If you want to examine a specific area of your map you have a selection of tools to help you. You can activate the Zoom in tool which is usually represented as a magnifying glass containing a plus sign. By clicking on the map the Zoom in tool will increase magnification, usually by two or three times, based on the settings within your GIS software. Alternatively you can create a box with the help of your mouse to zoom in to an area of interest. Depending again on your settings, the layer may show label information if this layer has been set up to be scale dependent. For instance, these settings are usually found within the Layers Properties dialogue box. Here you can decide whether labels display based upon a preset scale. This ensures that your map does not look too cluttered when you zoom out. Once you have zoomed into an area of interest you can use the Pan tool to move about this area of your map. There is also the option of a Zoom and Pan tool in some GIS software packages. This tool enables you to have the combined functionality to either Zoom in or out and Pan whilst using this specific option.
Your map may contain layers which cover in detail an area of a much larger map. You can view this area of interest layer by right clicking on it in the layer dialogue box and selecting Zoom to Layer. Your GIS software may have slightly different wording but will have the same effect. If you are using ArcGIS there is also a facility to create a magnification window which enhances an area of interest on you map. This magnification window can be positioned to give a clearer picture of the map data.
Another way to view various areas of interest is to save these views with an option called a Bookmark. The bookmark facility is available in most GIS software. You are given the option of naming the bookmark when you create it or leaving it with a default name. Either way, you can quickly return to that map view by selecting the book mark option from a menu option.
Once you are in your area of interest you may wish to find out further information about the data within your map. Various selection tools including an information tool will enable you interrogate your map without having to create expressions with an SQL facility. In case SQL is new to you this stands for the Standard Query Language which is used within GIS software to ask questions about the attribute data associated with the map. These questions can be about subjects as diverse as population size, crime statistics and rainfall data or whatever data is present within the attribute data of the layers within the map.
Behind each layer in your map is at least one attribute table which can contain information which can be displayed within the map. In some cases several attribute tables can be joined to further enhance the information that can be obtained and presented through the map options. This presentation of results is often achieved by creating thematic maps from the attribute data. Additionally you can use the information tool to quickly view attribute information from the points, lines or polygons within the map. You can click on a single vector object or use a variety of selection tools to highlight multiple features. The data highlighted in the map is also automatically highlighted within the attribute table. This table may or may not be open within the mapping software. However, this does not stop the data in the attribute table from being highlighted. In the same way as data can be highlighted through the map window, information can be highlighted by clicking on rows within the attribute table window. Clicking on one or more rows within the table will highlight the same vector objects within the map. Normally there will be an option within the GIS software to zoom in to the selected data on the map by pressing on an option button within the attribute table.
If you would like to further explore how GIS could help your organisation jps services offers one and two day training courses in QGIS, ArcGIS and MapInfo.
Another way to view various areas of interest is to save these views with an option called a Bookmark. The bookmark facility is available in most GIS software. You are given the option of naming the bookmark when you create it or leaving it with a default name. Either way, you can quickly return to that map view by selecting the book mark option from a menu option.
Once you are in your area of interest you may wish to find out further information about the data within your map. Various selection tools including an information tool will enable you interrogate your map without having to create expressions with an SQL facility. In case SQL is new to you this stands for the Standard Query Language which is used within GIS software to ask questions about the attribute data associated with the map. These questions can be about subjects as diverse as population size, crime statistics and rainfall data or whatever data is present within the attribute data of the layers within the map.
Behind each layer in your map is at least one attribute table which can contain information which can be displayed within the map. In some cases several attribute tables can be joined to further enhance the information that can be obtained and presented through the map options. This presentation of results is often achieved by creating thematic maps from the attribute data. Additionally you can use the information tool to quickly view attribute information from the points, lines or polygons within the map. You can click on a single vector object or use a variety of selection tools to highlight multiple features. The data highlighted in the map is also automatically highlighted within the attribute table. This table may or may not be open within the mapping software. However, this does not stop the data in the attribute table from being highlighted. In the same way as data can be highlighted through the map window, information can be highlighted by clicking on rows within the attribute table window. Clicking on one or more rows within the table will highlight the same vector objects within the map. Normally there will be an option within the GIS software to zoom in to the selected data on the map by pressing on an option button within the attribute table.
If you would like to further explore how GIS could help your organisation jps services offers one and two day training courses in QGIS, ArcGIS and MapInfo.
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