Study Area within Nova Scotia

Possible Antennae Locations For Clarence, Nova Scotia

3-D Contour TIN Model
TIN (Triangulated Irregular Networks) Elevation Facing North-East Facing South-West
Model Aspect (Direction of Steepest Slope) Slope (Angle of Inclination)

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! Antenna Location #1
! Antenna Location #2
Clarence Study Zone

Viewshed Scenario #1 Viewshed Scenario #2

Roads

Elevation (metres)
Aspect
Roads

Flat
Roads

Slope (degrees)
0.00 - 1.07
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North
245.222 - 274
Northeast 1.07 - 2.82
216.444 - 245.222
East 2.82 - 4.80
187.667 - 216.444
Southeast 4.80 - 7.36
158.889 - 187.667
130.111 - 158.889 South 7.36 - 11.04

101.333 - 130.111 Southwest 11.04 - 16.59

72.556 - 101.333 West 16.59 - 27.47
0 3 6 9 43.778 - 72.556 0 3 6 9 Northwest 0 3 6 9 27.47 - 50.50
15 - 43.778 50.50 - 90.00
Kilometres North
Kilometres Kilometres

Figure #1: Model Builder view of Processes and Tools utilized. !

U
Clipp er_ R eg io n
(3 ) !
U
Polyg on t o
Clip (3) Fore st _ Clip Fo rest _ R ast er
R ast e r

an na po lisf rst _ po lygo n

!
U
Surf ac e Slop e c o nt o ur_T I N _ Slope Plus Co nt o ur_ Fo rest _ N EW R ast e r t o T I N Co nt o ur_ Fo rest _ T I N
!
U !
U
Clipp er_ R eg io n (2 ) !
U
!
U Tower Locations
!
U Tower Locations
Clarence Study Zone Clarence Study Zone
Clip (2 ) Co nt o urs_ Clip Cre at e T I N c o nt our_T I N T I N t o R a st er Con t o ur_ R ast er
Roads Roads
Viewshed1 Viewshed2
c on t ou rs_a rc
Not Visible 0 3 6 9 Not Visible
0 3 6 9
Visible Kilometres Visible
Su rf a c e Aspe c t Co nt o ur_ T I N _ Aspe c t Kilometres

This projects details the various procedures and tools available in ArcGIS 3D Analyst and ArcScene. This poster presents various outputs from both 3D Analyst and Arc Scene as well as presenting possible antenna tower locations to have the best “view” or line of sight (for a wireless internet service)
for the Clarence area in the Annapolis Valley. A variety of data sources were used in the creation of the various maps and 3D images on the poster. Annapolis Valley elevation-based (contours), forest and stream data as well as road and county data from the province of Nova Scotia were all used to Coverage for Viewshed #1 Coverage for Viewshed #2
derive a study area around Clarence, Nova Scotia. The process to create all the maps on this poster can be seen within the model builder above (Figure #1).

The initial stages of this project produced three maps, a TIN Model for Elevation, aspect (direction) of the steepest slope and the angle (inclination) of slope. Each of the datasets mentioned (contours, forest, roads, streams and counties) were clipped to an area surrounding Clarence using the “clip”
tool in ArcMap. The study area for Clarence can be seen in a red outline on the Viewshed #1 and #2 maps and the entire area of focus for this project can be seen on all five maps. Only the contour and forest datasets were displayed in the model builder as they were essential when creating a final
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TIN model of the area. The output feature classes from the Clip procedure for the forest polygon were named “Forest_Clip” and for the contour line feature was named “Contours_Clip”. The next step involved converting the contour feature class into a TIN (Triangulated Irregular Network) to
represent the differences on the Earth’s surface. The TIN uses a series of points that are connected with lines to form a network of triangles that can approximate the surface (ArcGIS 10 Help). Within the “Create TIN” tool, the input feature class (Contours_Clip) contained a height or Z-Value field Visible (%) Non-Visible (%)
known as “DXF-Elevation” and was determined as the height source allowing the TIN model to vertically project the “triangles”. As well, “Mass Points” were declared as the surface feature type which essentially breakdown all of the contour data into points or nodes when determining the overall Viewshed #1 82.1 17.9
Viewshed #2 89.4 10.6
shape of the land (ArcGIS 10 Help). Following the creation of the TIN model, the “Contour”TIN” was to then be converted into a set of cells using the “TIN to Raster” tool in ArcToolbox. Within the TIN to Raster tool, some specific settings were used to create an accurate raster image. The “FLOAT” for
Output Data Type will allow for an increased number of decimals and will not round off cell values for the output raster. Additionally, the cell size for the raster was set to 15 within the Sampling Distance window to determine the size of the cell and would ultimately effect the number of observations Table #1: Breakdown for each
(ArcGIS 10 Help). viewshed scenario and the
amount of visible vs. non-visible
After the raster image had been created for the contour (elevation) data (labeled as Contour_Raster in the Model), the Forest polygon was to be converted to the same format. This was necessary for the final step when determining locations for antenna towers because both the elevation data and areas in the Clarence Study
Zone.
height of the forest canopy needed to be taken into consideration. The “Polygon to Raster” tool was used to convert the Forest_Clip feature class into a raster image using a Cellsize of 15 (matching the size from TIN to Raster procedure) as well as using the “Height” for the Value Field. As mentioned,
the “Height” values for the Forests were necessary when finding new locations for antennae. Prior to combing the “Forest_Raster” and “Contour_Raster” as one continuous raster, two additional processes were run on the Contour_TIN feature class.

Both surface slope and aspect tools were used to create some additional analysis of the study area. The “Surface Slope” tool was used to determine the angle of inclination between the surface and a horizontal plane, and can be expressed in either a percent or degree (arcGIS 10 Help). This can be
Study Area Vewshed 1 Study Area Viewshed 2
seen in the “Slope (Angle of Inclination)” map above with the highest value for slope being located along the edges of the North Mountain in a bright orange colour. The surface aspect takes an input TIN dataset and produces an output feature class (Conour_TIN_Aspect in Model) that displays the
Not-Visible Not-Visible
direction of the slope. The map above shows nine aspects of the slope within the study area, eight directions and one “flat” value. 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3
Visible Visible
Kilometres Kilometres
To create a continuous raster with both Forest and Contour data, both converted rasters (Contour_Raster and Forest_Raster) were combined using the “Plus” tool found within the Raster Math toolbox. This tool simply used two input rasters and created, one single output raster
(Contour_Forest_NEW) based on both inputs. The Raster_Forest_NEW was then converted back into a TIN to be viewed within ArcScene. The “Raster to TIN” tool was used (with all default settings) to create a final, combined TIN model with both elevation and tree height data. The final product can
be seen within the “3D Contour TIN Model” image on this poster which depicts a 3D model of the study area with the elevation and forest data. As well, the image displays the location of possible antennae (two scenarios) that surround the Clarence Study Zone (seen in red).

The final step, and ultimately most important, was to run a “Viewshed” on how much of the Clarence the area antennae towers could view. Two scenarios were created and tested various locations within the overall study area. The “viewshed” tool was run using the “Contour_Forest_NEW” as an
input raster. Three potential locations (for Scenario #1 and #2) were created and input into the viewshed tool as the input point features. Within the attribute table for each set of antennae locations, a new field was added named “OFFSETA” which indicates a vertical distance in surface units to be Projection: UTM Zone 20N
Datum: NAD83
added to the z-value of the observation point (ArcGIS 10 Help). A value of 30 metres was placed in the OFFSETA column for each tower location, this was determined as a standard height for an antenna tower. After the completion of the viewshed tool, a new feature class was created that displayed
Course: GISY 6020
non-visible (light red) and visible (light green) areas from all three antennae locations combined. As well, for this step of the project an area surrounding the Clarence was selected in order to view a difference between viewshed scenarios (seen in red as Clarence Study Zone). Date: February 4, 2011
Created by: Cam McKellar
In order to provide accurate analysis of the viewshed scenarios, the Clarence Study Zone was clipped from the overall viewshed to determine what percentage of the land is visible in just the Clarence area itself. Once the Clarence Study Zone was determined for Scenario #1 and #2, the statistics for Data Source: Nova Scotia Geomatics Centre (1990/1997), Department of Natural Resources
the viewshed could be calculated. Table #1 indicates that the amount of visibility for Scenario #1 was 82.1 %, whereas Scenario #2 had a viewable area of 89.4%. These numbers alone would indicate that Scenario #2 had better located antennae in terms of their view of the Clarence area. Scenario #1 (1992/1997), ArcGIS 10 Help
Disclaimer: This map has been produced as a student project and should not be used as a
located two towers along the North Mountain and one tower on South Mountain, whereas Scenario #2 located two on the South Mountain and one on the North Mountain. Initially, it was thought that Scenario #1 would have a greater viewshed because the points were selected based on the highest
reference or reproduced.
elevation numbers. However, objects near the Clarence Study Zone appear to be blocking some of that “view” for Scenario #1. The second Scenario located one of the antennae along the Valley floor and could have greatly increased the view of the Clarence Study Area.