Visualizing Space with ArcGIS/QGIS

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data jam
workshop
arc GIS
QGIS
data visualization
mapping
Visualizing Space with ArcGIS/QGIS
Girmaye Misgna

The Data Jam theme during week 5 was on Visualizing Space. The week was also when a GIS Day event is celebrated internationally. Penn Libraries celebrates the annual GIS Day event by hosting a diverse group of GIS related activities on campus. 

One of the activities was a workshop on Visualizing Space with ArcGIS/QGIS. The workshop explored the various components of the ESRI's ArcMap and the free and open source QGIS interface and tools, creating a new map, adding data layers, changing layer symbol and display properties, setting layer symbol, creating map layouts with legends, titles, north arrows, and other map elements.

Lessons Covered

  •  Spatial data models, file formats, and coordinate reference systems
  •  Explore the various components of ArcGIS/ArcMap & QGIS interfaces, tools, extensions and plugins
  •  Adding data layers  and base map
  •  Changing layer symbol and display properties
  •  Creating map print layouts with legend, title, and scale
  •  Exporting maps
  •  Opening delimited text files (csv) and EXCEL Sheets
  •  Opening delimited text files (csv) and EXCEL Sheets containing coordinate data
  •  Joining two tables
  •  Running geo-processing tools

See the workshop slides containing the main outlines and links to further resources and Watch the recording. 

About the Author

Girmaye Misgna
Girmaye Misgna
Mapping & Geospatial Data Librarian
Girmaye provides research consultation and training services to faculty, staff, and students who are engaging with spatial methods, bringing deep technical expertise in both GIS and Mapping application development to that work. He enjoys the daily interaction with the campus community across all disciplines and the everyday new learning experience associated with it.

Girmaye supports faculty and students who are engaging with spatial methods, bringing deep technical expertise in both GIS and application development to that work.

Before coming to Penn Libraries, Girmaye was a Researcher and GIS Lab Manager in the Environmental Resources and Policy Program at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has master's degrees in Geography from SIU Carbondale and in Applied Geology from Addis Ababa University.

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