Introduction to Geographic Information Systems in Forest Resources
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Exercise: Vector Analysis II

Objective:

  1. Perform drive substitution to create drives L (CD) and M (removable drive).
  2. Make a directory for today's exercise
  3. Open a project
  4. Set the working directory
  5. Open ArcToolbox
  6. Append
  7. Clip
  8. Identity
  9. Union
  10. Intersect & Calculate Geometry
  11. Update
  12. Erase
  13. Buffering

Perform drive substitution

Perform drive substitution to create the virtual drives L and M.

 

 

Make a directory for today's exercise

  1. Make a directory called M:\v_an_2 to store today's data.

  2. You may want to delete other data from your removable drive to free up space (except your Geodatabase). I suggest keeping copies of all your old assignments somewhere (you can use your dante account for this), but if you continue to store data on your removable drive, you will eventually run out of space somewhere during the quarter. If you still have the shapefile of the culvert inventory zones from the data entry lesson, it will be used in today's lesson, so do not delete that, but if you have already deleted your copy, you can download a copy during that part of today's lesson.

Open a project

  1. Download the project v_an_2.mxd (use "Save As..."), and save it in M:\v_an_2.

  2. Open the map document in ArcMap.


Set the working directory

Make sure to Set Working Directory to the M:\.

Because you will be creating a number of new datasets, this will save the time of you needing to navigate through a number of directories. (Geoprocessing > Environments.)

Open ArcToolbox
  1. Open ArcToolbox by clicking (It will take 3-5 minutes for ArcMap to load all tools)

  2. If ArcToolbox is not docked in the GUI,double click at the top of the box and it will be docked:



ArcToolbox is the application that contains all the overlay analysis tools.

Append

Appending layers is used to join together layers that represent the same features on the ground, but whose spatial extents are contiguous (for example, data which are tiled by township). Merge appends all spatial features into one layer, and creates a single attribute table.

  1. Download the file sections.zip to M:\ (use "Save As"). This contains two shapefiles containing Public Land Survey System (PLSS) data for the sections covering Pack Forest.

  2. Unzip the zipfile.

  3. Import the two layers (sections_north and sections_south) to your geodatabase: M:\NETID.gdb


  4. Create a new data frame.

  5. Add the two layers (sections_north and sections_south) from your geodatabase (M:\NETID.gdb) and the Pack Forest boundary (L:\packgis\packgis.mdb\forest\boundary).

  6. Change the display color for either the north or the south sections in order to see the difference between the data sets.



  7. Export the sections_north shapefile (right-click, Data > Export) to M:\NETID.gdb\sections.shp. The reason for this is we will be appending one data set onto another. In order to perform an append, it is necessary to start with an existing data set, and then append other layers onto it.



  8. Use the Data Management Tools > General > Append tool. Select sections_south from the Input Features dropdown. [Note: there is another Append tool (Coverage Tools > Data Management > Aggregate > Append) for use on coverage data sets; but in this case we are using feature classes rather than coverages.]



  9. Select sections in the Output Features control. Keep the default option of Test for the Schema Type. Testing the schema type will compare the attribute tables for the input data sets; if the attribute structures are not identical, an error will be generated. Append starts with an exising data set that (usually) contains features, and adds features from the input data set(s) to that existing data set. In this case the features from sections_south will be appended to sections (which was originally created as a copy of sections_north)



    Click OK to start the process.

  10. After the process is complete, you can close the dialog.

  11. The newly appended data set will be added to the data frame:



  12. Open the attribute table and scroll about halfway down. You will see that all records have values, so not only were the shapes appended, but the records were appended as well.



  13. Close the table and collapse the New Data Frame data frame to reduce clutter in the Table of Contents.

You have just merged together two layers that were previously stored separately. Now all features of both original layers are present in the new layer. You can use this technique when you have adjacent datasets that represent the same features.

Clip

Back in Exercise 4, we created a new layer of culvert inventory zones. When it was created, it was made to go well outside the Pack Forest boundary.

Clip will now be used to limit the zones to the spatial extent of Pack Forest.

  1. If you do not have the culvert inventory zone shapefile saved, either digitize one now (if you think you can do it quickly), or get it here (culv_inv.shp), as a self-extracting executable.

  2. Extract the Zip file and Import to your geodatabase M:\NETID.gdb after you download it. This will give you a feature class called culv_inv.

  3. With the <CTRL> key pressed, click the layers Culverts and Boundary in the Topology! data frame. Right-click and select Copy. Collapse the Topology! data frame to reduce clutter in the Table of Contents.

  4. Create a new data frame and change its name to Culvert Inventory. The new data frame will automatically be active.

  5. Right-click the data frame's title and select Paste Layer(s). This copies the Culverts and Boundary layers from one data frame to another.

  6. Add the culv_inv layer to the data frame.

  7. Define the projection (Data Management Tools-> Projection and Transformations -> Define Projection) on the culv_inv shapefile to match the sections shapefile (Use "Import" instead of "Select" when you define the projection). You now have several layers in your new data frame.

  8. Change the symbology of the culv_inv feature class by opening the layer's properties and selecting the Symbology tab.

  9. Click the Import button. Choose to Import symbology definition from an ArcView 3 legend file. A legend file specifies how a layer should be displayed, including symbols and classifications. Browse to M:\..\culv_inv and select culv_inv.avl.





  10. This is a very simple legend file that will display the polygons as thick red outlines.





  11. In the ArcToolbox Search tab, enter clip as the operation to search for and click Search. A number of different tools will be displayed. The one we will use is from theAnalysis toolbox, so double-click it. You can search for tools in this way if you do not remember where tools are in the ArcToolbox hierarchy.

    1. The Input Features (that is, the features you want to clip) is CULV_INV.
    2. The Clip Features (that is, the "cookie cutter") is the Boundary.
    3. Enter the name of the Output Feature Class as M:\NETID.gdb\CULV_INV_Clip_boundary.



  12. Click OK and the process will start. After a few moments the process will complete, after which you can Close the dialog.

  13. The new layer will contain the same zones, but will be clipped down to the same overall spatial extent as the entire Forest.

  14. Open the attribute table of the new shapefile. Note that the attributes from the original data source are maintained in the clipped version.

You have just used a clip to limit the spatial extent of one polygon layer based on the spatial extent of another polygon layer. Use this technique when you need to limit one layer by the outer boundary of another. Sometimes you need to perform mapping or analysis of a subset of your data. Rather than using the entire larger dataset, you can limit the extent in this way.

Identity

Use identity to both limit the spatial extent of the output by the extent of the identity layer, but also to carry all attributes from both input datasets onto the output data set.

You will be creating a new National Wetlands Inventory layer that is limited to the Pack Forest boundary extent, but which is also coded for all forest stand attributes.

  1. Collapse the Culvert Inventory data frame and make the Topology! data frame active, and turn on only the Nwi and Stands layers.

  2. Open the attribute tables for Nwi and Stands. Note the field names and the values present.

  3. The Identity is located at Analysis Tools\Overlay\ in ArcToolbox.


  4. Double-click on the entry to open the tool.

    1. The Input Features are the Nwi polygons;
    2. Set the Identity Features to Stands;
    3. Set the Output Feature Class to M:\NETID.gdb\nwi_stands_Identity

      The order of Input and Identity layers matters; if you switch the layers used for these, the output data set will have different geometry.



  5. Close the dialog after the process finishes.


  6. The new data set looks like the original NWI polygons. But zoom into a location indicated in the image below:



  7. Experiment with turning layers on and off and you will see how the spatial properties of the original NWI data set have been altered.


  8. Only click on Nwi and Stands layers, make they visible. Use the Identify tool and click on an NWI polygon that overlaps with one of the stand polygons. You will see that the polygon has all of the attributes from both parent data sets.



  9. Then click on the new idenitify layer, and then identify one of the polygons. You will see that all values there are from stands and Nwi layers:


Exactly what are the area measurements for these polygons? Fortunately, the area values will show up automatically since we are using geodatbase to save our data (Field Name: Shape_Area). If you are using the the shapefile as your data format, you will need to use "Calculate Geometry" from the attribute table of this layer to update the Area values.

You have just created a new layer based on the overlap of two input layers. If any areas overlap between the two input layers, the polygons representing those areas have attribute values from both inputs. Where there is no overlap, only the input attribute values exist. This technique is used to identify areas that are common between two layers, but only the coordinate data from the input layer exist in the output, and where shapes overlap, features are split.

Intersect & Calculate Geometry

Contrast Intersect with Identity. The same layers will be used, Nwi and Stands, but instead of an Identity, use an Intersect.

  1. Open Analysis Tools > Overlay > Intersect.
    1. Again, select NWI and Stands as the Input Features .
    2. The Output Feature Class can be called anything you like, but I suggest using M:\NETID.gdb\nwi_stands_Intersect.



  2. After you have selected both layers, click OK. In this case, the order in which you select layers does not matter, because the output will only contain geometry that is clipped to the common geometry of all input data sets. Note that you can also get the intersection of more than just two data sets.

    You can see how the Identity output has the same overall geometry of the Nwi data set, whereas the Intersect output is clipped to the common areas of both Nwi and Stands.



  3. Open the attribute table for the new layer. Note that fields exist for both input layers, but the geometry is not correct, try to recalculated the geometry for next step.



  4. Calculate Geometry: Right click on the geometry attribute field (length, area, perimeter, XY coordinates), choose Calculate Geometry, and click yes to open the tool.


  5. Choose the right geometry you want to recalculate and updated (for example, here is AREA), choose the new unit you want to manipulate (or keep it same as the layer projection), and then click OK.



  6. You can compare the new value in the table versus the previous table you had in step 4, the value is totally different, and you need to calculate geometry all the time once you use ArcToolbox to perform any vector analysis tools.



  7. If you saved your new layer into Geodatabase, the geometry will be update automatically into new field, called "Shape_Length" & "Shape_Area" in the end of table, you do not have to update by yourself, and the unit is as same as layer projection.


Plus, Identity and Intersect are similar in what they do, except that the output spatial extent differs. Where there is no overlap, polygon areas are deleted.

Union

Union the Soils polygon layer and the Stands polygon layer.

  1. In ArcToolbox, open the Union tool. Like Intersect, the order of input and overlay does not matter.

  2. In ArcMap, use the <CTRL> key and select both the Soils and Stands layers. Drag these into the Features control in the Union tool.



  3. Rather than entering a name for the output data set, click the Browse button and navigate inside the geodatabase. Enter the name soils_stands_union for the output feature class.



  4. Click Save for the Output Feature Class and OK the tool.


  5. Note that the new feature class combines the geometries from both input layers.



  6. Identify one of the polygons to view its attribute structure. Note how both parent layers' attribute fields and values appear in the new layer's table.



  7. Open the table for the new layer and scroll all the way to the right.



    Note the fields Shape_Length and Shape_Area. These represent perimeter and area for each polygon. These values are automatically generated and updated. Note that the original Area and Perimeter fields exist; because the feature geometry has been altered, these fields are no longer valid (you can easily see this by looking at the identified feature above: AREA = 6279539 ft^2, Shape_Area = 812053 ft^2).

Union is similar to Identity and Intersect, but all features from all input layers are preserved in the output. Remember that in Identity, only the geometries from the input layer are preserved; in Intersect, only common geometries are preserved.

Identity and intersect can pair polygon layers with point or line layers as well as with polygon layers.

Update

Use Update to replace the contents of one polygon layer with the contents of another. Here, we will update the Soils layer with the Lakes layer. This can be useful if you have a newer or more accurate dataset that you would like to use to replace parts of an existing dataset.

  1. Add the L:\packgis\packgis.gdb\forest\lakes layer to the data frame.

  2. Open the Update tool from ArcToolbox.
    1. Drag Soils from ArcMap into the Input Features control.
    2. Drag lakes polygon to the Update Features control.
    3. Browse to the geodatabase and set the name of the new data set to soils_updated_with_lakes.



    4. After the process completes, zoom in to an area where lakes exist (see image below).



    5. You can see the original Soils polygons show water features (if you change the symbology to show unique values based on SOIL.NAME this becomes apparent).



    6. The new data set has its geometry updated with the features from the lakes polygon layer.



    7. Select one of the features. In this case, the new feature's geometry originates from the lakes polygon layer, but the area the new polygon occupies was originally an area of overlap with SCAMMAN soils.



    8. Update works to add the new overlapped polygon or features to another layer and output a new layer named soils_updated_with_lakes.shp. Now you can see soil layer has lake polygon information. The selected lake polygon is a part of soil layer now.

You have just replaced parts of one polygon layer with polygons from another layer.

Erase

Contrast Update with Erase. Erase removes the overlapping features from the input layer. In this example, remove the Lakes areas completely from the Soils layer.

  1. Open the Erase tool.
    1. The Input Features is set to Soils.
    2. The Erase Features ("cookie cutter") is lakes polygon.
    3. Place the output in the geodatabase as soils_erased_with_lakes.



  2. It is obvious what Erase does by viewing the new data set.



    The places where lakes were have been completely deleted from the Soils layer.

You have just deleted parts of one polygon layer using polygons from another layer. Anywhere there was overlap, areas have been removed.

Buffering

Buffering creates a new polygon layer at either constant or variable distance from features in an input layer. In this exercise you will create variable-width buffers around roads based on the road type. You will associate a buffer distance for each road segment by creating a summary table and temporarily joining the summary table to the roads table. This is a preferred method because it does not permanently alter the roads table; once the buffer is complete, the join can be broken.

  1. Create a new data frame called Road Buffering.

  2. Add the Roads layer from L:/packgis/packgis.mdb/forest/roads to this data frame.



  3. Create and alter a summary table from the roads table.
    1. Open the attribute table for the layer.
    2. Perform a summary based on the CLASSIFY field.
    3. Do not specify any summary statistics (this will create a simple table with a record for each road class).
    4. Specify the output table as M:\NETID.gdb\roads_classify_summary.



    5. Add the table to the map.



    6. Open the table.



    7. Add a field called buff_dist.



    8. Using the Editor toolbar and select Start Editing. Update the values of the buff_dist field as shown here. These are the buffer widths that will be applied to each road use type, for example, HIGHWAY road features will be buffered by 30 feet.



    9. After your edits are complete, stop editing (and save your edits).



    10. Join the summary table onto the roads table using the CLASSIFY field as the joiner.



    11. Now you will see that the roads table has the buff_dist field. Remember that joins are temporary, so after the buffer is complete you can remove the join and your roads table will be unaffected.



    12. Open the ArcToolbox > Analysis Tools > Proximity > Buffer tool.
      1. The Input Features should be set to roads.
      2. Set the Output Feature Class to roads_buffer_by_classify within the geodatabase.



      3. Select the Field radio button for specifying the buffer distance. Select the joined buff_dist field. This instructs ArcGIS to use buffer values on a feature-by-feature basis, controlled by the value of the buffer distance on each feature's record.



      4. Scroll down and make sure to choose Dissolve to ALL (but be aware of what this does by looking at Show Help).


      5. Click OK to start the buffer process. After a few moments the process will be complete. Zoom in to view the output. You will see that different roads are buffered at different distances.

You have just created variable-width buffers of road features. The buffers define an area that is a discrete distance from each buffered road segment. Any vector feature can be buffered in this way. It is common to buffer features in order to delineate areas of influence, or to create areas of altered land use. For example, under current forest regulations, depending on the stream class, different activities are permissible at different distances from the stream channel.

 

 

REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR CD AND REMOVABLE DRIVE WITH YOU!!!!

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