Intro to GIS - M6 - Georeferencing, Editing, and 3D Scenes

 

The above map shows the University of West Florida campus and a nearby eagle nest.  The UWF Campus map is made up of two raster images that have been georeferenced for accuracy.  It includes buildings on campus, roads, as well as a Heritage Hall Parcel Survey raster layer.  The inset map of the Protected Eagle Nest Location shows a conservation buffer surrounding the nest in both 330 foot range and 660 foot range.

Week 6 is here, and this is the last lab assignment due before our final project.

This week, I learned how to georeference raster layers on a map. In simple terms, that means taking an image, placing it on the map, and making it spatially accurate. I found this process really interesting and fun! It required close attention to detail to ensure minimal error while keeping the visual shape of the raster layer from becoming overly distorted.

What excites me about this process is that I could take my own aerial photos using a drone and overlay them on a map, making them spatially accurate. I can see how this skill would be beneficial in various industries.

I also learned how to create vector features, including a building footprint (polygon) and a roadway (polyline).

In an inset map, I showed the location of a protected eagle nest in relation to the UWF campus and included imagery of 330' and 660' buffer zones representing a conservation area surrounding the nest. I’d love to see the nest for myself!

This week, I put in extra effort to make my final map layout look polished while still serving its intended purpose. Fingers crossed for good feedback! 🙂

For extra credit, I completed an optional part of this week’s lab where I learned to create a 3D scene of the campus. I can't wait to spend more time with 3D and explore creating cool story maps for events like fairs or music festivals.

This has all been a lot of fun, and I look forward to completing my final project for this course and seeing where my next courses will take me.

Intro to GIS - M5 - XY Coordinates and Geocoding

 

We're already at week five? HOW?!

This week's lab work was split into two sections focusing on XY coordinate data and geocoding.

First up was the Add XY Data lab. This one was all about working with coordinates. I created a table in Excel to map out eagle nest locations in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The process involved converting coordinates from Degrees, Minutes, Seconds (DMS) format into Decimal Degrees (DD), which is what works best in ArcGIS Pro. I had to ensure everything was set up just right in Excel, following naming guidelines for the columns—any minor mistake can throw the whole thing out of whack. After prepping my data, I imported it into ArcGIS, added the XY points to a map, and projected them to the correct coordinate system. It was a neat way to visualize where the eagle nests are!

Next, I moved on to the Geocoding lab. This one took a bit longer, especially since I had to clean up a dataset of school addresses from the Florida Department of Education. I learned how to set up an address locator and geocode various schools in Manatee County. It was interesting to see how some of the addresses in the data table I created couldn't be matched to locations on the map, and how to fix those issues. Even the smallest inaccuracies, like address abbreviations, can cause problems. It really highlighted the importance of thorough data preparation.

This week also provided a solid introduction to some basic tasks in Microsoft Excel. I haven't used Excel much before, but now I'm intrigued and looking to find some tutorials or courses to dive deeper.

Check out my Web Map from this week's labs, showing the locations of learning institutions in Manatee County, Florida. 👉 Manatee County, Florida Schools 

(This map displays the locations of various educational institutions in Manatee County, Florida, including combination schools (pre-K, special learning, charter schools), elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, community colleges, and universities.)

Intro to GIS - M4 - Vector Analysis

 

This map highlights potential campsite locations in De Soto National Forest, showcasing their proximity to roads and water features while avoiding conservation areas. It serves as a handy guide for campers looking to explore the area while prioritizing safety and accessibility.

This week, I tackled two lab assignments that really broadened my understanding of GIS and spatial data analysis. In the first lab, I got hands-on experience with geodatabases and spatial queries. I learned how to create a geodatabase, import feature classes, and select features based on their proximity to schools and hospitals. 

In the second lab, I put this new knowledge to use by conducting buffer and overlay analyses to locate suitable campsites in De Soto National Forest.I used both fixed and variable distance buffers to assess how close potential sites were to roads and water features while avoiding conservation areas. This week really emphasized that GIS analysis is an iterative process (I didn't even know what iterative meant), where refining criteria based on findings is crucial. By the end, I had a detailed map identifying the best camping spots, which showcased the practical applications of GIS in environmental planning.

While the module introduced several new steps I hadn’t encountered before, it also drew on what I had learned in earlier assignments. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I could recall while creating a polished final product. I probably spent three times as long on my map composition as I needed to, but I was having a blast exploring the various tools available in ArcGIS Pro. I know I’m just beginning to scratch the surface, but this aspect of my GIS course is incredibly exciting! 

---