Getting to Know ArcGIS Pro 2.6. Michael Law

to see a list of overlapping features.If you open the World Population attribute table, you see that the selected country’s row is highlighted in the table. Clicking different layers in the overlapping features list changes the selection and is reflected in the respective feature’s attribute table.TIP To select multiple features, press and hold Shift as you click each desired feature. Or draw a rectangle (or another shape—click the down arrow on the Select tool in the toolbar to reconfigure the tool’s default behavior) to select all features within the shape’s extent.Selections are more than a visual aid; you can generate calculations or run geoprocessing operations on a selected set of features, rather than the entire set. You will do this later in the book.

      6 To clear the selection, click the Clear button on the Map tab.

      7 Zoom to the full extent of the map. At the top of the application, click the Save button . This exercise was meant to get you comfortable navigating the ArcGIS Pro interface. It also underscores the relationship between geographic features and their attributes.You will continue working with the same project in the next exercise. You can continue to the next exercise, or exit ArcGIS Pro and come back to it later.

      GIS in the world: Ski patrol uses ArcGIS^® Tracking Analyst for rescue missions

      Colorado’s Winter Park Ski Resort has successfully used GIS and GPS technology to track lost skiers and snowboarders. Lost resort visitors can be tracked using their GPS-enabled smartphones. GPS points are imported into ArcGIS software, and then the rescue team’s locations are tracked using the ArcGIS Tracking Analyst extension so that the mission can be monitored in real time. Read more here, “GIS to the Rescue”: www.esri.com/esri-news/arcwatch/0114/gis-to-the-rescue.

      Exercise 2bGo beyond the basics

      Estimated time to complete: 20 minutes

      In this exercise, you will change feature symbols, configure and display feature labels, use the Measure tool, add a cloud-hosted basemap, and package your project to share online.

      Exercise workflow

       Customize the appearance of the map using symbols and labels.

       Use the Measure tool to find the approximate distance between cities.

       Examine and add a basemap.

       Create a project package for sharing.

      Modify feature symbols

      1 If necessary, open the ArcGIS Pro project you created in exercise 2a.

      2 In the Contents pane, highlight Cities. On the ribbon, click the Appearance tab, and then click the Symbology button .TIP Here are some other ways to access the Symbology pane:Right-click a layer in the Contents pane and click Symbology.In the layer’s legend, click a symbol icon.If the Symbology tab is already visible (stacked with the Catalog pane, for instance), simply highlight the layer in the Contents pane, and then click the tab.The Symbology pane opens. Symbology refers to the way GIS features are displayed on a map. The symbology dictates not only the size, shape, and color of map features, but also the conventions and rules used for displaying these features. Symbology is not just for looks; it also conveys meaning to map readers. You have already noticed, for instance, that the Cities layer is represented using graduated symbols. In this case, cities are represented by a range of symbols based on an attribute field named POP (which stands for population). So, the greater the population, the larger is the symbol.Feature symbol optionsSpatial data, in its simplest form, is a collection of points, lines, and polygons. But you can modify default symbols to make your map more readable and informative. You can display map features in the following ways:Single symbol: one symbol is used for all features in a layer.Unique values: used for categorical data, different symbols represent various attributes. For example, imagine you have a polygon layer of parklands, and it has an attribute that identifies each feature as either a state or national park. You can symbolize state parks using a black outline and green fill, and national parks using a gray outline and brown fill.Graduated colors: used for quantitative data, different colors represent different value ranges. Often, a color ramp is chosen in which darker colors correspond to higher values. For example, in this map the World Population layer is symbolized using graduated colors, in which darker colors represent higher population attribute values. The user decides how values are classified and how many categories there should be.Graduated symbols: used for quantitative data, symbols increase in size with increased values. Earthquake epicenters might be given graduated symbols that represent magnitude values. The user chooses the classification method and number of categories.Dictionary: a method to apply symbols—either graphic or text symbols—to data using a predefined data dictionary. Symbols vary according to dictionary rules and attribute values.

      3 On the Symbology pane, click the symbol template to edit it.

      4 Under Format Point Symbol, choose any 2D symbol template you like from the Gallery, and then click the back arrow to return to the main Symbology pane.

      5 Close the Symbology pane (click the X in the upper-right corner).

      Label features

      You will add labels to your map to make it more informative.

      1 In the Contents pane, right-click Cities. In the context menu, click Label.City labels appear cluttered at the full extent of the map. You will set a visibility scale so that city labels appear only when zoomed in.

      2 With Cities still highlighted in the Contents pane, click the Labeling tab in the Feature Layer ribbon.Notice that the labeling field is set to the CITY_NAME attribute. You can change this field so that the labels display city population or some other attribute if you want.

      3 In the Visibility Range group, next to Out Beyond, type 1:75,000,000, and then press Enter on the keyboard. This range means that when you are zoomed to full extent, you do not see the labels, but as you zoom in to a scale of 1:75,000,000 or closer, labels are turned on.TIP You can also choose an extent from the options menu.

      4 Zoom in until the labels appear.

      On your own

      Turn on labels for the World Population layer. Modify the default visibility scale if you want.

      Measure distances

      What if you want to know the approximate distance between Lima, Peru, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil?

      1 Zoom to South America. (Ensure that you can see Lima and Rio de Janeiro.) On the Map tab, click the Measure tool’s down arrow. Notice the different configurations that you can choose for this tool. Click Measure Distance.

      2 In the Measure Distance window, from the drop-down list, choose Miles.

      3 Click the point that represents the city of Lima, and then double-click the point that represents Rio de Janeiro.Notice that the tool provides the current segment as well as the entire path length if you click multiple points.

      4 Click the Clear Results button in the Measure Distance window to clear the previous measurement and start again.On your ownMeasure distances between other cities on the map.The Measure window remains open as long as the Measure tool is active. Choosing any other tool closes it.

      5 Click the Explore tool.

      Add a basemap

      Esri provides several basemaps