The Scenario

You are working for the

California Visitor’s
Commission. You have been
asked to prepare a map of
California for several
dignitaries from out of the
country. Your map will need to
Exercise 1: Getting to know
include enough information to
help them understand the size ArcGIS
and diversity of the state.
Earth System Research Institute (ESRI) is the leading GIS software developer. Their
software is used throughout the world in every type of industry. ESRI has also
worked to develop a network of users. This includes regional and international
conferences as well as their web site.
The basic GIS software developed by ESRI is called ArcGIS. However, they offer
several levels of licences, namely ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcInfo. The appearance
and basic tools found in each licence level are virtually the same. The only variation
is an increasing number of advanced tools available. The software is also available
with a variety of extensions used to perform specific types of geoprocessing tasks.

In this exercise you will:

 access GIS data
 preview data in ArcCatalog
 begin an ArcMap document
 use common tools in ArcMap
 select features in ArcMap
 export and save a map
 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Connecting to folders in 2
ArcCatalog and copying data
1. Begin by opening ArcCatalog. You will find a shortcut to
this software on the desktop or via the Start button under
All Programs.
By default, ArcCatalog is only connected to a limited number
of folders. You need to connect to other folders and files you
want to be able to use in ArcCatalog.
2. Click the Connect to folder button. This will open the
Connect to Folder dialog box.
3. Navigate to the folder you want to connect to
ArcCatalog. Select that folder and click OK.
This will include the location where data for this exercise is
stored as well as your portable memory device. Your instructor
will let you know where the data for this exercise is stored.
For this exercise, we will use the California data folder. You will
need to copy the data onto your own computer or personal
memory device.
4
4. In ArcCatalog, navigate to the folder that contains the
exercise data, right click the California data folder and
select Copy.
3
5. Navigate to your portable memory device or to the
C drive, right click in the white portion of the folder
contents window, and select Paste.

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Exploring data in ArcCatalog

Now that you have copied the data to your own personal 3
computer, you will use several tools available in ArcCatalog to
explore the data available.
ArcCatalog is organized much like you would find in Windows
Explorer. On the left side you find a catalog tree pane which
displays available files. These include the default files as well
as the files that you have connected to in the previous step.
On the right is the data frame pane. You will explore these Catalog Tree Data View Pane
tabs. Pane
The contents tab again, looks like what you would find in
windows Explorer with one exception. This tab will only
display file folders and spatial data usable in ArcGIS.
1. Explore the folders found in the California data file.
You will notice that each sub-folder has at least one file. These 4
are all spatial data files referred to as Shapefiles.
2. In the catalog tree pane, select the California File Folder.
3. Click the Preview tab.
You will be given a message that states that the selection
cannot be previewed. The Preview tab is used to preview Geography
spatial data. toolbar active
4. In the catalog tree, navigate to, and select a Shapefile.
You will notice several changes. First, you can see a preview Preview
of your Shapefile. Also, you notice that the tools in the of data
Geography toolbar are now active. Finally, you will notice
at the bottom of the pane a drop down menu to modify the
preview format. You will explore the tools on the Geography
toolbar as well as some of the preview options.
Preview drop
down options

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS
To the right, you will see the function of each of the tools on
the Geography toolbar. Zoom Pan Identify
5. Click and use the Zoom In, Zoom Out and Pan tools to in
navigate around the Shapefile preview.
6. Click the Full Extent button to return to viewing the full
extent of the Shapefile in the data view pane.
7. Click the Identify tool to use that tool and then click on
one of the features in the Shapefile.
The Identify results dialog box will open. This dialog box
displays all of the information stored in the attribute table for
Zoom Full Create
that particular feature. Now, you will preview the attribute
Out Extent Thumbnails
table in ArcCatalog.
8. Close the Identify Results dialog box by clicking the red X
in the upper right hand corner.
9. Click the drop down menu at the bottom of the data view
pane and select Table.
This will change the data view window to a tabular display.
Each row in the table corresponds to a feature in the shapefile.
You will now be using this data in ArcMap. Return to the
Content tab.

Want More?
• What is metadata and what does the
metadata tab display?
• What does the Create Thumbnails
tool do?

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Creating a new ArcMap 1

Document
1. Open ArcMap.
This can be done several ways. You can access the shortcut
via the desktop or Start command button. Also, if you have
ArcCatalog open, you can click the Launch ArcMap button on
the Standard tool bar on ArcCatalog.
As ArcMap opens, a dialog box will appear, asking what Map
document you want to open.
2. Select A new empty map and click OK.
This will close the beginning ArcMap dialog box and open an
empty ArcMap document.
2

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

The ArcMap Application

Main Menu
Standard
Toolbar
Tools Toolbar
(toolbar may be
docked or floating)

Table of
Contents Data View
Window

Table of
Content Tabs
Drawing
Toolbar

Data and Layout Map Cursor

View Options Coordinates

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Adding data to an ArcMap

Document 1
There are two ways to add data to an ArcMap document. We
will explore both.
1. Click the Add Data button found on the Standard toolbar.
This will open the Add Data dialog box.
2. Navigate to the file folder where you stored the California
data. Navigate into the Outline folder and select cal_
base.shp.
The Add Data dialog box will navigate to connected folders.
The Connect to Folder button is available on the toolbar in this
dialog box.
3. Click Add to add the cal-base Shapefile to the map 2
document.
The other method to add data to an ArcMap document is to
drag and drop the data directly from ArcCatalog.
4. Arrange both the ArcMap interface and the ArcCatalog
interface so you can see both applications on your screen.
5. In ArcCatalog catalog tree, Navigate to the folder where
you stored the California data and navigate directly into
one of the data folders so the Shapefile appears in the
Data View pane.
6. Left Click on the Shapefile icon and hold the left mouse
button down.
3

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS
7. While holding the mouse button down, drag your mouse
over to the Table of Contents on ArcMap.
A thick black line will appear in the Table of Contents.
8. Move your mouse up and down so the thick black line is in
the correct level where you would like to place your data.
9. Release the mouse button.
The Shapefile will be placed in the ArcMap Document.
10. Continue to add other data from the California data
folder to the ArcMap document using either method.

Thick black line

appears 8

Helpful Hints
• The data frame will use the same mea-
surement units and projection (known as the
spatial reference) as the first layer you add.
If you add a layer that had a different spa-
tial reference, a dialog box will let you know.
ArcMap will automatically re-project the data
to match the spatial reference of the data
frame.

• As data is added to an ArcMap Docu-

ment, the data will be ‘stacked’ on top of each
other. This will make it difficult to see the
bottom layer if the top layer covers the entire
area. To rearrange the data in the table of
contents, you can left click the layer name and
drag it higher or lower in the table of contents.

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Changing Basic Symbology Expand or Data Frame

Collapse Name
In the task, you will modify the basic symbology of the Symbology
Shapefiles in ArcMap. Later in the manual, you will learn more Layer Name
advanced symbology methods. View or Hide
Before we begin, be sure you have added the Earthquakes, Layer
Populated Places, Lakes, Rivers, and Counties Shapefiles to
your ArcMap document. Layer
Symbol
1. Left click the layer symbol you wish to modify.
This will open the Symbol Selector dialog box. You may
choose one of the preset symbols or modify the fill and outline
properties.
2. If you choose to use one of the preset symbols, click on
the preset symbol and jump to step 6 below.
3. Click the drop down menu to the right of the fill color and
select the color you wish for the fill color.
Symbol
4. Click the drop down menu to the right of the outline color Preview
and select the color you wish for the outline color.
5. Modify the thickness of the outline using the Outline
Width value. You may use the up and down arrows or type
in a value. 3
Your symbol settings will be shown in the Preview box. 5
6. Click OK to close the Symbol Selector dialog box and
apply the changes you made.
4

Helpful Hints
• The Symbol Selector dialog box will give options applica-
ble to point, line or (as shown to the right) polygon features
depending on the type of feature you are using.
• When working with polygons, you can choose No Color
for the fill if you would like to have hollow symbols. You
can also choose No Color for the outline if you would like to
eliminate the boundary lines. Preset
Symbols
6
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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Navigating in ArcMap Fixed Zoom In and Zoom to Select Select

Fixed Zoom Out Full Extent Features Elements Search Measure

In this exercise we will explore some of the basic tools found

on the Tools toolbar.
1. Select the Zoom In tool.
2. Click and drag a box around Lake Tahoe.
3. Select the Identify tool.
This will open the Identify dialog box. Zoom In and Pan Previous Clear Identify Go To Hyperlink
Zoom Out and Next Selected XY
4. Click on Lake Tahoe. Extent Features
This will flash the lake in green and populate the Identify
dialog box with all of the information from the attribute table.
5. Click the Fixed Zoom Out button.
This will zoom out, allowing you to see more area
surrounding Lake Tahoe.
2
6. Click on the other lakes surrounding Lake Tahoe to get
the names and other information about the surrounding
lakes.

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS
7. Hide the Populated Places layer using the View/Hide
Layer check box in the table of contents.
8. Using the Zoom In tool, zoom into the Northern portion 7
of Lake Tahoe.
9. Use the identify tool to identify the names of the rivers
feeding into or out of Lake Tahoe.
10. Select the Pan tool.
The pan tool in ArcMap acts just as it does in many other
applications, such as Adobe Reader.
11. Click the map and hold down the mouse button.
12. Drag the map to include another portion of the lake
boundary.
13. Release the mouse button.
The data frame now displays the new region your panned to.
14. Click the Previous Extent tool. 8 10 14 15
This will display the previous extent that you were viewing.
15. Click the Next Extent tool.
This will display the next extent that you were viewing in the
sequence of viewing various extents.

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Selecting features in ArcMap:

basic skills
1. Click the Full extent button on the Tools toolbar. 1 2
2. Select the Select Features tool.
3. Click and drag a box covering the northern coastal region.
This will select all of the features from all of the layers that
intersected with your bounding box.
3
4. Right Click the Earthquake layer name in the Table of
Contents.
5. Select Open Attribute Table.
This will open the attribute table associated with the
earthquakes layer. The earthquake features that you selected
in the data frame are also selected in the attribute table.
6. Scroll up and down in the Attribute Table for CA
Earthquakes.
The earthquake features that you selected in the data frame
are also selected in the attribute table.
7. Click the Clear Selected Features button on the tools
toolbar. 5

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS
8. Click the Small box on the far left side of the top row on
the attribute table.
This will select the top feature.
9. Close the Earthquake attribute table.
10. Click Selection on the Main Menu and Select Zoom to 8
Selected Feature.
11. Click the Full Extent button on the Tools toolbar to return
to a full view of the state.

Want More? 10
• What do the remainder of the
tools on the Tools toolbar do? Explore the
other tools. Later in the manual you will
learn more about the Hyperlink tool.

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS

Save and export an ArcMap

document
In this task you will save you map document and learn to
export your map in a variety of formats.
4
1. Modify your map including the extent shown in the data
frame, layers turned on or off, and the symbology of the
layers.
2. Click Clear Selected Features on the Tools toolbar.
3. Click File on the Main menu and select Save.
This will open the Save As dialog box.
4. Navigate to the folder where you stored the other
California data.
5. Specify a name for your map document.

Helpful Hints
• Remember that the ArcMap 5 6
document does not save a copy of the
data, it only saves the file path to
the data. If you move or modify your
data, you will loose that data in your
ArcMap document.
• An ArcMap document will save
the symbology, spatial extent, and
other many settings.

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 Exercise 1: Getting to know ArcGIS
6. Click Save to save your map document.
7. Click File on the Main menu and select Export Map.
This will open the Export Map dialog box.
8. Navigate to the folder where you would like to export a
copy of your map.
9. Specify a name for your exported copy of your map.
10. Using the drop down menu, choose the format in which 8
you would like to export your map.
11. Click Save to export a copy of your map.

Want More?
• When you export and are
viewing the Data View you export just
what is in that Data View.
What happens if you are Layout
View? Feel free to play with the Lay-
out View, Layout drop down button
on the Main menu and the Layout
toolbar.
11
You will learn more about the Layout
View and adjusting layouts later in
this manual.
9 10

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