Theme and Analyze Data

Answer questions about your data and make decisions.

• Sort, filter, and edit information about map items in a tabular format.
• Temporarily join data from external data stores to features in your map and use that data to theme the features.
• Locate specific coordinate points and measure the geodetic distance between points.
• Visually communicate relative values and scale with themed displays.
• Create contour maps to help you analyze 3D terrain.
• Use raster-based theming to analyze elevation, slope, and aspect, drape map data over surfaces and view the data in 3D, and more.
• Create buffer zones based on feature properties and select objects based on their proximity to a buffer. Save the buffer as its own feature class, for future reuse.
• Overlay two geospatial layers to compare their data. Save the resulting data as a separate layer, which you can join to attribute data or theme.

Theme Data

Use color themes to show the elevation of terrain or illustrate the population density of counties.

The colors give the viewer an immediate sense of the population distribution in California

Create themes by varying the style based on an attribute of the feature; for example, change the color of parcels based on their size.

Analyze Surfaces

Create contour maps and analyze geospatial data by exaggerating elevations or looking at maps in different light conditions.

Create Buffers

Use buffers to analyze features by proximity.

The buffer in this map defines an area within 1000 feet of the river. You can use the buffer to see which parcels lie within the flood zone.

Overlay Two Feature Layers

Use overlays to compare two feature classes or layers.

This map overlays two layers (a flood zone and an enterprise zone). You can use the overlay to see where the two intersect. That area becomes a new layer, which you can style and save out to a file and use as a separate data store.

Added Analysis with Industry Models

When you use industry models , you have access to functionality that is not available to non-industry model drawings:

• Analysis tools

  You can analyze a network topology (sometimes called tracing) using Network Analysis. For example, trace a wastewater network from one or more designated start features to an optional end feature. Network tracing begins from the start location and ends when all end features have been reached. You can also set attribute-dependent stop conditions, locate point objects on a pipe, locate point objects that are not connected to the network, or pinpoint error in a network topology.

• Forms

  Like the Data Table, forms display the attributes for features. However, instead of displaying the attributes for all features in the feature class, a form lets you view and edit the attributes for a single feature.

• Reports

  Generate default and user-defined reports. For example, create a parcel report that lists area, distance between the parcel border points, parcel borders, points, and parcel numbers. You can perform spatial selections for the reports. For example, you can select all features that lie within a specified area.

Tell me more

Procedures	To Theme Features To Analyze Raster-based Surfaces To Buffer Features To Overlay Two Feature Layers
Related topics	Geospatial Features and Drawing Objects About Joins About Adding Contour Lines About Analyzing Raster-Based Surfaces About Buffer Zones

Tell me more (Web Help Only)

Video	Show me how to color surfaces based on elevation Show me how to theme a parcels layer Show me how to create a buffer zone around a parcel Show me how to join attribute data to features
Tutorial	Tutorial: Analyzing Data Using Styles, Joins, and Buffers