Web GIS Lab 1

Goal and Background

The goal of this lab was to introduce us to some basics of web maps. We were also introduced to the methodology for creating a simple web map. Another skill introduced is the creation of a story map all of which were created on ArcGIS Online which is an online web mapping service provided by ERSI.

Methods

Part 1 Web Map

The first part of the lab dealt with exploring ArcGIS online and some of the tools and capabilities of the cite. We started by looking at a web map, of the Big Island of Hawaii including locations of volcanoes and the lava flow hazard zones (Figure 1). The purpose was to just see an example of a web map and some of the moving parts including data layers, information tabs and how they interact when you click on them. After we explored the map the next step was to make our own copy of this map and learn how to make some changes to data layer symbols, adjust layer transparency, and reorder layers in the legend and add layers of our choice to the map as we saw fit. Figure 2 is my final map with all the changes I made that was saved and published so people can use it interactively online to explore Hawaii lave flows just like we did in the first part of the exercise.

Figure 1 This is the map we explore to get an idea of the concepts in a web map.
Click the figure to go to the interactive map.

Figure 2 This is my final map that I created. It has many of the same layers as the map in Figure 1 however you will see  there is a new layer called trails that I added.
Click the figure to go to the interactive map.

Part 2 Story Map

The other part of the lab was creating a story map. Story maps are an online interactive map on which you place location markers and photos with descriptions of what happened at those location to tell a story. You can also include routes you took if you are telling the user about a trip you were on and other interactive layers.

The first thing you need to do when creating a story map is gather the data such as images or videos that you plan to use in the story. It is recommend that the photos used are in a landscape format and somewhere around 1000 by 750 pixels, however any size photos will do. Our data was provided us by Dr. Wilson in a zip file that we had to unzip and then upload the images for the story. Once you have the images you want to do the first map creation step which is choosing a basemap. A basemap is the layer that gives the spatial context for where your story is taking place. When you are choosing a basemap some things should be considered: what is the focus of the map land or water, how much detail do I need in the map (i.e. county road names or just major interstates), does imagery of the background matter (Figure 3) or is a terrain map (Figure 4) or simple gray scale (Figure 5) map better.  Once you choose you basemap type you want to zoom into an extent that makes sense for you story. If your story is taking place in a city you aren’t going to want to be zoomed to the whole USA because then your user has to find and zoom to the city you are talking about. Zoom to an extent that makes sense and makes the map easy to use.

Figure 3 This is an imagery with labels basemap. This would be used if you want to a high level of detail for your basemap if you need to show buildings, streets or vegetation.

Figure 4 This is a terrain basemap. If your story is about a place that you want to show the topography of the land this is a good map.

Figure 5 This is a gray scale map which is used if you are just trying to show general area where the events took place and you aren't too concerned with detail.

For the map we created the focus is Austin Texas and close surrounding area (Figure 6).  After the basemap is chosen it is time to create a web application. This is where the interaction of the map is created. A story map tour template was chosen for this project. Once the project is created, the photos are added. This is where the photos are uploaded one at a time in the order you want the story or events to be in. You add a title, caption and location for the images so that they are displayed on the basemap you selected in the location where they took place.

Figure 6 The extent for my story map is Austin Texas and the surrounding area because that is where the event took place. Zooming to the extent of the story makes it much easier for the user to visualize the story and interact with the map.

Results

Once all the photos are added the final product looks like (Figure 7) which is my final story map. In this story map you can click on the individual images and see the title and captions as well as where the image was taken and the event happened. This allows the end user to follow the number of the images and get an idea of how the entire story unfolded. The story in my story map is of a Geography 368 class that went to Austin Texas. It shows some of the places they went, people they met and other events in order by date of the event. A story map like this is very easy to create and if done correctly makes a series of events very easy for someone to visualize and experience the event in a very interactive way.

Figure 7 This is what the story map will look like when it is open. The user can click on each image in the bottom tray to move to the location and read about what happened there. This is a very simple story map there are many other features that could be added to make it more interactive.
Click the figure to go to the interactive map.

Sources

Base Maps: ESRI 

Data Layers for Hawaii Map: ESRI data and ChrisHarder

Images for story map: Cyril Wilson and 368 Geography Texas Trip