ArcGIS Desktop II: Tools and Functionality

You can attend this course in the Virtual Classroom.

The second of three courses in the ArcGIS Desktop Foundational Training Curriculum, this course teaches the range of functionality available in ArcGIS Desktop and how to use essential tools to visualize, create, manage, and analyze geographic data. In course exercises, you will use ArcMap and ArcCatalog (the primary applications included with ArcGIS Desktop software) to perform common GIS tasks and workflows. By the end of the course, you will be prepared to work with the software on your own.

This course is designed for those with an education in or workplace experience with GIS but no ArcGIS software experience. Knowledge of basic GIS concepts is required.

After completing this course, you will be able to

• Identify which ArcGIS Desktop application to use for common GIS tasks.
• Create and edit geographic data.
• Create a file geodatabase and add data to it.
• Display geographic data in ArcMap.
• Classify, symbolize, and label map features.
• Access feature information in tables.
• Create data from x,y coordinates and by geocoding addresses.
• Query and analyze GIS data.
• Create presentation-quality maps and graphs.
• Create a map template to standardize map production.

• Investigating geographic data: How geographic data is stored; Vector and raster data; Geodatabase basics and advantages; Shapefiles; Coverages; CAD data; Managing data in ArcCatalog; Displaying data in ArcMap; Data and layers.
• Managing map layers: Zooming to layers; Using bookmarks and display windows; Scale ranges; Group layers; Selection layers; Layer files; Creating hyperlinks.
• Symbolizing categorical data: Types of symbols (marker, line, and fill); Choosing and creating symbols.
• Symbolizing quantitative data: Symbology options (graduated colors, graduated symbols, proportional symbols, dot density, charts); Classification methods (Natural Breaks, Equal Interval, Quantile, Manual); Excluding data from a classification; Rendering raster data.
• Labeling map features: Label placement for point, line, and polygon features; Label symbology; Controlling label display using scale ranges and SQL queries; Label classes; Label expressions; Label ranks and weights; Geodatabase and map annotation.
• Understanding coordinate systems and map projections: Geographic and projected coordinate systems; Datums; Map projections; Geographic transformations; Working with an unknown coordinate system; Projecting data.
• Making a map layout: Layout view; Tools for arranging map elements; Data frame properties for layouts; Adding legends, scale bars, and other map elements; Exporting maps; Map templates.
• Managing tables: Table structure; Layer attribute tables; Nonspatial tables; Accessing information from tables; Field properties; Creating graphs and reports; Connecting tables using joins and relates.
• Editing features and attributes: Editor toolbar; Edit sketches; Common editing tools; Edit tasks; Snapping to features while editing; Editing attributes; Calculating values for geometry fields; Working with coincident geometry in a map topology; Typical editing workflow.
• Creating geodatabases and feature classes: Types of geodatabases; Geodatabase organization; Feature class organization; Feature class properties and attributes; Creating, viewing, and editing metadata; Importing and exporting metadata; Creating features in a new feature class.
• Obtaining locations from attributes: Adding x,y coordinate data; Finding places and addresses; Finding routes and nearby places; Geocoding; Geocoding components (address table, address locator, reference data); Address matching; Geocoding workflow; Reference data sources.
• Solving spatial problems with query and analysis: GIS analysis basics; Typical analysis workflow; Common analysis operations (attribute and spatial queries, clipping data from layers, buffering features, overlaying features); Geoprocessing; Analysis results.
• Customizing ArcGIS Desktop: Customize dialog box; Locating commands; Adding new toolbars, commands, and menus; Saving customizations; Saving to a template; Storing templates.

Completion of ArcGIS Desktop I: Getting Started with GIS or Getting Started with GIS or equivalent knowledge is required.

This course is designed to work with the following software:

How do I know what ArcGIS Desktop software I have? [Flash] [Text]