GISDemoUsingMapWindowGISSoftware

HowtoMakeaSimpleMap

I.DownloadandInstallMapWindowGISSoftware

Gotohttp://www.mapwindow.org/download.php?show_details=1

DownloadthefreeMapWindowGISsoftware.Seeillustrationbelow.

Clickthisfor32bit
machines

Clickthisfor64bit
machines


ClickSaveontheFileDownloadSecurityWarning.Saveitinafolderwhereyoucaneasilylocateit.
Afterdownloadingyouwillseethisfile.

Doubleclickit.YouwillseeOpenFileSecurityWarningpopupwindow.

ClickRunbutton.

Followinstructionsduringinstallationprocess.
Whentheinstallationissuccessful,youwillseetheMapWindowGISicononyourdesktop.

II.CopyMcCurtain_SampleDataFolder

CopythefoldernamedMcCurtain_SampleDatafromthethumbdrive(supplied)toyourcomputer

Thefoldercontainsdatathatwewilluseinthisexercise.OpeningthefolderinArcExplorer,youwillsee
filesliketheonebelow.Notethatthreeormorefileshavethesamename,butwithdifferentextension
names.Eachgroupofthesefilesiscalledashapefile.ItisthemostcommonGISfile.OpeninginaGIS
software,however,themanyfilescomprisingashapefileappearonlyasasingleshapefile.

III.OpenMapWindowGIS

RightclickontheMapWindowGISicon.ClickOpen.

ClickAdddatatothisproject
GotoMcCurtain_SampleDatafolderthatyousavedawhileback.

Selecttl_2009_40089_McCurtain.ClickOpen.
YoushouldseealayerastheboundarymapofMcCurtainCounty.

MenuBar
StandardToolbars

Projector
map
display
area

Datalayers
area

Cartesiancoordinates Geographiclocation Scaleofthe

oftheprojectedmap indegrees display

TheMapWindowinterfacecontainsthefollowing:

TheMenuBar

TheFileMenu

TheEditMenu

TheViewMenu

ThePluginsMenu

TheStandardToolbars

NewProject ZoomIn

OpenProject
ZoomOut

SaveProject

Zoom
PrintMap

Identifier

MeasureArea AttributeTableEditor
Add/Remove
/ClearLayers MeasureDistance

Select

Pan

ChangingtheDisplayNameoftheDataLayer

Changethedisplaynameofthedatalayertl_2009_40089_McCurtainwithaneasiertoremember
namesuchasMcCurtainBoundary.

Rightclickontl_2009_40089_McCurtain,andclickProperties.TheLegendEditoropens.


HighlighttheDisplayNametl_2009_40089_McCurtain,andrenameitasMcCurtainBoundary.The
displaynameisfordisplaypurposesonly;thisdoesntchangetheoriginal(internal)filename.

SpendafewmomentstoexaminetheLegendEditor.Itcontainsinformationaboutthelayersuchasits
properties,projection,legend,andsymbology.Theboldcharactersinthesecondcolumndenotethat
thepropertyorsymbologycanbechanged.

AddingMoreFiles

ClicktheAdd/Remove/ClearLayerstool ,andopentheMcCurtain_SampleDatafolder.While
pressingtheCtrlkey,clickthefilesasshownbelow:

ClickOpen.

YoushouldnowseetheaddedfilesintheDataLayersarea.Movethelayersupordowntomakethem
visible,asshownbelow.(Clickonalayer,andwhilepressingthemouseleftkey,dragthelayerupor
downasmaybenecessary.)

ChangingtheSymbology

Nowletsmakechangestothedisplaynameandsymbology.

Renamethefollowing:
gnispop_p_ok089_McCurtain_utm15toPopulatedPlaces
SecRoadstoRoads
tl_2009_40089_areawatertoWaterbodies
tl_2009_40089_placetoMunicipalBoundaries

ChangethesymbologyasappropriateusingtheLegendEditor,shownbelow.UnderSymbology,inthe
thesecondcolumn,clickonthelinetomakethesymbolobyonaneditmode.

Theresultingmapisshownbelow.

AddingLabels

Letsdecidewhatlabeltouse.RightclickonPopulatedPlacesandclickViewAttributeTableEditor.
TheNAMEfieldholdsthenamesofcities.

FamiliarizewiththemenusandtoolsintheAttributeTableEditor.
ClickClose.

RightclickPopulatedPlacesagainandclickLabelSetup.TheShapefileLabelerpopupopens.

FilltheblanknexttoLabelFieldforFirstLine:withNAME.Leavethedefaultvaluesasis.

ClickApplyandOK.

10

Notethatsomelabelsoverlap.Weneedtomovesomelabelstoavoidoverlapping.

UsetheZoomIntool toseethelabelplacementmoreclearlyifnecessary.

UnderPluginsMenu,clickLabelMover.

TheLabelMovericon appearsontheStandardToolbar.

ClickontheLabelMovericon.

Clickacityortownnameandmoveitsothatthetownnamesdontoverlapwitheachother.

Repeattheprocessandadjustthelabelsplacementaccordinglyforothertowns.

11

SettinguptheMapWindowPrintLayout

UnderFileMenu,clickPrint.TheMapWindowPrintLayoutpopupopens.

12


TheMenuBaroftheMapWindowPrintLayout




TheStandardToolbarsoftheMapWindowPrintLayout


Newlayout Insertmap

Openlayout Insertnortharrow
project
Insertlegend

Save Insertscalebar
layout
Inserttext


Insertrectangle


Insertbitmap

Saveas
Zoomlayoutin
new

layout
Zoomlayoutout

Print Fittoscreen
layout

Zoomlayoutinoroutbypercent


Zoommapin

Zoommapout

Zoommaptofullextentoflayers


Zoommaptoextentofdataview


Panmap

13

InsertingtheMap

ClicktheInserttool anddrawarectangleontheblanklayout.

PositionandsizethemapandlayoutaccordinglyusingtheZoomandPantoolsbelow

InsertingtheNorthArrow,Legend,ScaleBar,Text,andLayoutBorder

Clickeachofthetools toperformtheInsertArrow,InsertLegend,InsertScaleBar,
InsertText,andInsertRectangle,respectively.Adjustthesymbolsizeaccordingly.

EditingtheLayout

Movetheappropriatesymbolbox(intheupperrightcornerofthelayout)upstarteditingtheparticular
symbol.

Forexample,thetextboxcontentiseditedasshownbytheillustrationbelow.

14

Afterafewadjustments,thefinallayoutisshownbelow.

15


PrintingandSavingtheMap

UnderFilemenuoftheMapWindowPrintLayout,selectChooseprinter.Filloutwithappropriate
information.

StillunderFilemenu,selectPrint.(OrclickthePrinttool .)

UnderFilemenuorfromthetoolbar,selectSaveas.(OrclicktheSaveastool .)Saveitinyour
McCurtain_SampleMapfolder,andnameitasMcCurtainMap.

UnderFilemenu,clickClosetoclosetheMapWindowPrintLayoutpopup.ClickYesifyoualready
savedthecurrentprintlayout.

SavingtheProject

UndertheFilemenuoftheMapWindowGISinterface,selectSaveas.Savethefileas
McCurtainProjectintheMcCurtain_SampleDatafolder.

UnderFilemenu,clickExittoendtheprogram.

ExtraChallenge

OpenMapWindow.OpentheMcCurtainProjectyoujustsaved.Tryaddingtheimagefiles
BrokenBowandIdabel.

Zoominandpantoyourhouselocationoryourfriends.

Observetherelativedistancesandlocationsofthedifferentfeatures.

CloseMapWindow.Youmaysaveyournewproject.

ENDOFDEMO.

16