Getting to Know ArcGIS Pro

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Introduction

The use of GIS applications with UAS data has become more relevant in recent years. GIS is geographical information systems that allows the ability to obtain and analyze spatial and geographical data. One application that is commonly used is ArcGIS Pro. What sets this application different from other GIS applications are the ability to work with tables, 2D maps, and even 3D maps all while being able to synchronize changes when multiple windows are open within the application. This lab introduces ArcGIS Pro and uses a tutorial provided from ArcGIS Learn. The tutorial went over tourist attractions in Singapore and maps out rail stations that are closest to a certain attraction.

Methods

As mentioned, the focus of the lab was to follow a tutorial that introduced different aspects of ArcGIS Pro. This tutorial went over different functions that this application has to offer. Figure 1 shows what starting a new project looks like and the basemap. 


Figure 1 shows the basemap after creating a project and opening it.

This base map may not offer much, but it is a start to any new GIS project. The purpose of a basemap is to essentially be the background of any project that is created. To get closer to the subject of the tutorial, the locate tool is used. By simply searching "Singapore," it takes the user directly to the area of study. Figure 2 shows what is displayed after using the locate tool.


Figure 2 shows a close up of Singapore after using the locate tool.

The locate function makes it easy to find points of interest without actually having to pan around base maps or geographical information. Along with the locate tool, ArcGIS Pro implements the idea of adding bookmarks. Bookmarks can be saved to jump around specific viewpoints, without the hassle of trying to position and zoom in/out the correct amount over and over again.

There is not much to present with this basemap alone. To add data, they are placed in the form of layers. Projects can have multiple layers within them to display certain types of information. Figure 3 shows the importation of tourist attractions, rail lines, and rail stations. 


Figure 3 shows the addition of tourist attractions, rail lines, and rail stations to the basemap.

There is also an option to change basemap layers if the user chooses to change the look of the background to compliment the data displayed. For this tutorial, the "Dark Gray Canvas" layer is used to compliment the look of the attractions, lines, and stations. ArcGIS Pro also allows the use of symbology to change the look of certain data sets, whether that be points, area, or certain data rasters. Figure 4 shows the updated symbology for the tourist attractions.


Figure 4 shows the updated symbology for tourist attractions and the updated basemap; this is a closer look at the central business district of Singapore.

After updating the tourist attraction points, the tutorial dived into some of the spatial tools that are offered through ArcGIS Pro. There are a numerous amount of tools that relate to different aspects of GIS work. The spatial join tool was used for this lab; this tool takes two different features and joins their attributes based on their spatial relationship. After this tool is ran, it is possible to view the attribute table to get a better sense on how the tool works. Figure 5 shows the attribute table generated.


Figure 5 displays the spatial join attribute table and adds points to stations that are close to different tourist attractions. The tool also lists out the closest attraction.

After viewing the attribute table, it can be exported for various uses. For this tutorial, the table is exported to allow tourists to see the closest station to a certain attraction within a brochure. To better reference the points, the label feature is used to be able to distinguish between the different stations. Since there are so many of them, the label is changed to display a number instead of the name, which would make it easier to find using the attribute table. Figure 6 displays the updated labels.


Figure 6 shows all of the updated symbolized points with their updated labels added.

After updating the labels and symbolized points, the tutorial went through the process of creating a layout. Layouts are a great feature of ArcGIS Pro because it gives the user the ability to edit and change the look of maps for presentation, distribution, or any other reasons. Since the map will be used within a brochure, per the tutorial, there is not any direct links or the option to post it as an interactive map. The final product is displayed within Figure 7.


Figure 7 displays the final map that was created.

Discussion

The tutorial for this lab went through a lot key aspects to ArcGIS Pro. The ability to manipulate data and change it into a way that can be visualized in a way that others can understand is important and is a big skill to have. Layouts prove to be useful in directly taking the data that was processed and symbolized straight to creating a layout and being able to create a way that visually represents that data. Some of the tools that were discussed and used within the tutorial (spatial join, importing XY data, symbology, labels, and changing base layer maps) are useful and without a doubt will be used in later labs. 

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