Intro to GIS: Week 13 – Georeferencing, Editing, and ArcScene

     This week two more capabilities of ArcGIS were explored in addition to constructing a 3D map in ArcScene. The main focus of this lab was georeferencing. This is a process that takes an unreferenced, coordinate-less raster and assigns a coordinate system based on a reference data layer. Control points are added and their errors (root mean square) examined. The visual appearance of the alignment of reference/unreferenced layers along with the overall RMSE value are both taken into consideration when deciding to rectify the unreferenced layer. This process is performed using the Georeferencing toolbar. After rectifying my raster data, I practiced editing a feature class by drawing in a polygon and line. I used the Editor toolbar to create a building outline (polygon) and added accompanying attribute data to the attribute table. Likewise, I added a new road centerline to a different data layer and altered that attribute table to reflect the addition. Additional information was added to the analysis and I used a new (to me) buffering tool (Multiple Ring Buffer) to compute two buffer zones for a single data point.

A map displaying the location and buffer zones of an eagle's nest on the UWF campus.
Two rectified rasters are displayed on the left with RMSE and transformation data noted. 

     The resulting map shows the rectified raster layers on the left. The RMSE and transformation information is noted for each. A buildings and a roads layer are displayed with the modifications that I made labeled (the addition of a building polygon and a road). Also present is an inset map displaying the location of an eagle's nest east of campus. Two buffers were added to show conservation and protection boundaries that are to be used when planning future campus expansion/development. 

     The last lab activity involved ArcScene. I practiced mapping and navigating a 3D scene of the UWF campus. I altered the vertical exaggeration and extrusion of a polygon layer (buildings) to display the z-data for that layer. A DEM is used as a base for these types of maps. The map was exported as a 2D scene and imported into ArcMap for map design. I created the legend using the in house Draw and Text tools. 

A 3D visualization of the UWF campus overlayed on top of a DEM.
 Relevant error and transformation data for the rectified raster layers is also present.