After completing this course, you will be able to
- Plan a cartographic project.
- Evaluate data for cartographic purposes.
- Create appropriate symbology, map elements, and layout designs for different types of maps.
- Create labels and annotation that are easy to read by the map's intended audience.
- Apply a standard cartographic workflow to create maps efficiently using ArcGIS.
- Produce maps for a variety of delivery media, including a web mapping application.
The cartographic planning process
- Map scale
- Map templates
- Design controls
- Cartographic workflow
- Quality control
Selecting and evaluating data
- Organizing data
- Designing a cartographic database
- Evaluating data quality
- Preparing data
Choosing a coordinate system
- How to choose an effective coordinate system
- Geographic coordinate systems
- Projected coordinate systems
- Evaluating map projection properties
Elements of map design
- Designing based on map type
- Visual weight, contrast, and figure-ground
- Color concepts for cartography
- Designing for a color-impaired audience
Qualitative and quantitative symbols
- Classified versus unclassified data
- Normalizing data
- Designing color schemes
- Choropleth mapping workflow
- Classification methods
- Graduated versus proportional symbols
Advanced symbology techniques
- Strategies for managing symbols
- Creating multilayered symbols
- Using cartographic representations
- Creating custom marker and cartographic line symbols
- Symbol-level drawing
Generalization
- When to generalize data
- Methods of generalization
- Aggregating polygon features using a model
- Collapsing polygon features
Symbolizing elevation
- Methods of symbolizing elevation
- Designing elevation color ramps
- Hypsometric tints
- Creating hillshades
- Creating a whitewash effect
- Image flattening
Working with map labels
- Type basics for cartography
- Label placement guidelines
- Using the Maplex for ArcGIS extension
- Label expressions
Working with annotation
- Types of annotation
- Choosing between labels and annotation
- Designing annotation for print and web maps
- Annotation feature classes and feature templates
- Editing annotation
- Quality control
Map layouts
- Planning a layout design
- Setting page properties
- Using grids and guides to position layout elements
- Adding coordinate grids
Map element design
- Designing map titles, legends, and scale bars
- Other map elements to consider
- Quality control for map elements
Map output
- Designing symbols for print and web maps
- Evaluating output quality
- Publishing a map service using ArcGIS Server Manager
- Publishing a map in PDF format
Esri will provide the following software to use during class:
- ArcGIS 10.0 for Desktop (ArcInfo)
- ArcGIS 10.0 for Server Workgroup (Standard)
- ArcGIS 10.0 Spatial Analyst
- Maplex for ArcGIS 10.0
