The 15 Minute Map
ESRI MOD 1
About map templates
When you make a map, you are not limited by the template the map is based on. You
can make any changes you want to the layout elements or the data. When you save the
map document (.mxd file), the template (.mxt file) remains unchanged. You can make an
endless number and variety of maps from the same template.
You can design a new template from scratch by changing the Create New option from
Document to Template.
You can also make a new template that uses elements from an existing template. To do
this, open a map document based on the template you want to borrow from. Make the
changes you want in the map document. From the Edit menu, choose Select All Elements
and choose Copy. Create a new map template and paste the selected elements into it.
graticule
1. A network of longitude and latitude lines on a map or chart that relates points on a
map to their true locations on the earth.
2. A glass plate or cell with a grid or cross wires on it that rests in the focal plane of the
eyepiece olatitude
The angular distance, usually measured in degrees north or south of the equator. Lines of
latitude are also referred to as parallels.
f a telescope, used to locate and measure celestial objects.
parallel
An imaginary east–west line encircling the earth, parallel to the equator and connecting
all points of equal latitude. Also, the representation of this line on a globe or map.
latitude
The angular distance, usually measured in degrees north or south of the equator. Lines of
latitude are also referred to as parallels.
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The 15 Minute Map
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Create a new map in 15 minutes
Now that you have learned how to use a template, see if you can create a map in 15
minutes. Start your clock.
For this challenge, open a new map document using the same custom template you used
in this exercise and create a map that highlights the member countries of the North
American Free Trade Agreement (Canada, Mexico, United States) using a different
coordinate system (map projection).
Use the map shown below as a guide.
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Here are some hints:
The map scale is 1:50,000,000.
The coordinate system used is a Predefined Projected Coordinate System for the
continent of North America called Lambert Conformal Conic.
This map requires that you change datum information, so you will need to click
Transformations on the Data Frame Properties dialog box Coordinate System tab
and choose the NAD_1983_To_WGS_1984_1 datum transformation.
If you need help, click the Solution link below. Follow the steps and you can create a map
in 15 minutes or less.
Solution
1. Open a new map using a template
From the File menu, choose New.
Click the Browse button and navigate to
VirtualCampus\15MinMap\Templates\asia.mxt. Click Open.
In the table of contents, right-click the Capitals layer and choose Remove.
2. Modify the data frame properties
In the table of contents, double-click the Asia data frame to open its properties.
Click the General tab. For Name, enter NAFTA Countries.
Click the Coordinate System tab.
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Under Select a coordinate system, expand Predefined > Projected Coordinate
Systems > Continental, then click North America.
Click North America Lambert Conformal Conic.
Click Transformations.
In the Using drop-down list, choose NAD_1983_To_WGS_1984_1. Click OK.
Click the Grids tab and uncheck the box next to Graticule.
Click OK.
3. Display the area of interest
If necessary, use the Pan
, Zoom Out
, and Zoom In
tools on the Tools
toolbar as needed to change the map extent to North America.
Set the map scale to 1:50,000,000.
4. Modify the Countries symbology
Right-click the Countries layer and choose Properties.
In the Symbology tab, in the Value Field drop-down list, choose NAFTA.
Click Add Values.
Click 1, then click OK.
Note: If you don't see 1 in the Add Values list, click Complete List.
Double-click the symbol for 1.
In the Symbol Selector, change the Fill Color to Sahara Sand (row 1, column 3)
and the outline width to 0.1.
Click OK.
Change the Fill Color for the Other category to Gray 20%.
Highlight 1 in the Label column and replace it with NAFTA.
In the Label column next to <Heading>, delete NAFTA.
Click OK.
5. Modify map elements
If necessary, click the Zoom Whole Page button
.
Using the Select Elements tool, double-click the legend.
Click the Legend tab and uncheck the Show box, then click the Frame tab and set
the border symbol to No Color.
Click OK.
If you have an extra scale bar on your layout, delete it.
Double-click the scale bar to open its Properties dialog box.
Make the same changes you made in the exercise (step 6), but on the Scale and
Units tab, change the number of divisions to 5 and the division value to 1000.
Click the Format tab and change the text symbol to Gray 60%. Click OK.
If necessary, move the scale bar so that it is centered under the map.
Double-click the map title and, on the Text tab, type NAFTA Countries.
Click Change Symbol and set the text symbol size to 24 and the color to Gray
60%. Click OK, then OK again.
Position the title so that it is balanced on the page.
Reposition the north arrow, if necessary.
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6. Label the NAFTA countries
From the View menu, choose Data View.
On the Draw toolbar, click the drop-down arrow next to the New Text tool and
click the Label tool
.
Click Choose a style, then double-click Country 2.
Click OK to close the open dialog box.
Click in the centers of Canada, the United States, and Mexico to label them.
With all three labels selected, change their size to 8.
Reposition the labels as desired.
7. Finish the map and save your work
From the View menu, choose Layout View.
If necessary, reposition the map elements to make a pleasing layout.
Save the map in your MyWork folder and name it Challenge.mxd.
If you like, print your map.
Congratulations! Did you finish in 15 minutes or less?
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