Building Models with ArcGIS Pro

Question 1

This can have several meanings. However in GIS this ________ is an abstraction of reality used to represent an object, a process, or an event. It is one process or a sequence of connected processes created in ModelBuilder.

Answer 1

model

Question 2

What automate and document your spatial analysis and data management processes?

Answer 2

Geoprocessing models

Question 3

Where do you create and modify geoprocessing models in?

Answer 3

ModelBuilder

Question 4

What automates workflows by adding data and tool elements to the model and connecting them to form a workflow? Model elements are represented visually and do not require any coding.

Answer 4

ModelBuilder

Question 5

Why create a model in ModelBuilder?

Answer 5

To see a visual representation of analysis and geoprocessing operations.

To automate and manage geoprocessing workflows.

To run a complex succession of processes as one tool.

To plug in extra tools and parameters as needed.

To share geoprocessing workflows with other users.

Question 6

In ModelBuilder, you add _____ and ______ to your model and connect them in a processing workflow.

Answer 6

data

elements

Question 7

The four basic types of elements that you can add to models are what?

Answer 7

variables, tools, groups, and connectors.

In any given situation, you may not use all these element types, but you will always use at least some of them.

Question 8

Processes in modelbuilder have several states. What are they?

Answer 8

Not ready to run, ready to run, running, and has been run.

By looking at a model, you can tell which processes have and have not been run—and what might not be ready to run because of an error.

Question 9

What settings are optional parameters that you can set before running a tool?

For example, you might want to set an output geodatabase for running several tools or set a cell size for the analysis output of a raster dataset.

Answer 9

Environment

Environment settings affect the tool’s result.

Question 10

Environment settings have a hierarchical structure and can be overridden at some levels. What are the four levels?

Answer 10

1) Application level 2) Tool level 3) Model level 4) Model process level

Question 11

What does it mean when a model element is in color?

Answer 11

A model element in color is ready to run.

Question 12

What does it mean when a model element is gray?

Answer 12

A gray model element is not ready to run.

Question 13

Which type of model element is represented by a blue oval?

Answer 13

An input data element (sometimes referred to as project data)

Question 14

Which type of model element is represented by a rounded rectangle?

Answer 14

A tool

Question 15

Which type of model element is represented by a green oval?

Answer 15

Output data (sometimes referred to as derived data)

Question 16

Questions to consider before building a model?

Answer 16

What is the goal of the model that you want to build?

What data do you need to use in the model?

What is the most effective workflow to follow to achieve your goals?

Question 17

ModelBuilder planning guidelines, what are they?

Answer 17

1) Determine the scenario and criteria for analysis or data management, and set goals for your model. 2) Explore and gather necessary data, which may involve creating and editing data. 3) Choose tools that will enable you to achieve your goals. Choosing tools requires that you thoroughly understand both your goals and the available tools. 4) Build and run a model. By this time, you should have already determined everything that you need to complete your model. 5) Explore and refine the results of your model. View, analyze, and symbolize your results to determine whether they are satisfactory. If necessary, you can run the model again with different tool inputs.

Question 18

Running a model usually creates data. Models with several tools can create data outputs at each step, which become the inputs for later steps. Even a model with only two processes will potentially create two new datasets. Usually, the only dataset that you need to keep is the final output of the model. The other datasets, which are used only during model execution and which generally do not need to be kept, what is this data called?

Answer 18

Intermediate data

Question 19

When you run a model from its tool dialog box, what is automatically deleted?

Answer 19

Intermediate data

Question 20

What are the fields that you set in your model elements? These are a tool property that you must determine before running the tool.

Answer 20

Parameters

Examples of tool parameters include input and output datasets, distances, and units of measure.

Question 21

What are model parameters, and why is it important to set them?

Answer 21

Model parameters are a type of parameter exposed in a geoprocessing model that appears in a model’s dialog box and allows for input. Setting model parameters is important if you are sharing your model with other users. Model parameters allow others to run the model from a tool dialog box and add their own data or values as input.

Question 22

If a colleague or another user sends you a model, what should you do first with the model, and why?

Answer 22

You should first validate the model because validation will verify the data inputs and other parameters. If any are invalid, you can fix them so that the model works.

Question 23

Suppose that you want to send your parcel owner notification model to a GIS analyst in another city. The analyst will run the model as is, but they want to add the city’s own parcel data and buffer distances. How might you set up this capability in the model before you send it?

Answer 23

Set the input data element as a model parameter. With the buffer distance, you would first need to create a variable from the distance parameter and then set it as a model parameter.

Question 24

If you set an application-level environment setting, and then you set a model-level setting for the same environment, which environment setting would override the other?

Answer 24

The model-level setting would override the application-level setting in the hierarchy.

Question 25

What is intermediate data?

Answer 25

Derived data created in a model that is fed into the next process

Question 26

What are three states that a model can be in? (Choose three.)

Answer 26

Not ready to run. Ready to run. Already run.

Question 27

T/F: If you want to create or set a model parameter from a variable within a tool (such as buffer distance or a SQL expression), you can set it as an environment setting.

Answer 27

False

Question 28

What is the best way to plan for the model that you want to build?

Answer 28

Before building your model, determine your scenario, goal, and data requirements, and determine tools and workflow. After you have made these determinations, start building your model.

Question 29

T/F: When you save a model using relative paths and share it with another user, you do not need to include the data used in the model.

Answer 29

False

Question 30

T/F: Model parameters can only be set before you share a model with someone and cannot be set by the person with whom you are sharing the model.

Answer 30

False

Question 31

T/F: Assume that you have a model-level environment setting applied to your model. If you then set a model-process environment on one of the processes, the model-level environment would override the model-process environment setting.

Answer 31

False

Question 32

If you receive a model from a colleague or other user and all the model elements are not ready to run, what should you do?

Answer 32

Validate the model and then try to determine the cause for any elements that are not ready to run.

Question 33

Which three options accurately describe the hierarchical structure of environment settings (given that environment settings can be set at the application, tool, model, or model process level)? (Choose three.)

Answer 33

Model-process-level settings override model-level settings.

Model-level settings override application-level settings.

Model-process-level settings override application-level settings.

Question 34

You have a model to determine gas leak detection areas around schools. You buffer the gas mains by 50 feet and run the model. After reviewing the analysis results, you realize that the 50-foot buffer is not enough, so you want to use a 75-foot buffer. What is the best way to create this larger buffer?

Answer 34

Edit the model by changing the buffer distance tool parameter value of 50 to 75, and then rerun the model.