Introduction to ArcGIS

Tina Callahan
September 25, 2002

Workshop Topics

What is GIS? ArcGIS structure Data used in ArcGIS Performing basic operations in ArcGIS Editing data Merging data Making a layout Campus Resources

What is GIS?
Geographic Information Systems In the strictest sense, a GIS is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information --USGS

About 80% of all data have a spatial component. GIS promotes a better understanding of the world around us and allows us to make more informed decisions.

GIS is more than just data and maps. GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information. --ESRI

Major Companies Using GIS

Federal Agencies Chase Manhattan Sears Roebuck & Co. Dominos Pizza Realtor.com MBNA Metropolitan Life Police and Fire Depts

Ace Hardware Golds Gym US Postal Service Minolta Corp. Conectiv UPS AAA State/Local Govt

The Old ESRI GIS Structure

ArcView ArcInfo

What is this ArcGIS?

The keyword is scalability.

ArcGIS Desktop
ArcCatalog
Manage spatial data holding and database design. Also, record and view metadata

ArcMap
Perform mapping and editing tasks as well as map-based analysis.

ArcToolbox
Perform data conversion and geoprocessing.

ArcGIS Software Products

ArcReader
(.pmf)

Light-weight

ArcView

ArcEditor

ArcInfo

Heavy-weight

ArcMap -- ArcCatalog -- ArcToolbox

For specific capabilities, visit http://www.esri.com

Layers are the key

A bit about data

Layers can be features or surfaces
Polygons

Lines

Raster

Points

Data Formats in ArcGIS

Shapefile Coverage Geodatabase ArcIMS Feature Services ArcIMS Map Services Geography Network Text files (.TXT) OLE DB tables PMF

Rasters ESRI GRID ERDAS Imagine (.IMG) Windows Bitmap (.BMP) ER Mapper (.ERS) Graphic Interchange Format, GIF (.GIF) ADRG Image (.IMG) JPEG File Interchange Format, JIFF (.JPG) Portable Network Graphics (.PNG) LizardTech MrSID (.SID) Tagged Image File Format, TIFF (.TIF)

What GIS Can Do for You?

Capture Storage Query Analyze Display Output

ArcView Demo and Exercise

Learning the interface Switching licenses Adding data Moving around in a map Looking at the data behind a map Saving map documents

ArcView Demo and Exercise

Selecting data Saving symbology Buffer analysis Navigate through ArcCatalog Add Data Frames Join tables Thematic mapping Create a Layout (or Map Document)

GIS Resources on Campus

GIS@UD Website (http://www.udel.edu/gis) UD-GIS listserv (To join, send e-mail to gis-info@udel.edu.) User Services User Ed Classes (http://present.smith.udel.edu/calendar/) GIS Courses ESRI Virtual Campus
GIS Technology Courses