Distance Azimuth Survey

Introduction

          For the most part, the majority of surveying is done with the use of extremely accurate GPS technology coupled with survey stations. There may come a point in any geographers career where that technology may not be accessible or it could even fail completely. This lab focuses on building a skill set that can be used in many different settings and could be a real selling point to future employers. The purpose of this lab is to be able to create a survey using the distance and azimuth technique. This is a technique that is not very technical and it is only feasible on a reasonable scale and the accuracy will not be that of a GPS. Using low tech options assures that if ever faced with unfortunate circumstances, data will still be able to be collected. A distance azimuth survey is an implicit survey technique. Implicit survey data means that the data was collected relative to a know GPS coordinate. In contrast an explicit form of data collection means that there will be specific geographic locations.

          This lab took place in Putnam park, just to the south of the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. The area where the lab was conducted was fairly heavily wooded, with exception of the jogging trail that runs through the park. A GPS unit was used to get three specific locations where a sample of ten trees was taken and the distance from the GPS point to the tree was recorded, along with the azimuth (degree) which gives the direction the tree is from the GPS point. Additionally the diameter of the trees was recorded. Each of the three survey locations were within 150 meters of each other, roughly 50 meters apart, though the distances were not measured. From there 10 trees were selected that had a clear line of sight from the reference point in which one group member stayed at all times until the survey was complete. The tools used for this lab include a GPS for reference point location, a notebook for data recording, a tape measure that calculates the diameter of the tree by taking a measurement around the tree at chest height and a compass for the azimuth. The tools used to record distance include laser distance finders and a more basic meter tape in an effort to get exposure to multiple data collection methods.

Methods

Figure 1

          The survey area was in Putnam park, south of UWEC roughly 150 meters away. This lab can not be completed without first understanding how each of the tools work, Professor Hupy offered assistance in explaining the uses of each of the devices. From there the first step in the lab is to use the GPS unit to get the coordinates of the reference point that was used, the reference point being where the group member will stand to get distance measurements along with where the tree is in association to the reference point using the azimuth tool. From here 10 trees were selected that offered a clear line of site to where the GPS coordinates were recorded. It is essential to note that the person who is on the GPS coordinate should not move at all because that will helps with data integrity. A table was made for each of the three locations, each table included latitude, longitude, distance, azimuth, and diameter. In the first station the distance and azimuth were both recorded using the TruPulse laser which is shown to the left by figure 1. This is done by simply pressing the black button on top of the handheld device, as noted before it is essential to make sure that the line of sight is clear or there could be interference with the laser. By using the arrows on the side of the laser the user can scroll through the setting to select distance and then degrees. Finally. the diameter of the trees should be collected at chest height. This was the least hands on of the three approaches. Figure 2 that is located to the bottom left shows the GPS unit which is pictured in the bottom of figure 2 and the tape measure used to measure the trees circumference is pictured in the top of figure 2.

Figure 2

          Area two was down Putnam trail to the east of the initial survey area roughly 50-75 yards. With the same steps as the first location the GPS was used to get a base point where one of the group members stood until the entire survey was complete. Again, ten trees were chosen at random and again the line of sight from reference point to trees must be clear. This time the azimuth was recorded using a tool that is called an azimuth compass. Next the distance from reference point to tree was measured using a meter tape. The azimuth compass is very easy to use, basically the same manner as the laser range finder, the point and shoot method. Again, the diameter of the trees was collected at chest height.

Figure 3

           Area three was roughly another 50-75 yards further east down the trail from the second survey area. The first step yet again is to get an accurate GPS location and to then have one group member stay in exactly that spot for the duration of the survey in area 3. Next, 10 trees should be selected for surveying. In this survey location the Sonin sound wave device was used to record the distance from the reference point to the trees. The device is used by the person on the reference point point at the another part of the device that another group member was holding up against the target trees. A sound wave is sent from one device and back to the other and a distance is registered. The diameter of the tree was then again recorded using the same method of hooking the tape around the tree at chest height, the method for getting the tree diameter is shown by figure 3 to the right. The azimuth was recorded using a good old fashioned compass, this is to show that many different methods can provide the same results. Figure 4 below shows the method that was used in the third survey area to record the distance. It is important to note that the tape measure was pulled tight before a measurement was taken, in order to ensure data integrity.

       

Figure 4

            After the field work for the distance azimuth survey was complete, the data was entered from the notebook in Microsoft Excel. It was essential to make sure that the data was normalized before adding the data into ArcMap. It is important to note that distance was in meters, azimuth is measured in degrees, not degrees minutes seconds, and the diameter of the trees was measured in centimeters.

       Once the data is normalized, it is ready to be brought into ArcMap. The data was brought into ArcMap using the 'Bearing Distance to Line' tool. Once the tool is open it asks for the lat and long, the distance, azimuth and diameter all collected during the survey. This tool does not create point, rather just the lines that represent the distance from the reference points to the trees. Next, using the 'Feature Vertices to Points' tool, points were created on the actual locations of the trees. Essentially this tool put points at the end of the lines that were just created using the previous tool. Once both these tools were ran, the result is lines and points that represent the distance and azimuth.


          It is important to note that even when working with less technology there can still be a number of issues that arise. When using both the Sonin and the TruPulse devices there needs to be a clear line of sight from the group member on the reference point to the tree being surveyed. This limited which trees could be selected and there is really no way around it without leaving the reference point which would skew the data. When using the TruPulse device if the user hit a twig that was closer than the tree, the distances could have been way off. Similarly it was important to make sure both members using the Sonin device held the devices at the same level, and that the person on the tree kept the device tight to the tree when readings were being taken. Additionally there was several mix ups with tools, people were not leaving there tools at the stations as they were instructed, but rather many carried them to the next survey area with them. This led to some confusion and some time lost, though it was not a major issue. Yet another issue was the lack of consistency when collected the diameter of the trees. Some group members are nearly a foot taller than other, so chest height for one group member is not chest height for another. This did not influence the data all that much, the reason the same person did not complete every tree was because they exercise was designed to get everyone involved in every aspect.

Results

          This lab was originally designed to have multiple maps because when they lab is conducted in the fall semester it is much easier to tell the tree type. For this lab in spring 2017 the tree type was not recorded. Truth be told there is not a ton of data to be displayed here so it will all be conveyed in one map. A table is included below as well to show how the data looked before being brought into ArcMap.

Figure 5

          Above in figure 5 is a map showing the sizes of the trees diameters. The point at which all of the point start is the reference point and the red lines are the lines that show the azimuth degree and also illustrate the distance from reference point to the trees surveyed. The largest tree in the survey was 148.20 centimeters, it was a very large tree that took two people to get around, this was done just to show some of the diversity in the tree sizes sampled. In contrast the smallest diameter tree was 6.80 cm, this was about the smallest tree that the tape would do, due to the way it has a few centimeters of blank tape. There is a fairly even distribution of the sizes of trees. Though it does seem that survey area 1 in the northwest corner has slightly smaller trees in diameter compared to the other two survey areas.

Figure 6

        Figure 6 is simply a map that shows the location of the trees without incorporating the diameters. Survey area 1 is in the Northwest corner of the map, survey area 3 is in the Southeast corner and survey area 2 is in the middle. Survey area 2 had a much smaller survey area, meaning the trees sampled were closer together, this was done because this was where the tape was used to measure distance. The other methods of finding distance were much easier, also keeping the tape measure trees close to the reference point ensure less bow in the tape and a more accurate distance reading.

         Figure 7 below is the table of the normalized data that was used to get the data displayed in ArcMap. The P_Number column shows which survey area was associated with which coordinates, this was done simply to help keep the data in the correct order and to make sure that there was no issues when bringing the data into ArcMap.

Figure 7

         One thing that hindered the map making process was the fact that survey are 1 which was to the far east of the map had an error when collected the GPS coordinates. When the data was brought into ArcMap the survey 1 area showed up half way up the hill, nearly 40 meters away from the actual on earth location. To remedy this issue the identify tool was used in ArcMap to find the coordinates of the actual location and then the excel sheet was fixed and the data was re brought into ArcMap. The reason for the poor GPS location initially is more likely than not from the large hill, there must not have been enough satellites connected to get an accurate location.

Conclusion

          In closing this lab has so many real world applications. An employer would be thrilled to know that if something happens to the technology, they still have someone in the field who can collect data. Distance azimuth surveying is actually very interesting and it really gives a sense of pride to the surveyor because it is not a machine doing all the work. This is a hands on approach that is relatively low cost, depending on the survey area size relatively low time and it is just all together a good skill to have.

Processing UAS Data in Pix4D

Introduction 

What is the overlap needed for Pix4D to process imagery?

          As a general standard there should be at least 75% frontal overlap in the flight direction and at least 60% side overlap between flying tracks. Also a constant height over the surface of the terrain helps to ensure data quality. There are exceptions to overlap, in densely vegetated areas there should be a 85% frontal overlap at least 70% side overlap, increased flight height can also help to make the aerial images appear not as distorted. An increased overlap and increased height ensures that the data will represent the terrain correctly.

What if the user is flying over sand/snow, or uniform fields?

          When flying over flat terrain with agriculture the user should have overlap of at least 85% frontal and at least 70% from the side and again flying higher can help improve the quality. When looking at unique cases such as sand or snow the user should have at least 85% frontal overlap and at least 70% side overlap. Also the exposure settings should be manipulated in order to have as much contrast as possible. Furthermore oceans are impossible to reconstruct because there is no land features. When flying over rivers or lakes the drone should be flew higher in order to capture as many land features as possible.

What is Rapid Check?
   
          Rapid check is made for use in the field, it can verify the correct areas of coverage and ensure that the data collection was sufficient. Rapid check is inside of Pix4D, it is not a stand alone software. The one downside of rapid check is that it processes the data so rapidly that it can be inaccurate. Rapid check should be used as a preview of the data in the field and the data should still be imported in the office when more time is available.

Can Pix4D process oblique images? What type of data do you need if so?

          Yes Pix4D can process oblique images, there needs to be many different angles and images of the oblique image in order to produce a quality data set. An oblique image is one that is taken when the camera is not straight up and down with the ground or the object. It is possible to combine oblique imagery with other kinds, for these cases there must be more overlap and it is recommended to use ground control points. According to the Pix4D site there should be an image taken every 5 to 15 degrees in order to make sure that there is a sufficient amount of overlap.

Can Pix4D process multiple flights? What does the pilot need to maintain if so?

          Yes Pix4D can process multiple flights, again the operator needs to ensure that there is enough overlap between the images taken in the flights.  When processing multiple flights it is important that the conditions were the same or at least nearly the same. To clarify there should be about the same cloud cover, the sun position should be taken into consideration and the overall weather will also play a role.

Are GCPs necessary for Pix4D? When are they highly recommended?

           Ground control points are not necessary for Pix4D, as long as there is adequate overlap there should not be any issues with flights that were taken perpendicular to the ground. If there is no image geo-location then the operator is strongly urged to use GCP's. Oblique aerial imagery can pose a few issues, when using oblique flight data there should be GCP's because they will help ensure that there was adequate overlap and that data integrity was not compromised.

What is the quality report?

          A quality report will be displayed after every step of processing. It will tell you if the processing failed or if it was completed. The report will tell the user if the data is ready to be worked with. The quality report runs a diagnostic on the images, dataset, camera optimization, matching and geo-referencing. This is essential because it makes sure the images have the correct amount of key points and ensures the image has been calibrated.

Methods

         The first step in this lab is to open Pix4D and start a new project. From here the project was named in a way that it can be told apart from other assignments. The numbers represent the year, followed by the month and lastly the day on which the project was started. Additionally the location the drone was flew and the type of drone and the height at which it was flown are all included in the name of the file. The name of the file ended up being 20170306_hadley_phantom50m, and this accounted for all of the information discussed above. Figure 1 below shows how and where the data was saved.

Figure 1

Figure 2

          From here the images were added from a folder that was provided by professor Joseph Hupy. The images from both flight 1 and flight 2 were added, though they were added separately in an effort to not bog down the computer.There was 68 images added from flight 1 and 87 images added from flight 2. Figure 2 above shows what the images appeared as after adding them from flight 1.

          Once the images were added it is important to take notice of the Coordinate system, though the default was used for this exercise it could have been changed. Also if the user ends up not being happy with the coordinate system once the data is in ArcGIS it can be changed. Next, under selected camera model in the edit tab it is important to make some changes. For whatever reason the Pix4D program has the Phantom 3 as being a global shutter, when in reality it is a Linear Rolling Shutter. All of the other camera specifications are correct.

          After clicking next there are options to change the processing options and the 3D map option was selected. Selecting the 3D map option means that Pix4D will create a Digital Surface Model (DSM). After selecting the 3D model and clicking finish, the map view will then be brought up. This gives the user a general idea of what the flight looked like. From here be sure to uncheck the boxes next to "point cloud and mesh" and the "DSM, Orthomosaic and Index." This is done so that it does not take hours to complete. Then by going into processing options in the lower left corner there are a series of processing options that can be changed to improve quality and speed. Under the "DSM, orthomosaic and index" tab the method was changed to triangulation. From past experiences this is the best option to select. From here the initial processing can be started. Once the initial processing is complete make sure the quality report is correct. Next, uncheck box 1 that says initial processing and select boxes 2 and 3 and process it again and again make sure the quality report is correct.

Figure 3

           Figure 3 above illustrates the steps discussed in the paragraph above. The number 2 and 3 boxes were unchecked to add in timely processing. At the time the screenshot was taken the software had just started running, it was only 5% complete with the first of 8 tasks. Figure 4 below shows the second time the data was ran for flight one, this time box 1 was unchecked and boxes 2 and 3 were selected.

Figure 4

           The quality report gives information on the accuracy and quality of the data, this is essential because it will tell the user if there were any errors in the data. The quality report shows a summary of the data, a quality check and also displays a map of the overlap. This shows that much of the data should have overlap of at least 4 images and this ensures the accuracy. Once flight 1 and flight 2 are both completed the images are now ready to be made into maps using ArcMap. The quality report is displayed below in figure 5. There is more to the quality report than what is displayed in the screenshot below, as the quality report is fairly lengthy.

Figure 5

          Figure 6 below is a part of the quality check, and it ensures that all of the images were calibrated and that the data was all accurate.

Figure 6

            Figure 7 below shows the name of the project, when it was processed and various other information.

Figure 7

           Figure 8 below displays the number of 2D keypoint matches. This also gives an idea of how accurate the data was and which areas may be slightly more accurate than others.

Figure 8

Results

          After the processing was completed a video was constructed using Pix4D in order to give the viewer an idea of the flight area. This does a fantastic job of giving a visual reference to the viewers. There is a lot of detail in the video due to the high resolution. A link for the video is posted below and the video is available to be viewed on youtube.

https://youtu.be/KRKbkdaLwUk

          Figure 9 is a screenshot of the area after the data was processed. It is extremely high resolution and it came out very nicely. This view was achieved by unselecting the camera, and then selecting the triangle mesh tab.

Figure 9

          After completion in Pix4D the data was then brought into ArcMap so a few maps could be made. The maps are displayed below as denoted by figure 10 and figure 11.

Figure 10

      Figure 10 above is a Digital surface model, overlayed with a hillshade of the Litchfield mine. The piles of sand are clearly visible by the bright red and the roads are depicted by yellow. This is an interesting map of something such as a mine because there are drastic elevation changes, much like the first sandbox activity that was completed this semester.

          Figure 11 below is a orthomosaic of the Litchfield mine that is located southwest of Eau Claire. The orthomosaic does a good job of showing what the mine is made up of. There are sand piles on the West side of the map and there is some vegetation more to the east. The main road runs in from the southeast and splits either left or right of the large sand pile that is located in the center. 

Figure 11

Conclusion

         As a final critique, Pix4D is a very good software for processing UAS data, it is very user friendly and it projected the data at a high resolution and was very aesthetically pleasing. Having never used the program before it only took the general outlined instructions provided in the powerpoint to be able to process data with Pix4D.



Sources

Pix4D Support
https://support.pix4d.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/203318109-Rapid-Check#gsc.tab=0

Survey 123 Online Tutorial

Introduction

         The objective of this lab was to use a mobile device and a desktop to utilize an online tutorial from ESRI called Survey 123. This is an effective app that gathers data from the field that can be used for many different applications. To start this exercise the HOA emergency preparedness survey was completed. From there the tutorial covered how to make a survey and how to fill out, analyze and share the data from the survey. Screenshots from the exercise will aid in showing how the process was completed also maps will be displayed that show what the data from the survey was portraying. Survey 123 is an effective tool for use in the field because it allows the user to upload there surveys almost instantly upon collection. This is a very convenient program that allows users to quickly and effectively set up professional surveys.

Methods

Figure 1

         After navigating to the Survey 123 home page and signing in, a new survey was created and the name, description/ tags and summary were all given information. It is optional to change the thumbnail used, though the default was chosen for use. It is clear from the beginning that ESRI wanted to make this as easy and as user friendly as possible. On the right hand side of the screen, all of the options for the survey are displayed, as shown in figure 1 to the right. It is important to become familiar with how the software works before creating the survey because it will save a lot of time and frustration later. Under the add tab the user has a number of different option available and the first data field that was set up was the survey date and the participants name and location.
         All of the questions in this survey had to deal with the HOA emergency preparedness, which helps ensure that the homeowners association can plan for potential disasters just as floods and earthquakes. Throughout the creation of this survey, 29 survey questions were made. Each of the different tabs displayed in figure 1 have a particular use. The number tab was good for just that, numbers, meaning values like the number of fire extinguishers or the number of days since fire alarms had been checked. Whereas multi line text allows the survey taker to type a response which can have a minimum or maximum character designation. The most frequently used question format was single choice, which means that the survey taker is only offered a yes or a no question, though there may be a drop down question that appears if the user selects yes.

Figure 2

           After the creation of the survey was completed, it needed to be taken several times to get some data in order to see how the data is displayed. Figure 2 to the left is a screenshot of what the initial screen looks like upon starting a survey. The survey completion date automatically fills in and from there the survey takers name and location are filled out by the user. The remainder of the surveys are pretty self explanatory to fill out, mainly yes or no with just a few options to add numbers.

















Results

Figure 3

Figure 4

          Figure 3 above left shows a screenshot that was taken off of a smartphone, while figure 4 to the right shows a screenshot from a desktop unit. This is to show that the survey was taken on multiple devices, in an effort to see the differences and to get a change to work with both options. The survey was completed a total of 6 times and each time the answers written down were changed up, along with the location, one exception being there were two surveys completed in Eau Claire.
          After the survey was completely filled out 6 times, there was now data that could be seen about the survey. Each of the tabs in the top right of the website offer a different application of the data collected from the survey. Under the analyze tab the user can see a map of many of the different questions asked. On top of that there are proportional symbol maps that were created, and bar graphs, pie charts and graph that shows when the surveys were taken. Under the overview tab the user can see the total number of participants, meaning the number of different people who have taken the survey. Next under the collaborate tab, as shown in figure 5 below, the Survey 123 user can change the settings of who can see the survey that was created. Due to the fact that the survey that was made was just a tutorial it was set to only members of the UWEC geography and anthropology.

Figure 5

Figure 6

          Figure 6 shows that the survey was taken 6   times in order to get some data to look at. The      more times this survey is taken the better the data  will be. Also having real data from a number of  different people would make this site very  interesting.

Figure 7

          Figure 7 which is pictured on the right shows a copy of the data being made. This is done in case there is something that the maker of the survey finds wrong after publishing the survey. Once it is published, changes can not be made. Though through the use of the copy, changes could be made and the survey could be published correctly as a new survey.




     
         Figure 8 below is a screenshot that shows where the survey locations were, meaning where the house or apartment was from. This can all be done from with the Survey 123 site. This can easily be turned into a map using illustrator or by importing it into ArcMap. Even the most inexperienced user could use this program by following the directions that were laid out in the tutorial.

Figure 8

        Figure 8 below is a heatmap of the survey locations. Due to the fact that the survey locations were so spread out there is really not a lot of significance displayed in figure 8. Though if there were more surveys done in different areas of the towns this illustration would be much more effective.

Figure 9

 Conclusion

          Survey 123 is a very effective way of creating a survey. It is extremely professional and it will definitely have many applications in the future. The surveys are easy to use and take, meaning that they do not take the survey taker long at all. From there the data is displayed by the program very nicely, it is easy to see the distributions of data and what they mean. This application has endless uses in the geography discipline. Surveyors could use it to ask if what they are doing is effective or what they could be doing differently.

Sources

https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with-survey123/lessons/share-your-survey-data.htm

https://learn.arcgis.com/en/gallery/

https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/get-started-with-survey123/

Navigation Map

Introduction

    

          The main goal of this lab was to become familiar with navigation maps and how they are made, in an effort to be prepared for a upcoming exercise. In this lab a number of different coordinate systems and data projections were used, some show a drastic difference, while others are very similar. Some coordinate systems skew how the landscape actually is, this could lead to issues in a navigation map, so it is essential to make sure that a correct projection and coordinate system is used. 

           A projected coordinate system is defined on a two-dimensional surface and is based on a geographic coordinate system. This basically means that projected coordinate systems are best suited for navigational maps. In Map 1 below the coordinate system was WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxillary_Sphere and in Map 2 the coordinate system used was NAD_1983_HARN_WISCRS_EauClaire_County_Meters. Map 2 was projected in "Lamber_Conformal_Conic" and Map 1 had the "Mercator_Auxillary_Sphere." Each coordinate system used did a good job of ensure data in integrity, meaning there was not much if any skewing in the data.

Methods

          Before the Navigation maps were created, the class took something called a pace count. The pace count used for this exercise was the number of paces it took to go 100 meters. This was done to the south of Philips hall on the sidewalk, starting near the southeast corner of the building and walking towards the southwest corner, and then back again to ensure that the numbers match up each time. This will come into play down the road because if someone wants to correctly use a navigation map, one must know how far they are walking and the scale of the map so they can tell if the desired destination is closer or further away from where they wanted to go. For each 100 meters walked, a pace count of 60 was recorded, meaning that every 60 steps, 100 meters is covered. 

Figure 1

       

   

           Next came the creation of the navigation maps using ArcMap. The first step was to add the navigation boundary, the Eau_Claire_West_SE and the 2ft contours from the Priory geodatabase which was copied over from the Share folder in the Q drive. Right away it is notable that the 2ft contours are not usable in this context, one would not be able to navigate because the contours take up too much of the image. Under the search menu, contours was searched and the results are displayed to the left. The spatial analyst tool was selected which is the second tool in the list. 

Figure 2

         

         

           To the right is the contour tool that was used, the input features was a feature class that was created inside of the geodatabase that was clipped for the specific area just outside of the navigation area. The output location was set to the geodatabase, this is an essential step, if the output location is wrong there may be no way to tell where the contour went after running the tool. The contour interval was set to 3 meters, more than four times larger than the initial contours that were offered for use. Changing the contours used opened the map up considerably for the viewer while still showing the increases in elevations that are associated with the UW-Eau Claire priory navigation area. From here the page view was changed to layout and also changed to 17 inches wide by 11 inches high, which is the correct size for printing of the maps. Then finally all of the cartographic fundamentals were accounted for including data sources, coordinate systems, and the projections. 

Results

Map 1

          Map 1 used the WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere coordinate system and it displayed much in the same way as the coordinate system used in Map 2. The scale on Map 1 is slightly smaller than in Map 2, meaning that it is not zoomed in quite as far, though the grid is very detailed.

Map 2

          Map 2 used the coordinate system NAD_1983_HARN_WISCRS_EauClaire_County_Meters, this was a reletively easy choice becaue the navigation area lies within Eau Claire County. From here using a Lambert Conformal Conic map projection ensured that the map would have accurate direction and also that the features on the earth would not appear skewed or distorted. The grids on Map 2 are larger than in Map 1, they are spaced out at 50 meters. That being said, Map 1 would be a better option if the user had not previously been to this area.

          There are only a few slight differences between figure 1 and figure 2. The coordinate systems and projections are different along with the size and spacing of the grids. Additionally the orientation of the labels varies in each map. In Map 2 the labels are horizontal on the on the vertical axis and in Map 1 the labels are vertical on the vertical axis. Both labels remained horizontal on the on the horizontal axis.

           Both maps display the differences in elevation well. The east portion of the map clearly has the most drastic changes in elevation, while just to the east of that hill there is just a gradual slop. In the east half of the navigation area that is a steep incline, leading to the vegetation, where the elevation again evens out slightly. The northeast portion of the navigation area also shows large changes in elevation, though it is not as large as the elevation on the east edge, it is still a sizable hill.

          The structures in the photo are in the far east portion of the map, and slightly to the southwest of the center of the map. There is a road running north-south on the east portion of the map and it appears to be a county road. There is a highway with a clear median in the north portion of the map that runs northwest to southeast. The only large, continuous stand of forest lies in the eastern portion of the map and there is also a small pond just to the south of the highway in the upper portion of the map.

Conclusion

         This exercise was very beneficial in understanding how navigation maps are created. It should be noted that navigation maps are designed to do just that, help someone navigate. For this reason the maps should only contain what is necessary to navigate the area. This is why a locator map was left out, due to the fact that if someone is here navigating the area, they know where they are already. Navigation maps are useful for someone who may not have the money to spend several hundred or even thousands on a GPS. This is how things were done in the past and it is a skill that is necessary in this field.

Sources

http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfmTopicName=Defining_a_shapefile%27s_coordinate_system