• Project Mini-Proposal: due today (not late until > 11 pm)
  • More info on 'projects' webpage: http://mit.edu/11.188/www/projects/
• Homework #3: Part 2 (discussion and model builder) due Mon., April. 30
• No new lab exercises or homework
  • focus on individual project work
  • especially, do you have appropriate data for useful spatial analysis
• Meet in lab (37-312) next week on Monday and Wednesday

Today

• Initial feedback & discussion of test
• Project presentation tips (using Cherrie Abbanat's slides)

Test Feedback

• Test could be an (abbreviated) example of a possible project
  • This year: exploring spatial and socio-economic factors correlated with VMT
    • Project focus: examining other measures (such as distance to CBD, density, train station, etc.); comparing two or more communities
  • Last year: examining bike routes and bike rack patterns in Chicago
    • Project focus: who benefits from bike infrastructure; why are they done in a particular way; what obstacles limit bike usage in American cities
  • Project would require a little more digging and spatial analysis
  • Project could provide context and first step in a longer study
• Test answers will be online by Friday
  • Hopefully, grading will be done by then as well
• Comments on common issues and difficulties at start of Monday's lab

File organization and performance issues for project work

• C:\temp is local, desktop and I:\ are not
• Set LOCAL locations in the environment for workspace and (especially) scratch space
• Redundancy can be good!
  • Read-only copy of originals (e.g., test12data)
  • Local working copies
    • proj12_working folder that you move from network to C:\temp and back
    • Many MXDs: 11.188_proj12_working1.mxd, 2, 3, ...
    • Use Access: 11.188_proj12_working.mdb
  • Multiple windows (especially on big screens in 37-312)
  • Use Data Frames with different joins, coordinates, etc.
  • Open multiple ArcMap sessions along with Access and Excel
    • Just keep the file versions straight
    • And you may need to close files if locked for another use
    • Use Data Frames with different joins, coordinates, etc.
• Refresh issues in ArcMap
  • Sometimes, removing a table and adding it again will add the old version
    • Save ArcMap document, exit ArcMap, and restart - then add table
    • This happens if you edit the table outside ArcMap and do not change the name

Project Presentation Tips

• Cherrie Abbanat's powerpoint slides
  • Tips on technical presentations and writeups
  • Group discussion about project and CI requirement
• Help from the GIS Services group in the MIT Libraries
  • http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/index.html
  • send email to gishelp@mit.edu
• Monday's Lab
  • Work individually on project
  • Discuss project focus and data issues with us