Products of a GIS: Maps and Other Information - Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS - page 223

76. Click New Map File. Add the Layer Sewers from Line_Features of
___IGIS-Arc_ YourInitials \Wildcat_Boat_Data\Wildcat_Boat.mdb.
Make sure you are in the Data View. Draw a Rectangle so that it covers some of the northern
pipe. So you can see through it, double-click the rectangle to bring up a Properties window, click
the Symbol tab, and make its fill color No Color. Click Apply, then OK. Be sure the rectangle is
selected—you will see the eight blue handles. Now from the Selection menu pick Select By
Graphics. The northern pipe should become highlighted. If you open the sewers attribute table,
you will see its record highlighted as well. In the Selection menu, click Selection Options. Note
the various ways you can define the selection process. In the Selection menu, select Clear
Selected Features. Dismiss the attribute table.
Making Graphics out of Geographic Features
77. Right-click Sewers in the T/C. Click Convert Features to Graphics. In the window, specify
Convert All Features of Layer Sewers. Only draw the converted features. Click OK. With Select
Elements on the Draw toolbar click a line of sewer pipe to select it. You will find that you can
now move on or change it around like any other graphic. Dismantle the sewer system, and pile
the pieces up in the southeast corner of the data frame.
78. Use Ctrl-O to open an existing mapfile. Open the map file
___IGIS-Arc_ YourInitials \Map_Making\LWP3.mxd.
In Layout View, put the data frame in focus. With the Layout toolbar, zoom up on the DOQ. Pick
Splined Text from the Drawing toolbar. Make a spline paralleling the curve of the river, about an
inch to the east of the GPS track, starting with the fix at the end of the track and continuing
up to the edge of the DOQ. In the text box, type “Kentucky River” and press Enter. Change the
text color to White. Change the text size to 16. Slide and rotate the text until it fits nicely in the
bend of the river. If you don't like the result, delete it and try again. Zoom to the whole page,
and save the map as LWP4.
As you can see, ArcMap has a remarkable number of tools that aid you in making maps. Admittedly these
tools are not as extensive as those in various drawing programs, but don't forget: you retain the advantage
of having a dynamic map with all the “intelligence” that GIS gives.
79. Just to demonstrate that a GIS map is really different, use the Identify tool to click the red
square that represents the Lexington Water Plant. As a result, you will see an extensive amount
of information on this particular plant. Now right-click wtp_spn point in the T/C and select Zoom
To Layer.
These are the water treatment plants in the state. Open the wtp_spn point attribute table and observe the
amount of information available. Try that with your drawing program! Close ArcMap.