How To Align A Non-Georeferenced Image To An Existing Geographic Layer or Georeferenced Image

Tufts GIS Center
How to Align a Non-

Georeferenced Image to
an Existing Geographic
Layer or Georeferenced
Image
Written by Barbara M. Parmenter, revised 14 October 2011
You can align, or georeference, scanned maps to existing GIS data so that you can
digitize information from them or use them as visual displays in your maps. For example,
if you have a planimetric map of an area showing contour lines, building footprints, and
curb lines, you can scan that map and georeference it in ArcMap, then digitize those
features to create new GIS layers. Or you could scan an historical map or aerial photo to
show change through time when compared with current orthophotos.
Prior to doing this, you need to carefully examine the digital image to be georeferenced
and compare it with your GIS data. You should determine in advance what points will be
your control points - that is, points that you can find on both the digital image and on
your GIS data layers. These will act to align the image to the data. It is important to
record these points ahead of time to help guide you in the georeferencing process.
You should have control points evenly distributed around the image, for example one at
each corner and one in the middle; or several around each side and several more in the
middle.
You can read more about this process by clicking on the ArcGIS Desktop Help menu
within ArcGIS, and then going to Contents- Professional Library –Data Management –
Geographic Data Types—Rasters and Images—Processing and Analyzing Raster Data—
Georeferencing--Fundamentals for Georeferencing a Raster Data Set
Georeferencing A Data Set
1. In ArcMap, add the existing shape file or the geo-referenced image that you are
going to reference the new image against. Alternately, if you are in the Tufts GIS
Lab, go to M:\State\MA\MassGIS\Political_Boundaries and add the
OUTLINE_ARC.shp and TOWNS_POLY.shp Files .
2. Activate the Georeferencing toolbar (Customize -Toolbars – Georeferencing)
3. Add the image layer which you want to georeference. If you’ve added the
MASSGIS Layers, you can obtain the map image from the tip sheets page
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(https://wikis.uit.tufts.edu/confluence/display/GISatTufts/Tufts+GIS+Tip+Sheets
+ArcGIS10)
4. Note that if it is a .jpg or .tif file, make sure you choose the entire image file (first
below). If you double click on the file and see the individual bands listed in the
dialog box (second right), you have drilled down too far. Back up and add the full
.jpg or .tif file. When asked whether to Build Pyramid, click no, and click okay if
you receive an “unknown spatial reference” warning.
5. Zoom in to the area of your shapefile that corresponds to the area of the image -
this is not necessary but extremely helpful. If you need to look at the image to
see what area it covers, right-click on the image in the table of contents and
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choose Zoom to Layer, then go back to your previous view of your shape file and
adjust the view of your GIS layers so that it displays approximately the same
area. If you are using the Tufts’ data, the area is the town of Lynn MA.
6. On the Georeferencing menu, make sure that your Layer specified is the image
you want to georeference
7. From the Georeferencing toolbar, choose Fit to Display - the new image should
fill the screen. You should see the overlapping layers, and you may want to make
your shapefile data layer is transparent or make the features hollow, so that you
can see both the un-georeferenced image and the georeferenced shapefile.
Note: In cases of the image becoming extremely warped during georeferencing,

try the procedure again but turning the auto-adjust off. This allows the image to
be adjusted at the end of the placement of all control points.
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8. Zoom in to the area of a map location (such as a street intersection or, in the
case of the tutorial, a spit of land) which you can easily distinguish in both the
image and in one of the already geo-referenced shapefile themes. These will be
the control points, or shared points between your image and your existing
geographic data.
9. Click on the Add Control Point tool
10. Click on the first 'common point' on the digital image you want to georeference,
then click on the same point in the existing geographic layer. Do the same with
as many other 'common points' you can find until you like the result. You need at
least 4 points. This procedure is also called "rubber-sheeting". Remember, you
always click on the un-geoferenced image first, then on your geographic data
layer.
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11. You can use the zoom and pan tools during this process to zoom in to see your
points more clearly – this will also help to make your control points more
accurate, rather than trying to create them with the entire area in view. Note: If
you accidentally click the layers in the wrong order or make a bad control point,
do not hit “Undo” or you may lose the last layer added and all of your control
points. Instead, open the View Link Table , click on the point, and press the
in the upper right hand corner, or the delete key, to remove it.
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Tufts GIS Center
12. You should check your control points occasionally by choosing View Link Table
icon on the Georeferencing toolbar. This will show you all the control points, and
when you have more than three it will show you the RMS error. You can delete
control points that have large errors and re-enter them or enter other points
which result in a lower error.
13. When you have the image aligned with an acceptable (less than 50) RMS error,
you should record the RMS error for data quality reporting. Now select
14. When you have completed the georeferencing process, you can create a
permanently georeferenced image by choosing Rectify from the Georeferencing
menu - you can accept the default cell size that ArcMap calculates or set your
own. For scanned maps, you can leave the resampling type set to Nearest
Neighbor. Specify a name and location for the new image. The result will be a .tif
image
15. With this georeferenced image, you can now digitize new features from the map.

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How to Align a Non-

Georeferencing A Data Set

Note: In cases of the image becoming extremely warped during georeferencing,

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