GIS443

GEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
 Outline
 Basic Elements of Map Design
 Map Scale
 Map Projections
 Choropleth Maps
 Colours
 Vector GIS display
 GIS queries
 Map layers and scale thresholds
 Hyperlinks and map tips

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

ArcMap is the primary mapping component

of ArcGIS for Desktop.

ArcMap creates map documents (.mxd)

just as AutoCAD creates drawing files (.dwg).

What is a map document?

A map document is a collection

of spatial data layers and tables and their properties.

It is the primary tool by which spatial relationships are displayed.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

Maps are intended to convey information.

Even though many GIS maps contain complicated data, this

information must be easy for the map reader to interpret.

A good map must clearly display key concepts and data as

graphical representations that follow convention and are easily
understood.

In order to be an effective means of communication,

maps must contain key elements.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

1. Neat line or border (i.e., Data Frame)

• The data frame is the portion of the map that displays the
data layers.
• The geographic area shown on the map should be
restricted to the extent of the data.

2. Appropriate Map Titles

• The title of a map is important because it indicates the
intention of the map.
• A good title is short, yet it clearly explains the elements
and relationships we are trying to convey.
• Titles are best placed center bottom, center top or bottom
right of a map.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

3. Legends
• GIS maps display data and information as graphical
elements.
• Legends are the keys to deciphering the symbology used
on the map.
• They need to be legible and easy to understand.

4. Graphical Bar Scale

• Bar scale is a ratio, which relates objects on the map to
the real world.
• E.g., a scale of 1:5000 means one unit on the map
represents 5000 units on the ground in real life.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

5. North Arrow
• The purpose of the north arrow on a map is for
orientation.
• North arrows allow the viewer to determine the direction
of the map relative to due north.
• Maps should be oriented so that due north points up or to
the right.
• North arrows should be simple in design and easy to
read.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

6. Symbols
• Data is often displayed on a map using symbols.
• The choices you make for this symbology will determine
the readability of the map.
• The colours, line widths, icons, and labels all affect the
map and the ease by which it is interpreted.

7. Map Author’s Name, Institution, Data Source(s) and Date

• All maps should have the name of its author(s), the
author’s institution and date of map production.
• The source(s) and date(s) of data used in the production
of the map must be listed here to indicate if the
information on it is current or old.
• This information should be in small print just inside the
neat line/map border typically below the Legend.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

8. Labels
• There is a fine line between labelling features on a map
and creating a cluttered and confusing document.
• You should use labels to identify only the pertinent data
or locations on a map.
• Place the labels so they do not obscure map features.
• Labels should be placed to the right of the feature they
refer to. If that is not possible, labels can be placed to the
left, under or over features (in that order of preference).
• Labels should be big enough to be easily read when the
map is printed, not necessarily when the entire map is
being viewed on a computer screen.
• Labels should be consistent in style and font and overly
decorative style avoided. Larger features should be
labeled with larger size text.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 BASIC ELEMENTS OF MAP DESIGN

Determine the Decide on the data Plan a Layout

objective of the layers
map

• What do you want • What is the most • Size and

to show? important orientation
• Who is going to information your • Map Frame
see it? map needs to • Title and Legend
convey?

Choose colors and

symbols Create your map!

• Create the right

effect
• Maximize
readability
• Follow standards

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 MAP SCALE

• Map scale is a measure of the size at

which features on a map are represented.
• Scale is expressed as a ratio comparing
size of the objects on a map to the size of
the objects in real world. 1:500
• Valid for any system of measurement Large Scale

• Data in GIS has no scale. It acquires a

scale when it is drawn on screen or plotted.

Canada’s NTS
(National
Topographic ) maps
1:50 000 000
are Small Scale
1:50 000

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 MAP PROJECTIONS

A systematic arrangement of meridians and parallels portraying

the curved surface of a sphere onto a plane.

• The problem with developing a double curved surface (which

the earth is) is that it cannot be accurately represented on 2D
media.
• All maps contain distortion of some type:
- shape, area (size), scale (distance) and direction
• Depending on the purpose of the map, some distortions are
acceptable and others are not.
• Because of this distortion, different map projections exist in
order to preserve some properties at the expense of others.

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 MAP PROJECTIONS

Map Properties

• Area (size)
• Equal area or comparison of surface
• Angles are altered, shapes are distorted
• Shape
• True shape or conformity
• Distorts area
• Direction
• Bearing and distance
• Only mercator maps preserve
• Scale (distance)
• Distance on a map relative to the earth’s surface
• No map wholly preserves scale

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 MAP PROJECTIONS

GCS – Geographic Coordinate System

• 3 dimensional coordinate system based on a sphere

• Latitude and Longitude represent angular measures (not
distances)
• Every GCS uses a datum which adjusts GCS to fit on
earth (which is not a sphere)
• North American Datum NAD 1983 Most
common
• World Geodetic System WGS 1984

• During this process, the angular units in degrees are converted

to planar units of meters

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 MAP PROJECTIONS

Map Projections take 3D angular coordinates of GCS and use

mathematical equations to displace them to cylindrical, conical or planar
surfaces.

Source: http://kartoweb.itc.nl/geometrics/map%20projections/mappro.html

Cylindrical Conical Azimuthal (Planar)

• Preserves direction and • Preserve area and • Preserves areas and
shape distance distances
• Distorts distance and area • Distorts direction and
shape

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 CHOROPLETH MAPS

• Colour-coded polygon maps

• Use monochromatic scales or saturated colours

• Represent numeric values (e.g. population, number of

housing units, percentage of vacancies)

Percentage of vacant
housing units by
county

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 CLASSIFYING DATA

• Process of placing data into groups

(classes or
bins) that have a similar characteristic or Break
value points
• Break points
• Breaks the total attribute range up
into these intervals
• Keep the number of intervals as
small as possible (5-7)
• Use a mathematical progression or
formula instead of picking arbitrary
values

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 CLASSIFICATIONS

• Natural breaks (Jenks)

• Picks breaks that best group similar values together
naturally and maximizes the differences between classes
• Generally, there are relatively large jumps in value between
classes and classes are uneven
• Based on a subjective decision and is the best choice for
combining similar values
• Class ranges specific to the individual dataset, thus it is
difficult to compare a map with another map

U.S. population by
state, 2000

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 CLASSIFICATIONS

• Quantiles
• Places the same number of data values in each class
• Will never have empty classes or classes with too few or too
many values
• Attractive in that this method produces distinct map patterns
• Analysts use because they provide information about the
shape of the distribution.
• Example: 0–25%, 25%–50%, 50%–75%,75%–100%

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 CLASSIFICATIONS

• Equal intervals
• Divides a set of attribute values into groups that contain an
equal range of values
• Best communicates with continuous set of data
• Easy to accomplish and read
• Not good for clustered data
• Produces map with many features in one or two
classes and some classes with no features

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems

 SOURCES

 GIS Tutorial: Basic Workbook for ArcGIS 10.1 (2013), by Wilpen L.

Gore & Kristen S. Kurland, ESRI Press, 440p., ISBN #
9781589483354

 ArcGIS 10.1 for Desktop Advanced Student Edition (ESRI)

 http://kartoweb.itc.nl/geometrics/map%20projections/mappro.html

 www.esri.com

GIS443 Geographic Information Systems