Module 2 Lab: Introduction to Graphic Design in AI

This week I assembled a basic map of Florida in Arc Map (layers included: state counties, state capital, major cities, surface water).  In Arc Map I added a legend, scale bar and north arrow.  Then I converted the basic map to an Adobe Illustrator file.  When I opened the AI file my north arrow was no longer on the document.  TA Austin and a fellow classmate found a web site to explain how to specify the export to AI that would allow the north arrow to come through in AI.  I had already made progress with my map so instead of starting over I just inserted a north arrow.  The lab assignment was to add 3 state elements and document where each was found.  I chose to include the state seal, state flower and the state nickname.  The imagery for the flower and seal I obtained from Wikipedia and the state nickname I designed the imagery.  The lab also ask to run a provided script to change the major city and state capital symbology to that in AI.  The script provided an error message.  I don't know if this had anything to do with the use of the AI file prior to the specification adjustments or if there is an error in the script.  I chose to continue to obtain the results as close to assigned as I could manage.  I chose AI symbology to manually adjust the capital and three cities that I labeled with their names.  I found experimenting with AI to be challenging.  Careful planning to ensure that the map and the scale size were not adjusted separately (until they were grouped together to ensure any resizing would be to both).  I also found the groupings as well as releasing clipping masks (located under the objects tab) to be confusing.  I also found not being able to copy and paste from right clicking and having to go to the main tool bar to the edit tab non-intuitive and cumbersome.  Overall I please with the final product for my first attempt and hopeful the process will become less awkward.

Revision:  Additional Exporting to Illustrator instruction were found at http://pbcgis.com/illustrator/  provided to me by Katherine Sims (classmate) and Austin (TA).  When Exporting to AI clip the option button on the lower left corner of the export dialog to reveal the expo options.  Under general options reduce DPI to 150-200.  Under Format Options tab set the Picture Symbol pull down to Vectorize bitmap and check the box to convert marker symbols to polygons.  This allowed the north arrow to come through in AI as well as the script provided in the lab to change major city symbols to work.  I opened both my first map and my newly exported map and copied and pasted many elements as groups to the new map.  Although it took some time to get the second map together it was not nearly as time consuming as the first one.  I changed some of the format.  I am really not sure which I like better.  But here is the second map.  Very similar but not the same.