GIS/GPS – GIS FAQS

What <a href=”/p171.php”>spatial (GIS) datasets are available from RMBL?

How do I <a href=”/p172.php”>access RMBL GIS datasets (e.g. air photos, wetland, soil, and stream data)?

How do I figure out if my <a href=”/p173.php”>proposed research site is in conflict with other research or facilities?

I have chosen a research site. How do I get this <a href=”/p177.php”>research site mapped?

How do I <a href=”/p178.php”>view my GPS data on an aerial photo?

How do I <a href=”/p183.php”>take RMBL GIS datasets with me when I leave RMBL?

Metadata FAQs

How many <span style=”color: #333300;”>metadata forms must I fill out?

At least one for each time you take out a GPS unit. It may seem like a pain to fill out a metadata form each time you take out a GPS unit, especially if you are collecting the same type of information over and over. However, it is important to do so, since each time you use the GPS unit, you collect new GPS filenames. Each of these filenames must be associated with a metadata form. Alternatively, you could collect all your GPS data (for one data type), then fill out a single metadata form with all the GPS filenames. However, keep in mind that you won’t receive any of the GPS data until RMBL receives a metadata form.

How do I <span style=”color: #333300;”>view metadata for GIS datasets provided by RMBL?

All core GIS datasets have complete metadata. In order to view this metadata, you must look at the file in the geodatabase, viewable through ArcCatalog.

Open ArcCatalog

On the left hand side there is a Catalog tree

Expand Database Connections

Double-click GISdatasets.sde

Expand GISdatasets.sde

Click on GIS file of interest

On the right hand side of the screen, click on the Metadata tab (next to Contents and Preview)

You can view the description, spatial information, or attributes of any GIS file in the geodatabase.