SMS Map Skills: Creating a Revenue Map Using Analysis Wizard (Advanced)

Intro:

For SMS Advanced user, the Analysis Wizard opens up a host of custom tools to create mappable calculations. Anything that can be structured as an equation can be created in the Equation Based Analysis tool. One very basic calculation allows you to use the yield map to create a basic revenue map.

In SMS we set up an equation using one field’s data and then we can run the equation on any field that contains the same data.

Instructions:

Select a yield map (grain harvest) event in your management tree and create new map to bring it into the main map window.
Open Analysis Wizard and highlight Equation Based Analysis and ADD
Give your calculation a name and you can add notes in the description to remind you of the purpose of the analysis/equation >NEXT.

SMS Analyis Wizard Add New Equation — Add New Equation

4. From the Analysis 1 Window select ADD and select the output dataset name you will be making. We are going to call this Revenue (you could call it income or other user defined word).

5. Then we select the attribute that will be the result. In this case select attribute group “Expense/Income and select Income from the available pre-defined items.

6. On lower right it is advisable to to round your results say every $10 or you will have a huge number of values calculated to the penny. >NEXT

Analysis Wizard-Define Output Analysis and Rounding — Define Output Attribute

7. Select an output operation to save this to: Financial analysis is good. This will create an appropriate branch on the management tree to store the results.

Select Result Operation -Financial Analysis

8. The last thing on this page is to add any “prompts” that you want available in your equation. To calculate sale price of a commodity we likely want to use a current value, which changes day to day. In this equation I want the calculation to pop up and ask me what value for I want to use in the calculation. The Data type is Decimal number and the “Prompt for Value when analysis is run” should be checked.

Define the Prompt for Value when Analysis is Run

9. Next we ADD the dataset from the map, so that we can use the Dry Yield values in the calculation. Since the harvest map is in the main map window, select Add all datasets from map to add it to the window.

Select Add Datasets from Map — Add Dataset from Map (Harvest)

10. By selecting EDIT the Gridding parameters can be changed. All analysis calculations must create a gridded layer in order to do the “Map math”. This is especially important when we are using multiple map layers and attributes that must have the same spatial footprint. When settings are complete OK>NEXT

Use Edit to Select or confirm grid settings for map — Select or confirm grid settings for map

11. Management item Inputs can be skipped. (I have no use case where this is important.)

12. Finally we are at the equation! First go to the Variables/Spatial Functions, select EDIT and then ADD the attributes that you will need for your equation. Since our Equation is going to be Result=Price for commodity x Yield in BU/ac then we will need the Yield (Dry) attribute to be added to the list.

Add Variables from data layers that are needed for the equation — Add Variables from data layers

13. The Prompt for Price is already in that box, so the equation variables are ready.

14. This equation is very simple (writing it out beforehand is a usefull tool).

a) From the “calculator” Start with the RESULT=

b) Then Price Prompt

c) Then your math function *

d) Then the Yield Attribute

e) For more complex equations, check for proper brackets and order of operations, but for this one >FINISH

Use calculator to add elements to equation

15. The green checkmark will tell you if your equation is mathematically valid. (It cannot tell you if it is agronomically valid.)

16. Now that the equation is built: on the main Analysis window select Run Selected Analysis and choose single field or multiple fields.

Select then RUN analysis for single field

17. First select the field to run it on, then the Price Prompt will pop up for you to fill in. >FINISH

18. The analysis editor window will open for you to preview. Not much to do here, select SAVE an the analysis will be save to the management tree.

19. This layer is now available for display, printing and further analysis. Revenue layers are good candidates for building custom legend for this new “income” attribute. Colourizing by meaningful breaks in the legend (below x=below break even) is a helpful way to compare field to field or year to year. As with any legend if you SAVE a standard legend SMS will automatically load on subsequent Revenue maps.

Karon Tracey Cowan, AgTech GIS

@AgTechGIS

April 2021