Vector Data Entry and Encoding -- Digitizing from a Basemap
Orthophotography, USGS topographic quadrangles, and historic hard copy maps are useful source data. Yet our work often requires that this data be refined to focus on those aspects of reality that pertain to us and our work. For example, foresters digitize from orthophotos to extract forest tracts and storm water engineers use similar data to extract impervious surfaces. Moreover, much of our data are historic and require work to get them into a digital format. Heads-up digitizing is the process used to create new digital vector features from a raster basemap and scanned hardcopy maps. You will learn how to interpret raster basemaps and use ArcGIS Pro to trace and create discernable features of interest.
• Perform heads-up digitizing to create a GIS database.
• Maintain topological (data validation) rules and relationships.
• Assess the spatial accuracy of different GIS basemaps.
This course is expected to take roughly 240 minutes to complete.
Target Audience
Interested in creating new data from existing basemaps. Intermediate users.
Instructor Bio
Douglas Miskowiak is a GIS Center Education Specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Douglas explores the democratizing influences of GIS to inform, educate, engage and empower the public in community decision making. He has worked with communities and citizens across Wisconsin applying GIS methodologies for innovative decision making, public participation, plan development, assessment, implementation, and monitoring. In addition to community and natural resources planning, Douglas is exploring the utility of GIS for emergency management, investigating human health/land use relationships, and conducting business assessments.
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