1. Designing Maps with ArcGIS Learning ArcGIS Desktop Training Course
Module 8
ESRI Virtual Campus
Learning ArcGIS Desktop Training Course
ESRI ArcGIS
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2. Introduction Before creating a map to present results
Take some time to plan
Effective map communicates clear message to audience
To present information through a map effectively, ask
Who is the intended audience?
What is the purpose of the map?
How will the map be used?
To determine
Amount and type of information
Scale
Symbols and colors
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3. Learning Objectives
Understand and apply basic cartographic design principles.
List elements that can be included on a map.
Create a map layout.
Add orientation and position information to a map.
Create and modify a map legend.
Add and modify decorative map elements.
Convert feature labels to annotation.
Apply and modify a map template.
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4. Working with Map Layouts
This topic provides a brief introduction to cartographic principles and shows how to apply them in the ArcMap™ layout environment.
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5. Cartographic Design Principles
Cartography encompasses the art and science of mapmaking.
Cartographers rely on some basic principles to create effective maps.
Audience and purpose
Size, scale, and media
Visual balance
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6. Audience and Purpose
Knowing intended audience helps communicate message in a way they can best understand.
Typically, a map has only one purpose so that it's easier to understand.
A map with more than one purpose will blur the map's message and confuse the audience.
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7. Audience and Purpose Both maps show the perimeter of a forest fire.
Left Map has less info and appropriate for general audience
Right Map includes detail suitable for expert audience
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8. Size and Scale Influence number of features
Level of detail that a map can show.
Amount of info that can effectively be communicated
Too much information will confuse and overwhelm
Too little information won't get message across
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9. Size and Scale Based on how map will be used
For example, a map viewed from a distance
Should be larger than one that will be included in a report
Features represented at a large enough scale to be clearly seen from a distance
Layer of rivers collected at 1:100,000 contains much more detail than a 1:3,000,000 map printed on an 8.5 x 11-inch piece of paper
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10. Size and Scale Left - small-scale map Right - larger-scale map
Cannot show as many features or as much detail
Right - larger-scale map
Shows an area in southern Australia
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11. Media Plays an important role in map design May be printed on
Different paper sizes
Some may be unsuited to showing much detail
Viewed digitally
On the Internet
Designed specifically for that medium
Symbol colors
Amount of detail shown
Map size
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12. Visual Balance Map’s Central Theme Maps contain more information
information to focus the reader's attention on first
should be the most visually prominent element on the map.
Maps contain more information
Elements need to be visually ranked (sized) according to importance
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13. Visual Balance
Both maps above have the same central theme, countries associated with the Nile River
Left, central theme is unclear because elements are not arranged in any particular order
Right, elements rearranged and data extents adjusted to better convey the theme.
A map reader can easily interpret this map
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14. Visual Balance All elements of a map work together as a composition
Arrangement affects map's visual balance and reader's perception of the info
Before printing or publishing a map make sure it includes
all relevant info readers need to fully understand it,
arranged in a way that promotes understanding
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15. Elements of a Map A map can have many different elements
each with specific function that helps audience understand
Deciding which elements to include essential part of map design
Main elements are:
Map body
Legend
Title
Scale
North Arrow
Inset map
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16. Map Body Most important element on a map Shows mapped data
May contain one or more map bodies
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17. Legend Explains symbology used in the map body Without a legend
map's audience may not understand what the symbols mean
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18. Title
Conveys map's subject to the audience
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19. Scale Numeric Verbal Graphic Map reader can measure 1:10,000
1 inch equals 10,000 inches
Graphic
Scale bar
Map reader can measure
Distances between features
Length of features
Area of a shape in the map
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20. North Arrow Shows a map's orientation
how the features in the map relate to north
Most maps tend to be oriented so that north faces the top of the page
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21. Grid or Graticle A grid or a graticule may be more appropriate Grid
Network of parallel and perpendicular lines superimposed on a map and used for reference
Usually named after map's projection
i.e. Lambert grid and Transverse Mercator grid
Graticle
Network of longitude and latitude lines on a map or chart
Relates points on a map to their true locations on earth
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22. Inset Maps Shows how area of interest is related to a larger area
Helpful when
map body is zoomed in on a region and
audience is not necessarily familiar with the area of interest
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23. Other Elements Source of data shown in map Map projection
Can help audience determine accuracy of the measurement info
Name of the map creator or organization
Date of publication
Informative text about map's subject or purpose
Graph, table, or report based on map data
Neatline (graphic border)
Helps bind map elements together
Internal borders
Categorize or rank map elements
Images
i.e. company logo or aerial photo
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24. Map Elements
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25. Working in the ArcGIS Layout Environment
Create and arrange map elements on a virtual page called a layout.
Default layout shows the data frames contained in the table of contents
Control which layers display in data frames on the layout
by turning them on and off in the table of contents
Remove a layer from the table of contents, it disappears from data frame on the layout
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26. Working in the ArcGIS Layout Environment
Change or customize all elements in a layout
Change map title's font and size
Control which layers are shown in legend
Change a data frame's background color
Add borders around elements
Align layout elements relative to each other
Change map's page size and orientation
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27. Working in the ArcGIS Layout Environment
You don't have to create a map from scratch
Start with existing layout
Modify its properties or elements it contains
Can save work and time
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28. Exercise
Modify a map layout
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29. Creating a Presentation Map
Designing a presentation map can take hours, even days, of careful work
Easy to get carried away trying to make a beautiful map
ArcMap provides tools to help reduce time and effort spent creating maps
While enhancing their effectiveness
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30. Streamlining Map Design with Templates
Map templates provide a good starting point
A template contains a fully designed layout with all the standard map elements
such as data frames, scale bars, and north arrows, and can also reference specific data
Useful when an organization produces many maps that all need to have a consistent look
i.e. a city planning department may have a template that contains the city's logo; a north arrow; scale bar; layers of the city streets, parcels, and rivers; and a legend showing the colors and symbols for each layer
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31. Streamlining Map Design with Templates
To create a map template
Open a new map document
Add each desired map element to it
one at a time
Arrange all the elements into a pleasing composition
Save the map as a template.
Or, to save time
Open an existing template
Modify it as needed
Save it as a new template
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32. Streamlining Map Design with Templates
ArcGIS Desktop includes a standard set of templates
All continents
Industry- and USA-specific templates
Modify templates to suit needs
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33. Making Maps More Readable
To clearly communicate its message, a map must be readable by its intended audience
Making a readable map can be a challenge
ArcMap provides tools to help audience interpret data
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34. Adjusting Layer Transparency
When a map contains multiple layers with overlapping features
can appear cluttered
Distinguishing features in different layers can be difficult
Solution
Adjust transparency of one or more layers
Setting specific transparency values for layers
allows map reader to see symbology for multiple layers at the same time
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35. Adjusting Layer Transparency
A layer of census tracts partially transparent
Layer of census blocks underneath can also be seen
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36. Converting Labels to Annotation
When feature labels are displayed labels
Are dynamic
May overlap
Be too close to features
Resulting in a map that's hard to interpret
Cannot reposition dynamic feature labels
Convert feature labels to annotation,
Position annotation for max readability
Modify annotation text and display properties
such as font, size, color, and character spacing
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37. Converting Labels to Annotation
Left - State capital names are dynamic labels
Right – Labels converted to annotation
Moved to create a more readable map
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38. Adding a Reference System
An effective map
Readers can easily locate features
Add a reference system to the map
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39. Adding a Reference System
A property of the data frame
Modify so they don't interfere with interpretation of other map symbols
Color of the lines
Font and orientation of the labels
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40. Adding a Reference System
Left - includes a graticule to allow readers to locate features by their latitude and longitude coordinates
Right - uses a simple reference grid to help readers find map features
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41. Adding Graphic Elements
Improve visual balance
Easier for readers to interpret a map
Borders and images
Good way to visually group similar elements
Help reader distinguish among all the elements included on a map
Text box
Draw attention to explanatory text added to a map
Images
i.e. company logo or aerial photograph
Add visual interest
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42. Organizing Map Elements in a Layout
Organize, size, and arrange elements elative to one another and to the map page.
Goals
Pleasing composition
Allows readers to focus most important info
Distinguish supporting information that promotes understanding
ArcMap tools
Rulers, guides, alignment, and grouping tools
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43. Exercise
Create a presentation map part 1
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44. Exercise
Create a presentation map part 2
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45. Review
An effective map communicates a clear message to its intended audience.
All elements work together as a visually balanced composition that emphasizes and supports the map's main purpose.
In ArcGIS, you design a map by creating a layout in ArcMap.
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46. Review
Visually, the map body should be the most prominent element on the map.
The main elements of a map are the map body, legend, title, scale, north arrow, and the inset map.
Maps can also contain other elements such as graticules, text boxes, charts, graphics, and images.
Can modify the properties of all the elements in a layout to suit your needs. ArcMap gives you tools to organize and arrange the elements so that a map is easy to read.
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47. Review
To increase the information conveyed by a map and to make a map more readable, you can adjust layer transparency, convert labels to annotation, and add a reference system.
To improve a map's visual balance, you can add graphic elements such as borders and text boxes.
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48. Review Questions
What are some questions you should ask before creating a map?
When is a map template especially useful?
What are some of the tools used to organize and arrange elements in a layout?
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49. Review Answers
Some of the questions you should ask before creating a map are: Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose of the map? How will the map be used?
Using a template is a good idea when several or many maps need to have a consistent look.
Rulers, guides, and the alignment and grouping tools can be used to arrange the elements in a layout.
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50. Key Terms Section 1 Annotation Cartography Graticule Grid Inset map
Descriptive text used to label features on or around a map. Information stored for annotation includes a text string, a position at which it can be displayed, and display characteristics.
Cartography
The art and science of expressing graphically, usually through maps, the natural and social features of the earth.
Graticule
A network of longitude and latitude lines on a map or chart that relates points on a map to their true locations on the earth.
Grid
Any network of parallel and perpendicular lines superimposed on a map and used for reference. Grids are usually named after the map's projection; for example, Lambert grid and Transverse Mercator grid.
Inset map
On a map layout, a smaller map used to orient map readers to the area shown in the main map body. An inset map shows how the area in the main map is related to a larger area. For example, an inset map could contain a world map with the country that is the subject of the main map highlighted or outlined with a box.
Layout
The arrangement or overall design of elements on a digital map display or printed map, possibly including a title, legend, north arrow, scale bar, and geographic data.
In ArcGIS, a presentation document incorporating maps, charts, tables, text, and images.
Legend
An element on a map that lists and explains the colors, symbols, line patterns, shadings, and annotation that have been used on the map to represent the various elements and data values. The legend includes a sample of each symbol with text describing what it means.
Map body
On a map layout, an element that contains one or more layers of geographic data that forms the subject matter of the map. A map may contain one or more map bodies. In the ArcGIS layout view environment, a map body is a data frame.
Map template
In ArcMap, a type of map document that provides a quick way to create a new map. Templates can contain data, a custom interface, and a predefined layout that arranges map elements, such as north arrows, scale bars, and logos, on the virtual page. Map templates have the .MXT file extension.
Scale bar
A map element that shows the map scale graphically.
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