Embedded Files
Data that is spatial in nature is not always stored in a spatial data format. For example, street addresses and latitude-longitude coordinates identify geographic locations but are often stored in spreadsheets, databases, or text files. If you have geographic information stored as a table, ArcGIS Pro can display it on a map and convert it to spatial data.
Data that is spatial in nature is not always stored in a spatial data format. For example, street addresses and latitude-longitude coordinates identify geographic locations but are often stored in spreadsheets, databases, or text files. If you have geographic information stored as a table, ArcGIS Pro can display it on a map and convert it to spatial data.
In this tutorial, you will create spatial data from a table containing the latitude-longitude coordinates of toxic waste releasing facilities in the state of South Carolina.
1. Preparing Your Data
1. Preparing Your Data
Before you can import tabular data into ArcGIS software, you must make sure it is in a file type and a format that ArcGIS Pro can recognize. First, we will format our data fields, and then we will save it correctly. Both latitude/longitude data and addresses must be correctly formatted in order to display correctly in ArcGIS Pro
Lat/Long
Use numerical values only (DO NOT include text like E, East, N, North, degrees, etc.)
Make sure your data is in decimal degrees, not degrees-minutes-secondsWhen appropriate, use negative (-) signs to indicate hemisphere
Latitude and Longitude must be in two separate fields – If you name these fields “latitude/longitude” or “X/Y,” ArcGIS Pro will automatically recognize them.
Addresses
Divide your data into the following columns: Address, City, State, Zip. Enter the corresponding data into each column.
If you are missing data from one of these categories, you do not need to include that header
Enter your data carefully – mistakes and typos can lead to errors in finding the address!
2. Create a new map
Save the file in the folder
Save your table in the folder you saved the workshop material C:\...\Data_Creation_and_Management_Pro\Excel_import
Useable File Extensions
Once you have formatted your data, you will save it using a file type that ArcGIS Pro can recognize. The following file types can be used in ArcGIS Pro. All of these file types can be read by Microsoft Excel:
csv
txt
xls (97-2003 preferable - .xlsx sometimes will not work)
Before you add your table to the map, check your table for the following:
On the Insert tab, in the Project group, click the New Map drop-down menu. Click New Map The new map is opened and added to the project. In the Catalog Pane, double-click on the Map you just created and rename it to Importing_Data Zoom to the South Carolina area. Change the Coordinate System using the method you learned in the previous exercise to NAD 1983 (2011) StatePlane South Carolina FIPS 3900 (Intl Feet).3. Add a stand-alone table to your map
Make sure the field names you have chosen are not too long and do not have spaces or other problematic characters (eg: *, &, !, #, etc) Save and close your excel document. Leaving it open may interfere with other A stand-alone table can be added to a map or scene in the same manner as any other layer using one of the three following methods: Drag the table from the Catalog pane into the current view.
Right-click the table in the Catalog pane and click Add To Current Map
.
On the Map tab, in the Layer group, click Add Data
and browse to the table.
Right-click it in the Contents pane and click Display XY Data
.
If you named your lat/long fields “X/Y” or “Latitude/Longitude,” the resulting dialog box will automatically fill in these field names for “X field” and “Y field.” If not, enter these field names manually If you do not have elevation data, leave “Z field” blank. Enter the projection information for your data by clicking the “Edit” button at the bottom of the box. Most GPS data uses a geographic coordinate system called WGS 1984. Be sure to enter the correct projection information for your data to ensure that it displays correctly Click Run.
4. Exercise on your own
Download toxic release facilities dataset for another state (not South Carolina)
https://enviro.epa.gov/triexplorer/tri_release.chemical
Format the data according to what you learned in this exercise
Create point layers of the toxic facilities in the state you picked.
Right-click on fac_release_TRI_formatted_XYTableToPoint in the Contents pane and click Attribute Table Explore the attribute table.
Congratulations, you are a tiger of a datamaker!
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