Creating Spatial Feature Classes Based on Proximity, Overlay, and Attributes - Introducing Geographic Information Systems with ArcGIS - page 419

“Dissolve” from among the Tools. You want the “data management” one. For Input Features
specify Roads_dual_buffers. For the Output Feature Class put Roads_dual_buffers_reduced
(into the Area_Features dataset, of course). Check the Dissolve Field(s) box RD-CODE. (What
other box could you have checked instead? _________.) Uncheck “Create multipart features”.
Click OK. When Roads_dual_buffers_reduced is added to the map explore it with the attribute
table and the Identify tool. Close ArcMap.

Exercise 7-3 (Project)

Manipulate Polygon Feature Classes with Union and Extract

1. Start ArcCatalog. Make or confirm a Folder Connection to the

___IGIS-Arc_ YourInitials \Trivial_GIS_Datasets

folder. In the personal geodatabase Overlay_Exercise.mdb, you will find the dataset Trivial_
Feature_Classes. Examine the feature class TwoStalks. Look at both its graphic representation
and its table. What are the values of the LOCATION attribute? _______, ________. Using the
Identify tool, determine the location, to the nearest integer, of the southwest corner of the left
polygon: X _______. Using the Description tab of the Metadata (under Extents

> Extent in the item's coordinate system) determine the location of the northeast corner of the
feature class. X

= ________. Y =

= ________. Y = _______.

2. Again using the Metadata (look at Fields), write down the names of the attributes of
TwoStalks:_____________, _____________, ________________,_________________,
_____________

3. Examine the feature class ThreeBars. Look at its Geography. What are the PLACEMENT item
values of the three polygons?

______, ________________, ________________.

From the ThreeBars polygon Feature Class Properties window, determine the Data Type and
Length (width) 2 of the PLACEMENT attribute: __________, __________.

4. Examine the attribute Table of ThreeBars. Write down the names of the attributes of ThreeBars:
_____________, _____________, ________________, _________________, _____________. What
are the values of the areas of ThreeBars polygons? _______, _______, _______.

5. Launch ArcMap (and close ArcCatalog). Add both ThreeBars and TwoStalks to the map. Zoom
to Full Extent. Notice their positions relative to each other. Slide the Select Elements cursor
around the map to verify the locations of the images.

6. In ArcMap use the Search icon (or Ctrl-F) to find Union(analysis). Click on “toolboxes\system . . .”
What is the path to the tool?

2 Sometimes the number of characters in a string is called “width” and sometimes “length.” Go figure.