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Developing a Geodatabase of NCSU Campus Features for Future Management
Problem and Objective
I am a GIS analyst for NC State University. I have been asked to create a geodatabase that contains six feature classes of campus. I will create streets, sidewalks, streams/creeks, lakes/ponds, buildings, and athletic fields feature classes all based on AutoCAD data. Future management of campus facilities will be able to utilize this geodatabase.
Analysis Procedures
To complete this project I used ArcGIS Pro software. I used a JPEG image as a reference image for georeferencing the AutoCAD data. I used the ‘Define Projection’ tool to specify the projection of the JPEG image based off of the information in the ReadMe file. To create the new feature classes in the new geodatabase, I used the ‘Feature Class to Feature Class’ tool. The AutoCAD data I used was part of the NC State University Masterplan data and the reference image was a Campus orthophoto.
The first step of this project was to georeference the AutoCAD data based on the campus orthophoto. To do this I had to add two control points. For each control point, I marked a feature on the AutoCAD data and the corresponding feature on the orthophoto. Once I was happy with the new placement of the AutoCAD data, I saved the georeferencing information as a World file. The placement of the AutoCAD data will never be perfect, but there needs to be no large discrepancies.
The next step was to create a new geodatabase. I easily did this in the catalog pane of my ArcGIS Pro project. I then determined which layers from the AutoCAD data appropriately represented the data that I wanted to add to the new geodatabase. I determined that for the streets, sidewalks, and streams/creeks feature classes I would use the corresponding AutoCAD polyline layers and for the lakes/ponds and athletic fields feature classes I would use the corresponding AutoCAD polygon layers. For the building feature class, I would needed to use both the polyline and polygon layers. To do this I had to use the ‘Feature to Polygon’ tool to convert the polyline buildings to polygons. I then used the ‘Feature Class to Feature Class’ tool for the newly converted building polygons and for the original building polygons. Next I used the ‘Merge’ tool on these two feature classes, so that I would have one feature class to represent all the buildings on campus. For the other five features, I just used the ‘Feature Class to Feature Class’ tool.
Results
The map to the left displays the features that NC State University asked to have as feature classes. The streets, streams, sidewalks, lakes, buildings, and athletic field features were all based off of the AutoCAD image of the university campus.
Application and Reflection
In completing this task, I learned how to georeference AutoCAD data, how to create a new geodatabase, and how to convert AutoCAD data into ArcGIS feature classes. These will be very useful skills in this field. Below I describe a new, similar problem that I could apply these new skills to.
Problem Description
I work for a parks service. The park wants to know hw much area of the park is covered by different types of plants. I must use these new skills to develop a map displaying the different plant type and calculate the area of each.
Data Needed
The parks service only had CAD data that classifies the plant type. I must locate an orthophoto of the park. I can use the USGS EarthExplorer to locate and download this data.
Analysis Procedure
Once the orthophoto and AutoCAD data of the park is imported to ArcGIS Pro, I can then georeference the AutoCAD data based on the projection of the orthophoto. I would then convert the CAD layers into individual polygon feature classes. Finally, I would be able to calculate the area of each class in ArcGIS Pro.
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