Using Free Web Resources for Spatial Inquiry
“Poor Person’s GIS/GPS”

Background: As a professional you may not have access to GIS/GPS hardware and software due to cost or space limitations. This exercise, using free resources available on the web, is designed to show you GPS integration with GIS and some basic GIS operations.

Materials: Access to a computer.

Procedure:

1.Download the free ArcExplorer—Java Edition for Education if not already loaded on your computer. URL: Choose either the Windows or MacIntosh version. You will need to provide your e-mail address to proceed with the download. For this exercise, ArcExplorer—Java Edition for Education, is available in our computer lab.

As stated at the ESRI site:

“With ArcExplorer you can

Display GIS data

• Shapefiles plus various image formats

• Use data stored on local sources (hard drive, CD, LAN)

• Use data distributed over Internet via ArcIMS servers

• Pan and zoom

• Set a specific scale

• Set scale dependency for data

• Measure distance

• Buffer

• Change display projection of decimal degree data on the fly

• Hot Link to files of various types

• Set an overview map for context

• Print or export (.BMP, .JPG, .PNG) map or layout

Display attributes of GIS features

• Identify individual features

• Label all features

• Display dynamic MapTips

• Display full table (including sort by alpha or numeric)

Classify GIS feature data (points, lines, polygons)

• Single symbol

• Unique values

• Graduated

o Quantile, equal interval, custom classes

o Ramp or customize colors

o Show histogram and statistics

Select particular GIS features interactively

• Find by attribute

• Logical query using attributes, values, and math operators

• Select using buffer

Create point shapefiles from XY tables (such as GPS coordinates)

• .TXT (tab-delimited), .CSV (comma separated), or .DBF files

Share projects

• Open existing projects

• Create and save new projects

• Data paths can be edited, and relative paths set, with simple text editor

Create custom layouts

• Maps with legend and scale bar

• Annotate with text and graphics

  • • Multiple data frames

Source: ESRI, 2005, ArcExplorer™—Java™ Edition for Education

accessed 15 Feb. 2008.

  1. Access “AcmeMapper”site by “googling” “Acme Mapper.” BE SURE TO USE EITHER FIREFOX MOZILLA browser or VERSION 7 of the EXPLORER BROWSER. Do not use a version 6 of EXPLORER or you will not be able to successfully complete this exercise.
  2. In the data entry line at the bottom of the page, type in “Mount Pleasant, MI” (no quotes) or just type in “48858”. Click “Find.”
  3. A map of Mount Pleasant will appear. Practice changing views to “Topo” and “DOQ.”
  4. Click on the “Options” button, as pictured below, and change the coordinate system to UTM.
  1. Record the UTM (easting and northing) of three sampling points, a recognizable point at the east end of Library Reflection Pond Woods, a recognizable point in the meadow between Brooks Hall and the Music Building, and a point in the East Parking Lot east of Moore Hall. For each of these sampling points, record the temperature and relative humidity at each pointwith our Kestrel portable weather units. Again, record these three UTM coordinates, easting, then northing as well as temperature and relative humidity attribute information.
    (Example: 679200, 4828800, 78, 52)
  2. Access the “TerraSever” Site. Go to RESGI, “Maps” category, “Mapping Tools” then click link for TerraServer.
  3. Type the following “Ottawa Court” “Mount Pleasant” and “MI” into the input box located on the upper left hand corner of the TerraServer window. After pressing “Go,” select the Ottawa Court image found in Michigan. Note the similarity between the image produced and the one produced by “AcmeMapper.” Manipulate the image with the Size buttons (medium probably works best), manipulate the directional arrows on the side of the image until all three sampling sites are visible. Click on the “Download” button on the upper right hand corner of the screen (which merges the individual tiles of the image).
  1. Position your mouse pointer over the image; click the right mouse button; select the "Save Picture As" or the "Save Image As" menu item; give the image a meaningful name; save the image to a folder (directory) name you won’t forget. DO NOT SAVE THE IMAGE as download.ashx.jpg; save the image with only one extension, “jpg. Call the file “campus.jpg” .
  2. You now need to provide spatial reference information so ArcExplorer can properly georeference this image. To do this select the “World File” option located on the upper right hand portion of the screen (this option does not exist on the first Terraserver image of your study site; you must have completed Step 7). The world file will look something like this:
  3. Use your browser's “File SaveAs” menu option to save the World File to the same folder (directory) where you saved the image in step 8. Don’t save the file as “USGSWorldFile.aspx.” Make sure World File extension is ".jpgw". The name of the file, MUST be the same as the named image in Step 9 above, say “campus.jpgw” . Remember, the name of the image and the name of the world file must be the same. The extension of the image is jpg. The extension of the world file is .jpgw
  4. Open “campus.jpgw” with either Notepad or WordPad (Found in the “Accessories” folder on the Start Menu. Note that UTM coordinates provided with the world file are pointing to the location of the image’s upper left hand corner.
  5. THIS IS IMPORTANT: RESAVE THE FILE WITH QUOTES AROUND IT “campus.jpgw”. In previous examples you were not to include quotes in any file naming; here, you must include quotes around the name of your World File “campus.jpgw” . Failure to do so will result in the image not being spatially referenced.
  1. Access the most recent of ArcExplorer Java Edition for Education (AEJEE) from the GIS software options located on the Start menu. You can also download the program for home use at
  2. Once you have access the program, select the “Add Data” button in order to import your .jpg image of campus. A “Content Chooser” window will appear allowing you to open your image in the folder where you saved it. Click “OK.” If the image doesn’t appear, try using the “World” icon to zoom into the proper view.
  3. Note that UTM coordinateslike X 679200 Y 4828800 appear when the cursor is moved around the image. If UTM coordinates do not appear, and numbers in the hundreds (X 372 Y 400) appear, the import procedure did not occur correctly. Start the procedure again, following directions. Begin with step 6 again, carefully following directions, especially step 12.
  4. Open Excel. Using your own data collected in the field, enter data using the format below. The file needs to exactly follow the format below if it is going to be read by ArcExplorer. Make sure that the first field name is “Point,” there are no spaces between text or digits, there are no commas, and that no variable names exceed 8 characters (hence, temp intead of temperature). Name the file as “point” or “campus” (You don’t need to add the .csv extension; it will be added automatically when you save the “File as type” as .csv) Save the file a to a folder (directory) you won’t forget, most likely the directory you saved your campus image, making sure the file is saved as a comma separated values (.csv) file. If you get a Excel box asking you whether you are sure you want to make these changes as a .csv file, respond “Yes” After saving the file, close it (otherwise there might be a “sharing violation” error later on).
    Remember, the data aboveare for example only. Enter your own data. Return to ArcExplorer. Import the comma delimited text file as an “Event Theme” in ArcExplorer. To do this, go to the “View” menu and select “Event Theme.” An “Event Theme” window appears.
  5. Open the “Point.csv” or “campus.csv” table. If your attribute file does not appear, try changing the file type to .csv format instead of the default, “all event files
  1. A “Please Select X and or Y Field” Message will appear. Select “easting” from the pull down menu for the X field. Choose “northing” for the Y field. Output directory can be the folder where you have been saving your other files. Choose an appropriate style, color, and size for the event theme you are about to create. Click “OK”
  2. Congratulations! Three GPS points should appear superimposed on the image.
  3. For an extra credit point, include a screen capture of a buffer that you created around one of your points and write a short statement on how a buffer might be useful in a study of campus microclimates. Alternatively, perform a screen capture of a query using the query builder, and indicate how such a query might be useful in an analysis of campus microclimates.

This free program allows you to perform basic GIS functions like spatial query and buffering using the data you collected.

You are welcome to collect data in pairs but each person needs to have their own unit and complete their own report. All questions are to be typed and completed independently. No credit will be given to pairs with exactly the same data points or exactly the same answers.

Turn in typed answers for questions a week from today.

Note: grammar and neatness count.

1) An ArcExplorer print out of your study area with GPS points. (2)

2) A copy of the attribute table (do a screen capture or print out whole page). (1)

3) What were your predictions for temperature and humidity at the three study sites? Why did you make these predictions? Did the spatial patterns established with the use of GPS/GIS confirm your predictions? (4)

4) Design a different field study question and discuss how the GPS/GIS is useful for addressing the question. (3)

5) For an extra credit point, include a screen capture of a buffer that you created around one of your points and write a short statement on how a buffer might be useful in a study of campus microclimates. Alternatively, perform a screen capture of a query using the query builder, and indicate how such a query might be useful in an analysis of campus microclimates.

Distinguished / Proficient / Basic / Poor
Analysis / Thoughtful analysis, no conceptual errors. All required elements present. (7) / One required element is missing or one conceptual error. (6) / Two required elements are missing or two conceptual errors. (5) / More than two required elements are missing or more than two conceptual errors. (4 or less)
Grammar and appearance / No grammar errors, very neat. (3) / 1 grammar error (2) / Handwritten, 2-3 grammar errors. (1) / More than 3 grammar errors. (0)

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