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User Guide - Life at Large

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1. 22 z 2 4 Zo 5 2 s 5 4 5 6 Introduction Who can use this decision support tool Changes since MCAS S version 3 0 Getting started System requirements Installation Opening a project Creating a new project or saving a project Introduction to the display workspace available features and functions Multi criteria analysis Step 1 Define the objective and decision criteria Step 2 Assemble data inputs Primary input data 5 1 1 Categorical data 5 1 2 Continuous data 5 1 3 Time series data Overlay data Mask data 5 3 1 Mask view only 5 3 2 Mask view and data Classified data Preparing your own data 5 5 1 Primary data 5 5 2 Overlay data 5 5 3 Mask data 5 5 4 Metadata files Creating user layers Step 3 Explore and combine data Setting up the MCAS S workspace 6 1 1 Moving data layers 6 1 2 Resize data layers 6 1 3 Delete layers 6 1 4 Zoom options O U1 o NNJN 12 14 17 17 18 19 19 20 21 22 23 23 24 25 2l 28 28 zo 32 32 32 32 32 MCAS S version 3 1 6 2 Oz 6 4 6 5 D 9 1 92 Classifying data 6 2 1 Classifying continuous data 6 2 2 Classifying categorical data 6 2 3 Reclassifying data to a new order Comparing data 6 3 1 Two way comparison 6 3 2 Multi way comparison 6 3 3 Using a layer as an underlay Combining data composite development 6 4 1 Manual default option 6 4 2 Function 6 4 3 Analytical hierarchy
2. 44 MCAS S version 3 1 6 3 2 Multi vvay comparison Multi way comparison is used when the spatial association of two or more data layers is required allowing the user to compare the data in two or more of their existing maps When a map window from the Multi way menu button is dragged into the display workspace a Source Layers panel appears within the interface panel listing the data layers shown in the display workspace Data layers can be selected for multi way comparison by checking those listed within this panel The Multi way analysis uses the radar plot as the basis for visualisation figure 33 Each vector on the radar plot represents a single selected data layer scaled according to class values FIGURE 33 Multi way Mask display File Edit Help Laye nime raed TI Source Lares i ii muri ps af Hn xar w mi Note The Multi way display interface panel lists the data layers visible in the display workspace together with check boxes for inclusion in a multi way analysis Using the Multi way Mask function the black areas on the map represent regions that satisfy class values specified by the grey area of the multi way map radar plot in the interface panel The light grey areas on the map represent regions that do not satisfy these conditions The mask shows the aggregate or intersection depending on the selection at the bottom of the interface panel The user can identify sets of class values for each in
3. at risk handbook 20130621 151702 21 06 2013 3 17 PM MCAS project file Note Files in the History folder CANNOT be run from the History folder These files must be copied out of this folder and saved next to the Data folder in order to be opened 8 3 6 Other software for keeping records Other software may be useful to record details of the MCAS S project and prepare means to an end diagrams Details that are important to record for future reference and to share with colleagues and stakeholders will vary depending on the complexity of the MCAS S project This may include how primary data layers have been selected and classified which layers have been chosen from a time series and how these have been combined explanations of models and functions used for composite multi ways and two way layers including reference documents containing the justifications for these choices or links to other MCAS S projects which contain inputs and outputs Software packages which enable creation of flowcharts workflows or mindmaps can be useful Some examples include PowerPoint smart art Compendium compendiumng org or Mindjet mindjet com When choosing a tool users should consider who the project will be shared with what software they already have access to how much it will cost and whether other parties need to contribute to the document online or in a shared location MCAS S version 3 1 ERRORS AND FEEDBACK The MCAS S development par
4. FIGURE 32 Tvvo vvay analysis customised to highlight classes of interest File Edit Help aye amp E BH amp 6 Vanables Fumay Cisassied Composite Tewowey HRecisss Mult way Overlay Mast X dary sal Note A Tvvo vvay display vvorkspace shovving the relationship betvveen spring rainfall and elevation customised to highlight locations where there is a coincidence of the highest five classes of rainfall and elevation Hypothetical location of soils at risk tvvo vvay comparison This two way comparison investigates the coincidence between feral grazing pressure and stock grazing pressure The areas in red are those locations with a coincidence of high feral grazing pressure and high stock grazing pressure The viewer displays the class colour for the area that the mouse is hovering over in this case green as well as its position in the two way matrix Under the matrix are displayed the values of all contributing layers TM ide Hep ai Faranno 44 E H 6 amp p Varables C r k n T xvasy Fetinth Haas Fam yamg peace gt wens Came Daia Stock Georg wrest m uum i 8 ee Firn graning pressure Note The feral grazing pressure layer is a composite of the Primary Input Data layers camel donkey goat horse pig and sheep distribution equally weighted in MCAS S
5. gt A Australian Government 3 Department of Agriculture Multi Criteria Analysis Shell MCAS S For Spatial Decision Support User Gulde Version 3 1 2014 A product of the MCAS S Development Partnership Disclaimer and licensing The Commonvvealth of Australia acting through the Australian Bureau of Aqricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences ABARES is making available the Multi Criteria Analysis Shell for Spatial Decision Support MCAS S software under the Creative Commons Attribution NoDerivs 3 0 Australia License This is a standard form license which allows you to copy distribute and display the work provided you attribute the original author and do not alter transform or build upon this work A summary of the licence terms is available from creativecommons org licenses by nd 3 0 au The full licence terms are available from creativecommons org licenses by nd 3 0 au legalcode This publication and any material sourced from it should be attributed as MCAS S development partnership 2014 Multi Criteria Analysis Shell for Spatial Decision Support MCAS S version 3 1 User guide ABARES Canberra February CC BY 3 0 ABARES does not represent or warrant that calculations in MCAS S are accurate correct useful or meaningful and does not accept any responsibility for the use of MCAS S in either the form as supplied or as modified by others ABARES may at any time at its discretion amend
6. s AEA HInIN MCAS S version 3 1 42 FIGURE 31 Two way analysis between elevation and rainfall D rain Ten Note The two way layer Untitled is a dynamic two dimensional colour grid showing the relationship between spring rainfall and elevation with the colour grid set to identify locations where there Is a coincidence of high spring rainfall and high elevation classes Two data layers are selected from those displayed in the display workspace by using the Variables selection on the interface panel The two way comparison is visualised in a dynamic two dimensional colour matrix that is a group of coloured grid squares linked to the map display in the display workspace The number of classes for each data layer will be represented on the x and y axes of the matrix up to 100 classes The two way comparison can be classified in up to 10 classes and class colours changed to specific project requirements Right clicking the mouse on any square in the matrix moves the focus of the colour ramp default red to that point within the matrix figure 31 Alternatively the two way comparison map can be customised by assigning a specified colour to selected cells in the matrix Once a colour under Categories is selected cell selections are made by pointing to desired cells in the matrix shown in the two way interface panel and left clicking the mouse figure 32 MCAS S version 3 1 43
7. 2 Cinsses 5 2 r 2 2 2 aie nn 01 ad y ock grazing density 2 j fe Access t services Total grazing pressure Complexity of management MCAS S version 3 1 53 54 FIGURE 38 A composite indicator based on AHP combination File Eat Help R Ignore 199 Xa 06896552 0 1609195 ran aoe R R ad Note The MCAS interface shows the development of a composite indicator based on the AHP combination of three Primary Input Data layers In order to save two ways multi ways and composite data layers from the active map window see the Export function in section 8 1 Exporting data layers adds them to the Classified Data folder from where they can be added into MCAS S projects MCAS S version 3 1 Hypothetical location of soils at risk AHP composite The same input data in boxes 8 and 9 can be used to create a composite using the AHP function this vvay the relative importance of input layers can be allocated In this example e Complexity of management is deemed strongly less important than Wind erosion extent and severity e Complexity of management is deemed weakly less important than Total grazing pressure e Wind erosion extent and severity is deemed weakly more important than Total grazing pressure AHP Editor UOISOJ2 Burzes6 jeyo Wind erosion exte
8. state E South Wales 1 Nev South wales ictoria 2 Victoria Queensland 3 Queens land LI South Australia 4 South Australia R Western Australia 5S western Australia C Tasmania 6 Tasmania C Northern Territory 7 Northern Territory CI ACT B ACT a Vow rd baa gt OY 5 5 1 1 Time series data MCAS S also recognises time series data These data should be stored as a stack of raster files in the appropriate format in a separate folder created within the Data Primary folder There is some flexibility in naming the datasets in the time series stack but for MCAS S to recognise the data as a time series each component dataset needs to contain a string of either six digits or eight digits preceded by an underscore six digits is assumed to be YYYYMM and eight digits is assumed to be YYYYMMDD For example rain_198001 would be a time slice of rainfall for January 1980 and rain_20051231 would be a time slice of rainfall for 31 December 2005 Note that once a name for a time series has been decided each data point must have this prefix before the date 5 5 1 2 Distance from point or line overlays Overlay data is described in 5 5 2 In order to use overlay data in your MCAS S project as an input layer rather than a contextual layer it must be converted to a raster To create a raster of distance from the points or lines contained in an overlay layer click on the overlay in the overlay menu and drag the layer into
9. DC esses 1 2 25 S10 dry sheep equivalent per hectare to match the original Cattle grazing density layer Note below The top coloured layer Location of soils at risk is the original scenario and the bottom shows the new scenario Location of soils at risk 1 The very right hand layer is a two way where dark blue represents areas where the risk class has not changed light blue shows a decrease of one class green shows an increase of more than one class not observed yellow shows an increase of one class and red shows an increase of more than one class not observed Access lo services Rainfall reliability SARSY SAR R u Wind erosion extent and severity Location of soils at risk 1 6 Cattle grazing density ADA Seer an e 2 Sheep graz mg density a By Canle grazing density gracing 12 9709 grazing pressure 1 MCAS S version 3 1 63 Hypothetical location of soils at risk Develop options continued The Report function discussed in the next chapter can also provide more details about which regions show larger areas of change New South Wales 0 95 Victoria 096 Tasmania Queensland Northern Teritory 0 99 South Australia 0 98 Western Australia 0 99 AC 1 New Victoria Tasman Queens Northern South Western South W and Territory Australia Australia 4 This report shows the least change is
10. MCAS X interface No Project Multi criteria Analysis Shell i fie Australian Government T A r n 62 Department of Agriculture User Guide Website Multi Criteria Analysis Shell Development partners M CA S v S For Spatial Dec SUpport The text located at the left hand side of the screen provides links to the MCAS user guide the MCAS S website and also gives more information on the development partners To begin work an MCAS S project either new or existing must be open Data folders and projects must be installed side by side on the working drive this does not have to be where the software is installed To install an extra data folder such as the Australian National Map layers which are available from daff qov au abares data mcass check that there is enough available space on your drive the 2 km grid Australian national map layers require 4 GB Download or copy and save the Data folder and project to the working directory The data and project need to be saved in the same folder 2 3 Opening a project Pre installed sample MCAS S projects or the user s own saved projects can be opened by going to the File drop down menu selecting Open and navigating to where the project has been saved Alternatively open projects by navigating directly to these folders for example through Windows Explorer and double clicking on project filenames There is a blank and completed soil
11. account alternative perspectives on available data science economics and policy options to inform management MCAS S can show scenarios that represent different stakeholder perspectives and alternative pathways forward Decision makers can use this information to make an informed choice Decision makers may wish to develop and compare options in order to STEP 4 DEVELOP OPTIONS show how changing the weight of input data affects or does not affect the final result 4 Develop identify which factors contribute to high ranking areas see how much input values may need to change to achieve a different result help to achieve a consensus view or appreciate why a consensus cannot be reached focus on areas or data layers of interest or that need improvement identify potentially beneficial management options MCAS S users can develop options by adding or removing primary data inputs reclassifying inputs to highlight different attributes creating new user layers to capture expert knowledge update data add information about data reliability or explore hypothetical situations changing the way primary data are combined by comparing two way multi way and different composite weightings The live update functionality of MCAS S enables rapid reworking of all the elements underpinning the development of options This is particularly valuable in workshop situations as it makes the construction of each layer transparent and
12. at table 1 6 3 1 Two way comparison A two way comparison allows the user to explore the spatial association between two data layers It also allows the user to define a colour ramp and value scale to highlight the association of high and low values of the contributing layers Clicking on the Two way menu button and dragging a new map window into the display workspace brings up the two way interface panel at the left figure 31 MCAS S version 3 1 41 O 1001 SSE D SUI SN SIU Ul D 2 S U q JOU ALY YDIUM SUOR Un sn 0 U Z uogas WOdaI 2 e 15 p pbns Ati aq osje ued 5 OM UODP L OD isoduuo2 jenuewW 10 uo SISAIPUV A41AHISU y sodwop S SVIW Ul Stade e ep SUIGWIOD JO lpdul02 0 SpOYUJaW JO uosedwop JIGVL An lqo 3 loud y o Hulpsoooe syndul Aylssejo poubye JOU SUOTPOH SSE S nd l y UBYM p sn ag ils UP 4 1 4 ul p ssi spouq ul BWOS lqeuinsun o 4 21 5 10 MO o ublu woz 104 An lqo 122 00 v o paylsse d aq pinoys sisAjeue S SVD N 104 Sandu Zipullid e l 2 p nb yndyno Aieulg uON yndyno Aseulg SUOMDUN USA JID pauiquuod sindul uoun awes 4 syndul ly 1UBIOM 1 Ly syndu u do je UM 1 AP e
13. been provided at a resolution of 1000 m x 1000 m e lineage processing completed on the data for example source calculations software commands used e URL a website where more detailed metadata may be found FIGURE 22 Example of tip file information displayed when accessed through MCAS S Multi Criteria Analysis Shell Description Bevabon metres shove mean sea level Cumency 2001 a digtal elevation data version 3 by integensing using ArcG S 3 3 This dataset was crated in 2008 fom DEM data cumerd tor 2001 URL http www ga gov awmeta ANZCWO70301 1541 himi Note The information in the tip files for a selected primary input data layer is accessed by clicking the Info button on the left hand interface panel 5 6 Creating user layers It is possible for the user to create their own layers in MCAS S by editing any layer in an MCAS S project display workspace except multi way layers Creating user layers is a way of capturing expert knowledge where other data may be incomplete or unsatisfactory and incorporating this knowledge into an MCAS S project Layers can be created from scratch with only the boundary of an existing layer used or edits can be made to an existing layer To create a user layer right click on a layer in the display workspace and select New User Layer A dialogue box will then appear Fill the spaces to give the new layer a filename set the resolution to an existing layer fill in other metadata a
14. composite Hypothetical location of soils at risk manual composite development To create a layer for Location of soils at risk see figure 8 the three criteria wind erosion extent and severity total grazing pressure and complexity of management have been combined using the Manual composite function Each of the input layers has been given an equal weighting so that the composite map shows in red areas which have a high wind erosion extent and severity high grazing pressure created by combining feral stock and native grazing and a high complexity of management created by combining access to services and rainfall reliability The viewer displays the class colour for the area that the mouse is hovering over as well as the weighting of the each of the input layers The values of all contributing layers are displayed iois at ak Analyns Shell ez Pte tot Hep layer l cal n d aois at ak J 68 amp Se 7 Poni O uulud Comppede Twewey fels Mie Overlay Mask input Data CEN H Sheep grazing density 1 x 0902664 maid nce ge ee 1 780232 x 1x 0 9660732 Total grazing 0 627 564 xi Wing erosion exent anc ion is From DIDS From 195173 From 7555195 From 139510 50 MCAS S version 3 1 6 4 2 Function The Function option allows input datasets to be combined using an algebraic expression To enter a function select the Function ra
15. dataset in the overlay folder To generate a tabular report right click on a data layer select Reporting select the option Report by point overlay and use the drop down list to select the point overlay for example Capitals Note that line overlays may appear in this list but will not output a complete report Once the options are selected and the Generate button is clicked the user will be prompted to save the resulting csv output file in order to see the result The report will automatically open if MS Excel is loaded The report will show the names of the points in the first column and the values of the data layer which the report has been run on and any contributing layers in the subsequent columns 8 2 3 Correlation report A graphical correlation plot can be generated for a two way analysis by right clicking on any layer or by selecting any two layers using the shift key and selecting Reporting The Correlation report shows the frequency of class values for the layer selected against the frequency of class values for another layer selected by the user The correlation coefficient is provided at the bottom of the chart This report can be saved using the Export button 8 2 4 Showing a map in Google Earth The Show in Google Earth function can be chosen by clicking the right mouse button on a layer in the MCAS S workspace This function enables the display of a selected map window in the Google Earth visualisation program Execution
16. example when grouping vegetation into floristic classes such as Eucalyptus Callitris and Casuarina FIGURE 45 Each class can be named by typing directly in the class text box Allocate classes in reverse order iow rainfall From 136 5936 class 2 From 224 3746 l j j j l j j 21 o Q 6 5 3 Adding colour ramps MCAS S users can create and save personalised colour ramps for use in projects To create a colour ramp accessible for all MCAS S projects simply add an entry to the ramps txt file which is located in the MCAS S installation folder where the MCAS exe file is located To save a colour ramp specific to a particular project save a file called ramps txt within the Data folder Colour ramp entries should be saved using the following convention separated by commas with no spaces colour ramp name start colour code middle colour code end colour code For example a colour ramp called YIGnBI starting at yellow FFFFD9 going through green 4186 4 to blue 061D58 would be written as YIGnBI FFFFD9 41B6C4 061D58 Colour codes should be saved as six digit hexadecimal codes colour codes shown in the MCAS S colour window in figure 44 are in RGB and will need to be converted MCAS S version 3 1 59 60 The development of options in an MCA process involves testing different ways to assemble and combine information taking into
17. holding down the shift key to select a group of grids or the control key to select further individual grids for the group Clicking on a selected function button on the Import interface will derive a new layer expressing that function for the selected grids The derived layer will appear in the MCAS S display workspace MCAS S version 3 1 19 20 A single grid is selected for inclusion as a layer in the display workspace by clicking on the listed grid and the Single function Functions that can be applied to selected grids in the Import interface are as follows e Minimum returns the minimum value for each cell from the selected grids e Maximum returns the maximum value for each cell from the selected grids e Range returns the difference between the maximum and minimum values for each cell absolute variation from the selected grids e Average returns the mean for each cell from the selected grids e Standard Deviation Std Dev returns the standard deviation for each cell based on the selected grids e Coefficient of Variation Coef Var returns the coefficient of variation for each cell based on the selected grids FIGURE 12 Options for importing time series data from the Primary Input Data menu ergen Shet fee Average Classes 10 ci l 224 lj Fas Area bed Turcae t
18. is based on the Jenks natural breaks algorithm Allocation to classes is made to minimise the sum of squared deviation from the mean for each class The Custom option allows the user to set the specifications for data classification for example to specify threshold values for each class The values can be set by sliding each vertical boundary on the histogram to the desired value thereby changing both the map colours and the corresponding MCAS S version 3 1 value in the classification box Alternatively the values can be manually entered into the classification boxes Default class names for example class 1 or class 2 can be changed by typing into the text boxes For more information on of the input layer click on the Info button to bring up its metadata This will give information such as source units and currency which will help with classification If the Info button is not displayed then there is no metadata tip file for the layer The values can be truncated from the bottom of the range by selecting Truncate values that are out of bounds in the drop down menu checking the box Truncate values lt and assigning a value below which values will be included in the lowest class Values can also be truncated from the top of the range by checking the box Truncate values gt and assigning a value above which values will be included in the highest class This facility allows the user to manage the range of classified
19. layers available on the MCAS S website are in Albers Equal Area projection using the Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994 commonly referred to as GDA94 Primary layers and mask layers must also have a common spatial extent or origin in order for MCAS S to calculate correctly that is they must have common bounding boxes with the same north latitude south latitude east longitude and west longitude For example to prepare new data to use with the gridded data layers from the ready to use Australian national map layers available with MCAS S version 3 1 match the extent of the new data with any of the ready to use layers in the Primary folder MCAS S recognises and treats the value 9999 as no data or missing values and raster cells with these values are excluded from subsequent processes This default setting may be switched off when creating composites The user s own MCAS S spatial data inputs can be any of the types mentioned earlier that is primary input data categorical continuous or time series overlay data or mask data The user s own data must be saved alongside the MCAS S project in the Data folder structure shown at figure 17 The pre processing phase of setting up an MCAS S project is completed when spatial data inputs are located within the project file structure and are ready for use in MCAS S drop down menus under the headings Primary Input Data Overlay and Mask FIGURE 17 The Data folder structure required for MCAS
20. maximum data values and discarding 6 2 1 values above that Metadata see Tip files Data about data i e basic information about the 5 5 4 source of the data being used Minimum and discard Defining the minimum data values and discarding 6 2 values below that Relocating data layers in the workspace SAN Multi way A form of comparison when the spatial association Of two or more data layers is required Natural breaks A method for classifying data inputs 6 2 1 Open Open a project Open a data layer Overlay points that help the user identify locations e g cities roads regions but do not have values associated to them Own data Data that the user independently acquires and processes for use in MCAS S Points Specific vector data detailing coordinates see overlay Primary data The main input data in MCAS S comprised of raw 5 1 data can be been assigned into classes Producing a paper hard copy of the graphics Radar plot A small graph used in a multi way comparison made 6 32 up of a series of vectors each representative of a data layer value Range The difference between maximum and minimum values of the data for time series data Raster data Spatial data expressed in a matrix of cells used for data that gradually changes along a continuum Antonym vector data Classifying data values in a new order Reporting A function for generating statistics on a user defined masked area for a point or to find a corr
21. mir sarma Unitled on rl 64 64 171 z li Primary Classied Two way Faclas Mulb way Manual Furebon AHF Tesi input Data Input Layer Weighing rim de eet gl ih or etal azil fi ni x 1 ax temp ape 1 hariul lab apr 17 penisi spring in order Fiam 0 From t 5802866 From HUN From T ez From T 354006 Note The MCAS S interface shows the development of a composite indicator based on the unweighted Manual combination of three Primary Input Data layers with weightings for each indicator shown at the top of the left panel There are several ways to combine the data layers using the interface panel including e the Manual option allows simple weighted combination of data layers e the Function option enables creation of a composite map from layers using an algebraic expression e the AHP Analytical Hierarchy Process option enables weighted combination of data layers using a pair wise comparison In each case the combination of the input layers is shown as an expression in the interface panel The centre of each cell is used to select the underlying values of the input layers When the layer is exported or a report is built the calculations are conducted using the resolution selected again using the centre of the cell and drilling down through the input layers MCAS S recognises and treats the value 9999 as no d
22. process Other features 6 5 1 Viewer window 6 5 2 Changing class colours and names 6 5 3 Adding colour ramps Step 4 Develop options Sensitivity analysis Step 5 Review and report Exporting Reporting 8 2 1 Report by region 8 2 2 Report by point 8 2 3 Correlation report 8 2 4 Showing a map in Google Earth Keeping records 8 3 1 Copying a log as text 8 3 2 Copying a layer as an image 8 3 3 Saving an image legend and histogram 8 3 4 Printing 8 3 5 Restoring a previous version of the MCAS S workspace from the History folder 8 3 6 Other software for keeping records Errors and feedback Common error notifications Checking and correcting common errors 9 2 1 MCAS S software fails to install or is unable to be opened for first use 9 2 2 An error message is repeatedly encountered in an MCAS S project References and further reading Glossary and index MCAS S version 3 1 33 40 41 41 45 48 48 49 z 56 56 58 99 60 61 65 65 66 66 69 69 69 69 69 69 69 70 70 71 1 12 zz 72 74 75 INTRODUCTION Informed and transparent decision making often requires combining and analysing mapped information to help stakeholders assess issues options and trade offs To address this need the Multi Criteria Analysis Shell for Spatial Decision Support MCAS S software has been created by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences ABARES with
23. the combination of two or more map layers data Continuous data Data with infinite number of possible values such as rainfall with the data being categorised at various points along a continuum e g 0 10 10 20 Antonym Categorical data Coincidence count A multi way analysis showing how many input 6 criteria are met ne Image An exact replica of a map layer can be 8 3 2 Saved as an image Log Extract text describing how a data layer has 8 3 1 been classified Correlation The frequency of values of one layer against 82 3 another calculated using a two way analysis Permanently remove a layer from the workspace Discard Defining the maximum or minimum data values and 6 2 1 discarding values outside that range Edit The digital button in the Function menu pressed to 6 4 2 enter an algebraic function for a composite layer MCAS S version 3 1 75 Function Explanation Section Equal area Allocates the same number of data points to each class Equal interval Groups the data into regular classes regardless of 6 2 1 their distribution a N Export Option to save any layer in the vvorkspace in a format for future use in MCAS S or other software applications Function The creation of composite map layers using an 6 algebraic expression Google Earth Showing layers in Google Earth 8 2 4 Histogram A bar graph in the left hand interface panel showing the distribution of values in the selected dataset History
24. the right hand side of the menu with the mouse figure 9 MCAS S version 3 1 17 18 FIGURE 9 Primary data icons for categorical and continuous Primary Input Data 64 64 S 0 p a B Te Reclass Mult way Overlay Mask Continuous data blank rain ar n page icon denotes no associated txt file Categorical data lined page icon denotes associated txt file Time series data stacked page icon denotes time series layers The two types of data usually included in the Primary folder are categorical data and continuous data figure 9 The Primary folder can also include time series data Each primary data layer type is identified by an icon in the Primary folder differentiated by the presence or absence of a text txt file with the same name as the data layer that provides labels for the categorical data classes 5 1 1 Categorical data Categorical data are grouped or categorised according to some common property such as soil type or vegetation type The data have labels that describe a category or group of interest Although primary data grids contain only numerical values labels describing categorical data can be displayed by including a text file with the same name as the grid file in the same data layer folder see section 6 2 2 Classifying categorical data When a categorical dataset with an associated text file is dragged into the workspace all categories from
25. the support of the MCAS S Development Partnership The MCAS S Development Partners are organisations committed to using and improving the MCAS S software The partnership was formed in 2013 MCAS S is a powerful easy to use spatial decision support tool designed to help visualise and combine mapped information in a flexible interactive way MCAS S can be used to construct a project at any scale and resolution and the ability to show live updates is particularly helpful at workshops The sample project installed with this software includes a limited selection of Australian national map layers which are ready for use More data are available from the MCAS S website daff gov au abares data mcass Users can also format their own data to use in MCAS S projects 1 1 Who can use this decision support tool MCAS S is designed for decision makers It shows transparently how mapped information can be combined to meet an objective MCAS S allows stakeholders to see the effects of the decisions they make Successful use of the software does not require Geographic Information Systems GIS programming removing the usual technical obstacles to non GIS users in accessing and analysing Spatial information MCAS S enables users to e view and classify map layers e adapt and combine map layers in ways that provide insight into key relationships and questions e look at alternative views quickly and easily using interactive live update mapping o
26. to keep track of decisions and allowing users to revert to a previous option More detailed instructions on all functions are included in the manual We hope you enjoy using the new version MCAS S version 3 1 GETTING STARTED MCAS S runs on most standard computers As soon as the software is installed users can begin mapping using the included MCAS S sample project files The MCAS S sample project and the selection of Australian national map layers included with the software are used as examples throughout this user guide 2 1 System requirements MCAS S requires the following e Windows NT 2000 XP or later 2 GB of RAM minimum recommended e 1 GHz or faster CPU e 1 GB of disk space for program and included sample project layers 2 2 Installation The MCAS S installer and user guide can be downloaded from the MCAS S website A more comprehensive selection of Australian national map layers is also available from the MCAS S website The MCAS S installer can be saved on your computer in case the program needs to be repaired at a later date Double clicking on the MCAS installer will bring up a series of instructions to install the MCAS S software The software should be installed on a local hard drive The default location is C Program Files ABARES Multi Criteria Analysis Shell v3 1 The sample project will automatically install in a folder called sample inside this same folder MCAS S projects to be used and modified
27. values particularly outlier values or highly skewed distributions In figure 27 the user has chosen to truncate elevation values lt 200 The 10 class Equal area classification has been applied to the elevation range 200 2 141 m Values below 200 m have been allocated to class 1 which therefore includes all values lt 215 1641 m The original data which has not been truncated is shown on the right hand side map FIGURE 27 Using the Truncate values tool T Multr crtena Analysis Shell re fdt Mele Case fo tar x aug b Tascate values thal me out of bounds l W Truncate vaas E Truncate values 3 Allocate classes n reverse order From f From 215 1641 From 1230 3281 From 245 4322 From 1262 6663 elevation From 1275 8203 f From 1206 1484 i 1 From 366 8047 From 427 4609 Kassa 3 Fror sti 4453 w j Note The elevation data layer has been classified into 10 classes using the Equal area option In the left hand data layer a lower range limit of 200 m has been applied this means that all values heights less than 200 m have been allocated to class 1 lt 215 1641 m displayed in blue The same data layer without the lower range limit applied is shown for comparison The break points of some classes change when using equal area classification with the new truncated range The minimum and maximum valu
28. A process should be carried out rigorously in parallel with stakeholder engagement Matching the spatial and temporal scale of the input information and analysis to the issues and processes under consideration is also critical Lesslie et al 2008 There are many variants of the general MCA approach and the process can be used to address a variety of questions Well developed MCA approaches generally share a number of characteristics such as being highly flexible and relatively simple to use e enabling the capture of quantitative and qualitative data and issues e permitting the development of many scenarios allowing the exploration of trade offs e enabling the stakeholder to factor MCA results into the decision making processes There are five key steps in the MCA assessment process figure 7 MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 7 Steps in the MCA process Reiterate where necessary 5 Review and report 1 Define the objective and decision criteria 2 Assemble data inputs and combine 4 Develop y 3 Explore options This guide shows how MCAS S can be used to support an MCA Note that the MCAS S tool is not restricted to use in MCA assessments It can be used in any situation where there is the need to data display combine and investigate the relationships between spatial information Throughout this manual a hypothetical example identifying the location of soils at risk shows how the MCAS S s
29. AS S cannot complete a requested task The user may click Continue to close the error box and return to the MCAS S project or Quit to close the MCAS S project MCAS S version 3 1 71 72 FIGURE 52 A missing data source shovvs as a cross fs Chobe Source 1 Copy Leg Ar Tani dei Sala ik example Copy Laer Ra bree Pins Liser Linear Laat arth Li iri papi e Curent Sols_m_pok_ecempieicioc_wrd Note If a data layer has been moved out of the Data folder been renamed or become corrupted MCAS S will no longer be able to find this data layer and will show a red cross Users can delete or change the source of the data layer using the right click options 9 2 Checking and correcting common errors 9 2 1 MCAS S software fails to install or is unable to be opened for first use When the MCAS S software has not installed correctly the user may need to e Check the website for the most recent version of MCAS S e Check that the software Is installed in a folder on a local hard drive e Check that the dotnetfx executable exe file is also installed on the computer the Microsoft dotnet framework is a software component that can be added to the Windows operating system It provides pre coded solutions to MCAS S and some other games and graphics programs If this is not present the dotnetfx exe this can be freely downloaded e Try to repair or uninstall and reinstall the MCAS S software Unfort
30. E H a Composite Twoway Heclass Mult way Overlay Mask ary Input Data into ranked classes or values MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 6 Location of MCAS S functions in the left hand side interface panel Apply numbers rather than classes Number of classes section 6 2 1 section 6 2 Minimum Colour scheme Maximum pixel value for active layer pixel value File Edit iiel Layer name elevation Categorical 1002 64 64 El E B r div Y me r m f for gt Pri AA Gioii Composite Two way HReclass Multi way Overlay Mask a 15 2141 Input gt Histogram of values Save as image section 8 3 3 Equal area interval custom log natural breaks or standard deviation section 6 2 Truncate values that are out of bounds Discard or truncate 5 valant section 6 2 Allocate classes in reverse order Change colours section 6 5 2 add colour ramp section 6 5 3 save legend section 8 3 3 Clicking and dragging H this corner resizes the active layer The blue Renaming Bit hio m 2 border shows which layer classes is active section 6 2 Info button displays metadata about the active layer Creating metadata tip files 5 5 4 Viewer shows classes and values at the mouse point Interface panel displays detail for the selected data layer Information will only be presented in this layer when a layer has been click
31. From From From From View the metadata tip file for this data layer From From Save the current settings as the default for this data layer The Log option works as follows given a set of values from xO to x1 the range of the values is x1 minus xO To find a log classification for n classes MCAS S determines the nth root of the range and uses this value as the base of the log For example a set of values from O to 1000 has a range of 1000 1000 minus 0 If it were classified into three classes the cube root would be 10 leading to splits of 10 and 100 If it were split into five classes the fifth root would be 3 98107 leading to splits of 3 98 15 85 83 096 and 251 19 The Standard deviation option works as follows the mean value is calculated and displayed as a broken line on the histogram the classes are defined by deviation from the mean If four classes are selected these will be class 1 lowest value to one standard deviation below the mean class 2 one standard deviation below the mean to the mean class 3 mean to one standard deviation above the mean class 4 one standard deviation above the mean to the maximum value The standard deviation relating to each class is shown on the right hand side of each class in the interface panel The Natural breaks option works as follows class values are identified based on grouping similar values to emphasise differences between classes The classification
32. IL Arc GRID or GeoTIFF raster formats by saving them in the project directory Data Mask To use mask data layers in MCAS S the grid values must be labelled This is done by including text files with the same name as the mask files in the Mask data folder The labels within the text file will be displayed in the Mask drop down menu on the MCAS S interface figure 18 The left window in figure 18 shows the state mask with labels and grid values from the state text file The right window shows the corresponding list of states from the Mask drop down menu on the MCAS S display workspace 5 5 4 Metadata files Metadata files which are called tip files in MCAS S should be created for each new layer added to MCAS S Tip tip files contain extra information about the data layer to ensure that the layer is used and interpreted correctly figure 22 Tip files can be created and edited using Wordpad by copying the structure of an existing tip file The text should be specific for the dataset Tip files should be saved beside primary data layers with the same name as the primary data layer Tip file information includes e dataset name shortened version to display when mouse hovers over it e description more information on the data including units if applicable e custodian organisation that owns the data MCAS S version 3 1 e currency year for example 2006 e resolution qrid size of the raster data layers in the sample project have
33. Raster data Vievver vvindovv A display box that provides information on the cells 6 5 1 within the data layer that the mouse is poised over in the display workspace Workspace The area of the screen in which all data viewing Figure 4 2 5 analysis and comparison takes place Figure 6 2 5 Change in screen maqnification 78 MCAS S version 3 1
34. S projects F Name Name Mik Data J Classified EH Sample mcas di Mask dl verlay di Primary Note The data folder must be saved alongside an MCAS S project and contain the folders Primary Classified Mask and Overlay as shown 24 MCAS S version 3 1 5 5 1 Primary data Primary data refers to raster data for analysis G S systems use tvvo types of data raster and vector For raster data representation of objects is based on the elements of a matrix given as grids or pixels For vector data representation is based on distinct points described by their coordinates and relations Primary datasets be in BIL Arc GRID or GeoTIFF raster formats and made ready for use within MCAS S by saving the files in the project directory Data Primary If the user has categorical data that is data expressed using classes such as states and territories the data should be converted using a numeric code for example 1 New South Wales 2 Victoria etc and these codes are translated to the categories using a text file with the same name as the raster same structure as the Mask text file in figure 18 This text file should be saved in the same folder as the raster FIGURE 18 Mask data text file contents a amp El BH Primary Input Data a Composite Two way Reclass M ult vvay Overlay Mask ta agroclim state txt Notepad 95 Ly catchment File Edit Format View Help 2 ini Tvalue
35. Time stamped copies of MCAS S projects are saved in a folder called History when the user saves the prolect Import An interface that lists available layers within time serles data Info A button on the interface panel that allows viewing Figure 6 2 5 of the metadata Figure 26 6 2 1 The left hand side panel that appears once a map Figure 6 2 5 layer is selected The interface panel includes the layer name data distribution histogram classes and the methods or functions used to combine layers Install To initially set up for subsequent use Labels Can refer to displaying labels on point files categorical data labels from text files mask data example changing class name labels Layer A single level of data that can be combined with 5 1 other layers to produce composites Legend Explanatory diagram of the map data 8 3 3 Lines A form of precise vector data detailing the 2 connection between two points see Overlay o l N gt 00 N Interface panel s N Log Can refer to producing a function using a logarithm classifying data using a logarithmic scale a record of processing steps that can be copied and pasted as text Table 2 6 4 2 6 2 1 8 3 1 Mask data Gridded layers used to restrict the area of analysis or define regions for reporting Multi way mask OZ 76 MCAS S version 3 1 Function Explanation Section Maximum and discard Defining the
36. alysis Shell Drop dovvn menu allovvs File Edit Help data to be classified into Layer name elevation Categorical 4 Clesse Tn 1 x x Toggle allows the user to switch r betvveen classifying the data layer as continuous or categorical data Here this option is to svvitch to categorical as the data is currently continuous 2141 Histogram shovvs the distribution of values and the associated Truncate values that are out of bounds x e class colour Here the data have pr i This drop down menu allows the user to truncate or discard values from the top or bottom of the range of values of the selected data layer been classed using Equal area The minimum and maximum values are shown above the histogram Truncate values gt Allocate classes in reverse order From In this example all data below 200 m have been truncated and will be allocated to class 1 If the discard option is selected data outside the range appear in grey on the map From 15 1641 3 3 0 3 ow DI Q DI j j Ti w Ww 7 Uu w Uu From From Class information colour and minimum value The colour scheme can be reversed by clicking the Allocate classes in reverse order box above individual colours can also be manually changed by clicking on the colour box and classes can be named by clicking on the class text box
37. ata or missing values and raster cells with these values are excluded from subsequent processes This default setting may be switched off when creating composites 6 4 1 Manual default option When a composite map window is created the Manual option is the default layer combination method Each layer has an entry box where the weighting of the contribution of individual data layers to any composite can be set MCAS S applies a simple additive weighting procedure where cell values for each selected input data layer are multiplied by a nominated weighting factor and then summed The user can use either raw data layer values or layer values that have been normalised to the range of 0 1 where minimum value and 1 maximum value The default MCAS S version 3 1 49 option is to normalise because it is assumed that layers have been classified into appropriate classes by the users Raw layer values can be used by checking the Use raw box The composite map dynamically updates as the weightings on the input layers change Composite data layers may be classified into between two and 10 classes as per the standard classification procedure A number of individual and composite data layers can be included in the display workspace and grouped by theme This layout creates a map of the relationships between each component in a project A pathway showing the relationship between each component can be followed all the way through to a final summary
38. ation on the radar plot for the area that the mouse is hovering over The values of all contributing layers are displayed under the matrix File Edit Help a Layer name Untitled 50 zl 64 65 Ez hl Hi Ee CBS 7 Primary Classified Composite Two way Reclass Multi vvay Overlay Mask Input Data Data Feral grazing pressure Sheep orezina density 00 6 3 3 Using a layer as an underlay To use a particular layer as a backdrop for all the layers in the display workspace right click on the layer and select Use as underlay A slider bar vvill appear in the bottom right of the vvorkspace vvith a default of 5096 transparency To change this value slide the bar to the left for less transparency and to the right for more transparency Underlays can also be used vvhen creating a Nevv User Layer see section 5 6 for more information on user layers 6 4 Combining data composite development Once individual data layers have been created they can be combined to construct composite indicators When a new map window is dragged from the menu button Composite into the display workspace the interface panel for creating a composite appears automatically The interface panel lists data layers currently on the display workspace and which are available for the construction of the composite figure 36 MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 36 A Manual Composite of three Primary Input Data layers Fie Edit Help
39. ault value of which is plus or minus half the original weighting figure 46 This default value can be changed to the desired value The layer for Location of soils at risk was created using a manual composite adding three sub criteria each equally weighted with a value of 1 A decision maker may use the sensitivity analysis to test how changing the weights or removing the sub criterion Complexity of management or Total grazing pressure affects the final layer Figure 46 shows the Composite Sensitivity Test window with Complexity of Management and Total grazing pressure set to plus or minus 1 FIGURE 46 An MCAS S interface showing a sensitivity analysis for a Manual composite layer Layer name Location of soils at risk Weighting Manual Function C AHP Input Layer Weighting Use raw 1 0 Composite Sensitivity Test Sheep grazing b Complexity of 1 e EF Stock grazing pressure fo e 3 anagemeni i 1 pressure m r uv Total grazing pressure r Wind extent and 1 Wind ercsior 1 eer severty IV Ignore 9999 Cancel X 17 of management 1 Total grazing pressure 1 Wind erosion extent and severity Note In this example the sensitivity of a Manual composite is tested by adjusting the weight of Complexity of management and Total grazing pressure by plus or minus 1 while leaving the weight of Win
40. cation If the Info button is not displayed then there is no metadata tip file for the layer The Classified categorical Primary Input Data interface panel displays the classes up to 10 as well as the categories that make up the Primary Input Data layer figure 28 Default class names such as category 0 category 1 or category 2 can be changed by typing in the text boxes The program will default to five classes If necessary the user can reselect the number of classes required MCAS S version 3 1 37 38 FIGURE 28 Detail of the Classified categorical Primary Input Data interface panel Layer name agroclim Continuous Source agrociim Type Classified The Type field can be changed from CI 5 Color a classified to numerical MH ions in order to assign EP flow ask values rather than colours to each class Moderate risk Es isi Very high risk nfo Save Categories HEHH R El D5 Temperate cool season wet E1 Mediteranean m E3 Temperate sub humid E4 Sub ropical sub humid E7 Tropical wam season moist F3 Sub ropical moist 4 Note the Classified categorical Primary Input Data interface panel with a primary data layer of agroclimate regions Classified to show the estimated risk of soil erosion by wind The user can specify how categories are grouped together for example high risk thr
41. d annual rainfall 6 5 2 Changing class colours and names A default blue red colour ramp is applied automatically to data layers in MCAS S An additional set of colour ramps including a black and white option can be selected from MCAS S interface panels New colour ramps added in Version 3 1 include reds blues purples oranges and greens pink to green and purple to orange In the data layer information panel shown separately in figure 6 class colours can also be changed from the default colours by either left or right clicking on the class colour box A Colour window appears and basic or custom defined colours can be selected figure 44 FIGURE 44 The Colour window Define Custom Colours option oto Mi Hue 168 Red 81 Sat 240 Green 38 ColoiSoid Lum 155 Bive 255 Cancel Add to Custom Colors J LLL ee uunuun TELEL TL ee Tit att i 1 Proses S NEHHHH om colors zu EL Em mn u a7 Note The Colour window can be opened by left or right clicking on a class colour box and then the Define Custom Colours option can be selected MCAS S version 3 1 Class names can also be added in the interface panel figure 45 Values within layers can be classified as required and for example named Low Medium or High rather than the default values class 1 class 2 class 3 and so on Categorical data classes can also be renamed for
42. d erosion grazing pressure and the complexity of management Figure 8 shows a simple means to an end diagram for identifying where soils may be at risk of wind erosion through grazing This example uses input data from the sample project however the way in which this data has been combined to identify Location of Soils at Risk of degradation is hypothetical and is included to show the user how an MCA could be structured A number of other factors and input data could be taken into consideration in this context such as ground cover risk of water erosion and land management practices Consultation with relevant experts is recommended to define the objective and decision criteria In this case a workshop might include agronomists social scientists erosion vegetation climate and feral animals experts Published examples are on the MCAS S website 14 MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 8 A means to an end diagram can assist in framing a successful MCA process Primary data Primary data Criteria or layers or sub criteria composites Objective Camel distribution VVind erosion extent and severity Donkey distribution g l Feral grazing Horse distribution pressure Goat distribution W Total grazing Location of pressure soils at risk Pig distribution 8 Stock grazing pressure Cattle grazing Sheep grazing Access to services Complexity of management Rainfall reliability MCAS S allows use
43. d erosion extent and severity constant at 1 MCAS S version 3 1 61 62 Once two input layers have been selected and the test values set clicking the OK button will display nine composites based on the range of values chosen figure 47 Any of the nine layers can be added to the MCAS S display workspace by simply clicking on them This action will create a new composite rather than overriding the original composite In this example the Complexity of management layer strongly influences the area of soils at risk in Queensland Removing the Complexity of management layer as shown in the three left options results in little to no area at risk red in Queensland This could influence decisions about policies or programs FIGURE 47 A sensitivity analysis based on the input layers and test values chosen in figure 46 r v ADA k l 22 0 5 5 2 in Veo v v era tee Note the centre layer shovvs the original composite vvith vveights of 1 and 1 for input layers Complexity of management and Total grazing pressure The vertical axis shows the effect of changing the weight of Total grazing pressure from 0 to 2 The horizontal axis shows the effect of changing the weight of Complexity of management from O to 2 The weight of the third input Wind erosion extent and severity remains constant at 1 for each of these nine options If on
44. d on map layers by clicking and dragging Tabular data can be saved to a csv file which is suitable for manipulating in MS Excel by pressing the Save button in the top right hand corner of the table The reporting function also provides for the generation of new spatial layers Pressing the Export Layer button in the top right hand corner of the table opens a dialogue box that requires the selection of a statistic class value maximum minimum range mean coefficient of variation sum and file name for the new layer When saved a new layer with the relevant statistic for each reporting unit such as region or catchment is exported to the Classified Data folder This enables the generation of new regional layers for both continuous and categorical layers Note that for masked data layers the reporting function should only be used when the Mask View and Data option Is selected FIGURE 49 Reporting window obtained by right clicking on the active map window and selecting Reporting MCAS S version 3 1 67 Hypothetical location of soils at risk reporting A state report has been generated The high risk class has been highlighted for Queensland which then highlights the relevant data in each of the input layers 68 MCAS S version 3 1 8 2 2 Report by point The values for points in an overlay can be calculated from of any data layer in the vvorkspace providing the project has a point
45. dial button and then press the Edit button see figure 37 This will open the Function Calculator Users can enter an expression combining input layers including numerals as operands quantities by clicking on the calculator buttons or typing in text Input layers can be added to the expression by double clicking from the list on the left of the Function Editor after selecting either the Classified or Raw option in the bottom left If typing in text input layers should be entered using their workspace name in braces for raw data values and in box brackets for classified data values For example the simple expression layer1 layer2 will produce a composite map of values that are the product of the raw values of layer 1 and layer 2 The following functions are supported by MCAS S lt lt lt gt gt gt exp log pow and or iif min max Syntax examples for these functions are shown in table 2 Unless specified when using a conditional statement the number 1 will apply where the statement is true and O will apply where the statement is false For example figure 37 shows areas with a value of 1 coloured in red that meet the conditional statement elevation is greater than 50 m and less than 200 m and areas that do not with a value of O coloured in blue TABLE 2 Syntax examples for developing a composite map using the Function Editor Syntax Description layer1 2 Returns the raw values of layer1 multiplied b
46. e Viewer provides information about points on an active map when the mouse Is placed over the map window In this example the Viewer displays the value for a specific grid cell of the Primary Input Data layer elevation MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 41 Vievver for a Composite Data layer P Elevation and annual rainfall 0 851350 1x0 05088789 elevation 15 1x 0 8004624 rain ann 718 8401 Bl elevation 15 rain ann 713 8401 Note In this example a composite map Elevation and annual rainfall has been created from two data layers The viewer displays the normalised value of the two cells the weighting of each layer and their values for a specific grid cell FIGURE 42 Viewer for a Two way analysis 621 1748 elevation 328 Note Two way Viewer shows the layer value of the selected cell on a 10 x 10 matrix that has been created from two data layers The Viewer displays the value of the selected cell in relation to the rest of the matrix The values for the specific grid cell are displayed at the bottom of the Viewer MCAS S version 3 1 57 58 FIGURE 43 Vievver for a Multi vvay comparison maxt spr 3481574 El elevation 257 Note The Viewer displays the values of the input layers for a specific grid cell The Multi way Viewer shows the value of the selected cell on a Multi way comparison that was created from three data layers elevation maximum spring temperature an
47. e of the nine options is clicked a copy of this layer with the chosen weights can be added to the workspace Y y Y 1 Note that sensitivity analysis cannot be completed usinq Function or composites VVith Function and AHP composites the Fdit button is displayed in place of the Test button MCAS S version 3 1 Hypothetical location of soils at risk Develop options Other MCAS S functions previously discussed in this manual can also be used to develop options For example comparing different grazing scenarios could be useful for a land manager The effect of reduced cattle grazing density can be estimated by adding a new Cattle grazing density layer with half the grazing density The manager can see not only the change in the sub criteria Stock grazing pressure but also the change in the Location of soils at risk In this case the new layer Stock grazing pressure 1 shows less area at risk in Queensland more closely resembling the Sheep grazing layer The MCAS S software is able to show the two scenarios side by side including all inputs which contribute to each scenario Use of a two way analysis shows the difference between the output Location of soils at risk in the two scenarios While there are not major changes across much of Australia even small changes may be significant Note left the new layer Cattle grazing was created using the function Cattle grazing 1 2 alu selikli
48. ed Save with caution Will save Classes for the active data layer for all projects section 6 2 consider right click export section 8 1 Note The figure above shows locations of MCAS S functions once a continuous primary data layer has been added and is selected The right hand side is referred to as the workspace MCAS S version 3 1 11 12 MULTI CRITERIA ANALYSIS Spatial multi criteria decision making is rarely straightforward Answering simple questions such as Where are soils at risk often requires the combination of diverse environmental social and economic information along with value judgements and policy and management goals Usually there is no right answer In the end justifiable conclusions depend on informed systematic and transparent analysis Multi criteria analysis MCA is one way of approaching the assessment of complex issues in coupled human environment systems It is widely applied in business government and community decision making including in natural resource management MCA is a process to assist decision makers it does not do the decision making but it can be used to explore options and potential outcomes It is important to think about how information quality and uncertainty are factored in and integrated with stakeholder viewpoints and biases It is also important to consider how achievable the best possible outcome is and if there is any room for compromise Each stage of the MC
49. eed to be increased An example of a text file for a point dataset is shown in figure 21 MCAS S version 3 1 27 28 FIGURE 21 Example of text file information for point overlay data d El q H 6 Dy fanan Tor I s Eser Primary Cimmi Compass Twan Mawoy Ls rcut J Notepad hi eee illar ae IECTIO Terimibuficn Equal Area Truncate aues hat are outo boude ml Tu ntala valves 9 p7 Trancas values gt pf Allecala m nevtiba ceder Free Fil ws Fen Pazar B F Ee Fm r H pe Be From FTAR Pe unu wie color ate iter 1 named tere 1 z true Note In this example the field containing the data for displaying the points is called OBJECTID the label field is NAME the filter for displaying points and labels is 1 fewer points and labels will display as the layer is minimised and the display of labels is turned on true 5 5 3 Mask data Mask data refers to raster data that define the geographic limits for analysis and reporting optional All cells of interest have a value and by using particular masks only the information within the area of interest will be considered in the analysis and displayed These datasets can be imported in B
50. elation Changing size of data layers in the workspace Save Save a project Save an image or log 7 Save a layer see export 8 1 Save display settings for a layer Figure 6 2 5 Sensitivity analysis A method of making minor changes in the input 7 1 data to see effects on the output data Single function A function that selects a single grid for inclusion as a layer MCAS S version 3 1 77 Function Explanation Section Standard deviation A measure of dispersion or variance from the mean used to classify continuous data calculated for time series data Text txt files Files associated with raster data layers primary or mask data that provide labels for grid values Categorical data have associated text files Time series Data representing the same information at a point points over time Tip files Brief explanatory metadata files that accompany data Truncate To assign data below or above a designated value to the highest or lowest class Two way A comparison that allows the user to explore the spatial association between two data layers identifying corresponding high and low values Underlay A layer as a backdrop for all other layers Unhandled exception The Unhandled exception window indicates that an error has been identified User layer A layer created by the user via their own data 5 6 analysis and processing Vector data High precision data to define a point line or area 0 Antonym
51. es of the range of complete or truncated values for the selected data layer are displayed above the histogram This feature can be useful when deciding where to make breaks using the Custom option Values can also be removed from both the top and bottom of the range by selecting Discard values that are out of bounds from the same drop down menu and again assigning a minimum MCAS S version 3 1 35 36 and or maximum value Areas with values outside the selection will appear as light grey in the corresponding map window Minimum and maximum values can be set to user defined limits by clicking on either value in blue above the histogram and entering the desired value in a dialogue box figure 27 To restore the original minimum and maximum values select the value in blue above the histogram again and click the Reset button Hypothetical location of soils at risk classifying continuous data For cattle grazing in each statistical area SA2 for Australia stock densities dry sheep equivalents per hectare have been truncated so that any values above 20 are allocated to the highest class The remaining values have subsequently been allocated into 10 classes from low cattle grazing density pale yellow least at risk to high cattle grazing density dark red brown most at risk using an Equal Area classification The viewer displays the raw value for the area that the mouse Is hovering over E EH amp amp yw Primary Classi
52. ession used to create the composite map is shovvn in the interface panel Values of 1 red represent vvhere the expression is true vvhile values of O blue are where the expression is false 6 4 3 Analytical Hierarchy Process AHP The AHP option provides a more structured alternative to the simple additive weighing procedure used for Manual composite development Input layers are assessed against each other on a pair wise basis with judgements made as to relative importance Selecting the AHP option opens a window in the interface panel which enables users to select relevant layers from those in the display workspace Selecting the Edit button on the weighting panel opens an AHP Editor window that includes an interactive AHP matrix enabling the user to rank input layers as less or more important compared to other input layers Pair wise weightings can be edited by clicking on the light grey number boxes in the Editor window and then by selecting a ranking option from the drop down menu Once a weighting option has been selected the relevant number boxes will turn white Dark grey boxes cannot be edited Figure 38 shows an example of AHP combination using three input data layers MCAS S version 3 1 Hypothetical location of soils at risk function composite development Function composite development can be used to find areas that meet a certain condition The formula in the Editor window will show areas in red that meet all of the f
53. fied Composite Two way Reclass Multi vvay Overlay Mask Input Data Data beef_dse_dens 1 127987 Truncate values that are out of bounds Truncate values IV Truncate values 20 Allocate classes in reverse order The final option in the continuous Primary Input Data interface panel is an Allocate classes in reverse order check box which simply reverses the order of the class colours This option may need to be used when the values of one of the input layers are different to others For example high values for a number of the input layers may be suitable in terms of the overall question such as high erosion in the location of soils at risk example whereas low values may be suitable in another layer such as low rainfall reliability Reversing class allocation means that layers can then be classified using the same colour scheme Time series data should be classified in the same way as continuous data MCAS S version 3 1 Hypothetical location of soils at risk allocating classes in reverse order For the data layer Rainfall reliability classes have been allocated in reverse order because areas with a lower rainfall reliability black will be more complex to manage and so more at risk than areas with a reliable rainfall light grey The viewer displays the raw value for the area that the mouse is hovering over as a percentage of years where at least 50 per cent of expec
54. hat out d bounce zi vah 1 values gt Abocahe classes in reverse order a I From 102002 Bs From M vers m From m Free bi xn m From 2375 E rom ai 563 hr HE m s From Mies Save Note Time series data dragged from the Primary Input Data menu can be imported as individual datasets Single option or as a function of the selected datasets Minimum Maximum Range Average Standard Deviation or Coefficient of Variation 5 2 Overlay data Overlays are lines or points such as roads towns and coastline that can be added to a primary data layer to provide context Overlays can be selected and displayed using the Overlay drop down menu figure 13 When overlays are selected the default line or point colour is black Colours can be changed by clicking on the colour box next to the overlay layer in the drop down menu this action brings up a colour palette from which a new colour can be selected Differential colour selection is a useful function to distinguish multiple overlays Overlay layers can now be used in the analysis as a distance from points or lines In order to create a layer from a point or line overlay to use in the analysis click and drag the overlay layer into the workspace For more information see Distance from point or line overlays section 5 5 1 2 MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 13 Sample elevation data vvith point overlay data d
55. iculated in the context of data dependencies assumptions actions and user perspectives More sophisticated use of the MCAS S software can facilitate spatial multi criteria analysis MCA a process designed to improve decision making by using diverse factual information value judgement opinion and policy and management goals In this context transparent and logical treatment of information is important MCA is discussed in more detail in section 3 1 2 Changes since MCAS S version 3 0 This new version of the MCAS S software version 3 1 includes the following new features e An improved workspace with new toolbars and zoom and pan options multiple layers can be added resized aligned exported and deleted at once and new colour ramps have been added e More options for classifying data layers include standard deviation natural breaks and a reclass classification for values or classes of interest which don t fall at one end of an existing scale e Overlays can be included in analysis by creating distance from points and lines turning overlays into primary layers e Editing composite functions is now possible through the function calculator e Multi ways now show a coincidence count of how many input criteria are met e Users can report on values at points and find the correlation between two layers through a correlation report e Time stamped versions of MCAS S projects are saved in the History folder helping
56. ifferent data if this is the case this may be a bug with the software The MCAS S development team would appreciate feedback on this issue MCAS S version 3 1 73 74 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING ABARES Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences 2010 Indicators Of community vulnerability and adaptive capacity across the Murray Darling Basin a focus on irrigation in agriculture ABARES Canberra BRS Bureau of Rural Sciences 2006 Towards sustainability for Australia s rangelands analysing the options report prepared by Lesslie R Hill M Woldendorp G Dawson S amp Smith J BRS Canberra 2009 Identification of areas within Australia for reducing soil loss by wind erosion report prepared by Smith J amp Leys J BRS Canberra CSIRO Sustainable Agriculture National Research Flagship 2009a Identification of land with risk of acidification report prepared by Wilson P Baldock J Grundy M Jacquier D Griffin T Moody P Chapman G Hall J Maschmedt D Crawford D Hill J amp Kidd D CSIRO Canberra 2009b Identification of areas within Australia with the potential to increase soil carbon content report prepared by Baldock J Grundy M Wilson P Jacquier D Griffin T Chapman G Hall J Maschmedt D Crawford D Hill J amp Kidd D CSIRO Canberra CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship 2006 Spatial prioritisation of NRM in
57. imal places and reduce the size of the exported layer or to retain the decimal values To create a smaller integer output without losing the precision of the original data layer the user may choose to apply a multiplier For example applying a multiplier of 10 will multiply the value of every pixel by 10 turning 0 1 into 1 thus preserving the values from one decimal place while creating a smaller integer data layer Exporting layers to specific groups folders may be useful for ordering large numbers of derived data layers that can be structured according to project needs To create a new group folder enter a new name into the Group field Typing the name of a previously created folder will add the exported data layer to the existing folder alongside any data layers previously exported to that group If the exported layer has not been allocated to a group it can be directly retrieved from its saved location under the Classified Data menu item Alternatively if the layer has been allocated to a group it can be retrieved under the folder with the relevant group name 8 2 Reporting MCAS S allows users to generate statistical reports for regions saved in the Mask folder points saved in the Overlay folder and to report on correlations between two input data layers within MCAS S t is also possible to show MCAS S layers in Google Earth see section 8 2 4 and as an underlay see section 6 3 3 8 2 1 Report by region The Reporting functi
58. inimum and maximum number of pixels from a capital city MCAS S version 3 1 5 5 2 Overlay data Vector polygons lines or point data for contextual overlays are optional These datasets can be imported as ESRI shapefiles into the project directory Data Overlay MCAS S can display point data and labels The user can specify whether labels will be displayed and how many points will be displayed at a particular image zoom level by adding a text file describing these conditions Each point file must be placed in individual folders in the overlay folder The name of the individual folders will be displayed in the Overlay drop down menu in MCAS S A text file with the Same name as the folder is required to describe how the point file is to be displayed This should be saved under Data Overlay rather than in the individual folder with the actual overlay dataset To use new overlays with the layers supplied in the sample project they will need to have the same projection see section 5 5 The text file should contain data value field name name of the field that contains the values that determine the order in which points will be displayed This could be an existing field or may need to be created by the user with GIS software Larger numbers will display first with smaller numbers progressively displaying as the data layer is enlarged so if a population field was chosen to control the display of cities a city with 2 000 000 will display befo
59. ion within the map in the display workspace Masks are introduced by expanding the Mask drop down menu and clicking the box next to the regions required see section 5 5 Preparing your own data for installing mask data layers An aggregated mask can be created by checking one of the masks and holding down the shift key to select further masks A mask formed from the intersection of two or more masks may also be created by clicking on the intersect symbol at the base of the Mask drop down menu The aggregated mask is similar to an OR function showing pixels which occur in any of the regions selected the intersection mask is similar to an AND function showing only the pixels which occur in both of the selected regions The aggregate and intersect buttons are shown at figure 14 MCAS S version 3 1 21 22 FIGURE 14 Intersect and Aggregate Mask option buttons Mask View and Data Ce Intersect oat Aggregate mask When masks are selected masking applies to all functions and processes carried out in an MCAS S project A report can be created using any set of regions in the masks drop down menu even when an MCAS S project is not masked Reporting is covered in section 8 2 Mask data are gridded raster data with an associated text file stored in the Data Mask folder similar to primary categorical data The user can choose to mask the view only or the data and view This function is explained further in the next section 5 3 1 Ma
60. isplaying capital cities and line overlay data displaying state boundaries g TestProject Muib critenia Analysis Shell File Edit Help Layer name leevation Categorical 100 64 64 Cissses f0 3 f dy o Ai e 5 a at input Data Tecate values that ae out of bounds x Truncate values b Truncate valves gt 05 Allocate classes in reverse order E From E m From 69 21875 From 1023063 fina Hi ro user Hi s r Hi F c per FT rev Fa Hi mr H tm be Adding an overlay will not change or affect the data or the results of a multi criteria analysis but will simply provide lines borders and so on to assist interpretation of the map MCAS S can display labelled points such as cities and towns The number of points and labels displayed depends on the size and zoom level of the data layer being viewed For example at first only major cities may be visible but as a user enlarges the window or selects a region mask towns with smaller populations may become visible To turn point labels on and off or modify other settings see Preparing your own data section 5 5 Overlay data are stored in the Data Overlay folder 5 3 Mask data Masks can be used to select specific areas for analysis and reporting Using masks it is possible to display only the data for a selected region for example a catchment or bioreg
61. le click anywhere in the layer Press Esc to return to normal view e To zoom in on the display workspace hold the control key and click anywhere in the workspace or select a larger magnification such as 20096 from the zoom drop down list in the left corner of the MCAS S functions toolbar e To zoom out hold the control and shift keys and click anywhere in the workspace or select a smaller magnification such as 50 from the zoom drop down list in the left corner of the MCAS S functions toolbar 6 2 Classifying data Continuous and categorical data are classified differently as described below Once a primary data layer has been classified the user is able to save settings for that layer even if it is subsequently deleted from the project Note that saving the class settings makes them the default display settings for that layer in the current project and all future projects When classifying data it is important to use the same classification system for all data For example are all of the data being classified from suitable to not suitable or from high to low or from good to poor in terms of the objective If so colours can be assigned accordingly so that for example blue classes always denote not suitable and red classes always denote suitable This consistency will ensure that input layers are compared and combined using the same Classification system In the example Location
62. lick and drag a Reclass layer from the MCAS S toolbar into the workspace Set your input data layer the layer from which the data values or classes will be taken Assign the new order of classes appropriate for the analysis Figure 30 shows a reclass layer where moderate annual rainfall is preferred In this example extremely low rainfall below 200 mm and high rainfall above 1500 mm have be assigned to the unsuitable blue class and low to moderate annual rainfall 300 mm to 1500 mm have be assigned to the suitable red class This new classification can then be included in further analysis MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 30 Reclass tool used to assign importance to values in the middle of the range Truncate values Truncate values gt E Allocate classes in reverse order is extremely low From 5936 H o rem froderte B Ber m info Save Note This example shows annual rainfall reclassified to select areas of moderate rainfall 300 1500 mm into the highest class red 6 3 Comparing data The spatial relationship between data layers may be examined using several methods in MCAS S This section discusses comparing and exploring data using Two ways Multi ways and Underlays Section 6 4 discusses combining data layers using composite functions A summary of methods that can be used to compare and combine data and when they may be appropriate is shown
63. ly annual rainfall values specific to Victoria are displayed and this is reflected by the changes in both the class allocation in the interface panel and in the display in the map window Previously when mask view was selected or a mask was not applied the values in the classification ranged from 136 5936 to 5 754 5806 millimetres annual rainfall However the application of the Mask View and Data function figure 16 changes these values to 243 6215 to 2 312 5464 millimetres annual rainfall as applicable to Victoria only and not to the whole of Australia FIGURE 16 Annual rainfall data layer with a Victoria Mask View and Data applied B TestPro ectiVictoria Multi criteria Analysis Shell File Edit Help Rk re amp Eg B 4 om Classes zr har Two way Overlay Mask 243 6215 j 2212 5468 Truncate values that are out of bolsa T Truncate values lt Piso Truncate values gt DE Allocate classes in reverse order HE rey pum ro xos H Fen Frm Hvsuz M From Pusu as oO M F From 003 R R Feet From 7770162 Fon M FU Fen mo mio ram ann 5 4 Classified data Classified data are layers that have been created by MCAS S users from an MCAS S analysis Any data layer created or modified and exported as a new layer in MCAS S will be saved into the Classified da
64. m two to 10 classes Figure 11 shows an example of the MCAS S display workspace with the drop down menu for Primary Input Data and the histogram and classification option for input data in the interface panel discussed in section 6 2 1 Classifying continuous data FIGURE 11 A Primary Input Data layer dragged into the display workspace ee IB brane Muni criteria Analysis Shell See c Bat Help a Layer name faon Canegoncat m x 63 64 E 13 Hi gt 7 Oeria Mash Orts Tax ayy cisse No xl Coke l UB ee put H pm ET v v ae be 57 oe 6 S Note The data layer elevation has been dragged from the Primary Input Data menu into the display workspace allocated into 10 classes of equal area 5 1 3 Time series data Expressions derived from continuous time series data can also be imported into the MCAS S display workspace Time series data can be identified by a stacked icon for example A Rainfall under the Primary Input Data menu see figure 12 Selecting and dragging the icon into the display workspace will open an Import interface showing the list of gridded data layers available within the time series A single data layer listed in the Import interface can be selected by clicking on the listed grid Multiple data layers can be selected by clicking on a listed grid and
65. management decision making in Pettit C Cartwright W Bishop 1 Lowell K Pullar amp Duncan eds Landscape Analysis and Visualisation Spatial Models for Natural Resource Management and Planning Springer Berlin pp 73 96 Mackey B Gilmore S Pringle H Foreman P van Bommel L Berry S amp Haseler M 2010 BioPrEP A regional process based approach for assessment of land with high conservation value for Bush Heritage Australia Ecological Management amp Restoration vol 11 1 pp 51 60 MCAS S version 3 1 GLOSSARY AND INDEX Function Explanation Section Average The mean for each cell from data layers selected 5 1 3 from a time series Categorical data Data that are classified into groups according to a 511 common property Antonym Continuous data Change source Change Source is a right mouse click option used to restore the link to a data layer when this has been lost A lost data link is indicated by a red cross Classified data Data layers previously created by users during an MCAS S analysis e g multi way comparison and saved in the Classified data folder Coefficient of variation A measure of dispersion to be used when comparing datasets using different units or data with different averages using time series Colour ramps A gradual change between colours with the intermediate colours being assigned to data classes Colours and colour ramps can be changed Composite A map layer showing
66. nd then save the new layer to a group folder under Classified Data see figure 23 The number of classes will be the same as the existing layer and cannot be changed Under the Data drop down menu there is the option to simply copy the existing layer set the layer to 9999 no data ready for editing or set the layer to one of the existing classes creating a layer of pixels with a default value MCAS S version 3 1 29 30 FIGURE 23 Nevv User Layer settings vvindovv displaying the options for vvhich data to copy across from the previous data layer New User Layer Filename F se i 2 Description 0 a Custodian lr Currency rernm Lineage Ta Source O Resolution output elevation v Resolution cell size 000mx1000m ti o Classes 5 Group O OO Data Once preferences have been saved the new layer will appear in the display workspace the preferences are also saved under Classified Data To view the metadata information click on the Info button on the interface panel To edit the layer click on the Edit button in the interface panel which will open a window as shown in figure 24 To paint areas of the layer select a brush size using one of the black squares to the left of the layer and select a class colour from the options at the top of the layer These colours refer to the classes in the original layer A
67. nt and severity 3 is weakly more important than Total grazing pressure 6381 ard ssin deri and hea sg sei aa 102055 dLib I Cee Bl Wind eresic Bum x a nde x Oe Te 4 aR cred Fre DANE Frm TPE Fem snang From Arii Complexity of management grazing danemy G 173137 Rainfall ralisbiliri ped MCAS S version 3 1 55 56 6 5 Other features 6 5 1 Vievver vvindovv When the mouse is poised over any map window in the display workspace the Viewer window see figure 6 dynamically displays details from the data layer in the active map The Viewer vvindovv provides the values from the data layer and additional information about the map location at the point of the arrow The Viewer window provides a variety of information depending on the type of map window that is open at the time for examples see figures 39 40 41 42 and 43 The viewer can be closed by clicking the Close X button To reopen go to the Edit drop down menu and click Show Viewer FIGURE 39 Components of Viewer window shown for a Two way analysis Two way Class at the arrow point Name of primary NE input classes Two way Classes ln ann 674 7675 and values at the arrow point El elevation 214 FIGURE 40 Viewer for a Primary Input Data layer Elevation metres above mean sea level elevation Note Th
68. o the new project The folders will need to be populated as described in section 5 5 Preparing your own data The folder can be populated with pre processed user data see section 5 5 or by using a subset of an existing larger dataset copying and pasting from an existing dataset to the Primary data Overlay data and Mask data project files of the new project note that GIS software may be needed to copy individual grids to avoid corruption so it is safer to copy over entire folders Once the new project is open the primary data grids overlays and masks saved in the Data folder will be available for use in your project FIGURE 3 Options for creating a New Project New Project 5 Project Location Create alongside existing project reusing project data ro Create new project folder structure Folder Ic Users Public Documents A The new project will be created at To save an open project use the File drop down menu and select Save This will also save a copy in the History folder To save a copy of an open project select Save as When prompted by the Save project as window select the first option to keep working in the same place or select the second option to create a new copy of the project and data The data folder may be large so ensure there is enough space in the new location before saving MCAS S version 3 1 9 10 2 5 Introduction to the display workspace available features and f
69. of soils at risk all inputs will be classified from low to high risk of degradation Almost all of the classification options in MCAS S assume that the data is arranged in such a way that suitable occurs at one end of the scale of values while not suitable occurs at the other end Sometimes this is not applicable to your objective as a moderate value may be the most suitable value with extreme values being less suitable or data has previously been classified to meet another objective The reclass tool described in 6 2 3 allows more flexibility in assigning classes to the most appropriate order for analysis 6 2 1 Classifying continuous data Once dragged into the MCAS S interface each primary data layer can be classified into up to 10 classes using an Equal interval Equal area Log Standard Deviation Natural Breaks or Custom user defined classification under the Distribution drop down menu Classifying the data according to Equal interval groups the data into regular classes regardless of their distribution Equal area allocates the same number of data points to each class figure 26 Log allocates classes in a logarithmic scale by value Standard deviation assigns values based on deviation from the mean Natural breaks assigns classes based on clusters of values MCAS S version 3 1 33 FIGURE 26 The continuous Primary Input Data interface panel on the left of the MCAS S display vvorkspace blank Multi criteria An
70. of this function requires the installation of appropriate Google Earth software and an internet connection 8 3 Keeping records In many cases it is useful to record the outcome of an MCAS S project and decision criteria This section looks at functions that are useful for keeping records of MCAS S projects and how data layers have been classified Each of these functions is accessible by right clicking on any layer on the desktop 8 3 1 Copying a log as text The Copy Log As Text function copies a log of processing steps associated with a data layer in the active map window to the clipboard The log can then be pasted into another document 8 3 2 Copying a layer as an image The Copy Layer As Image function copies a selected map window to the clipboard as an image which can be pasted into another document 8 3 3 Saving an image legend and histogram The Save Image function provides the options of saving the selected map window as a png image file saving the legend with or without values as an emf file and saving the histogram with or without minimum and maximum values as an emf file MCAS S version 3 1 69 70 8 3 4 Printing The Print function allows the user to print the display workspace directly In some cases the print screen function or some other image capture method may return a more suitable image 8 3 5 Restoring a previous version of the MCAS S vvorkspace from the History folder MCAS S version 3 1 automaticall
71. oftware can be used in a multi criteria analysis Follow the development of the soils at risk project in the boxed text in each section The soils at risk example starts by identifying issues to consider Box 1 and results in a complete MCAS S project Box 2 To begin see the next section Step 1 define the objective and decision criteria MCAS S version 3 1 STEP 1 DEF NE THE OBJECTIVE AND DECISION CRITERIA The first step Define the objective and decision criteria is critical to success in an MCA process as this frames 1 Define the the assessment and determines the subsequent steps in objective the process and decision criteria A means to an end diagram is a useful way to represent the objective and decision criteria and to decide what data will be required and how they might be combined It is recommended that users consult a range of experts and stakeholders when developing a means to an end diagram for a project because this is one of the most important steps in the MCA process Figure 8 shows an example of a simple means to an end diagram which is explained in more detail in Box 1 and shown as a completed MCAS S project in Box 2 Hypothetical location of soils at risk issues to consider The example of Location of soils at risk shows how the MCAS S software can be used in a multi criteria analysis In this example issues considered were the extent and severity Of win
72. ollowing conditions raw values for the Wind erosion extent and severity layer equal 5 which referring to the text file for this layer means Wind erosion is widespread and severe AND e classified values for the Total grazing pressure layer that are allocated to classes 3 4 or 5 Total grazing pressure AND e classified values for the Complexity of management layer that are allocated to classes 2 3 4 or 5 Complexity of management Areas that do not meet these criteria are shown in blue The Viewer displays the class colour for the area that the mouse is hovering over in this example the colour is red because it is an area that meets the condition The values of all contributing layers are displayed under the matrix The Wind erosion extent and severity class is equal to class 5 Wind erosion is widespread and severe Total grazing pressure is greater than 0 5 and Complexity of management is greater than 0 2 2 Function Editor Wind erosion extent and severity 5 AND Total grazing pressure 50 5 AND Complexity of management gt 0 2 mom l l 1 7 ee ee Classified C Raw Cancel file Edit Help Layer me Locetion of pode at rek Weighting g Manas facin AHP 1 Maway Overlay Manh W ignore S695 X Wind etmi sect rety h5 AND Taw qax pressure Y S AND Kerr ilesiiy ci
73. on will generate statistics for regions defined by user nominated mask data layers and export these to a summary report To generate a report right click on the active map window and select Reporting A Reporting window will appear figure 49 The Reporting window allows the user to select the mask data layer that contains the reporting areas to select from the reporting options Proportion or Cell Counts and to choose the resolution for reporting The Proportion option is useful for calculating proportional amounts of each class whereas the Cell Counts option is useful for estimating areas of each class in each reporting region Each option will report the maximum minimum range mean standard deviation and sum for each reporting area These values are useful for primary layers but not as useful for composites two ways and multi ways because in such cases the Statistics are calculated on normalised values Now that MCAS S can accept primary data with varying resolutions the user will need to choose the resolution for their reporting based on any of the layers in the display workspace MCAS S version 3 1 An interactive tabular report is generated providing class and summary statistics for each region see box 12 Clicking on the name of a region or clicking and dragging to select a set of regions will highlight the corresponding locations on layers in the display workspace Combinations of class values can be similarly selected and locate
74. ough to low risk and manually types these groups into the Classes area of the interface panel Classes are allocated by first clicking on the appropriate colour box in the Categories area of the interface panel then by clicking the corresponding box next to the category of interest For example in figure 28 E6 Dry is allocated to a red category assigning it to the Very high risk class MCAS S version 3 1 Hypothetical location of soils at risk classifying categorical data In 2009 an analysis vvas undertaken on behalf of the Australian Government Caring for our Country program to determine the extent and severity of vvind erosion across Australia BRS 2009 The continent vvas split into five classes ranging from minimal vvind erosion to widespread and severe wind erosion The layer has been assigned colours so that pale yellow shows the least risk to soils and dark blue shows the greatest risk to soils The viewer displays the class value for the area that the mouse is hovering over The extent and severity of wind erosion is one of the primary data inputs for the soils at risk example Eje is ical ee The Numerical categorical Primary Input Data interface panel displays categories in the primary data layer and allows the user to enter a numerical value against each category figure 29 The layer is then scaled based on the minimum and maximum value
75. ptions e produce statistical reports for regions for example catchments quickly and simply More specifically as a map viewer and a flexible easy to use spatial analysis tool MCAS S software allows users to e select map layers drag them into the display workspace classify maps as needed and create composite datasets by combining selected layers e see multiple map layers simultaneously in the display workspace modify values within the datasets and see both the relationships between the datasets and the flow on effects of modifying spatial data values MCAS S version 3 1 5 6 e carry out two way and multi way comparisons to form a cognitive flow diaqram of maps display their relationship to each other on the screen and interactively manipulate them and e document results and the decision making process as well as assumptions An advantaqe of the softvvare is that it selects analysis functions and interface panels accordinq to map type The display and analysis functions change automatically when the user accesses different types of spatial display maps such as raw input data composite indicators and two way and multi way comparisons of datasets These features make the MCAS S interface very intuitive to use Since users are able to carry out potentially inappropriate and invalid data associations any assessments using MCAS S should take advantage of expert opinion and stakeholder advice and results should be clearly art
76. put data layer by adjusting the slider scales on the Multi way map radar plot shown in the interface panel The user can also set maximum and minimum boundary values on each vector in the radar plot In this way the user can specify a set of conditions that they wish to satisfy The geographical regions where this set of conditions applies are shown in the Multi way comparison map window When the slider scales change the Multi vvay map updates to show the area s of the map satisfying these criteria For example the Multi vvay map in figure 33 shows areas of high elevation high spring rainfall and high maximum spring temperature The Multi way Mask function displays results in a binary format distinguishing those locations that satisfy criteria values black from those that do not light grey Using the Multi vvay Mask function the grey areas on the map represent regions that satisfy class values specified by the grey area of the Multi way map radar plot in the interface panel The lighter areas on the map MCAS S version 3 1 45 46 represent areas that do not satisfy these conditions figure 33 The Multi way Mask function also includes an option to show the aggregate or intersection of input layers selected The Multi way Coincidence Count displays a number or count of how many input criteria are met at each pixel in the data layer The colour scale reflects the number of input criteria which are true figure 34 FIGURE 34 Multi wa
77. re a city with 100 000 When creating a new data display field give higher values to points that are to display first e name label field name the field containing labels for the points e color six digit hexadecimal code e g 061D58 for dark blue pointFilter 1 1000 scale starting at 1 that controls the number of points displayed If the number 1 is chosen only the most important points as determined by the data field will be displayed To display all points choose a large number such as 1000 Note that depending on the number of points in the layer the pointFilter value may need to be adjusted several times to display the desired number of points namerFilter 1 1000 similar to the pointFilter this is a scale that controls the number of labels displayed If the number 1 is chosen only a small number of labels will be displayed To display all labels choose a large number such as 1000 this may need to be larger depending on the number of points It may be advisable to set the nameFilter lower than the pointFilter so labels do not become too crowded e showName true labels display or false labels do not display Note that some of the above settings may be overridden depending on the sizes of layers in the MCAS S workspace If some points appear to be missing try maximising the size of layers to ensure desired points and or labels are displayed If this does not work the pointFilter and nameFilter settings may n
78. reas on the map can be edited by either left clicking or clicking and dragging to edit larger areas To colour areas based on regions click the Fill button choose a Mask region and assign class numbers to one or more of the regions using the drop down menus for an example edited using painting and the fill option see figure 25 Below the layer display in the editing window one of the following three options for clipping the data can be selected e no clipping does not clip to the extent of the dataset and therefore colour may be applied anywhere within the editing window e clip out no data this option is the default setting only areas with a class value or set to 9999 are available for editing no data areas are unavailable for editing e clip to 9999 only areas set to 9999 can be edited Edits can be saved by clicking the Save button In order to undo any edits click the Cancel button Note that clicking the Cancel button will erase all unsaved changes made during the editing session MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 24 A Nevv User Layer based on elevation open for editing all EditPaintDig m i x Clipping Cip out no data m Note Editing can be completed using the paint functions or by filling whole mask regions with a value as shown in the open Fill by Mask window FIGURE 25 Edits have been made to a user layer using the paint and fill tools elevation JserLayer Note Edit
79. recorded for ACT 100 per cent unchanged with risk reduced by one class in New South Wales four per cent Victoria three per cent and Queensland and Tasmania two per cent and slight increases with one per cent of the area of South Australia New South Wales Victoria Northern Territory and Western Australia showing risk increased by one class A land manager in Queensland may decide that reducing the density of cattle may be combined with management of feral animals to have an impact Please note that other information such as density of feral animals and available fodder per hectare may also be useful depending on the decision being made A project at national scale may indicate areas of relative risk while a regional analysis may be more Suitable to compare management options 64 MCAS S version 3 1 REVIEW AND REPORT Exporting and reporting options are useful if the outputs are to be used in other software or models or are to be presented in reports and publications MCAS S has a variety of methods for exporting 5 Revjew and reporting on data layers Data can either and report be exported as a raster file for use in other GIS software or as a KML file for use in the Google Earth application MCAS S allows tabular reporting on any layer in the workspace against the classes or regions in any of the mask layers This information can then be exported as tables or new layers 8 1 Exporting The Export function saves the da
80. relationships can be explored and modified easily to quickly feed all the way through the analysis MCAS S version 3 1 In the hypothetical soils at risk example some options are e Changing the weight of grazing pressure or management complexity Does the priority area change This can be done using a sensitivity analysis e Reducing the feral grazing pressure or stock grazing pressure Does this reduce the risk of soil erosion This can be done by substituting new functions for feral and stock grazing and comparing the end result These examples include only a few methods to develop and evaluate options Users may find other examples and references on the MCAS S website daff gov au abares data mcass 7 1 Sensitivity analysis When creating a composite using the Manual option it is possible to use a sensitivity analysis to test how changes to the weighting of the input layers affect the composite layer This can help decide whether the level of error or uncertainty in a data layer is acceptable for the analysis or better data is needed whether a particular input is overly influencing the final outcome and should have its weighting reduced or show if different opinions about the importance of inputs lead to markedly different outcomes Selecting the Test button on the weighting panel will open a dialogue box that lists the current input layers and their weightings When an input layer is selected a weighting test value will appear the def
81. rs to explore where questions when appropriate spatial input data including expert knowledge are available and the thresholds of and linkages between the data are understood MCAS S enables the user to build a view that satisfies the stated objective by combining primary data layers into criteria or composites MCAS S version 3 1 15 16 Hypothetical location of soils at risk means to an end diagram in MCAS S A means to an end diagram like the one in figure 8 can be represented by data layers in MCAS S The Location of soils at risk layer is shown on the right hand side of the figure below with the input criteria and primary data layers shown on the left sois at rak Mulb contera Analiys z Shell Pte tot Help Layer rene Location of s d at risk From ita From T From 1955706 MCAS S version 3 1 STEP 2 ASSEMBLE DATA INPUTS Once MCAS S has been installed and a blank or existing project has been opened data can be added to the display workspace Click and drag primary classified or overlay layers into the workspace then check the box next to an overlay or mask of interest to apply the selection to all layers open in the project Multiple eu layers can be added to the workspace by holding down the shift key when selecting layers and then dragging in all the selected layers d vs sv sv c svc stc sc ococeovce9qgeoesvevcesg ev0 s9 svc o c v sc c ocvc c
82. s at risk sample project in the MCAS S program folder which if saved on the C drive can be found at C Program Files ABARES Multi criteria Shell v3 1 Sample Note that classifications may be lost when opening a project saved using version 3 0 of MCAS S MCAS S version 3 1 When opening an existing project in MCAS S version 3 1 you will need to compare the old project with the new version and reclassify layers where necessary Some masks and overlays may not save between versions and will need to be reselected if missing 2 4 Creating a new project or saving a project A new project is created using the File drop down menu and by selecting New There are then several options figure 3 e The first option Store alongside open project reusing project data is the same as the Save as option that allows the user to modify a project and save it as a new version This option is available when working in a project e The second option Create alongside existing project reusing project data allows a new blank project to be created using an existing dataset Data folder This involves simply naming the new project and then browsing to the required dataset e The third option Create new project folder structure allows a new project and a new dataset Data folder to be created in a specified directory This option is for users with their own project data layers It creates a set of empty folders ready to be filled with data relevant t
83. s entered using a qreyscale The scaling range can be changed by clicking on a blue value under Categories and entering a nevv value To restore the original minimum and maximum values select the values again and click the Reset button Clicking on the top right button in the panel Continuous of either categorical classification interface changes the categorical classification to continuous and automatically allocates classes MCAS S version 3 1 39 40 FIGURE 29 Detail of the Numerical categorical Primary Input Data interface panel File Edi Help Source Jot verd Type Mureti com E 66 El 6 BB Classhed Composite Tunay Feciaaa Maia Dively Mask Dats kout Date 2 ag SO s ir ek AQ Wired eresenr i werlespread anc peere Note The Numerical categorical Primary Input Data interface panel is shown with a primary data layer of wind erosion extent and severity assigned numerical class values from O to 40 6 2 3 Reclassifying data to a new order The Reclass tool allows classes from primary data layers to be reclassified in a new order more applicable to a particular MCAS S analysis This is useful where the data is not arranged such that suitable and not suitable occur at either end of the scale of values In some cases a moderate value is the most suitable value with extreme values being less suitable or the data has previously been classified to meet another objective C
84. s have been made to central Australia blue parts of Western Australia and New South Wales red in south west WA and red square in western NSW using the paint functions and Victoria and Tasmania have been reassigned values for the whole state using the Fill tool as can be seen when compared to the original layer This section has outlined how to assemble data and how to bring data layers into the MCAS S display workspace ready for use The next section outlines how these data layers can be classified compared and combined to explore the data MCAS S version 3 1 31 32 STEP 3 EXPLORE AND COMBINE DATA Primary data layers are compared and combined in MCAS S by assigning raw data into classes and working with these classes Some raw data contain continuous numerical values while others have been grouped into categories where the labels and not the numbers are of interest This section describes how to set up the MCAS S workspace classify data and explore simple relationships between data layers 6 1 Setting up the MCAS S workspace 6 1 1 Moving data layers 3 Exploring data To move a single layer click on the layer so that it shows as the active layer by the dark blue border and drag this layer to a new location To move multiple layers while maintaining their relative location hold down the shift key and click on layers of interest again the blue border will show Once layers are selected click and drag to the new loca
85. sk view only When Mask View Only is selected from the drop down menu in the Mask interface panel each of the layers in the interface zoom to the region or regions selected figure 15 The display and class allocation of the data themselves do not change as this mask option simply restricts the previous view to the region or regions chosen Values shown in the histogram still refer to the full extent of the layer FIGURE 15 Annual rainfall data layer with a Victoria Mask View Only applied R H TestProject Victoria Multi criteria Analysis Shell File Edit Help 7 1 El BH 6 By Primary Classified Composite Two way HReclass Multi vvay Overlay Mask Classes 10 Color Input Data Data 136 5936 5 754 5806 z i agroclim E catchment Z nm O state Truncate values that are out of bounds Truncate values fo 1 Truncate values gt fos Allocate classes in reverse order From 136 5936 From 224 3746 From 268 2652 From 312 1557 From 256 0462 From 299 9367 From 443 8272 From 5754985 From 707 1704 From 926 623 l n m a a fh Mask View Only R Mask Vo ad Dea View and Data O i C l in l o m w o o o a a MCAS S version 3 1 5 3 2 Mask view and data Figure 16 illustrates the application of the Mask View and Data function On
86. ta folder This includes New User layers see section 5 6 and overlay distance layers see section 5 5 1 2 Once created these new layers can be added to a project by selecting and dragging them from the Classified data drop down menu Classified data layers can be created by exporting any of the MCAS S analyses two way multi way composite or user layer More information on these functions is provided in section 6 Explore and combine data MCAS S version 3 1 23 5 5 Preparing your ovvn data MCAS S users may create projects using their own input data layers Pre processing using GIS software will usually be required to ensure data meet MCAS S requirements which are set out in this section When preparing data for use in MCAS S consider e what the data will be used for primary input overlay or mask e how the data should be represented categorical which attribute will be used to create the class values continuous which numeric attribute value can be used such as minimum mean or maximum e the appropriate spatial and temporal scales for the data Data conversion documents for use with the GIS software programs ArcGIS 10 and ArcView 3 3 are available on the MCAS S website daff gov au abares data mcass Input data for use in MCAS S projects must conform to a common spatial referencing system that is acommon projection For example the gridded data layers from the sample project and the Australian national map
87. ta layer in the active map window Any data layer can be exported including composites two ways and multi ways Exported data can be saved by right clicking on the active map window and selecting Export An Export Classified Data window will appear this allows the user to give the exported layer a filename set the resolution to an existing layer fill in metadata select the format and save it in a group folder under Classified Data figure 48 FIGURE 48 Export Classified Data window Export Classified Data Resolution output rain spr Resolution cell size 1000m x 1000 Format seoT FF ei as continuous values x Continuous values anlan aha y Group V Exclude Masked Regions Mask Value 3999 swe MCAS S version 3 1 65 66 Layers can be exported as a GeoTIFF or ASCII file Note that MCAS S only reads exported files as Geol lFFs thus ASCII formatted files should only be used for other applications If a layer is exported using class values it will be saved with the current number of classes and colours which cannot be changed when brought back into MCAS S If a layer is saved using continuous values the layer will behave like a primary data layer when brought back into MCAS S meaning that colours and classes can be reclassified When the continuous values option is selected the user can also choose whether to export the data layer as an integer to remove dec
88. ted spring rainfall has fallen BB blank Multi criteria Analysis Shell File Edit Help oes el ee oe pyr b sdi 10 eet ee Composite Two way Reclass Multi way Overlay Mask il m nput Data 0 ae Truncate values a Truncate values gt m R V Allocate classes in reverse order H From 7 M gt From From 11 42188 From H4 10938 ass 6 From fi6125 From 13 48438 From 2217188 From 29 5625 From 137 625 From 45 01563 Save x C Rainfall reliability Spring 37 Q Q Q o Q Q w w m p pA o w D i 15 eee i 6 2 2 Classifying categorical data Categorical data can be classified using the categorical Primary Input Data interface panel to suit project requirements Two methods are available for classifying categorical data First the Classified option allows users to develop class groups usually high through to low or good through to poor from input attributes Second the Numerical option allows users to assign numerical values to input attributes The desired option should be selected from the Type drop down menu figure 28 To better understand the input layer click on the Info button to bring up its metadata This will give information such as source categories and currency which will help with classifi
89. the MCAS S workspace The New distance layer window will pop up requesting MCAS S version 3 1 25 26 a mask to be selected figure 19 The mask determines the cell size and included locations for the new layer MCAS S has now created a gridded data layer showing the Euclidian distance based on number of pixels of each cell to the overlay lines or points figure 20 This layer can be exported and saved in the classified data folder and used as a primary data layer in MCAS S analysis FIGURE 19 New Distance Layer window gt El 69 4 Primary Bessie Composite Two way Heclass Mult way Overlay Mask Before a distance layer can be created you need to specify a layer to use as the mask Note When dragging in an overlay layer the user will be requested to choose a mask to set the cells size and any areas to be excluded from the new layer FIGURE 20 Distance to capital cities created from a point overlay lm x El BH Ap Primary Classified Composite Two way HReclass Multi vvay Overlay Mask soe Data Data Allocate classes in reverse order From 2381 669 From 385949 7 From AEE From 3427421 From ess im v Note The distance to capitals has been created by clicking and dragging the capitals point overlay into the workspace This figure shows a distance to capital cities with a 1000 m x 1000 m resolution The histogram on the left hand side interface panel shows the m
90. the text file will be initially assigned to the lowest class dark blue Assign classes to a different colour by clicking a category colour and then clicking the coloured box next to that category label If there is no associated text file the Layer Data Format window will be generated figure 10 FIGURE 10 The Layer Data Format window evap_spr Layer Data Format The data layer you are adding appears though it jerr Pepak aiia data rather than a continuous data layer How do you want to import the data Nu In the layer data format window select the Categorical option to assign classes manually To enable MCAS S to assign classes according to the order of the numerical values in the data layer select the Continuous option This window may also appear where continuous data has been rounded or certain values occur frequently MCAS S version 3 1 5 1 2 Continuous data In theory continuous data may have an infinite number of possible values and are continuous in the geometry or range of values In practice the range of values for a particular item of data has a minimum and a maximum value such as surface elevation and rainfall Continuous data includes items such as densities rates and percentages which are classified according to project requirements Continuous data layers selected from the Primary Input Data menu will appear in the display workspace initially classified into five classes The user can select fro
91. tion using the mouse Once multiple layers are selected it is also possible to realign the selected layers to top bottom left or right by selecting these options on the left hand panel To move around the workspace use the slider bars at the bottom and right hand side of the workspace or hold and press the spacebar while clicking and dragging somewhere on the workspace 6 1 2 Resize data layers To resize a single data layer click on the layer the blue border shows that the layer is active click the bottom right hand corner of the layer with the mouse and expand to the desired size Multiple layers can be resized at the same time by holding the shift key while selecting the layers of interest with the left mouse button and selecting resize to smallest or resize to largest from the resizing options on the left hand side of the screen 6 1 3 Delete layers The Delete function can be accessed by right clicking on any layer This function removes the active map window from the display workspace Delete multiple layers at the same time by clicking on the layers to be deleted while holding down the shift key then right clicking and selecting delete Deleting a layer from the workspace will not delete the underlying data The layer can be added back into the workspace but the classification of the data may be lost MCAS S version 3 1 6 1 4 Zoom options Zoom options are listed belovv e To zoom in on a single map layer doub
92. tners are working to improve the functionality of the MCAS S tool Comments and suggestions that increase the usefulness of this decision support tool are appreciated and will assist with any future developments Director Land Use and Management ABARES GPO Box 1563 Canberra ACT 2601 land_management daff gov au 9 1 Common error notifications MCAS S users will occasionally encounter issues with the software When an issue is encountered the user may see a popup box showing unhandled exception figure 51 or a cross through a data layer in the MCAS S workspace figure 52 In response to an unhandled exception the user may wish to click Details to view more information and Continue to close the error box and return to the MCAS S project or Quit to close the MCAS S project Quitting will lose any unsaved changes In response to a cross through a data layer the user may remove the data layer right click Delete and then re add the layer or update the source of the data layer right click Change Source Users should be careful to ensure that the data source chosen is correct as the layer name will remain the same regardless of what data source is selected and this may lead to misinterpretation of the results FIGURE 51 Unhandled exception error window TestProject Multi criteria Analysis Shell InvalidArgument Value of T is net valid for Selectedindex Ow Note The unhandled exception window shows that MC
93. unately MCAS S is not currently Apple compatible but can be run on Windows simulators 9 2 2 An error message is repeatedly encountered in an MCAS S project If an MCAS S project has been opened but an error is repeatedly encountered this is usually due to incompatible or corrupted data To rectify this error the user can e Follow the instructions in section 5 5 creating your own data and on the MCAS S website daff gov au abares data mcass e Check that the data folder is saved alongside the project the Data folder contains folders Primary Classified Overlay and Mask and that each of these folders contains data layers in the appropriate format If layers have been removed or renamed in the data folders since the last use these layers these will need to be removed from the MCAS S project or the source may be corrected as described in section 9 1 MCAS S version 3 1 Ensure that the extent and projection is the same for all layers bringing in a layer which does not match other layers in the project is the most common reason why a project which has previously been working will become corrupted Ensure that care is taken moving or copying data between folders A GIS program should always be used when moving or copying ESRI grid files Restore a previous version of the MCAS S project from the History folder using the same data and see if the error persists Check if the same error occurs using the same function in a project associated with d
94. unctions MCAS S software has functions to allow users to interact with spatial data at any stage of the project Figures 4 and 6 show the MCAS S display workspace and where to find key functions once a project is open FIGURE 4 View of the MCAS S workspace location of common MCAS S functions and cross references to further information Weight and combine two Compare two data Masks to zoom and or more data layers click layers click and drag report Check the and drag in section 6 4 in section 6 3 1 box to turn on a mask section 5 3 Data for analysis Exported data for Reclassify data to Expand the drop dovvn menu and analysis click and drag select values of click and drag layers from the riqht in section 5 4 interest click and hand side section 5 1 drag in section Zoom options 6 2 3 section 6 1 4 qazax cem unuda Twoewry Hedas Hulbery Overlay Mak x Compare tvvo or l l i more layers click Viewer window displays and drag in details from the active data section 6 3 2 layer section 6 5 1 If this window is missing use 5 the Edit menu then Show uu ve 5 viewer to bring it back show drag in lor a distance to section 5 2 File Edit and Help menus accessed here File menu is shown Hover the mouse over functions in the top panel to see a tool tip with more information figure 5 FIGURE 5 Tool tip describing the Primary Input Data S D E
95. vary or modify these terms and conditions Modifications to these terms and conditions will be effective immediately and any subsequent use of MCAS S will constitute acceptance of the modifications Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences ABARES Postal address GPO Box 1563 Canberra ACT 2601 Switchboard 61 2 6272 2010 Facsimile 61757 200 Email info abares daff gov au Web daff gov au abares Copies available from Web daff gov au abares data mcass Email land_management daff gov au Commonwealth of Australia 2014 This work is copyright The Copyright Act 1968 permits fair dealing for study research news reporting criticism or review Selected passages tables or diagrams may be reproduced for such purposes provided acknowledgment of the source Is included Major extracts or the entire document may not be reproduced by any process without the written permission of the Executive Director ABARES Acknowledgements ABARES would like to acknowledge the input of the MCAS S development partnership members including Barry Consulting New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage particularly Tom Barrett the National Environmental Research Plan Landscapes and Policy Hub and the Australian Collaborative Land Use and Management Program Funding for version 3 1 was provided by the National Environmental Research Plan Landscapes and Policy Hub University of Tasmania CONTENTS 1 1 1 2
96. vcoocesv ec vc eo o o v cocvocvoce 66 0600600666 66 6ee6c66ec esc ec esc osc osvc es eoc ec eoc oe e c sc c sc oscoscosvcocoscevceee666 6 ses ee MCAS S allows users to work with four types of data e primary input data gridded raster input layers for display and for undertaking analysis e classified data gridded raster data layers created and exported using MCAS S e overlay data contextual vector data lines or points for visual reference such as rivers or towns e mask data gridded raster layers used to restrict the area of analysis or define regions for reporting MCAS S comes with a small sample set of Australian primary overlay and mask data layers However the scope of the user s project may require other data inputs which can be prepared for use In MCAS S Ready to use data packs can be downloaded from the MCAS S website daff gov au abares data mcass Users should ensure that any data packs which are downloaded or created conform to the folder structure shown in section 5 5 5 1 Primary input data The Primary folder contains data layers for display and analysis Primary data layers are selected from a drop down menu under the heading Primary Input Data Data layers can be sorted into separate folders under the Primary folder The left hand side of the drop down menu shows these folders Layers can be brought into the display workspace by clicking and dragging them in from
97. vestment in the West Hume area Murray CMA region report prepared by Hill P Cresswell H amp Hubbard L CSIRO Canberra Hill MJ Fitzsimons J amp Pearson CJ 2009 Creating land use scenarios for city greenbelts using a spatial multi criteria analysis shell two case studies Physical Geography vol 30 pp 353 82 Hill MJ Lesslie R Barry A amp Barry S 2005 A simple portable spatial multi criteria analysis shell MCAS S in Zerger A amp Argent RM eds MODSIM 2005 International Congress on Modelling and Simulation Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand Melbourne December Hill MJ Lesslie RG Donohue R Houlder P Holloway J Smith J amp Ritman K 2006 Multi criteria assessment of tensions in resource use at continental scale a proof of concept with Australian rangelands Environmental Management vol 37 5 pp 712 31 Lesslie R 2012 Mapping our priorities innovation in spatial decision support in Figgis P Fitzimons J Irving J eds Innovation for 21st Century Conservation Australian Committe for IUCN Sydney pp 156 163 Lesslie R amp Cresswell H 2008 Mapping priorities planning re vegetation in southern NSW using a new decision support tool Thinking Bush vol 7 pp 30 3 Lesslie RG Hill MJ Hill P Cresswell HP amp Dawson S 2008 The application of a simple spatial multi criteria analysis shell to natural resource
98. will need to be saved alongside their related data folder in the user s working directory Installing the software will add the MCAS S icon to the desktop figure 1 and by double clicking the icon MCAS S will start and the screen shown in figure 2 will appear ee ee o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o HTH o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o e o o o o o o o o o O TIP Check the website to make sure you have the newest MCAS S version 3 1 installer Some updates have been made as requested by MCAS S users When updating to the newest release of 3 1 make sure to uninstall older versions of MCAS S 3 1 first It is still possible to run older versions of MCAS S such as 2 1 and 3 0 on the same computer oo o o o o o o o o 6 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o e o o o o MCAS S version 3 1 7 FIGURE 1 The MCAS S desktop icon shovvs that the softvvare has been installed FIGURE 2
99. y 2 y layer1 2 Returns the classified values of layer multiplied by 2 Hayer1 3 layer2 Returns the raw values of layer1T multiplied by 3 and then added to the classified values of layer2 layer layer2 Returns the classified values of layerT divided by the classified values of layer2 pow layer1 2 Returns layer1 raw values to the power of 2 exp layer1 Returns the exponential of 1 raw values log flayer1 Returns the base 10 logarithm of layerT raw values Hayer1 gt 50 and layer1 200 Returns a value of 1 where raw values of layerT are between 50 and 200 Otherwise returns a value of 0 see figure 37 lif layer1 gt 200 and layer2 gt 20 layer3 0 Returns the raw value of layer3 where layer1 is greater than 200 AND layer2 is greater than 20 Otherwise returns a value of O MCAS S version 3 1 51 52 FIGURE 37 A composite indicator based on a Function combination Anarin Yheril m g da l n H carr me Ff Funcion 7 AHP RE ignore Fi X eevee gt B Ah Z zi t iios cima e revere onder He Mi yl Note The MCAS S interface shows the development of a composite indicator based on the Function combination of one Primary Input Data layer The mathematical expr
100. y Coincidence Count display The Multi way Composite function automatically combines and scales all data layers in a manner similar to the standard composite analysis using an equal interval classification see 6 4 Combining data composite development Therefore there are no selected criteria values on the radar plot in this type of comparison figure 35 MCAS S version 3 1 FIGURE 35 Multi vvay Composite display File Eda yi retin r mir m un Tumu p r mi Fun pr Two way and multi way analyses are simple ways of exploring relationships between two or more primary data layers Two way and multi way comparisons created by MCAS S users can be exported into the Classified data folder from where they can later be retrieved by clicking and dragging into the display workspace For more information on exporting data layers see section 8 1 More complex problems often require more specific contributions from multiple datasets Composite development allows the user to specify the way in which each data layer contributes to intermediate and final spatial analysis MCAS S version 3 1 47 48 Hypothetical location of soils at risk multi vvay comparison Here the coincidence of three input layers is analysed using a multi way comparison looking for areas with high grazing pressure from cattle sheep and feral animals These areas are shown in grey on the map The viewer displays the loc
101. y saves date stamped copies of open MCAS S projects in the History folder every time the user saves a MCAS S project by clicking Save from the File menu This folder is automatically generated below the Data folder in the user s workspace once an MCAS S project is saved Copies of the open MCAS S project inside this folder are named name_yyyymmdd_ hhmmss figure 50 If the user wishes to return to a previous version of the workspace the time stamped project can be copied out of the History folder and pasted next to the Data folder and opened for use Please note if the date stamped MCAS S project is opened in the History folder the project will not be able to access the data and there will be an error message The History folder only saves a copy of the MCAS S workspace If changes have been made which affect the data these will also be reflected in projects restored from the History folder FIGURE 50 File structure of the History folder A Name Name Date modified Type di Data E soils_at_risk_20130628_173558 mcas 28 06 2013 5 36 PM MCAS project file b Hitoy gt B 5015 at risk handbook 20130621 141845 21 06 2013 2 18 PM MCAS project file MB blank mcas HB oils at risk handbook 20130621 150350 21 06 2013 3 03 PM MCAS project file i scils_at_risk mcas B soils at risk handbook 0130621 150620 21 06 2013 3 06 PM MCAS project file scils t risk handbook mcas 2 vi sa o HB

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