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Once it's been successfully installed and you've downloaded the software, open up ArcGIS Explorer.

Raster Image Band Layers

To zoom in and out of the map, you can access the map navigation controls by rolling your mouse over the small navigation widget in the bottom, left hand corner of the screen (click image to enlarge)


Raster Image Band Layers

Change the Basemap

The default Basemap in ArcGIS Explorer is a satelite photo mosaic. This can be distracting when dealing with certain kinds of data, so users may want to change the Basemap to something less visually distracting.

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Navigate to the Dust Bowl folder on your computer's Desktop. You should see a list of files like this: (click image to enlarge)

Raster Image Band Layers

The files with the yellow diamond icons with the .lyr extension are ArcGIS layer files. You can add layer files, raster files, shapefiles, and a wide variety of other kinds of file types to ArcGIS Explorer. Because you cannot change the symbology there is limited capability for  changing the Symbology of Shapefiles in ArcGIS Explorer, this adaptation of the Dust Bowl tutorial uses layer files created with the proper symbology Symbology for the analyses required in the Dust Bowl worksheets.

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1. Click on the Add Content button in the Map group of the Home tab.
2. Choose Raster Data.... An Open dialog box will appear.
3. Find the Dust Bowl folder on your computer's desktop.
4. Double click on the folder titled Files.
5. Add files in the following order:
   1. Dust 1940-- Question 1
   2. Dust 1938-- Question 1
   3. Dust 1930-- Question 1
   4. United States – For General Reference

View the Symbology of the Shapefiles

Because the Layer Files used in this tutorial were all made from the same set of files in ArcMap, they all have the same label name. However, you can view the Symbology of each Layer File, and the data to which it refers, by clicking on the plus sign next to the label name to expand and display them.

Change the Symbology of the Shapefiles

In order to read all of the data for the worksheets, the Symbology of the Dust layers and the United States needs to be changed so that other data can be seen underneath them. Fortunately, the changes to Symbology required for these Shapefiles are within the capabilities of the ArcGIS Explorer functionalities. To change the Symbology of a data layer in ArcGIS Explorer:

1. Click on the plus sign next to the name of the United States layer file to expand and view the Symbology.
2. Right click on the symbol for the Shapefile layer.
3. Choose Symbol. A new Symbol menu will appear.
4. Use the scroll bar on the right hand side of the Symbol menu to scroll down until all fo the Outline Fill options are visible.  (click image to enlarge)
   
   Raster Image Band Layers
   
   
5. Choose the Blue Outline Fill by clicking on it once.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 for the Dust 1940, Dust 1938 and Dust 1930 layers, giving them all a different colored Outline Fill.

Removing Layer Files, Shapefiles and Raster Layers from Your Map

#If you added something in the wrong order, you can remover any of the File Layers you added:
#Right click on the Label Name of the File Layer. A pull down menu will appear.
#Choose the Remove option by clicking it once. The Remove dialog box will appear, asking you if you are sure you want to remove the layer from the map.
#Click Yes.