ArcMap!!!

The five exercises I worked on following the ArcMap Tutorial taught me how the GIS system works. In the first exercise, I learned the basics of the ArcMap program. I learned how to zoom in and out, insert scale bars, legends, and titles, lay out a map, and adjusting the page size. The zooming in and out allows us to analyze the map closer since are perspective changes. Zooming in allows us to see the small details of the map and zooming out allows us to see the whole picture, which can help us analyze the map. All of these things seem very minor, but are very significant since they are the basics. Without the basic knowledge of how to use ArcMap, there is no way we can proceed to the next steps.

In the second exercise I learned how to work with geographic features. I learned how to insert a new data frame in the beginning and to add new layers of different information on a map. Besides the layers, I learned how to insert the vertical bar graph as well, revealing the information of the land use in the noise contour. Next, in the third exercise I learned how to work with the tables better. I learned how to join tables together and also how to create a new field to the table. This allowed me to insert new data to the table and ultimately changing the data on the map.

The fourth exercise helped me edit new features and creating a new map out of it as a result. For example, I went back to the first map of the school data frame and created a new road. This had to be accomplished since the road was not complete and work was necessary to fix the mistake. Using the editing tool bar and snapping, I was able to join the road back together and even named it "Airport Dr". This editing tool bar allows me to edit new features and exhibit them as a new map.

In the last exercise, I learned how to work with map elements. Similar to the basics, I basically changed the background color, added more scale bars, added titles, etc. I learned how to arrange all the new data frames I made from the previous exercises and customize them on the layout view. I was able to organize the three maps and one vertical bar graph neatly on one page. Near the end of the exercise, I also added a title for my page with all the maps and even added an extent rectangle to to show the extent of one data frame within another data frame. Finally, in the end, I edited my page to make it look better. I moved some features around and added drop shadows to make them look 3-D. The ArcMap Tutorial was a long process, but I learned a great deal from it working on it 4 times since I made many mistakes.