Thematic Mapping

How to create your own Thematic Map: The United States

1. Open up the States Table within MapInfo
    C:\MAPINFO\CLASS\United States\States
   
2. Next we want to create a Thematic Map so we go to the word toolbar and select Map.
   
3. Next we choose Create Thematic Map.
   
4. Select Ranges.
   1. Under Select a table and field choose:
      1. Table: States
      2. Field: Pop-1990
   2. Click Next.
   3. Click O.K. Voila!  You have just created your own thematic map! How does it look? How do you feel about the thematic map you just created?  Should we modify it to represent a better grouping by population? Lets modify our map.
      
5. Go to the word toolbar and select Map.
   
6. Next we choose Modify Thematic Map.
   
7. Select Ranges under Customize.
   1. Change the # of Ranges to 6 and click ReCalc
   2. Next click OK.
      
8. Now we are going to modify our map by it characteristics so choose Styles under Customize. You are now in the Customize Range Style box.
   1. Choose one of the colored squares and click on it. You are now in the Region Style Box
   2. Change the color within the foreground.
   3. Click OK until the map on the screen changes. What do you think? Lets modify our map again, but this time do it to your own specifications.
      
9. Go to the word toolbar and select Map.
   1. Next we choose Modify Thematic Map.
   2. Change it your own specifications.
      
10. Save your work in your OWN GIS FOLDER which can be found under
    C:\mapinfo\staff\YOUR NAME
    Remember: You are saving a table, save it using the command SAVE AS.
    NOTE: DO NOT CLOSE STATES!  YOU WILL NEED THIS MAP FOR THE NEXT STEP! 
    
11. The Next Step  - Open up the Cities Table within MapInfo
     C:\MAPINFO\CLASS\United States\Cities
    
12. Next we want to add to our Thematic Map so we go to the word toolbar and select Map.
    1. Next we choose Create Thematic Map.
    2. Select Graduated.
    3. Select Next.
    4. Under Select a table and field choose:
       1. Table:Cities
       2. Field:Tot_Pop
       3. Then choose Next.
       4. Choose OK - Voila!  You have just created a two layer thematic map!  How does it look? How do you feel about the thematic map you just created?  Should we modify it to represent a better grouping by population?
          
13. We need to remove our Cities Thematic Map we have just created so:
    1. Go into Layer Control
    2. Highlight the layer Graduated by Tot_pop
    3. Click the Remove button
    4. Click OK
    5. Click Discard
       
14. Lets create another Thematic Map with Cities using Ranges instead of Graduated. How would you do it? Apply what your have learned from creating the States Thematic Maps to creating this map. Save your WORKSPACE in your OWN GIS FOLDER which can be found under… C:\mapinfo\staff\YOUR NAME Remember:  This is a WORKSPACE, not a table, so choose File and then Save Workspace. Voila!  You have just customized and saved your own Thematic Map in your own MapInfo folder!

Now it's time to explain to your classmates what you have just done.
It is time to move onto the Next Section... Creating a Browser & Geocoding.
 

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