Lab 4

ArcMap Review

My experience with ArcMap came with much excitement, however I also found myself to be extremely frustrated at times due to the use of novel software. Although ArcGIS has a steep learning curve associated with its use, I was still able to experience a taste of the software's power through the ArcMap tutorial. 

I found the ability to manipulate data layers in ArcMap to be extremely interesting. As one can see from the associated graphic, I was able to utilize data layers in different forms and at different scales. For example, I used the land use data layer to highlight the area of the airport at multiple scales. As a result, the airport's role in the geographic distribution is understood in three different contexts: population density, land use, and school distributions. Given this information, one can make an informed judgment over the implications of theoretical airport expansion. Even with limited experience in this field of spatial data manipulation, I am already able to envision many of the possibilities associated with the practice. 

Additionally, I found that one of the major benefits of ArcMap is the ability to convey information in multiple graphical formats using the same data source. In the context of the tutorial, I was able to present information regarding land use within the noise contour in both a bar graph and map format. As a result, one can use ArcMap to reinforce data presentations that are particularly relevant to one's objective. In this case, I was able to highlight the the number of parcels within the noise contour based upon the land use type. Although one can estimate this value through the map representation, the bar graph provides further detail in quantitative form. 

As another testament to the potential of ArcGIS, I discovered the benefit of graphical customization in the process of the ArcMap tutorial. Through the method of customizing layout, legends, scale bars, and color, I was presented with the power of ArcGIS. Due to this level of user control, the possibilities for graphical presentation are endless and are visible in the different legends and color schemes used in my presentation. However, this empowerment of the user also leads to a converse effect that is the associated difficulty of such a learning curve. By enabling extensive graphical customization, the ArcGIS software thereby precludes ease of access and user friendly environments. 

Although I found the integration of tables and databases with ArcMap to be particularly enabling, this feature set also forces the user to maintain a highly systematic and organized file system. In particular, the ability to join and relate data sets proved to be one of the most beneficial aspects of the ArcMap tutorial. Due to this ability, I was able to place combine population density data in the context of the county. Nevertheless, this process reinforced the concept that one must maintain a normalized data set using an organized file system. Furthermore, this process established the notion of the importance of using a primary key in order to relationally join different tables.