NCSU GIS/MEA582:
Geospatial Modeling and Analysis

Data display and visualization

Resources: ESRI virtual campus Create folder Data_visualization in your preferred workspace. Include resulting maps into your report (use your judgement to decide which results to include).

Start ArcGIS
Start->Programs->ArcMap

Viewing data in 2D

Raster data symbology

File->Add Data->Add Data... ./ncrast.mdb/landcl96
right click landcl96->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
left click on line 1 in the Label column replace numbers 1-7 with these labels, respectively:
(hint: the tab key will move you to the next label entry)

developed
agriculture
herbaceous
shrubland
forest
water
sediment

left click on color - replace the color for each land use by more intuitive one.
Click 'OK'

Save as layer to preserve the new color scheme and labels:

left click on the landcl96 entry in the Table of Contents (TOC) ->'Save as layer file...'
Navigate to .\Data_visualization
Save as landcl96.lyr

Display only categories 1 and 2 from the land use map:

right click landcl96->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
Use left click to select items 3 - 7 (herbaceous - sediment)
left click Remove button to remove values 3 through 7
Click 'OK'

Display only elevation higher than 100 m over the geology map:

File->Add Data->Add Data...  .\ncrast.mdb\geology
File->Add Data->Add Data...  .\ncrast.mdb\elev
right click elev->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
From the Show panel (far left) select 'Classified'
left click Classify Button
Set the method to 'Equal Interval'
Set Classes to 10
left click the 'Exclusion' button
Set the Excluded values to 1-100
Click 'OK'
Click 'OK'
left click Display Tab -> Set the Transparency to 50%
Click 'OK'

Change colors for raster maps:

right click elev->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
Change the color ramp to one that goes from green to white (one of the last in the drop down menu)

Use a histogram equalized color table to display topographic slope:

File->Add Data->Add Data...  .\ncrast\slope
right click slope->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
Choose the 'Red to Green Diverging, Bright' color ramp
Change the Stretch Type to Histogram Equalize
Click 'OK'

Legend, scale, grid

Make a map with a legend, scale and grid:

Turn off all layers except landcl96 in the TOC

add the streams layer

File->Add Data->Add Data... ./ncshape.mdb/streams
change the streams color to blue 
in the TOC right click streams -> Properties
left click Symbology Tab
left click line symbol
change the color to blue
Click 'OK'
Toggle to Layout View: View Menu->Layout View

Assign a fixed scale for the layout:

right click Layers->Properties
Select Data Frame tab
In the Extent panel select Fixed Scale and set it to 1:50,000
Click 'OK'
 

Add a legend

Insert Menu->Legend...
Accept the defaults for the first panel left click 'Next >'
Replace the text "Legend" with "Land Classification" in the Legend title
left click 'Next >'
Add a Legend Frame Border (select one as you feel appropriate)
Add a white Frame Background. Set the cap to X:10 and Y:10 (as in the Frame Border)
left click 'Next >'
left click 'Next >'
left click 'Finish'
Follow the menus until finished
Drag the legend to a more appropriate location, and resize as you feel is needed to
make it "fit" into your map.

Add a scale bar:

Insert Menu->Scale bar...
Select a scale bar (your choice)
left click Properties to set Division Units to kilometers
Click 'OK'
Click 'OK'
Place and resize the legend as you see fit for your map design. Make sure that the numbers on the scale are reasonable (round numbers preferably). 
Hint: You can resize the Data Frame too (select Data Frame by left click on it then drag the corners to the desired position

Add a grid:

right click Layers->Properties
Select the Grids tab
Click 'New Grid...'
select 'Measured Grid'
Click 'Next >'
Leave all the settings as the defaults and click through the remaining windows
Click 'Finish'
Click 'OK'

Display roads with labels:

File->Add Data->Add Data...  ./ncshape.mdb/roadsmajor
right click (roadsmajor)->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
left click line symbol
change the symbol to Expressway 
Select Labels tab
In the Text String Panel set the Label Field to 'ROAD_NAME'
Check the 'Label features in this layer' box (upper left corner of dialog window)
In the Text Symbol section left click Symbol...
In the dialog window select the 'Country 3' style and left click Edit Symbol... button in the right panel of the Sybol Selector dialog window.
In the Editor dialog window go the the Mask tab and in Style section check the 'Halo' option
Click 'OK' to come back to the Symbol Selector dialog window
Click 'OK' to come back to the Layer Properties window
In the Other Options section left click 'Placement Properties...' button
In the Position Section, set the position to 'On the line'
Click 'OK' to come back to the Layer Properties window
Click 'OK' 

Compare hillshades

Switch the Layer mode back to the Data Mode and remove all the layers from TOC (You can also start a new project in menu File -> New project)

Compare different types pof displayung the hillshade effect for the elev map

1. Hillshade generated using the 3D Analyst Extension.

left click Customize Menu->Extensions...
Check out a 3D Analyst license
ArcToolBox->3D Analyst Tools->Raster Surface->Hillshade
Select elev as input, hillsh_el as output, zscale=3
Click 'OK'
File->Add Data->Add Data...  .\ncrast.mdb\elev
right click elev->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
From the Show panel (far left) select 'Streched'
Change the color ramp to one that goes from green to white (one of the last in the drop down menu)
left click Display Tab -> Set the Transparency to 50%
Click 'OK'
change the layer name left click elev layer in the TOC than again left click elev layer in the TOC. Type the name: elev_transp

2. Hillshade generated by the Symbology 'Switch on Hillshade':

File->Add Data->Add Data...  .\ncrast.mdb\elev
right click elev->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
From the Show panel (far left) select 'Streched'
Change the color ramp to one that goes from green to white (one of the last in the drop down menu)
Check the 'Use hillshade effect'
Set the Z to 3
Click 'OK'
change the layer name left click elev layer in the TOC than again left click elev layer in the TOC. Type the name: elev_hillsh

To examine the differences, zoom into an area of the data and toggle elev_hillsh layer on and off (by repetitively checking and unchecking the layer in the TOC). The rapid image interchange emphasizes differences.

In order to copare the results with elev with no hillshade applied you can load the elev layer again, without checking the hillshade effect in Symbology tab

File->Add Data->Add Data...  .\ncrast.mdb\elev
right click elev->Properties
left click Symbology Tab
From the Show panel (far left) select 'Streched'
Change the color ramp to one that goes from green to white (one of the last in the drop down menu)

Toggle elev layer on and off by repetitively checking and unchecking the layer in the TOC.

Viewing data in 3D using ArcScene

Start -> Programs -> ArcGIS -> ArcScene

Add data in ArcScene:

left click on the 'Add Data' Button in the tool bar
Add .\ncrast.mdb\elev
Note, you can shift-click (contiguous selections) or control-click
(non-contiguous selections) to add more than one data set at a time.

Display 2-dimensional data as a 3-D surface (to render in 3-D):

Dbl. click the 'elev' layer in the TOC
Select Layer Properties -> Base Heights
Select 'FLoating on a custom surface' and select .\ncrast.mdb\elev as the
elevation layer from the drop-down menu.
Click 'OK'

To change the vertical exaggeration (z-value multiplier, default is 1) for a layer:

Dbl. Click 'Scene Layers' in the TOC
Go to ->'Scene Properties' -> 'General' tab -> 'Vertical Exaggeration'
Choose '10' from the drop-down list.
Click 'OK'

Drape a vector feature over the 3-D (raster) surface:

left click on the 'Add Data' Button in the tool bar
Add  .\ncshape.mdb\streets_wake
Dbl. click on streets_wake in the TOC.
From Properties select Base Heights tab -> 'FLoating on a custom surface'
and select .\ncrast.mdb\elev as the elevation layer from the drop-down menu.
Set Elevations from features to 'No feature-based heights'
Click 'OK'

this action will both drape the vector streets on the raster surface, and clip the extent of the much larger streets data to that of the surface. Change the color ramp for a layer:

Dbl-Click on 'elev'
Go to the Symbology tab.
Use the 'Color Ramp' drop-down menu to scroll through the available ESRI-provided ramps.
Choose one of the color ramps
Click 'OK'

Change the background color (useful for enhancing visualization). Here we change illumination to simulate night.

Dbl-Click Scene Layers in the TOC
Go to -> Scene Properties -> General tab.
Choose the black color patch from the color palette drop-down menu
Click 'OK'.

Adjust the direction (azimuth and altitude) and contrast of the light applied the surface:

Reset the background color to white (refer to previous task)
Dbl-Click on 'elev'
Go to -> Rendering tab -> Effects
Check 'Shade areal features relative to the scene's light position'
Click 'OK'
Dbl-Click Scene Layers in the TOC
Go to -> Scene Properties -> Illumination tab
Reposition the light source by dragging the yellow "solar" indicators
to shift altitude and azimuth
Click 'OK'

Note: the changes you make to solar altitude and azimuth are reflected immediately in the view frame, so you migth want to drag the Scene Properties dialog to a position such that you can see the rendered surface in ArcScene. From here, when you move the Sun you'll see the changes made immediately applied to the rendered surface.

Adjust the lighting contrast:

Dbl. Click Scene Layers in the TOC
Go to -> Scene Properties -> Illumination tab
Use the contrast slider to adjust contrast value
Click 'OK'

Note: changes made using the contrast slider, like those controls associated with solar altitude and azimuth, are reflected immediately in the data frame.