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: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/downloadeducation.html 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
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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
www.esri.com/aejee http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/download-education.html
accessed 15 Feb. 2008.
2. Access “Acme Mapper” 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.
3. 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.”
4. A map of Mount Pleasant will appear. Practice changing views to “Topo” and
“DOQ.”
5. Click on the “Options” button, as pictured below, and change the coordinate
system to UTM.
6. 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
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temperature and relative humidity at each point with 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)
7. Access the “TerraSever” Site. Go to RESGI, “Maps” category, “Mapping Tools”
then click link for TerraServer.
8. 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).
9. 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.
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DO NOT SAVE THE IMAGE as download.ashx.jpg; save the image with only
one extension, “jpg. Call the file “campus.jpg” .
10. 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:
11. Use your browser's “File Save As” 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
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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
http://gis2.esri.com/download/index.cfm?downloadid=359
15. 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
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view.
16. Note that UTM coordinates like 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.
17. 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 above are 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.
18. 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
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19. 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”
20. Congratulations! Three GPS
points should appear
superimposed on the image.
21. 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.
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Analysis
Grammar and
appearance
Distinguished
Thoughtful
analysis, no
conceptual
errors. All
required
elements present.
(7)
No grammar
errors, very neat.
(3)
Proficient
One required
element is
missing or one
conceptual error.
(6)
Basic
Two required
elements are
missing or two
conceptual
errors. (5)
1 grammar error
(2)
Handwritten, 2-3
grammar errors.
(1)
Poor
More than two
required
elements are
missing or more
than two
conceptual
errors. (4 or less)
More than 3
grammar errors.
(0)
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