Introduction to GIS Training
November 2024
Frank Thomas
GIS Trainer
The HALO Trust
Layers: Filtering
• Definition queries
• Show a subset of the data without having to create a new layer
• Use queries to filter the data using Boolean statements
• Name = ‘Frank’
Layers: Definition Queries
• Right click on a layer and choose Properties
Exercise: Definition Queries
• Exercise 1: Add Provinces.shp to ArcGIS
1. Filter only Huambo region
2. Filter for provinces with a population > 2,000,000 (how
many?)
3. Filter all regions beginning with L
• Exercise 2: Add mv_gis_task_polygons_survey to ArcGIS
1. Filter all surveyed minefields
2. Filter all where status is cancelled OR suspended (how
many?)
3. Filter all surveys that were started after 31/12/2020 and
finished before 01/01/2022 (how many?)
Layers: Pop Ups
• What information shows when a user clicks
on a feature
• Right click on a layer and select
• To disable a pop up right click on the layer and select
Exercise: Pop Ups
Configure pop ups for EOD points (mv_gis_tasks_eod)
1. Remove the Fields element
2. Click on Text
3. Add text showing the task code, locality, municipio, province,
status and end date
4. Click back to save
5. Click on a point and have a look at the pop up
6. Click on Chart
7. Tick on the fields qty_ap, qty_av, qty_uxo, qty_axo,
8. qty_cm, qty_saa, qty_ied
9. Give it the title Types of EOD Found
10. Click back to save
11. Click on a point and have a look at the pop up
Layers: Scaling Data
• For restricting unnecessary data and labels based on a specific zoom
scale
Layers: Layer Files
• .lyrx
• Store all settings associated with a layer including symbology, pop
ups, queries etc
• Can be shared and imported into another ArcGIS Pro project
• Can store multiple layers in one lyrx file
Save a layer file Import layer file
• Right click on a layer • Drag the file into ArcGIS
from Windows explorer or
the Catalog pane
Joining Data
• In some cases, we need to attach data from one set to another
• There are 3 types of Joins
1. Join Attributes based on a field (Join)
2. Join Attributes based on spatial location (Spatial Join)
3. Create a relationship between two layers based on a field
value (Relate)
• Right click on layer
Exercise: Joining Data
• Exercise 1 – Join
• Import Population.xlsx file
• Right click Provinces > Add Join
• Set ago_admpop_adm1_2022$ as Join Table
• Choose shapeName and ADM1_Name as join fields
• Validate join, OK and check Attribute Table
• Exercise 2 – Spatial Join
• Add mv_gis_lobito_corridor & municipio
• Right click municipio > Add Spatial Join
• Set Lobito corridor as Join Features
• Add Definition Query to municipio
• Join_count > 0
• Zoom to layer
Exercise: Joining Data
• Exercise 3 – Relate
• Remove join from Provinces (Right click > Remove
Join)
• Right click Provinces > Relate
• Set ago_admpop_adm1_2022$ as the Relate Table
• Choose shapeName and ADM1_Name as relate fields
• Give the relate a name
• Set cardinality to One to One
• Click OK and click on a Province
New in ArcGIS Pro 3.2
• Definition query automatically carries through on join
Selecting Features
• Allows us to select and de-select data for editing or exporting
• Manual
• Click on a feature or draw a shape on map
• Select By Attributes
• Select features based on a field value
• Select By Location
• Select features based on their location
Exporting Data
• Export data to create a new feature class or table
• Right click on layer > Data
• Export Features
• Exports all features and attributes
• Export Table
• Exports only attributes
Exercise: Selecting Features
• Add mv_gis_task_polygons_land_release into ArcGIS
• Exercise 1: Manual
• Use the manual select to draw a rectangle around a group of features
• Exercise 2: Select By Attributes
• Select all polygons where task type is minefield
• Export as a new layer
• Exercise 3: Select By Location
• Turn on the Municipio layer and filter to just the Menongue municipality
• Select all polygons within this district
• Relationship: Intersect
Geoprocessing Tools
• Thousands of Tools in ArcToolbox
• Use Search to locate the one you need
Geoprocessing Tools
• Main Tools we use in Mine Action
• Buffer
• Clip
• Merge
• Dissolve
• Erase
• Project
• Define Projection
Buffer
• Creates a new layer with a setback distance
Exercise:
• Select an airport point
• Create a buffer of 50
metres around it
Clip
• Used to Geographically cut features based on
another layer
Exercise
• Filter provincia to just Huambo
• Run clip on waterways using provincia as the clip
features
Merge
• Combine 2 datasets/layers (with same vector type) into one
Dissolve
• Dissolves several features in a layer into a single
• feature
Exercise
• Run Dissolve tool on provincia layer to create an Angola country
layer
Erase
• Creates holes within a polygon e.g. To remove lakes
Exercise
• Add mv_gis_task_polygons_land_release and erase
the land clearance areas from the municipalities
Define Projection
• Adds a coordinate system to a dataset that is missing one
• Must then be exported to register coordinate system
Project
• Reprojects data into a new coordinate system
Cartography
• The science or practice of drawing maps
• Making the map visually pleasing and easy to read
• Production of maps, infographics and other data visualization to
accompany donor reports, presentations and for other external
publications and uses
Mapping: Map of Bié Province
Data
• Turn on provincia and mv_gis_donor_map layers
• Filter Donor maps points to just clearance in Bié province
• Change map scale to 1:2,750,000 and add the Open Street Map
basemap
Template
• Choose A4 landscape
Draw a box around the white area
Mapping: Map of Bié Province
• Add a rectangle covering top of map
• Change fill colour to R 11 G 60 B 97
• Add a title to the map – font: Calibri, size: 45, colour: white
• Adjust the map so it is not covered by the rectangle
• Add a Halo Trust logo
• Add Angola flag
• Choose a North arrow and add to bottom left of map
• Choose a scale bar and add next to North arrow
• Try to aim for round numbers
• Add a legend
