Analysis of GIS Data by Simple Examination - Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS - page 364

[___] IGIS-Arc_AUX
to ___IGIS-Arc_ YourInitials .
2. Launch ArcMap with a Blank Map, and make the window occupy the full screen. Open the
dockable ArcCatalog window, navigate to
___IGIS-Arc_ YourInitials \Wildcat_Boat_Data\Wildcat_Boat.mdb\Area_Features
\Landcover
and drag the feature class into the map. Landcover will show up as a homogeneous color
background with lines dividing polygons. If the cursor has somehow slipped into “Pan” mode,
click on the Select Elements icon.
3. In Data Frame Properties > General, make sure Display Units is set to Meters. Map Units is
already set to meters because of the coordinate system of the feature class.
Examining the Toolbars
4. If you right-click anywhere in the areas containing toolbars (or use Customize > Toolbars), you
get a list of all the available toolbars, with an indication of which ones are displayed. To get
an idea of the extensive capability of ArcMap (and for future reference), type the list into your
FastFactsFile. Give a moment of thought to each toolbar, regarding what sort of capability it
might provide as you type it.
Done? Yes ___ No ___
At the bottom of the list notice that there is a toolbar named Customize. ArcMap is software
that you can “adjust” to your own specifications. You can customize toolbars and commands.
Even when you find out how (I touch only lightly on this subject in this topic), customize
carefully. The more you customize an interface, the more difficulty you will have when confronted
with the standard interface, say, on another computer. Further, if you share your computer with
another person, he or she may have trouble operating the interface.
5. Turn off all toolbars except Standard, Draw, and Tools.
6. Click the Identify button. Point to a polygon with the mouse cursor and click. Examine the
Fields and Values that appear in the Identify window. LC_CODE 1 is the number of the land
cover type (see table below); COST_HA is the cost in U.S. dollars per hectare. 2 Dismiss the
Identify window.
1 The land cover code explanation may be found in Exercise 1-1
2 A hectare is an area equivalent to a square 100 meters on a side—about two and a half acres.