GIS Cartography

Process summary (Map 1):

1.     Used ArcCatalog to look over the contents of the GISCartography data folder.

2.     Used navigation tools to look closer at mex_elev layer.

3.     Accessed properties dialogue for mex_elevation layer.

4.     Accessed the properties for Mex_Roads layer.

5.     Americas_Admin layers from ArcCataloge to ArcMap window.

6.     Zoomed to Mex_boundary layer.

7.     Used selection menu to select by attributes. In Layer dropbox of this menu, selected Americas_Admin. Under Method dropbox, left as Create New Selection. “CNTRY_NAME” = ‘Mexico’

8.     Exported selected features to new shapefile and added as layer to map document.

9.     Unchecked Americas_Admin layer in table of contents to hide it.

10.  Applied labels to map. Picked symbol style “Country 2” and reduced font size to 12.

11.  Changed symbol properties for  World_Countries by picking new fill color and changing outline width to 2.

12.  Changed symbology of Mex_States layer to a graduated color ramp by population quantity.

13.  Switched to Layout view, changed to landscape orientation.

14.  Added North arrow, scale bar and text, title and legend. Edited legend.  Added labels showing names of individual Mexican states.

15.  Exported to JPG. 

 Process summary (Map 2):

1.     To Map 1, added layers: mex_rails, mex_rivers, mex_roads, and mex_urban.  Unchecked Mex_states in table of contents.

2.     Opened symbology properties for mex_rivers, and changed the layer to show based on Categories and Unique Values. Value field: RANK. Edited symbology of Primary and Major values. (Unchecked box next to “<all other values>”).

3.     Displayed only Federal roads, changed symbology for mex_rails to predefined railroad symbol style, and changed symbol color for urban areas.

4.     Edited labels properties for mex_urban layer to include all areas with more than a million people in the label class.  Turned on only this new label class.

5.     Changed to layout view, changed scale to 1:5000000.

6.     Switched back to data view, converted labels to annotations.  Changed size of symbol.

7.     Created inset map to indicate where this map is zoomed to.

8.     Rearranged and fiddled with map elements.

9.     Exported as JPG.

Process summary (Map 3):

1.     Using Map 2, removed every layer but World_countries from Layers data frame.

2.     Added mex_elev raster layer.

3.     Experimented with classified and stretched symbologies for raster layer.

4.     Selected stretched symbology with BlueàYellow color ramp.

5.     Rearranged map elements.

6.     Exported as JPG.