Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using ArcMap 9.0 Thursday October 13th, 2005 Marcel Fortin GIS & Map Librarian University of Toronto marcel.fortin@utoronto.ca

Agenda What is a GIS? Examples of GIS Issues and problems/obstacles to using GIS GIS Software and Data Hands-on

Objectives Understand the basic premise of GIS Learn the basics of GIS software and databases Learn the basics of different geographic datasets

What is a GIS? A GIS is a computer application with the capacity to assemble, store, manipulate, analyze, and display geographically referenced information

What is not a GIS? A GIS is not a digital map (a digital map is only one of the outputs of a GIS) A GIS is not a graphic design tool A GIS is not a replacement for maps

GIS - An Analogy GIS is to geographic display what a word processor is to writing In that same sense, whereas using word processing software does not make you a professional writer then using GIS software does not make you a cartographer

What is geographic data? In order to use a GIS, your data has to fit in the software in one way or another Data is georeferenced if it has a geographic field. These are more numerous than you imagine postal codes Province City longitude and latitude lot numbers concession numbers census tract wards etc.

Common Examples of GIS :

Common Examples of GIS :

Example of a GIS 0.5000000 0.0000000 -0.5000000 627995.1250249 4836671.8749751 1999 Aerial photograph (Triathlon Inc.)

Example of a GIS DMTI Spatial’s Street Network File for Ontario

Example of a GIS 1999 Orthorectified Aerial photograph overlayed with the DMTI Spatial’s Street Network file for Ontario

Example of a GIS Map of French Language Population in Toronto, Census of Canada 2001

Example of a GIS 1870’s Map of Toronto with the Gardiner Expressway overlayed. Note the highway’s location!

Example of a GIS 1870’s map of Toronto showing current lots in the city of Toronto. Note the lots set on top of a lost stream (Garrison Creek)

Complex GIS examples Digital Elevation Model / 3d View data of mountains in the Eastern Townships, Québec ncols 1370 nrows 996 xllcorner 656445.92 yllcorner 4984392.2 cellsize 30 NODATA_value -9999 9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999

Complex GIS examples ncols 1370 nrows 996 xllcorner 656445.92 yllcorner 4984392.2 cellsize 30 NODATA_value -9999 9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 198.901 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 -9999 Digital Elevation Model of Mountains in the Eastern Townships, Québec

GIS Software We will be using ESRI’s ArcMap. Industry leader but also the Microsoft of GIS Many other brands of software running on many different platforms, including Mapinfo, Idrisi, PCI, Microsoft MapPoint, GRASS, and others

GIS Issues Data Access, availability, and price in Canada (Data Culture) Data Quality Software access and price Computing Training

GIS Data Access – Free Data www.geobase.ca www.geogratis.com www.geographynetwork.com www.geographynetwork.ca www.gisdatadepot.com

GIS Data Access at the University of Toronto Library http://www.library.utoronto.ca/maplib

What will you be doing today? Downloading Data from the Map Library Web Pages Loading data in ArcGIS one layer several layers Working with varying Geographic Coordinate systems Exporting a Map