In this presentation we will focus on some simple tips and habits that will keep you from pulling your hair out Go from this To this

 Sometimes the program has been know to freeze and crash, causing much frustration in the user. An easy fix to this problem is to create a GIS User Profile on your computer. What this will do is limit the programs that run in the background. Many personal use computers have a number of programs (apps, music software, game software, internet software, messaging software) running in the background, all these programs will slow down your computer.  So the easy solution is to create a User Profile that you use JUST for GIS. It will also rid you of the temptation of going on Facebook, playing games, or other fun distractions.

 Before you start any project you should create a folder in a known location. Doing this will allow you an easy and organized way of keeping track of your project.  Proper labeling is another way of staying organized. Choose names that you will recognize in a month. Good labels for each project. No clutter. Subfolders for each project Lots of clutter and confusing names. No clear subfolders

 Doing this will have an entire project’s shapefiles, tables, raster images, etc. in one easy to find location and an easy way move them all if needed. Tables, shapefiles, raster images are all mixed with other folders and.mxd files Tables, shapefiles, and raster images are all in one place without other files.

 Whenever you start a project set up your workspace. Doing this will place all created shapefiles in the place of your choosing rather than whatever the default is. It is easy to misplace an important shapefile.  You can do this by going to GEOPROCESSING then going to ENVIRONMENTS then choosing the location you want in the WORKSPACE option.

 When you download a raster, shapefile or table it is often assigned a generated number/letter name. These names normally do not give you a clear understanding of what you have. It is always wise to give it a name that explains what it is. This should also be done to anything you create as well.  This should always be done in ArcCatalog or upon creation. Do you understand what these files are? Think you would remember in a month? These are easier to understand. They give you a better understanding of what they are.

 The most frustrating thing that can happen when working on a project is spending 2 hours on it and then having the program crash and taking all your hard work with it. SO SAVE OFTEN!  You may also want to save the same project as different files at different stages. This can be done by using the Save As option under the File tab.  Give the file a good name and maybe even the date that you worked on it.

 Sometimes you will find yourself scratching your head and asking yourself “What did I do wrong? Why isn’t it working?”  The best solution is to start over. It is difficult to fix a problem when you don’t know what the cause is and by starting over you will most likely save more time rather then trying to work backwards to see what you did wrong.  By repeating the process over again you also gain more experience in the process, making the work go faster in the future.

 Sometimes you can do everything right and still have problems. Glitches, crashes, and errors can come up even when you do everything right. So what to do when you get flustered?  TAKE A BREAK! Get a drink of water, go for a stroll, or surf the internet. Whatever you need to do to relax. You will work much better and have less mistakes if you are in a calmer state.

 Say you’ve been working with GIS for a few months and you’re still a little rusty on a few processes. Try teaching someone who’s never used it how to do it. You’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll pick it up too.  Teach your kid or sibling how to find which candy stores are within 100 meters of your house will make you a GIS PRO!  Teach grandma how to find which BINGO locations are within a mile will make you a GIS MASTER!