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Week 2 Lab

In this lab, I was introduced to manual and on screen digitizing techniques using ArcGIS Pro. The purpose of the exercise was to gain hands on experience creating vector data from a raster image and to better understand how spatial features are captured and edited in a GIS environment. The lab focused on digitizing buildings, roads, and ponds from a scanned aerial photograph while also reinforcing proper data management and editing practices.

To begin the lab, I created a new ArcGIS Pro project within my Lab 3 directory and added a new map. I removed the default layers and set the map coordinate system to NAD83 2011 UTM Zone 15N so that it matched the coordinate system of the provided data. After configuring the map, I added the StXimg.tif image, which served as the primary source for digitizing. This image represented a typical scanned photograph used in mapping and land cover analysis.

Next, I created a new feature dataset inside the project geodatabase and defined the correct coordinate system. Within this dataset, I created three feature classes for buildings, roads, and ponds. Each layer required selecting the proper geometry type, which included point features for buildings, polyline features for roads, and polygon features for ponds. This step emphasized the importance of choosing the correct data structure before beginning any digitizing work.

Before adding features, I adjusted the snapping environment and set the XY tolerance to improve placement accuracy. This made it easier to connect features and maintain clean geometry. I then digitized building locations by placing points near the centers of visible structures. After that, I digitized road centerlines using polyline tools, making sure that segments snapped correctly at intersections. I also corrected minor mistakes by editing vertices when necessary.

For pond digitizing, I modified the symbology transparency so that I could see the underlying imagery while tracing boundaries. This helped improve accuracy along irregular edges. The second portion of the lab involved practicing editing tools such as autocomplete, split, and merge. These tools were used to create land cover polygons and update outdated features without introducing gaps or overlaps.

Overall, this lab provided valuable experience with digitizing workflows, feature creation, and editing techniques. It also reinforced the importance of coordinate systems, snapping, and careful feature construction in GIS projects.

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