Lab 0 (Optional): Vertical Units in ArcGIS Pro, and the "Input dataset doesn't have a vertical unit" warning
This video is only intended to explain a warning sign that you see sometimes! Only watch this if you want to know more about the "Input dataset doesn't have a vertical unit" warning message.
In order to calculate the slope, curvature, etc. correctly, the respective tool must know what the elevation units are. The tool lets you specify a unit manually, but it'll still give a warning such as "Warning 010513 The input dataset doesn't have a vertical unit" if it doesn't know what the elevation units are.
This video will demonstrate that warning, explain what vertical units are, show you how to use the "Define Projection" tool to set the vertical units, and offers some advice on what vertical coordinate system to use.
4:44 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 1: Calculating Aspect from a DEM
Here we’ll see how to generate an Aspect raster from a DEM using the Surface Parameters tool in ArcGIS Pro, and we’ll also review how ArcGIS symbolizes Aspect rasters. And for those who are unfamiliar with Aspect, this is just a dataset where every cell values shows the compass direction that cell is facing.
8:41 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 2: Calculating Slope from a DEM
Here we’ll see how to generate a Slope raster from a DEM using the Surface Parameters tool in ArcGIS Pro, and we’ll also take a look at how you can remind yourself of how you set up a tool by looking in the metadata.
8:25 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 3: Calculating Hillshades from a DEM
Here we discuss how to create a Hillshade in ArcGIS Pro. Hillshades are cool, and they actually show the shape of the land a lot better than the original DEM.
6:47 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 4: Calculating Curvature from a DEM
Here we’ll see how to generate a several types of Curvature rasters from a DEM using the Surface Parameters tool in ArcGIS Pro. In particular, we are going to generate a Profile curvature, which tells us whether water would speed up or slow down as it flows over a cell, tangential curvature, which tells us whether water would be converging or diverging if it flows over a cell, and Mean curvature, which tells us the general convexity or concavity of the landscape, and could be a good predictor of exposure or protection at a cell.
8:48 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 5: Calculating TPI (the Topographic Position Index) from a DEM
Here we’ll make use of two of our general ArcGIS Pro raster tools, the Focal Statistics tool and the Math with Raster Layers functions, to create a dataset called the Topographic Position Index, or TPI. The TPI is a really useful way to identify hills and valleys in the landscape based on a DEM.
12:09 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 6: Using the Reclassify Tool
In this exercise we’ll try out one of our general raster tools that we discussed in Lecture Video 1, the Reclassify tool, and we’ll also see one way to clip a raster dataset to a polygon using the Extract by Mask tool. We will reclassify our Aspect raster from Lab Exercise 1 into North, East, South and West-facing categories, plus flat areas, and then we’ll calculate the areas and proportions of each direction category in our management unit polygon. Along the way we’ll also demonstrate the Calculate Field tool, and see how to copy a layer by selecting it, holding down the [Control] key, and dragging the layer up or down in the Contents.
15:22 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 7: Using the Zonal Statistics as Table Tool
In this exercise we’ll try out another of our general ArcGIS Pro raster tools that we discussed in Lecture Video 1, the Zonal Statistics as Table tool, and we’ll see how to calculate descriptive statistics from raster cells within an analysis area polygon. We’ll also do it two ways, first with continuous data such as elevations, curvatures, slopes and TPIs, and again with circular data from our Aspect raster.
11:19 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 8: Extracting Raster Values at Point Locations
Here we see how to use the Extract Values at Points tool to get raster values at point locations, which is something we do quite often with raster data. We will also explain and discuss the difference between Exact Values and Bilinear Interpolation.
13:43 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 9 (Optional): Calculating NDVI and NDWI
Here we’ll see how to use ArcGIS Pro to calculate the NDVI, or Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, and the NDWI, or Normalized Difference Water Index, from a Landsat raster image. This demonstration will show some interesting ways we can use mathematical operations on raster layers using the Raster calculator tool, and we'll also see how to force our NDVI and NDWI into a decimal format so they aren't rounded off to -1, 0 and 1 values. Finally, we'll see how to load individual raster bands into our map, rather than the full multi-band raster.
12:39 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 10 (Optional): Hillshades with Swiss Method effects; Hypsometric Shading
Here we’ll start trying some of the Swiss Method modifications to hillshades to make them more visually interesting. This first Swiss Method effect is called Hypsometric Shading, and basically means to make the lower elevations darker, giving your map more depth, and giving it a more shaded, mysterious or even gloomy effect that can be really interesting. It’s a really easy effect to apply, too, and we'll see how to modify it by adjusting layer transparency, contrast, brightness, and Dynamic Range Adjustment (DRA).
7:26 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 11 (Optional): Hillshades with Swiss Method effects; Multiple Sun Locations
Here we will learn to generate a hillshade based on multiple sun locations, which is one of the Swiss Method strategies for making hillshades more attractive and which can also help bring out topographic details that are lost or washed out in a simple hillshade.
9:55 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 12 (Optional): Calculate the MDOW (Multidirectional Oblique Weighted) Hillshade
Here we will learn to generate a hillshade using a method invented by a fellow named Robert Mark with the USGS back in 1992 <https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1992/of92-422/of92-422.pdf>. This is another example of the Swiss Method effect of using multiple sun locations for the hillshade. It creates an interesting effect, and does a better job at bringing out details in the landscape surface than a simple hillshade.
22:53 min · Watch on YouTube
Lab 13 (Optional): Hillshades with Swiss Method effects; Multiple Sun Locations
Here we’ll look at how to modify a hillshade by blurring it a bit. This is another one of the Swiss Method modifications to hillshades, and this one is often used to make the hillshade more subtle and little less distinct in a map. The USGS uses this method in their online topographic maps.
8:38 min · Watch on YouTube
