On-Screen Mapping with ArcView's Habitat Digitizer

Introduction

The Habitat Digitizer Extension to ArcView 3.x® was developed to facilitate mapping benthic habitats of the U.S. Pacific Territories using the classification scheme described in Classification Methods. The extension was originally created to map habitats using this scheme by visually interpreting orthorectified IKONOS imagery.

1. The extension’s capabilities have been expanded to allow users to map from other georeferenced image data such as satellite images and side scan sonar.
   
   
2. The extension allows users to rapidly delineate and attribute polygons using simple menus.
   
   
3. It also allows new hierarchical classification schemes to be easily created, modified, and saved for use on future mapping projects.

Accessing the Extension

The extension is available on the Shallow-Water Benthic Habitats of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands CD-ROM or over the Internet at http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/products/biogeography/digitizer/. The extension and accessory files are found in "data/ext/hab_dig.zip". This folder contains several files including:

habitat.avx-the extension

coral.hcs-a classification scheme for tropical marine habitats

Arc3_cover.avl, Arc3_structure.avl, Arc3_zone.avl-example legends(ArcView 3.x) for the classification scheme

Arc8_cover.lyr, Arc8_structure.lyr, Arc8_zone.lyr-example legends(ArcGIS 8.x) for the classification scheme

Hardware and Software Requirements

The habitat digitizer extension is compatible with ArcView 3.x® and requires hardware similar to that recommended for proper operation of ArcView. Additional memory may enhance performance for handling large image files. The appropriate Image Support extension (IMG, etc.) is required depending on the format of the image files used. The Image Analyst extension is not necessary, but is recommended to facilitate manipulation of image brightness, contrast, and color balance.