A Lesson in Projections

This week, we explored various map projections using a simple map of counties in Florida. First, I learned how to convert data into different projections, and then compared these with each other. The visual differences were slight but you could see them if you set the scale and view of the maps to match. However, when I calculated the areas of counties, you could really notice the difference! I also went on a Googling adventure and found that different websites and sources had varying area measurements for the counties (Wikipedia, Census website, etc). Who really knows how big a county is? I guess it's all in how you look at it (that was a bad projection joke...) 

The final part of the lab was to create the map above without hand-holding in the instructions. I had a moment of panic but realized I might have learned a few things already. This map features the three projections I created, along with a table listing the different areas for certain counties in each projection.

Intro to Cartography: UWF Main Campus Map

For this lab, we explored the basics of cartography - how to make a map, basic elements to include, visual aspects - as well as learned how to navigate some of the tools in ArcGIS Pro. In the process, we also explored the metadata from the datasets we used. We created a map that shows the location of UWF campus and some of the important features in the area like cities, interstates, and rivers. The inset map helps the reader locate Escambia County within the state of Florida. I learned a lot about the user interface of ArcGIS. I did have trouble sorting out the towns in Escambia county using the Select by Attribute. I kept clicking through the steps and nothing would happened. Finally, a friend looked over my shoulder as I ran through it and pointed out that I was not changing the "and" to "or." Problem solved!

My first map

 

This week was my first introduction to Arc GIS Pro. I was able to create a simple map with some data provided. This included adding layers, changing symbology, selecting a basemap, and creating a file to export. Most of the steps were pretty straightforward but I did have some trouble figuring out how to scale the map on the layout page. I was able to achieve a nice looking layout by opening the map frame menu and playing around with the scale under the location settings until it looked nice.