The Geographer's Craft, Spring 2000
This page contains the class schedule by week: January
17 | January 24 | January
31 | February 7 | February
14 | February 21 | February
28 | March 6 | March 13
| March 20 | March 27 | April
3 | April 10 | April 17
| April 24 | 1 May |
Related pages: General Information
| Lecture and Discussion Notes | Research
Problems and Warmup Exercises | Study and
Review Questions | Geographer's Craft Homepage
| UT Geography Homepage
|
January 17: Introduction to CAD.
Topics and tasks: Introduction to Microstation and computer-assisted drafting
(CAD). No class Monday: MLK Holiday.
Assignment:
January 24: CAD Basics and Beyond.
Topics and tasks: Overview and practice with Microstation. Continue with
Your Village assignment.
Assignment:
January 31: More CAD Using Public Access Datasets.
Topics and tasks: More map editing and compositing using CAD. Learn how
to download and use basemaps provided agencies of the State of Texas. Study
documentation and file structures of other public-access datasets. Experiment
with importing different file formats.
Assignment:
February 7: Three-dimensional Modeling.
Topics and tasks: Consider methods for three-dimensional modeling by reconstructing
a Nicaraguan village from nineteenth century maps and prints.
Assignment:
February 14: Rendering and Animation.
Topics and tasks: Introduce tools for rendering a three-dimensional map.
Learn how to "photograph" map views and how to prepare animations. Create
a "fly-through" or "walk through" of Greytown.
Assignments:
February 21: Depicting Temporal Change Using
Animation
Topics and tasks: Consider how temporal change in space can be depicted
using animation. Create animated gif using Microstation and Gif Construction
Set 32.
Assignments:
-
Begin animated gif project
February 28: Overview of WebGIS
Topics and tasks: Consider how mapserver technology is changing the way
GIS functions are being made available in the Web. Consider different
approaches to implementing WebGIS.
Assignments:
March 6: Implementation of WebGIS
Topics and tasks: Set up files for use with ArcExplorer or ArcView IMS.
-
Finish animated gif project by Friday
March 13: Spring Break.
March 20: Begin Final Project
Topics and tasks: Define topic for final research project.
Assignment:
March 27: Coordinate Systems
Topics and tasks: Raise issue of establishing and measuring location. Address
issue of how and why coordinate systems differ. Survey major issues and
terms. Introduce principle land survey and coordinate systems employed
in Texas. Raise issues of accuracy and precision. Raise further issues
in cartographic design and composition.
Assignment:
-
Study the Coordinate Systems
Overview.
-
Muehrcke, Phillip C. and Juliana O. Muehrcke. 1998. "Locational Reference
Systems." Chap. 11 in Map Use: Reading-Analysis-Interpretation,
4th ed. Madison, WI: J.P. Publications. (EISL Reserve)
-
WebGIS project due Friday.
April 3: Questions of Accuracy and Precision and Managing
Error.
Topics and tasks: Consider how accuracy and precision effect spatial datasets.
Examine major sources and how they can propogate and cascade in GIS databases.
Consider methods for dealing with error and imprecision in spatial datasets.
Discuss standards for creating GIS databases and methods of testing for
and estimating error. Introduce sensitivity analysis.
Assignment:
April 10: Economic and Legal Relating to GIS and
Other Information Technologies.
Topics and tasks: Examine situations in which GIS and information technology
intersect the law. Consider some of the ethical problems that arise from
the use and misuse of information technology, including the issue of privacy.
Continue work on final projects.
Assignment:
Supplemental Reading:
-
Antenucci, John C; Brown, Kay; Croswell, Peter L.; Kevany, Michael J.;
and Archer, Hugh N. 1991. "Legal Issues." Chap. 11 in Geographic Information
Systems: A Guide to the Technology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
April 17: Ethical Issues Relating to GIS and Other
Information Technologies.
Topics and tasks: Examine situations in which GIS and information technology
intersect the law. Consider some of the ethical problems that arise from
the use and misuse of information technology, including the issue of privacy.
Continue work on final projects.
Assignment:
Supplemental Reading:
-
Antenucci, John C; Brown, Kay; Croswell, Peter L.; Kevany, Michael J.;
and Archer, Hugh N. 1991. "Legal Issues." Chap. 11 in Geographic Information
Systems: A Guide to the Technology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
April 24: Trends in GIS Technologies and Presentation
of Final Projects
Topics and tasks: Consider current trends in hardware and software. Examine
close connections now emerging between GIS and other information technologies.
Continue work on final projects.
May 1: Presentation of Final Projects.
May 6 (Saturday): Final Projects On-line and Documented by 5:00 pm.
Grading
Your final grade will be based on: 1) A set of CAD and animation exercises
using Microstation (30%); 2) A WebGIS project (30%); A final independent
project presented in class and in the Web (30%); and 4) Class and lab participation
and attendance (10%).
The set of CAD and animation exercises (30%) includes: A) Your
Village; B) Favorite Place; C) Greytown rendering and animation; D) Gif
animation.
Optional Textbook
Bonnici, Anthony M . 1997. Mapping with Microstation 95.
Volume I: Foundation. Peterborough, Canada: GeoData
Solutions. URL: http://www.GeodataResources.on.ca/.
Last revised 2000.2.25. JKA.