Field Maps/Map Projections

A map that showcases three data frames, each in a different projection, and comparing the areas of Alachua, Escambia, Miami-Dade, and Polk counties in Florida.

This week, we had some fun in the field! 

To start with, I learned to create an empty feature class and set up all the parameters for the data I'd be collecting. With all of this done, I journeyed out into my neighborhood in search of fire hydrants to examine, photograph, and document using ArcGIS Field Maps. 

I performed my fieldwork late at night, so I did some preparatory research using the City of Fort Walton Beach GIS Mapping Application (found at https://gis.fwb.org/GISApplication/default.html) to help me locate the fire hydrants closest to me. Having the Fort Walton Beach database available was very helpful! 

This lab really brought to light how awesome of a tool ArcGIS Field Maps can be for many different tasks, including emergency response after a natural disaster like hurricanes here on the Emerald Coast, or devastating fires out in the beautiful state of California. 

We also dove into the world of shapefiles and projections. 

I learned how to reproject shapefiles and define projections, which are essential for accurate data representation. Using ArcGIS, I created new shapefiles and explored multiple map views, allowing me to visualize data from different angles. I also learned to work with raster projections and how they relate to our shapefiles. From there, I generated a map that showcases three data frames, each in a different projection, and comparing the areas of Alachua, Escambia, Miami-Dade, and Polk counties.

The Projections lab was quite complicated, but I had fun working through it and I learned a lot!

Intro to GIS - M2 - Cartography

 

Map showing Escambia County, Florida with key points including UWF's main campus location, noteworthy cities, interstate highways, and major rivers. The inset map shows an overview of Florida, its counties, and Escambia County's location.

Week 2's assignments were a lot of fun!

In our reading assignments, including textbook chapters 1 and 10, we learned much information about GIS and Cartography.  Noteworthy to me was the history of cartography and how it has evolved over the years. It was also interesting to learn what GIS truly is, and that it can't be defined by one specific description. There are many facets to GIS, and the answer to "what is GIS" will vary depending on who is answering and what role they play in the industry.

In this week's reading assignment, we also learned a good bit of fundamentals in cartography, the do's and don'ts if you will. We learned about many map types and elements, and when and how they are used. 

I had A LOT of fun completing this week's lab assignment!  We were tasked with creating a map of the location of UWF's main campus that is functional, easy to read, and aesthetically pleasing.  Noteworthy cartographic tasks we learned are working with multiple layers and map frames in ArcGIS Pro, analyzing metadata, and ensuring the data used are accurate and high quality.

In creating the above map titled University of West Florida Main Campus, I worked step by step to add essential map elements, including title, scale bar, legend, border, date, data source, and cartographer's name. We were encouraged to "own your map," meaning adding your own artistic flair, and I had a blast with this. 

I've spent a good bit of time with graphic design, web design, and marketing over the years, and I was able to use those skills to create a map that I believe accomplishes its purpose while aesthetically maintaining the UWF branding. I chose colors based on the information I found on UWF's Brand Portal (https://uwf.edu/brand/color/), and I even worked in Photoshop a bit to create a gradient similar to the UWF logo.

I can't wait to dive deeper into cartography!

Intro to GIS - M1 - Overview of ArcGIS

 

It has begun; my journey to a new career in Geographical Information Science.  While I'm nervous as this is my first formal education since high school, I am excited and driven.

Our first module covered multiple topics, such as introducing us to proper file management and folder structuring using both our student drive and our Google Drive, gaining access to the GIS software using ArgoApps and Citrix, as well as a brief introduction to ArcGIS Pro, the main software suite we will be using throughout this course. 

In the introduction to ArcGIS Pro, we learned to create a map project, add a folder connection to the data for said project,  manipulate the symbolism and layering of the map/scene, and how to export imagery of the project once all steps were complete. 

ArcGIS is definitely complex but it doesn't seem extremely foreign to me as it has a similar layout of functionalities to applications like Adobe Photoshop, which I have a good bit of experience using.  

As of now, I feel like my main struggle will be learning the process of obtaining, completing, and submitting assignments, and navigating the coursework using Canvas.  This type of learning is all new to me, so it has been a bit confusing, but I think I'll be able to become familiar and comfortable with it fairly quickly.