Process Diagrams

Purpose

Managing a GIS analysis requires you to understand what you are doing, and how you get obtain the desired results (outputs) from a series of procedures. A process diagram (or a data flow diagram) provides one way of visualizing what analytical steps have been performed and in what order. The dependencies are much more apparent in graphical form than if you write down a sequence of commands.

Description of the mechanics of diagrams; First required in Exercise 3;

An over simplified example (a thought-experiment in choosing rules of combination):

Locate a Balloon Launch Facility

This is a set of different criteria for a hypothetical site analysis to demonstrate how the same purpose might be served by different kinds of map combination...

Method 1: Black/White Exclusions

Method 2: Take the worst factor in the cell (No risk < some risk < large risk)

Method 3: Rating and Weighting (lots of variations)

A Process Diagram for the Balloon Launch will show sources, the combination technique and the result...