M3 Data Collection with ArcGIS Field Maps & Projections

 

    This week's lab saw us utilizing field maps to collect geographic information about features in our area, in my case street signs, and geocode it for later use. We also delve into the arena of projected coordinate systems and how they affect our data we try to represent to readers.

    The first part of the lab using field maps was an interesting way to showcase the interconnectedness of ESRI systems like ArcMap, ArcPro, Google Earth and the Field Maps App. We were able to come up with a gameplan of what we were going to research, like street signs, and collect the data in the real world. We were then able to translate that data back into ArcMap for use in layer creation which we then were able to export in various ways to both ArcPro and Google earth. The layers then displayed our collected data along with their classifications designated by our created fields and even had our images attached. 

    The second part of the lab was all about projected coordinate systems with how well some systems are to project data compared to others. When we finished and grouped the three maps, we created a table dedicated to each individual map's specific county area. From this table, we see some discrepancies between the projections. It may seem like small changes, but on the state scale, these are large differences. Choosing the right projection to not only be accurate, but not to lie with maps, is imperative in the map making process. We finished the lab by adding a raster image of UWF to see how a raster would react when not projected with a coordinate system. It was way off its mark, so we added in coordinate systems to have it "placed" correctly. However, projecting a raster without its original coordinate system only allows it to be drawn well enough for accuracy. Overall, it was a fine lab about the basics of cartographic skills in GIS.