Map Design

Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Research and Training Centre (CGIS)
University Avenue P.O. Box 212 Huye - Rwanda;

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UNI VERSI TY OF RWANDA
CollegeofScienceandTechnology(CST)

Introduction GIS

Exercise 8: Map design
Introduction

A map is a very efficient and effective means for transferring spatial information to users.
The users can locate geographic objects but maps also reveal spatial relationships and
patterns. A map should leave out certain detail, but have a clear and comprehensive message
for the users. In this exercise you learn the key aspects of how to create correctly a map, and
also be exposed to other types of GIS output.

Contents

The exercise covers the following topics:

Design of a thematic maps on a set of cartographic rules called cartographic grammar.
Six visual variables: size, value (lightness), texture, colour, orientation and shape.

Use of visual variables in relation to the data type, in order to create in the appropriate map.

Before you begin

Start ArcMap

- Double click on the icon on the desktop

- Click the Start button on Windows taskbar
StartPrograms ArcGIS ArcMap

Open an new map
Browse for maps to: C: GIS data

Upload the following layers: National boundary, administrative boundaries ( province, districts), lake
Kivu, Idjwi island, National parks of Rwanda, and Roads


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Task 1: Design the administrative map of Rwanda ( 1 Hour )

The goal here is to reproduce an administrative map of Rwanda as we did during the previous
sessions

Reorganize the order of the layers so that you can visualize correctly the different features.
You will apply different symbols for the different layers based on the cartography rules that you have
learned in the previous session.

The symbology is managed through the Layer Properties dialog Symbology Tab Symbol
Selector .

You can also access some of the symbol selector in double clicking the symbol of the layer in the
TOC to change: Symbol width and color of the outline angle

Symbol
Selector


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Now, you will change the symbology for the national boundary using the same symbol for all
features in the layer:
No fill color = Hollow
outline Width = 2
Edit symbol, Outline, Boundary: National
outline color = Amethyst

Double clicking the symbol of the layer in the TOC to change and click OK

We change the symbol of the Provinces using the same symbol for all features in the layer:

Fill color
outline Width = 1.5


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Outline color = dark umber

You can also access some of the symbol selector in double clicking the symbol of the layer in the
TOC to change different provinces in color, Symbol, width and color of the outline

Now, change the symbology for the Province boundary and province fill color using the same
symbol for all features in the layer:
Fill color
Eastern Province = Topaz Sand color


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Western Province = Yucca Yellow

Southern Province = Lepidolite Lilac


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Northern Province = Autunite Yellow

Kigali city = Lime Dust


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Outline Width for all province = 1.5
Edit symbol, Outline, Boundary: Province
outline color for all province are the same = Tuscan Red


Let have a look at the layer of province: The result will look as follows


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We change the symbol of the districts using the same symbol for all features in the layer:

Now, you will change the symbology for the District boundary using the same symbol for all
features in the layer:
No fill color = Hollow
outline Width = 1
Edit symbol, Outline, Boundary: District
outline color = Black



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Now, you will change the symbology for the park using the same symbol for all features in the layer:
Fill color = Fir Green
outline Width = 0
Edit symbol, Outline, Boundary: Park
outline color = None


Now, you will change the symbology for the Island using the same symbol for all features in the
layer:
Fill color = Gray 40%
outline Width = 0
Edit symbol, Outline, Boundary: Island
outline color = None



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Now, you will change the symbology for the Kivu lake using the same symbol for all features in the
layer:
Fill color = Big Sky Blue
outline Width = 1
Edit symbol, Outline, Boundary: Kivu lake
outline color = Gray 50%


Roads: You will upload all roads of Rwanda, and select only Road type 1. Create the layer for that
category of road and use it during the map design. Remove other roads from the table of content

Change the symbology for the Road following the same processes as you did for all features in the
map
Color = Gray 60%


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Width = 1


Labeling the map

Remark: To improve readability of the map and in order to make it more informative, you want to add
the names of provinces, districts and parks.
We need to have this information available as a text string. If you open the attribute table, you can
find the names of the provinces in the field: province
You can do the same for Districts

Open the layer properties of Province and activate the tab: Labels.
Check: Label Features in this layer.

From the list under the heading: Text String; Label Field select: PROVINCE
Click OK


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You may notice that because of the relatively long names, a number of the names are not well placed
nor readable.

You can improve map readability by applying refined symbolisation and adjustment of symbol
placement.

Try to change some of the settings in the Text Symbol: Symbol and Other Options: Label
Placement Options

You can go to Province right click and active the label feature


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For Districts

Open the layer properties of District and activate the tab: Labels.
From the list under the heading: Text String; Label Field select: Dist- Name
Click OK

You may notice that because of the relatively long names, a number of the names are not well placed
nor readable.

You can improve map readability by applying refined symbolisation and adjustment of symbol
placement.

Try to change some of the settings in the Text Symbol: Symbol and Other Options: Label
Placement Options

You can go to District right click and active the label feature


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Open the layer properties of park and activate the tab: Labels.
From the list under the heading: Text String; Label Field select: park
Click OK


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Open the layer properties of Kivu lake and activate the tab: Labels.
From the list under the heading: Text String; Label Field select: Kivu lake
Click OK

Open the layer properties of Idjwi Island and activate the tab: Labels.


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From the list under the heading: Text String; Label Field select: Idjwi Island
Click OK

At the end, your map could look like this:


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Production of a map layout

In this part of the exercise you explore the layout tools within ArcMap based on the result of the
previous steps of the exercise.

First a default layout will be produced and subsequently adjusted to improve its visualisation.

Next, you add in a step by step the necessary information to the layout to come an acceptable map
representing the Administrative Map of Rwanda

For additional layout settings from Tools > Options

Creation of a default layout

Select Layout View in the menu View. (ArcMap positions the geographic information on a Virtual
page, with the Default settings).

Select the paper format A0, and choose for Page Orientation: Landscape.
Click OK.


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Layout can looked at this

In the next steps you are going to add the relevant marginal information one by one.

To do so, you use the main menu Insert and you can modify each elements by select it:


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Adding a title to the map

In the main menu select Insert and Title; as a result, a block of text appears somewhere on the
Layout View.
Double-click the title frame. In the dialogue window Properties>Text, overwrite the text with the
actual title of the map: Administrative map of Rwanda.

Click Apply. You will see the result directly on the layout view (if necessary, move the dialogue
window Properties to the left bottom corner of the screen).

It is not likely that you will be satisfied with the result on the screen. You would probably like the
text to be more pronounced. Try out the possibilities ArcMap offers within the dialogue window
Properties, like Character Spacing, or other text styles under the button: Change Symbol; the
use of value (Bold, Medium, Light); or Mask. Click Apply to judge the result on the screen. When
you are satisfied with the result, click OK.

If necessary, reposition the title to a more suitable place in the layout.

Adding a scale bar

From the main menu select Insert , Scalebar
Choose Alternating Scale Bar 1 and click OK.


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ArcMap offers you to make a choice out of a number of different ways of presentation of scalebars.
As an example, for this map we have chosen: Alternating Scale Bar 1. Note that ArcMap positions
the scalebar in the centre of the layout view.

Click and drag the scalebar to the position bottom center of the mapped area.
The default scalebar will has to be adjusted to be readable. Right-mouse-click the scalebar and select
Properties

ArcMap allows by means of a dialogue window to adjust the scalebar to meet the standards like:
number of steps; unit of measurement; colour; fonts; size; etc.

Adding a legend

Select Legend from the Insert menu
In the dialogue window: Legend Wizard, select which the layers you do not want to represent in the
legend and click the Remove button:
Click the button Next.

In this window, overwrite the Legend Title by: Legend. If necessary re-specify Legend Title font
properties and Title Justification to your liking. Click Next.

In this window you can specify to allow a frame around the legend, with or without colour infill and


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e.g. a shadow around the legend. Each of the properties is editable. Click Next till you look final
legend as this

Adding a north arrow

Select North Arrow from the Insert pull down menu.
In the dialogue window: North Arrow Selector you can make a choice out of a great variety of
examples of north arrows.

Choose a north arrow that suits the overall design of the layout. The button Properties allows you to
fine-tune the chosen north arrow. Click OK.


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The final map should look as follows:


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Remarks:

1. You can modify the legend : select the legend in the layout, right click, convert to
graphic, Right click again, Ungroup, and finally select each block of the legend ,
ungroup
2. You can modify the text style, the color of each symbol, etc.

Task 2: Design the Forest map for Gisagara disrict ( 2 Hours)

Open a new Arcmap document and design a new map

The goal here is to produce a new map using the following layers:

1. Forest south, Road Rwanda from the folder Map_South
2. District boundary New, SECTORL_Boundaries_NISR_IRTF2005 from the
folder Admin_Boundaries_2012

A. From the layer of road, you will extract road type 2, and you will use only that
category of roads during the design of the map of Gisagara
B. For different classes for forest layer, try to use the following color ( see layer
properties, symbology, categories, class)

C. The map should be in A3 format ( paper properties )


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D. All map elements ( Title, North arrow, legend, border, scale bar ) have to be added on
the map
E. Export the final map as Pdf document

Done !

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Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Research and Training Centre (CGIS)

University Avenue P.O. Box 212 Huye - Rwanda;

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