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Reekie Lum
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Student Project: Thanks to Aaron

• To open GIS:

1. Go to the start menu, to programs, to ESRI, to ArcView GIS Version 3.1.

• To add a theme:

1. When you have entered GIS it will ask you to either open an existing project (which you use if you want to look at data), open a blank project (you create your own view by drawing things), or open a new view (you open a project with an existing theme but you are able to add data to it).
2. If you will want to add your own data as well as existing themes to a project, it is best to start with a new view, the most versatile of the three options. By the way, a theme is information, such as cities or population, that is put onto a map in layers, like one theme could be the countries or the world, next you would put on the rivers, the roads, the cities, the population and so on, and you can check each one on and off as you like.
3. Now that you have a new view, it will ask you if you want to add data to it. If you do, which most likely you will, you click yes. Then it will come up with a screen where you are able to select which theme you want to start with, such as the world, the U.S., Africa, or another country/continent. Also, you will have to select which type of them you want to start with, a population one, a political map, a geographical map, and so on. After you choose this, you click open and on your GIS screen you will see some sort of map appear.
4. Now, if you chose a political map of countries across the world, you could now add another theme on top of that, such as population density or cities, by going up to View and selecting Add Theme from the View column. Then you can go into Esridata and select what type of theme you would like. This theme will then appear on the sidebar next to your project. To make the theme appear you just have to click on the little gray box so that a black check forms in it.
5. Repeat this step as many times as you want to add as many themes as you want.
6. If you wish to simply hide the theme from view temporarily, uncheck the black little check in the gray box on the sidebar where the theme is located. However, if you wish to delete a them forever from your project, you highlight the them so that its gray box is bumped up and you go to Edit and select Delete Themes from the Edit Column.

• To add your own data to a project:

1. Go to View and select New Theme from the View Column. You can then choose what type of theme you want to add. A point is a dot for a city, volcano, or other spot. A line is just like it seems, a line for rivers, roads, and other things like that. The last one is polygon and is used to make shapes.
2. It will then ask you to title your theme, so you title it accordingly. Then your theme will appear on the sidebar next to your project and it should be checked off and have a little dotted line around it. If this little dotted line around the theme box exists, it means that you are in the edit mode and so you can therefore add data to your project.
3. To add a point of your theme to the map or project, you click on the point tool which is a little black circle. Then pick your point on the map and click there to add a point. If you want to change the symbol of your point you can double click on the dot or symbol that appears on the sidebar next to the little checked box. Then you can choose what type of coloring you want, such as unique value, graduated color, or single symbol. If you want to change the appearance of your point double click on it again after you have already double clicked it into the legend editor screen. The paintbrush tool changes the color, the shape tool (magnifying glass) changes the shape and size, that ABC tool is the font tool, and there are a few other tools you can use to adjust other aspects of your point.
4. Once you have your point on the map, you can move it around by the arrow tool. Also, if you want to link a data table to your point, you click on the Open Theme Table tool or go up to the Theme column and select Table. Then when you open the table, you can type data into it by selecting the cursor tool, which looks like a little cursor with an arrow. Then you can enter data on your table.
5. To get a new field on your table (a new column) you can go up to Edit and select Add Field from the Edit column. Then it will ask you to name your field accordingly, so you do, and then you set it as String (letters), Number (numbers), Boolean (formulas), or Date (dates). You can then set the width of your column. Be sure to choose carefully because you will never get to reset any of this information for that field, so if you make a mistake, you will have to delete the field and start over.
6. To add a new record (row) on your table, you go up to Edit and select Add Record from the Edit Column. This will add a new row on your table for another point’s information. This table will automatically add a new record for each new point you put on the map.
7. Also, when making a table, I suggest that you put only three or four columns on any one table. To get a new table, you go back to the project screen, highlight Tables and press New. You can then title your table. Then the table will appear totally blank and you will have to add fields and records. On all tables that you plan on linking you have to have a common column that is the same for all of the tables, it has to have the same name and data in it, so you can use a column called ID and identify each point with a number. Then, when you have two or more tables that you wish to join together you highlight the field name at the top of the column in gray on one column and then you go to the next column and highlight that common ID table on that one as well.  Make sure that you have stopped editing or else you will not be able to join the tables. Then go up to the Table column and select Join. The two tables should then join together and display the data of both together.
• Useful Tools:
1. One useful tool is the hand, which moves the map or other object around.
2. The two magnifying glasses zoom in and out.
3. The i tool identifies objects and points.
4. The ruler with a question mark measures distances.
5. The little tag labels things.
6. The T tool labels things and allows you to insert text boxes.