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8. Taking Sections Through 2D Raster Maps

Many 2D Raster mappings (such as elevation models) contain information you may want to communicate with a section cut. The Profile Tool in ArcGIS's 3D Analyst allows you to do this.

1. Open ArcMap and add your raster map.

Adding the 3D Analyst toolbar

2. First, make sure that your 3D Analyst extension is enabled. To do this click Tools > Extensions... from the Main Menu. A dialogue like the one below will appear. Make sure that "3D Analyst" is checked, and click "Close."
3. Next, add the 3D Analyst toolbar to your interface if it is not already present. To do this Right-Click on any toolbar. A list of toolbars will appear. Click "3D Analyst," and the 3D Analyst toolbar will appear.

Using the Profile Tool:

4. Using the Interpolate Line Tool (its button is highlighted in red below), draw the line of your section on the raster map.

This line can have as many vertices as needed.. For instance, you can find a section along a street or river that is not simply straight. When you are finished with your line, double-click. If you are unsatified, you can delete your line by hitting "delete" when it is highlighted with a bounding box.

5. When you are satisfied with your line, click the "Profile Tool" button on the 3D Analyst toolbar. This button is highlighted below.

An image of your profile will appear like the one below. The units on the x-axis reflect the units of your map (feet, miles, meters, etc) along the line you drew. The values on the y-axis reflect the values (and units) represented by the pixels of your raster map.

6. To export this graph, you can right click on the graph window's title bar and choose to export. You will have your option of formats to export to.