Frequently Asked Questions

Overview - Hints - Requirements - How Do I? - About the Maps - Data Information - Problems - More Information

Overview

What is the Arizona Electronic Atlas?
The Arizona Electronic Atlas is an interactive atlas that allows you to create, manipulate, and download accurate and current maps and data of Arizona.

Why would I use Arizona Electronic Atlas (i.e., what services or information does it provide)?
Use the Arizona Electronic Atlas to create a map of Arizona that you can view online, print, or download. You can also download data to use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software that uses shapefiles, such as ESRI's ArcMap, ArcView, ArcInfo, ArcExplorer, or MapInfo's Professional. The library has ArcView versions 8.2 and 3.3. You can download ArcExplorer from the following web site: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/index.html.

What is a layer?
"Layer", a term used by Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals, is a set of thematically associated data considered as a unit. A layer usually represents a single theme. Examples of layers in the Arizona Electronic Atlas include: county boundaries, census places, roads, and percent Hispanic by county. The layers available to display on the map are listed in the layer list on the right side of the screen on each Make a Map theme screen.

Can I use Arizona Electronic Atlas to get driving directions between two points in Arizona?
No, currently we only have highways and major roads available, not detailed streets. Refer to Links for a list of map sites that can give you driving directions.

Can I get a zip code map of Arizona?
Yes, go to Make a Map click on Business and Economics. After you are in the Business and Economics map theme, click on the check box next to 2000 5-digit zip code areas layer in the right hand side of the screen. Then click on the Redraw Map button.

Are there any restrictions on using Arizona Electronic Atlas data and maps?
You may access the information, create and download maps, and download data, without restriction. The majority of the data are in the public domain, although proper citation of the data sources is appreciated. (See How Do I cite the Arizona Electronic Atlas? in the How Do I section of this FAQ page.) Data not available for download includes that from GeoLytics Inc. (value-added U.S. Census data) and the Arizona Department of Transportation. (See the Copyright page.)

You can download the data from GeoLytics in the Library on the GIS computer in the Information Commons. See Spatial Data Sets Available at the UA Library (http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/how/find/maps/gis/datasets.html).

Can I get Arizona Electronic Atlas map layers to use with GIS software?
Yes, from any one of the map themes listed on the Make a Map page, click on one of the themes, such as Natural Resources. Then click on the Data Download button from the left side of the screen. Click on Accept to accept the disclaimer. The data layers are arranged by category. Click on the relevant category, then on the data layer you want to download. The file will be downloaded as a zip file. You will need to have a zip utility on the computer you are using to unzip the file. The computers in the Library have a zip utility called "Coffee Cup". Also see Make a Map - Advanced Tutorial from the Tutorial page.

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Hints

The map seems very small. How do I make it larger?
To make the map larger, click on the Maximize button in the upper right hand corner of the window, and then click on the browser's Reload/Refresh button. The application should now fill your computer screen and the map should be larger.

How do I get the measuring tool to go away?
Click on one of the other Map Interaction Tools, such as Zoom In, Zoom Out, Pan or Show Data. See How to Make a Map - Screen Layout from the Tutorial page.

Why does the map show colors on it, what is it showing?
The colors on the map are keyed to the legend. In each map theme, the layer list and legend are integrated together (in the right hand part of the screen). For the default layers in each map theme, the black lines are the Highways, the purple outlined areas are the 2000 County Boundaries, and the pink outlined areas are the 2000 Census Places.

I selected some layers but I can't see them all. Why do they seem to be the same color?
There are three kinds of layers - point, lines and polygons. Polygons are areas such as Total Population by County. If you select two polygon layers, you will only be able to see one of those layers. An example would be that if you were in the People and Society map theme and selected both Percent Black by County and Percent Hispanic by County, you would only be able to see one of those layers.

What does the magnifying glass mean?
When you do a Basic Query, the Search Results list will have a magnifying glass in the left hand column for each match on your query. Click on the magnifying glass to zoom to that place on the map. The place will also be highlighted in green.

Similarly, when you do a search using Place Finder, the Search Results list will have a magnifying glass in the left hand column for each match on your query. Click on the magnifying glass to zoom to that place on the map. The place will be marked with a red dot and labeled on the map. See How to Make a Map - Intermediate Tutorial on the Tutorial page.

Why does the legend cut off when I try to print out the map or save it?
Due to a current limitation in the software, if you have a very large legend, it may be cut off when printing or saving your map. Currently there is no "work-around" except to select fewer layers for your map.

When I try to use Show Data, why do I get multiple "hits" for the same layer?
When the map is displaying layers with quite a bit of detail, such as census tracts or riparian areas, we recommend that you Zoom In on the area you're interested in. For census tracts in metropolitan areas such as Phoenix or Tucson we recommend you Zoom In until the scale bar in the lower left side of the screen displays: 0 ------ 1.0 mi. 0 ------ 1.6 km. or closer. For riparian areas we recommend you Zoom In until the scale bar displays: 0 ------ 0.1 mi. 0 ------ 0.16 km. or closer.

I'm trying to check the latitude and longitude of a particular place and it doesn't seem right, why is that?
In order to get a fairly accurate reading for latitude and longitude, you need to Zoom In on the part of the map you're interested in. We recommend that you Zoom In until the scale bar in the lower left side of the screen displays: 0 ------ 0.5 mi. 0 ------ 0.8 km.

Why does it take so long for the Measure tool to load in a MacIntosh (Mac)?

The architecture on the Mac is very different from PCs and this causes a noticeable difference in loading time for the Measure tool. Please be patient! It generally takes about one minute to load.

Why am I having trouble downloading a map that I've created in a MacIntosh (Mac)?

Check the length of the filename for the zip file. The Mac OS9 operating system requires filenames to be fewer than 31 characters.

For more information on downloading, see the "Download Map" help in each map theme or the "Download Map" help in the Intermediate Tutorial.

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Requirements

What type of computer do I need to use Arizona Electronic Atlas?
The Atlas will support the following client operating systems:

Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows XP
MacOS 9

The recommended minimum amount of memory for a client computer is 64 MB of RAM.

What are the browser requirements for Arizona Electronic Atlas?
The Atlas will run best using the following Operating System Browser combinations.

Operating System	Windows XP	Windows XP	Windows 2000	Windows 2000	MacOS9
Browser	IE 6 SP1	Netscape 7.0	IE 6 SP1	Netscape 7.0	IE 6 SP1

What must I have to use the data I just downloaded?
You can use any Geographic Information Systems software that supports shapefiles, such as ESRI's ArcMap, ArcInfo, ArcView, ArcExplorer and MapInfo's Professional. ArcView versions 8.2 and 3.3 are available in the Information Commons of the Main Library. You can download ArcExplorer for free from the following web site: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/.

What are the printer requirements?
In order to see the various data in color, as shown on the computer, it is best to have a color printer. Any printer supporting "A" (8.5"x11") size printing and the desired color characteristics can be used, provided the user has the correct printer drivers installed on the computer connected to the printer.

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How do I ...?

How do I use Arizona Electronic Atlas?
You can review how to use the atlas with one of the tutorials. You will find links to the Screen Layout, Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Tutorials on the Tutorials page.

How do I create a map of my community?
You can learn how to make a map of your community by going to the Make a Map -- Basic Tutorial found on the Tutorials page. You then can print or download the map.

How do I re-center the map to view a particular area?
Click Pan in the Map Toolbar. There are 3 options.
1. Hold down the mouse button and then drag the map to the left. This will display the area that originally was outside the viewing window on the right hand side of the map.
2. Click on the right (east) side of the map, and the viewing window will shift to the east.

3. Click on one of the Pan Arrows that are placed around the map main frame, such as and , at the eight cardinal directions: North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. For example, click at the right side of the map frame to move the viewing window to the east.

How do I find (a town, place, feature, etc.)?
From any of the map themes, in the lower left part of the screen you will see Place Finder.
1. Simply type in the name of the town, place or feature you want to find in the first box. Optionally you can choose the type of place in the drop down box directly below.
2. Next a Search Results list appears. Look in the NAME column to find the feature you are looking for.
3. Click on the left side and the map zooms to the feature. The results list now shows the selected feature with more information. A red dot will be displayed on the map labeled with the place you selected. (For more information, see How to Make a Map -- Intermediate Tutorial from the Tutorials page.)

How do I select to see a layer that has "ZOOM IN" next to it?
The "ZOOM IN" icon tells you to zoom the map to a more detailed scale to display the layer. Click on the Zoom In tool on the Map Toolbar. Zoom In on the map until "ZOOM IN" next to the layer you are interested in changes to a check box. Now you can turn on that layer by clicking the check box in front of the layer, then click on the Redraw Map button to see the layer displayed on the map.

How do I print a map?
If you want to print out the map you created, see the Make a Map -- Basic Tutorial from the Tutorials page.

How do I print a map in black/white?
If you're in the Library and want to make a black/white print-out instead of color, follow the instructions for printing out a map (see Make a Map -- Basic Tutorial). Then go under File (at top of screen) and click on Print. A print window will appear where a printer can be selected. Click on the black/white printer then on the Print button.

How do I download or save a map?
If you want to save the map you created to bring into another program, such as Word or PowerPoint, go to the Make a Map -- Intermediate Tutorial from the Tutorials page.

Can I save a map in any other format besides .jpg?
At this time you cannot save a map in any other format besides .jpg. After you download a map, you can bring the .jpg files into a graphics program such as PhotoShop to convert it to another format.

How do I download data?
If you want to download data to use in a Geographic Information Systems software, such as ArcExplorer, ArcView, or ArcInfo, see the Make a Map -- Advanced Tutorial from the Tutorials page.

How do I cite the Arizona Electronic Atlas?

For maps created using the Arizona Electronic Atlas: Map produced by the Arizona Electronic Atlas <http://atlas.library.arizona.edu>, [map theme], [date]. Example: Map produced by the Arizona Electronic Atlas <http://atlas.library.arizona.edu>, People and Society map theme, October 15, 2003.
For data downloaded from Arizona Electronic Atlas site: Data source: [Owner Name -- agency responsible for the data layer used, date, Layer Title, Dataset Name] in Arizona Electronic Atlas <http://atlas.library.arizona.edu>. (Note: the agency associated with each layer can be found in the metadata accessible from this web site.)
Example: Data Source: Arizona Department of Water Resources, Groundwater Basins, ADWR GIS Data CD, October 15, 2003 in Arizona Electronic Atlas <http://atlas.library.arizona.edu>.
For original graphical elements: Arizona Electronic Atlas/graphic by Marty Taylor.

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About the Maps

What are layers?
A layer, sometimes also referred to as a "coverage", is a set of thematically associated data considered as a unit. A layer usually represents a single theme such as soils, streams, roads, or land use. (From the ESRI GIS Glossary at http://www.esri.com/library/glossary/glossary.html)

What is the scale of the atlas maps?
The scale can vary depending on the level of detail of the map you've created. Look in the bottom left corner of the map to see the scale for each particular map.

Why do some of the data layers (such as EPA Ecoregions and the Climate data layers) go beyond the state borders?
We decided to include a buffer around those data layers, because those data layers don't "stop" at the state border and users would be interested in how far a particular boundary went across the border.

What is the appropriate citation for Arizona Electronic Atlas data layers?
For data downloaded from Arizona Electronic Atlas site:

Data source: [Owner Name -- agency responsible for the data layer used, date, Layer Title, Dataset Name] in Arizona Electronic Atlas http://atlasdev.library.arizona.edu. (Note: the agency associated with each layer can be found in the metadata accessible from this web site.)

Example: Data Source: Arizona Department of Water Resources, Groundwater Basins, ADWR GIS Data CD, October 15, 2003 in Arizona Electronic Atlas <http://atlasdev.library.arizona.edu>.

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Data Information

What data is included in Arizona Electronic Atlas?
Data on a variety of topics are included in the atlas. Map themes in the Atlas are: Natural Resources, People and Society, Business and Economics, and Environment and Population. If you go to any of the four map theme pages you will see a list (on the right hand side of the screen) of data layers related to that particular theme.

Where can I find additional spatial data that covers Arizona and surrounding areas?
We have included a number of Links that will connect you to Arizona related data supplied through local, regional and national agencies.

What agencies have contributed data to Arizona Electronic Atlas?
Agency data included in the Atlas:

Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona Department of Transportation
Arizona Department of Water resources
Arizona State Cartographer's Office
Arizona Land Resource Information System (ALRIS)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
United States Department of Commerce. Census Bureau (GeoLytics)
United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Geological Survey (USGS) Sonoran Desert Field Station - Arizona National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)

The following agencies provided data that will be included in the next version of the Atlas.

*Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
*Arizona Department of Economic Security
*Arizona Department of Education
*Arizona Secretary of State

Where is the detailed information about the data?
To locate detailed data or metadata on the Arizona Electronic Atlas site, simply click on Make a Map, select a map theme, then click on the link of each data layer to view the metadata. Metadata can be printed or saved from this site.

The Arizona Electronic Atlas presently contains metadata that is brief and will not address all of the questions you may have. We will continue to improve our metadata as the site matures. Questions regarding specific metadata should be directed to the source listed in the metadata contact.

How do I download data?
If you want to download data to use in a Geographic Information Systems software, such as ArcExplorer, ArcView, or ArcInfo, see the Advanced Tutorial from the Tutorials page.

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Problems

Why is the map so small?
To make the map larger, click on the Maximize button in the upper right hand corner of the window, and then click on the browser's Reload/Refresh button. The application should now fill your computer screen and the map should be larger.

Why can't I see all the layer levels at once?
You can't see all the layer levels at once because each layer is added one on top of the other, and therefore some layers completely cover another layer. We plan to enhance the system at a later date and allow more layers to be viewed at once.

I don't understand the error message.
If you would like a more detailed explanation for an error message please contact us. In the Atlas, click on the Contact Us button in one of the map themes. Fill out the form, describing what Operating System your computer has, what browser you are using, what you were doing, what the error message was, as well as your email address. We will research the problem and email you a response.

How do I report a problem with the data?
To report a data problem please contact us. In the Atlas, click on the Contact Us button in one of the map themes. Fill out the form, describing what Operating System your computer has, what browser you are using, what you were doing, what the error message was, as well as your email address. We will research the problem and email you a response. The data in the Arizona Electronic Atlas comes from different agencies in Arizona state government or from the US government. If the data is correct and we are not rendering it correctly, we will change it. If the original data is incorrect, we will notify the agency that created the data, but we will not change it in the Atlas until the data creator sends us a revised edition of the data.

Why does it take so long for the Measure tool to load in a MacIntosh (Mac)?

The architecture on the Mac is very different from PCs and this causes a noticeable difference in loading time for the Measure tool. Please be patient! It generally takes about one minute to load.

Why am I having trouble downloading a map that I've created in a MacIntosh (Mac)?

Check the length of the filename for the zip file. The Mac OS9 operating system requires filenames to be fewer than 31 characters.

For more information on downloading, see the "Download Map" help in each map theme or the "Download Map" help in the tutorials.

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More information

Who do I contact with questions?
For questions about the Arizona Electronic Atlas project, contact Christine Kollen, Project Director.

Email: kollenc@u.library.arizona.edu
Phone: (520) 621-4869
Mailing address: Arizona Electronic Atlas
University of Arizona Library
1510 E. University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055

Where can I find software to decompress files or view GIS data?
There are a number of software programs (WinZip, PKZip, CoffeeCup Zip, etc.) that can decompress files that have been "zipped". The UA Library workstations have CoffeeCup Zip.

To view GIS data, you can use any Geographic Information Systems software that supports shapefiles, such as ESRI's ArcMap, ArcInfo, ArcView, ArcExplorer and MapInfo's Professional. ArcView is available in the Information Commons of the Main Library. You can download ArcExplorer for free from the following web site: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/.

Where can I find additional data that covers Arizona and surrounding areas?
For more information about spatial data sets for Arizona and surrounding areas, visit:

ART Group (Advanced Resource Technology) at the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture
http://www.ag.arizona.edu/art/

AGIC (Arizona Geographic Information Council)
http://agic.az.gov

ARIA (Arizona Regional Image Archive)
http://aria.arizona.edu/

GIS-AZUL
http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/how/find/maps/gis/index.html