New book from Esri Press: Lining up data in ArcGIS

On September 23, 2010, in Mapping, by abuckley

By Aileen Buckley, Mapping Center Lead

Lining Up Data Thumb

We are pleased to announce the release of an excellent new resource for map makers using ArcGIS — Margaret Maher’s book, Lining Up Data in ArcGIS.  Margaret shares some of her inspiration for writing the book with you in this blog entry.

Since I started working in Support Services in 2000, I have loved talking with you, our customers; the stimulation of constant learning and interaction with my coworkers; and making a little contribution to the world. I specialized in data conversion and map projections, since these are two areas of constant questions from users of Esri software.

I began writing Knowledge Base articles that addressed common questions about these two topics (these are listed at the end of this blog entry). The articles were well-received and became very popular. They were and still are useful, but in a one or two-page format, it was not possible to weave together all the details about map projections that you need to know in order to use data effectively in ArcGIS Desktop and other Esri products. Since I am only one person, and can only speak to one or two people at a time on the phone, there was a need to communicate what I learned to a wider audience. I thought that a book might be a good way to share all this valuable information.

Lining Up Data in ArcGIS: a Guide to Map Projections, published in Spring 2010, presents answers to the most common questions we have received from you, our customers, about map projections during my 10 years in Support Services. Each chapter can stand alone and addresses a specific topic. However, the content in the book is organized into three sections.

The first three chapters explain how to identify the type of coordinate system for data – whether it is in a geographic, projected, or local coordinate system — and the necessary steps to select the correct projection definition for data. Since ArcGIS Desktop installs over 4,600 projection files with the software, knowing how to identify the correct projection file (.PRJ) is critical. Any one of these projection files can be applied to data, but selecting the wrong projection definition spells A-G-G-R-A-V-A-T-I-O-N as well as potentially disasterous error.

Figure 3-3

The next three chapters explain how to modify projection files or create custom projections in order to align data in coordinate systems with non-standard units of measure, data with non-standard parameters, and even rotated data. While these issues most often occur with CAD output, data in other formats may also need these special treatments.

Figure 4-9

The final four chapters address the other FAQs – why we need geographic (datum) transformations and how to apply them; what the “best” map projection for a project is; what all the parameters in a projection file mean and how they affect the data; how to bring XY data into ArcMap; and last but not least, how buffers are created in ArcMap and why they sometimes do not look like you expect them to.

Figure 10-13

The book presents techniques in a format for practical use. It is printed complete with full-color maps and diagrams. The layout is easy-to-navigate and can be used to quickly troubleshoot problems or as a speedy reference for any GIS user with the common problem of data misalignment.

Here’s the reference for the book:

Maher, Margaret. 2010. Lining Up Data in ArcGIS: a Guide to Map Projections. Redlands, CA: ESRI Press, 200 pages, ISBN-13: 978-158948-249-4.

You can order a copy from Esri or Amazon.

I am most grateful to all our users who inspired this book, and I hope you will find it useful in your GIS careers.

Margaret M. Maher
9-19-10

Knowledge Base Articles on Map Projections:

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