Exercise 1 Opening and Viewing Data

Exercise 1A – Opening and Displaying Data

In this exercise you will practice different ways to open raw data, layer files, and map documents. Once opened, you will practice with layer visibility and drawing order. Finally, you will try out some of the tools available for navigating the data.

1.  Launch ArcMap: Either by clicking on the icon on the desktop or from the Start Menu: StartàProgramsàArcGIS à ArcMap

2.  Click on the Add Data Tool (plus sign icon) and navigate to the directory where you saved the Exercises and Data. Go to the Allegheny Folder.

Click on AlleghenyPregnancy.shp to select it and then Click the Add Button (bottom right).

You may see the following pop-up message:

If you do, just Click OK.

Question: What are the extensions of all files associated with AlleghenyPregnancy?

3.  Open ArcCatalog. Click ArcCatalog Tool (drawer icon)

4.  Use the directories on the left to navigate to where you have stored your data. Go to the folder connection for Allegheny.

5.  Click on the + next to folder containing the Allegheny to reveal what is within the folder: AlleghenyHydro.shp (hydrology line layer) and AlleghenyBuildingPts.shp (buildings point layer).

6.  Drag the AlleghenyHydro.shp onto the Table of Contents (TOC). Then drag the AlleghenyBuildingPts.shp onto the TOC. Once you have added both, close ArcCatalog by going to FILE à EXIT or Click the Red X in the upper right corner.

7.  If the buildings point layer (AlleghenyBuildingPts.shp) is not the first layer listed in the TOC, click on it and drag it to the top. (Also click & drag the hydrology layer to just under the points layer.)

8.  Use the Zoom and Pan tools in the tools toolbar to move around the view.

9.  When finished, zoom to the extent of the AlleghenyPregnancy polygon layer by right clicking on it in the TOC and selecting Zoom To Layer

10.  Save your project as an ArcMap document with .mxd extension

automatically assigned.

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