New GIS Job Board Added

I have added a new addition to the GIS Pathway website. There is now an active job board for GIS jobs.  There is a variety of positions available.  There is even an option for adding your own job posts.

In an effort to help boost the available positions, you can post as many jobs as you would like for free during the month of February 2010.  Simply use the discount code: <FreeFeb10>.

Also take the time to visit and follow the @GISJobs4U twitter account.  Get the latest GIS jobs sent to your Twitter account.

Here are some of the latest GIS jobs available through the job board.

Geospatial Technology Isn’t Dying Anytime Soon

With the ever changing of technology, there has been a lot that has come and gone with some technologies sticking around.  I am reminded of the article put out by Computer World – The top 10 dead (or dying) computer skills.  Most of these dying skills I have never had any part of. Technologies such as PowerBuilder, a strong competitor with Oracle was a client/server development tool. Networking has also expanded and left non-IP networks in the past.  Also to think that non-relational databases existed and that now relational databases are vital to geospatial technology.  Technology will always be evolving into something better, finding a career in technology is challenging enough when your degrees and certification have value today and can easily be without value tomorrow.

A new study by the ARC Advisory Group shows that the geospatial information systems market is projected to continue to grow.  GIS is helping industries such as utilities and the federal government.   The technology is vital and is helping about every industry grow and become more efficient.  The study shows that the GIS market is expected to grow by 50% over the next five years.  It even show the expansion to markets outside of the United States.

With the expansion of GIS technology, the GIS industry will continue to expand.  Software is getting easier to use, the data is becoming expanded with higher quality, and the users are finding ways to better implement the technology.  These signs are very good reasons why it is not going to die any time soon.

Check out  the study: Geospatial Information Systems Market to Grow 50% Over Next Five Years

If you are not linked into GIS or Geospatial Technoloyg check out these resources to build a great career:

• Careers in GIS
• Career Voyages
• Building a Career in GIS
• GIS Cafe
• Careers at ESRI and in the Geospatial Industry

Kansas State GIS Certificate Programs

K-State has a great program for those interested in geography.  For those who are looking for more of a GIS focus, they offer two types of certificate programs: Undergraduate Certificate in GIS and the Graduate Certificate in GIScience.

Undergraduate Certificate in GIS

Students looking for an undergraduate certificate come from a variety of area such as agronomy, biological sciences, economics, engineering, geography, landscape architecture, and sociology.  Each one of these areas have direct benefit from GIS.  This certificate is for those students want to have an adequate foundation in geospatial tools.  The certificate is designed to help students prepare for an entry-level position working with GIS.

The following courses are required for the Undergraduate Certificate in GIS:

Ref No.	Course Name	Hrs
GEOG 302	Cartography & Thematic Mapping	3
GEOG 508	Geographic Information Systems I	3
GEOG 702	Computer Mapping & GeoVisualization	3
GEOG 705	Remote Sensing of the Environment	3
GEOG 708	Geographic Information Systems II	3
	One additional course dealing with a basic or applied aspect of geospatial technology or spatial analysis.	3
	Total Credit Hours:	18

Graduate Certificate in GIScience

The Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIScience) is designed to provide graduate students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in the rapidly expanding field of GIScience or apply GIScience concepts in their own field of study.

The Graduate Certificate in GIScience may be awarded as a “stand-alone” certificate or in conjunction with the completion of graduate degree requirements in one of the academic units at Kansas State University.

Three components comprise the program curriculum:

• A set of prerequisites to gain entry into the program
• A core geospatial courses focusing on geographic information systems (GIS) and satellite remote sensing
• A set of elective courses that allow for the exploration of advanced themes in GIScience and/or the application of GIScience in geography or related disciplines

Certification Requirements:

A maximum of 6 transfer credit hours may be used to meet program requirements.  Students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.33 in the Geospatial Core to qualify for the Graduate Certificate in GIScience.  The graduate faculty for the program will periodically review the certificate requirements and have the authority to pass modifications to the approved list of courses.

Prerequisites

• Competency in cartography, thematic mapping, or geodesy (e.g., GEOG 302)
• Competency in basic statistics (e.g., STAT 320, STAT 330, STAT 350)
• Competency in object-oriented computer programming (e.g., Introduction to Visual Basic)

Geospatial Core (9 credit hours)

• GEOG 508 Geographic Information Systems I (3 cr)
• GEOG 705 Remote Sensing of the Environment (3 cr)
• GEOG 708 Geographic Information Systems II (3 cr)

Elective Courses – Select Two (minimum of 6 credit hours)

• AGRON 655 Site-Specific Agriculture (3 cr)
• BAE 690 Non-Point Pollution Engineering (3 cr)
• CE 585 Civil Engineering Project – must have GIScience focus (3 cr)
• CIS 501 Software Architecture and Design (3 cr)
• CIS 560 Database System Concepts (3 cr)
• CIS 635 Introduction to Computer-based Knowledge Systems (3 cr)
• CIS 636 Introduction to Computer Graphics (3 cr)
• DAS/DEN/GENAG 582 Natural Resources/Environmental Sciences Project – must have GIScience focus (3 cr)
• GEOG 610 Geography Internship – must have GIScience focus (2-3 cr)
• GEOG 700 Quantitative Analysis in Geography (3 cr)
• GEOG 702 Computer Mapping and Geographic Visualization (3 cr)
• GEOG 711 Topics in Remote Sensing (3 cr)
• GEOL 560 Field Methods (3 cr)
• LAR 758 Land Resource Information Systems (3 cr)

For more information check out – http://www.k-state.edu/geography/academics/gis.html

Note: The information within this article has been thoroughly researched but should be verified with the college.  Publication of this article was not initiated by the college but is the sole work of GIS Pathway.

East Carolina University GIS Program

East Carolina University is located in Greenville, NC and is the third largest college in the North Carolina System. ECU has a strong geography department with several degree opportunities. When it comes to GIS, they have one Undergraduate Certificate Program in Geographic Information Science.

The program is designed to provide students from a variety of disciplines both the theoretical and practical competencies to be able to develop and manage Geographic Information projects.   Students should also be able to interpret and implement GIS as a decision support system.

Students from a variety of majors who have enrolled in this program include:

• Geography
• Geology
• Biology
• Planning
• Marketing and management
• Political science
• History
• Coastal studies

This certificate program requires a minimum of 15 s.h. and is composed of the following courses:

Core Courses:

• Fundamentals of GIS
• Fundamentals of GIS
• Geographic Information
• Systems I
• Introduction to GPS

Plus One Additional Course:

• GIS Applications Programming
• Advanced Cartographic Design & Production
• Remote Sensing II
• Geographic Information
• Systems II
• Introduction to GIS in Planning

The Center for Geographic Information Science facility is composed of 25 PC workstations.  These workstations provided a variety of mapping software including:

• Applied Imagery’s Quick Terrain Modeler
• ArcGIS Desktop 9.3
• ArcInfo Workstation 9.3
• ERDAS Imagine 9.1
• FRAGSTATS 3.3
• Interactive Visualization Systems’ (IVS 3D) Fledermaus & Dmagic
• Visual Nature Studio 2 w/ Scene Express

Scholarships

The two main scholarships that are advertised are the ASPRS NC Chapter Scholarship and the NCGITA Scholarship.  Students can apply for thse scholarships through the individual organization and are awarded at thier discresion.

You can find additional information about the GIS Certificate Program at http://www.ecu.edu/cs-cas/geog/GISCertificate.cfm

Note: The information within this article has been thoroughly researched but should be verified with the college.  Publication of this article was not initiated by the college but is the sole work of GIS Pathway.

10 Tips for Those Not Attending the ESRI User Conference

The keys to having a successful career rely heavily around networking and staying up on technology. In the GIS industry there is no better opportunity to accomplish this than at the ESRI International User Conference. GIS professionals from all across the world come to San Diego, CA for the ultimate GIS conference experience. You can have the opportunity to meet people from every industry imaginable that use GIS. Hear them present their work and see their map presentations. Learn from the best of the best. In addition to this fabulous exposure, hear from ESRI on the latest and greatest in GIS technology. Learn how to better apply this technology and what to expect for the future.

Because of the economy, the pure lack of funding, and several other reasons; many GIS users are unable to attend this conference.  Although you may not be able to attend, you can still benefit in many ways.  Here are ten excellent things you can do without leaving your office.

1. Watch the plenary session online.

2. Follow the Twitter action

• Search for the #ESRIUC tag
• Follow those on this Twitter List from GISUser.com

3. Browse Flickr for User Conference pictures

4. Listen to the VerySpatial live podcast from the User Conference and follow up podcasts from throughout the week.

5. Follow the ESRI Insider Blog

6. Follow all of the geospatial/gis blogs at the GIS Forum Community Mashup

7. Read through the official ESRI International User Conference Agenda Digital Magazine (PDF)

• Find Special Interest Groups
• Follow up with presenters for topics of interest
• Find out what you are really missing

8. Watch videos on youtube – esritv

9. Visit the ESRI Resource Centers

10. Mark your calendar for next year’s conference

• July 12-16, 2010
• Insert into budget and begin fund raising efforts

GIS Modeling in Raster

I just finished up a class using the book: GIS Modeling in Raster by Michael N. DeMers.  At first I was a bit overwhelm with the content of the book, but it all soon fell into place.  This book has been out for several years now, but it is one of the best available on the subject of rasters (some see this as both a positive and negative).

The book begins by covering the various features that can be represented with rasters.  I found it interesting that the square grid is not the only type of grid, but triangle, parallelogram, and hexagon could also be used.  Types of rasters discussed included the simple raster, extended raster, quadtrees, and cellular automata.

A key element to rasters is map algebra.  This topic covers conceptualizing zero through two-dimensional space with grid cells and conceptualizing three-dimensional space with grid cells.  The map algebra chapter provides a very good introduction to manipulations.  A variety of operators and functions are covered.  For a more detailed section on functional operations, chapter 4 covers trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic, reclassification, selection, and statistical.

Chapter 5, 6, and 7 covers the whole modeling gamut.  Chapter 5 starts it off with how to think spatially.  Identifying patters within the data is covered.  Learning how to use tools such as landscape, literature survey, maps, aerial photography, and statistical techniques to identify these patterns.  Within modeling essentials, types of GIS models are discussed.  The models include those based on purpose, methodology, and logic.  With the basics of modeling covered, the flow of the book moves into conceptualizing the model.  This begins with defining your goals, adding the spatial dimension, and identifying data elements.  With the model conceptualized, chapter 7 shows how to carry out your model.

The book is summed up with techniques for conflict resolution and prescriptive modeling along with verification, validation, and acceptability.  The areas covered here include the orpheus land use allocation model, consensus building, hierarchical techniques, statistical techniques, and displaced fuzzy ideal.  Additionally, there are sections on model correctness, parsimony, and model acceptance.

Overall, this is an excellent textbook and great reference source.  Although I found it a little hard to read in some spots, I was able to benefit and apply many concepts to my daily work flow.  Also note that there is downloadable data made available that corresponds to the chapter concepts.

• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: Nature of the Data
• Chapter 3: Map Algebra
• Chapter 4: Characterizing the Functional Operations
• Chapter 5: Modeling Essentials
• Chapter 6: Conceptualizing the Model
• Chapter 7: Model Formulation, Flowcharting, and Implementation
• Chapter 8: Conflict Resolution and Prescriptive Modeling
• Chapter 9: Model Verification, Validation, and Acceptability

Check out this book for yourself: GIS Modeling in Raster

Create Thumbnails in ArcCatalog

ArcCatalog has so many features, it is difficult to keep up with them all.  One that is very helpful is the Create Thumbnail button.  This allows you to create a thumbnail image of a file so that it can be viewed from the Contents Tab instead of the default thumbnail.  The below example shows its application for a shapefile, but this can be applied to a variety of file types.  This quick snapshot can help the browsing process when you are looking for that certain file.

Follow these simple steps to create a thumbnail image for a file in ArcCatalog:

1. View the shapefile with the Preview Tab.

2. Zoom to desired view.

ArcCatalog gives you a few navigation tools.  You can create a full extent view or zoom in on certain features.

3. Press the create thumbnail button from the toolbar.

4. View the newly created thumbnail under the Contents Tab.

Learn more about ArcGIS in these excellent books:

GIS Tutorial

Getting to Know ArcGIS

GIS Cartography: A Guide to Effective Map Design

There have been many cartography books published over the years that seem to cover the same information with an out of date feel.  Like a breath of fresh air, a new cartography book has enter the mix.  GIS Cartography: A Guide to Effective Map Design written by Gretchen N. Peterson has been recently made available.

The first thing that stood out to me was the openness and personable presentation of the author in the introduction.  As I read through this book I did not see it as a textbook, but I saw it as if I was sitting across the table from Gretchen discussing keys to GIS cartography.  She presents each area in a detailed manor as one speaking from experience.

I liked how the book did not focus on a single software package, but provides ideas that could be applied across the board.  The examples and topics are presented in a more up to date application.  This allows for the incorporation of new media like PowerPoint slides and web maps.  Although this book was written with the early career professional in mind, it has a lot of good stuff for everyone no matter the career level.

A few areas that really stood out to me included the challenge of learning to be creative with map design.  Observing art and other non map designs help stimulate the creative juices.  There is also an excellent detailed layout design checklist.  Each element is discussed extensively throughout the chapter.  Another helpful area was map fonts.  Learning when to use certain fonts, understanding map viewing distance and its correlation to the font size, and understanding the importance of text direction are some of the topics discussed in the font chapter.

Color is also analyzed and starts at the beginning with the color theory as defined by Sir Isaac Newton.  The author presents valuable information on these various color models:

• RGB
• Hexadecimal
• HSV
• HSL
• CMYK
• CIELAB

In addition to the color models, the author discusses figure ground, choropleth mapping, color connotation, blending, and readability.  One of the largest sections is on cartographic representation of features.  This chapter was very useful as it contains an enormous amount of information that includes specific features and the techniques on how to enhance each one.  Some of these features includes:

• Roads
• Rivers and Streams
• Cities & Towns
• Political Boundaries
• Elevation / Hillshade
• Wind
• Temperature
• Land Use / Land Cover
• Utilities
• Soils

Beyond the chapter content, the appendix is filled with invaluable resources such as layout sketches, map examples, and color swatches.

The book is a great read from front to back; however, you can pick and choose to read the chapters you want.  I highly recommend this book for its reading ease, valuable information, and current applicable techniques.

Check it out: GIS Cartography: A Guide to Effective Map Design

About the Author (from http://petersongis.com):

Gretchen holds a BS in Natural Resources from Cornell University and is a GISP. She is the author of GIS Cartography: A Guide to Effective Map Design. She is a member of the GISCI Application Review Committee.

Gretchen has been conducting GIS analysis and development in the Pacific Northwest for over 9 years. Prior to founding PetersonGIS, Gretchen was a GIS analyst for a private consulting firm where she designed the GIS salmonid refugia model for Kitsap and Jefferson Counties in Washington State. Before moving to Washington State, she conducted research in the field on the Common Tern in Oneida Lake, New York and worked as a GIS data specialist at the New York Water Resources Institute.

ArcMap Erase Tool – Video Tutorial

The erase tool can help save a ton of editing time.  Its main purpose is to perform an overlay analysis.  The most common tool used for this is Clip, but output of this tool is just the overlap portion of your feature class.  To be able to carry out the opposite of this, you must use the Erase Tool.  The Erase Tool will remove the overlapped portion from the feature class and leave a shape that resembles a doughnut.

Although this demonstration show you how to use the erase tool at the ArcInfo license level, you can also do this at the lower levels such as ArcView or ArcInfo.  James Fee provided a great resource.  You can find the link at the bottom of this page.

To use the Erase Tool:

1. Open ArcToolbox -> Analysis Tools -> Overlay ->Erase Tool
2. Fill in Dialog Box
   • Input Features
   • Erase Features
   • Output Feature Class
3. Click OK

Note: Videos are broadcast through youtube.com.  Some browsers may block this content.

Download the video to your computer: ArcMap Erase Tool

If you do not have access to the ArcInfo software license, you can also learn how to Perform an Erase in ArcView.

Buffering Features in ArcGIS

Buffering is a useful technique in GIS.  It is referred to as a proximity tool in ArcToolbox.  It can be applied to points, polylines, and polygons.  Some valuable uses include: Right-of-ways, Tree diameters, Sex Offender Exclusion Zones, Study Areas, Impervious Surfaces from a Centerline, Evacuation Zone of Weather Events,  etc.

To perform a single distance buffer:

1. Open the Buffer Tool – ArcToolbox >Proximity >Buffer

2. Fill Inputs

• Input Features (Points, Polylines, Polygons)
• Output Feature Class
• Linear Unit (Distance of Buffer) This can also come from a attribute field value.

The remaining entries are optional.

The new output layer from the buffer will be added to the map (circles around red dots).

To perform a multiple distance buffer:

1. Open the Multiple Ring Buffer Tool – ArcToolbox >Proximity >Multiple Ring Buffer

2. Fill Inputs

• Input Features (Points, Polylines, Polygons)
• Output Feature Class
• Enter each buffer distance.

The remaining entries are optional.

The new output layer from the buffer will be added to the map.  Notice that I have used the dissolve option.  This causes the buffer rings to dissolve based up distance.

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