Getting to know ArcPro

ArcPro

In this lab we used a tutorial by Esri (the company that created ArcPro) in order to get a refresher from previous semesters. The tutorial focused on the very basics of ArcPro and is generally a good starting point for anyone getting into geospatial technology. Our goal was to create a brochure that tells visitors the closest rail stations to popular destinations in the downtown Singapore area. This post will cover all of the steps taken from project creation to the final product.

The first step was to create a project in ArcPro named Singapore Tourism and save it to the desired location (Figure.1). The project will default to a map of the world with the Contents and Catalog panes to either side. By clicking the Map ribbon and selecting Locate, we were able to search for Singapore and have the map zoom in to the desired location. (Figure.2) 

 

(Figure.1 Creating a Project)

(Figure.2 Navigating to Singapore)

 

From here we are able to add in data from ArcGIS Online in order to further our analysis. The data sets that we added are the Singapore rail lines, Singapore tourist attractions, and Singapore rail stations. After adding them they appear on the map as shown in Figure.3.

(Figure.3 Singapore with added data)

 

The map above that we are currently at shows all of Singapore which is not only overwhelming but far too much for what we are trying to do. Zooming in to the downtown area gives us a better view of not only the symbols but the area that we want to work with. (Figure.4) Another important tool we used at this point was creating a bookmark. This allows us to save the current location that is in view for future reference. In the case that we zoom out or move the view, we can always go back to it.The next few steps are simply to make the map more readable for us and show exactly what we want to see. We changed the basemap to a much darker view and then highlighted the various points on the maps for the above data that we added. (Figure.5) Being able to do this allows the user to personalize their map and ensure that they can make everything easier to see and understand.

(Figure.4 Zooming in to the downtown area)

(Figure.5 Adding basemap and pins)

The next tool we used is immensely helpful when it comes to distances on a map. For project, we are trying to find the distance of local tourist attractions to rail stations. We could manually calculate this with the coordinates but that would take a lot of time and with GIS efficiency is key. So instead, we used the Spatial Join tool. This tool "Joins attributes from one feature to another based on the spatial relationship." (Figure.6)

(Figure.6 Spatial Join tool)

In figure 6 of the spatial join tool we set the Target Features as the Tourist Attractions as this is the point we want to start the join at. For the Join Features we set it to the Rail Stations because we want to join the rail stations to the attractions. We also set the Match Option to the closest because we want the user to be able to see the closest rail station to each attraction. After running the tool we get an output table that shows each tourist attractions name and address as well as the closest rail station (Figures.7 & 8). In the figures below, the first "Name" column in figure 7 represents the Tourist Attraction and the other "Name" column in figure 8 represents the closest rail station in the same row.

(Figure.7 Spatial Join table)

(Figure.8 Spatial Join table)

 

Processing geospatial data is important but one could say that understanding and executing good cartographic fundamentals is essential to displaying your data correctly. For the second half of the tutorial I used the data we just processed and created a map that will be easy for any individual to pick up and understand. That is the basic principle of a good map. I will show each step below and explain why I did them.

The first step to creating the map was inserting labels for each point so they can be easily distinguished from one another. I inserted a label for each pin that we previously placed from figure 5. However, the names of each location were very cluttered and made the map hard to read. To combat this, I changed the labels to be smaller numbers instead of the name. (Figure.9) This made the map much easier to read.

(Figure.9 Map Pins with Labels)

Now that the data is neat and organized it is time to create the actual map. I did so by creating a layout that I could insert the current view into. This keeps the data the same and does not allow anything to be moved and changed unless explicitly toggled. From here, the most important thing to add is the title. This is crucial to any type of graphic as it allows anyone to understand what they are looking at. Next, I added a scale bar right above the title that gives a good reference for distances on the map. And lastly, I added a legend that shows what each pin and symbol means. 

Adding all of these components together create a fully readable and comprehensive map. This allows any individual to pick it up and understand exactly what is being portrayed. Down below is the final product of every component combined. (Figure.10)

(Figure.10 Final Product)

Reflection

This tutorial taught me a lot about the importance of geospatial data and how it can be delivered to the appropriate audience. With ArcPro, I was able to accurately describe the distances between two points without any prior understanding and then proceed to make that data into a readable map. Geospatial data differs from a digital map because of the specific components like coordinates. Combine this with the ability to show distances between two points or show heights make GIS more powerful than an average digital map. Using geospatial concepts with UAS data is immensely important and crucial because, as you can see, it gives deeply accurate and readable results. When these concepts are tied into UAS operations the possibilities and outcomes are tremendously helpful.