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Independent

Cartography

Esri via Independent

This course may be unavailable.

Overview

Once, only cartographers made maps. Today anyone can. Still, cartographers can teach people to make better maps, just as chefs can show people how to cook better meals. With coaching from experienced cartographers and practical, hands-on exercises using ArcGIS Pro, you'll become a smarter mapmaker, ready to go beyond the defaults and make better maps.

Syllabus

Section 1

Getting Started: Let's Get Mapping

Consider the value and purpose of cartography as science and art. Get set up with ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and exercise data. Use ArcGIS Pro to design a small-format, multiscale topographic map, using generalization tools and scale-dependent symbology. Use layouts for composition. Add contextual detail, insets, legends, and marginalia.

Section 2

Math for Mapmakers

Explore how coordinate systems, transformations, and projections affect your map's message. Deal with the effects of projections and data classification methods on thematic maps. Design and publish a custom basemap in a nonstandard projection to support thematic data. Build attribute-driven symbology. Publish a multiscale web map and app.

Section 3

Language of Graphics

See how generalization, symbology, and color affect your story. Explore generalization techniques that reduce feature complexity for smaller-scale displays. Create a variety of thematic maps, including choropleth, proportional symbol, value-by alpha, and multivariate maps. Change symbology and use transparency in creative ways.

Section 4

Labels and Composition

Learn a little about typography, label placement, and map composition. Set up a palette of label styles for different features and explore options for positioning them around other map details. Create a layout that includes a range of marginalia. Use ArcGIS expressions to define labels in innovative ways.

Section 5

Mapping in 3D

Consider how to best use the z dimension to represent data for both reference and thematic maps. Use 3D symbology and develop a sense of when 3D adds value to your map. Build 3D web scenes and vary the way features are represented using attributes and dynamic symbology.

Section 6

Mapping Change

Use the time-aware and animation controls in ArcGIS Pro to design maps that show temporal change. Direct an animated movie to map change; add captions and dynamic overlay information; and publish in a range of popular, shareable formats. Create a display of small multiples for an infographic poster.

 

Reviews

4.8 rating, based on 197 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Cartography

  • I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the Esri cartography course teachers. They have done an excellent job of delivering high-quality content and engaging activities that helped me learn and apply the principles and techniques of cartography. I have gained valuable skills and knowledge to enhance my professional development and career prospects. The course was well-organized, informative, and enjoyable. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about cartography and GIS. Thank you for your dedication and expertise.
  • Thorough, inciteful, positively challenging with a creative push. The videos were a great addition as students were able to relate to hosts and connect with their work via social media. I was able to fine tune my GIS skills and learned a few new tricks and tips which can make my cartography skills speed up!
  • Anonymous
    This was my first foray into ArcPro. And it had a lot of interesting bells and whistles to it. The MOOC focused on a lot of things that were way above my skill level, like animation and 3D mapping, and I felt that while it was interesting to see wha…
  • Step by step instructions and maps that you can save after each course assignment. Plus welcome advice from experts on the art of map-making.
  • Anonymous
    Interesting and enriching experience, the materials and the exercises were adapted to the objectives of the course. first, i want to thank you for an interesting and enriching experience.
    The videos animated by the imminent specialists who in a very fluid way and a very simple speech were able to attract my interest for the continuation of the course .
    Thank you Esri for this great experience
  • Profile image for Bruce Willett
    Bruce Willett
    Excellent course with entertaining presenters. Well thought out and easy to work through and digest. Was able to learn a little more cartography and some of ArcGIS Pro which I am still not sure about. Nothing is easy or intuitive. Menus, panes, ect are not organized well so the course had to do a bit of recipe like hand holding. Overall Great Course!
  • Anonymous
    While the course if full of good information, videos are too chatty. I want substance, not banter.
    And now I am filling this with nothing because they require a minimum length of the review. This is forcing me to create the same chatty nothing that prompted the critique.
  • Nurul Huda Anggraeni
    As Data Scientist and Analyst, This course makes me feel better to learn and learn about cartography skills. That's an amazing course for me. Thank you MOOC Teams
  • Anonymous
    This is very important course that I would like to encourage everyone who wish to become a true Cartographer and having all required skills of making a good map and communicate through mapping. When you take your time and exercise all exercise, it is fun. All tutorials are well prepared and help user to understand quickly. On my side, Can do a good map using ArcGIS Pro and having all elements of the map, cartographic skills and my own skills and design due to I have attended this course.
  • Anonymous
    I had never taken an ArcGIS Pro course before, so whatever skills I had were just self-taught. Therefore, my workflow was not efficient at all. The Esri MOOC Cartography course was fun and rich with interesting exercises that taught me a little bit more about the world, history of cartography, principles of graphic design, and a LOT of trips and tricks to make ArcGIS Pro more user-friendly. I feel more confidant in using the software for 2D and 3D maps.
  • Dendup Tshering
    Cartography helps us understand our place in the world, analyze positional relationships, and reflect on geography's effect on our daily lives. It's important to note that cartography deals in representations of the world: representations shaped by…
  • I learned a lot of Cartography skills and techniques. I have seen many creative stories and ideas. I gained experience and interest in mapping. Most importantly, I love cartography and maps more. I see the connection that maps bring to the world…
  • Anonymous
    This is one of the better online classes I have taken. The examples are well thought out and the instructions are clear. I liked the videos and thought they helped my understanding. Too many classes teach how to do things and there is little emphasis on why to do them. The videos and some of the explanatory text in the projects explained the "why" very well. I think this will give me a better ability to use the material I learned in the future on unrelated projects. I think my maps in the future will be easier to understand as well as looking better as a result of taking this course. I will look at the additional resources provided with the class later as well as the work of the cartographers mentioned in the videos.
  • Anonymous
    Whether you are brand new to working with spatial data or have been a long-time veteran of ArcGIS, this is an excellent course that provides a broad yet detailed overview of basic principles of cartography with exceptionally well-explained exercises…
  • Anonymous
    Completely free MOOC, that covers a lot of ground on a variety of GIS functions, mainly regarding data visualizations and digital cartography. I really enjoy that this course uses real world data, such as creating a before and after 3d model of the Washington, Oso landslide.
  • Anonymous
    the course was highly instructive, appetizing in further applying the principle in day-to-day workflows. The material used was application oriented making it easy to adopt the concept in real world scenarios. Hats off to the instruction team, long may this continue.
  • Anonymous
    Overall it was very good. I learned some new techniques for making better maps and I have already started implementing some of the strategies in my maps I've been working on the last few weeks. The exercises were very detailed and quite easy to foll…
  • Anonymous
    Great course to learn different tools for creating maps in ArcGIS Pro, including 3D/Animations. Assignments are short enough to manage during the week while still being very helpful. Highly reccommend!
  • Anonymous
    Great course. Provided me with confidence in making maps, sifting through attribute tables, and overall use of ArcGIS Pro. Highly recommend it to anyone looking to improve their Arc skillset.
  • Anonymous
    The course was really very interesting we learned a lot, personally I was afraid of the software before this course but after these six weeks I want to discover it even more.

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