DesktopGIS & Cartographic Visualisation

Lucie Friedmannova, Karel Stanek
Laboratory on Geoinformatics and Cartography
Department of Geography,Faculty of Science, Masaryk University
Kotlarska 2
611 37 Brno
Czech Republic

ABSTRACT

The paper is focused on non-professional cartography. Are discussed possibilities for improving this mapmaking. Briefly is described cartographic support system project Laboratory on geoinformatics and cartography CASTOR and its part accorded to work with colors.

INTRODUCTION

Price downsizing of Desktop GISes and their extending base of users, move cartography into role of the common software tool, such as statistics, presentation graphic, DTP and so on. Continuous rise of the number of cartographers-non-professionals cause, that cartographers-insiders will be only a small part of mapmakers. On one side it could be understand like a triumph of cartography in common scale, but on in fact this situation brings many problems.

Simplicity of actual computer aided mapmaking, or something like this, lead many cartographers-non-professionals to opinion on cartography as trivial field which is easy to learn. But opposite is true, as many possibilities brings GI software as difficult is to choice right cartographic expression means.

In early times of digital cartography, nobody expected high accuracy of drawing and aesthetic value of computer aided made map. At present, when main part of cartographic works is processed by computers, is possible to put on digital processed maps same demands such on analogue maps. Is need to remark, that not always are maps produced through the computer to able fulfil this demands on aesthetic and semantic form, namely nor in case, that creator is well skilled cartographer. Much more tragic are results from hands of non-cartographers. Offer of visualization tools become through continuous extension a bit non tabular and outsider is easy lost in it. This is way to the very interesting combinations, which are beyond all adopted cartographic rules. Is true, that cartographic rules isn’t accurate established nor normalized, but they are common adopted principles, coming into existence through a long time of creating and using maps. This rule are learned by cartographers-insider through study, practice and, of course, some kind of sensibility is needed. For cartographers-non-professionals is only one way to this rules - personal experiences with mapmaking and map using. Right here rise before cartographers-insider new mission - to try to enhance non-professionals mapmaking.

WAYS TO BETTER MAPS

Are several methods how to make cartographic support for non-professionals:

1. fundamental cartographic learning for wide community of GIS users

2. to extend desktop GIS software by sets of templates, frameworks and wizards

3. creating of cartographic knowledge systems ( this way is for insiders useful too)

In the study plans of geographic lessons on primary and secondary schools is a little space for cartography, and from this space is main part centered on cartometry . Cartographic visualization isn’t practically discussed. Lessons aren’t concentrated on map making, but on map using, and this only in the limited measure. Next point where cartographer outsider meet with mapmaking theory are GIS software manuals. We afraid that information in manuals are concentrated on cartography only marginally and non systematic. Manuals are more description of software functions, than cartographic rules. Another question is, how useful will be long passage without direct link on software functions. User friendly interfaces not lead to reading of manuals, and manual is used only in crisis or in case of rare used functions. Studying of special literature, which is usually write by insiders for insiders, and mostly inaccessible for non-professionals, is not to suppose. Short intensive courses are because of insufficient practice in this area pass by effect , apart from their financial and time demands. Nowadays looks like optimal form cartographers non-professionals learning through the web, during which is participant able to choice learning time individually. However great part of cartographers non-professionals hadn’t need of some cartographic education, since creation of maps make only very small of their work. From this reason looks like more important extending of existing desktop GIS by intelligent tools for support of the cartographic creation.

Easiest way to the limit of production of wrong maps, is a creation of wizards and templates, directing to creating of map works of specific character and type. Is true, that most desktop GIS consist wizards, but this wizards serve more for beginners easy orientation in program functionality, then to cartographic support. This type of wizards are with rise of user knowledge ( of course, we think, software knowledge not cartographic) become rather inconvenienced. Wizards directing to the optimal visualization of stored phenomena authors not met yet. Using of templates is in the existing desktop GIS a bit better. We can to stamp as templates a set of symbols, colors, line and area patterns and preset map layouts. However, here isn’t situation too satisfying. Symbols are associated more or less chaotic, color and patterns scales too and often are inadequate for analogue output. Offer of preset map layouts is poor, non classified and they no respect the national and thematic specialty. Some add-on software routines for cartographic support appear nowadays in form of wizards. However this add-ons are generally oriented on a limited domain of cartography, for example on text placement. Wizards, which are to able to solve a complex cartographic demand are in desktop GIS area only in experimental form. One of this project is Our project CASTOR which try to combine technology of wizards with cartography knowledge system.

CArtographic Supporting and Thematic Oriented Routines project

Objective of this project of our laboratory is to create set of routines for support of cartographic visualization. Of course we know, that exist similar project and products, but in area of high cartography and we make routines for desktops and non-professionals. We try to create tools for correct visualization of unique geographic themes, adapt this visualization close as it possible to norms and standards and to limit, with this tools, appearance of worst errors made by cartographers-non-professionals. As testing platform was choose ESRI ArcView, but we suppose port to Intergraph GeoMedia too and Avenza Mapublisher too. Project is divided to following parts, which are step by step developed :

Work with color is actually our most elaborated part of project. Another parts are only in initial stage.

SUPPORT FO WORK WITH COLORS

Color is on map probably strongest expression means. Since is solution of color scales very important.Another reason for solution of this problematic is a fact, that majority of "non-professional" maps are thematic choroplet or isoplet maps. In addition, a color areas strong affecting a readability of map. Our series of routines to try combine principles from cartographic publications, principles from theory of painting and practical experiences with work with output devices. Final cartographic work and his perception is strongly depend on quality of output device, above all on printers. As a grand look assemble of rules which are able, according to limited possibilities of printers, to achieve best as is possible comprehensible map.

The routines consist from following parts :

Our color scales are depend on number of classes, function and theme. Through the calibration with printer are modified too. Batch sampling is useful for editing of large color scales as a complex. Key function of our color work routines is system for topological allocation of colors. Through this process we convert colored map features to the non-oriented graph with edges based on proximity. For choice of colors we use set of rules. For example :

We try to make some evaluation index for map coloricity, but yet we compare map only subjective.

CONCLUSION

The number of maps produced by cartographers-non-professionals going to grow. Nowadays are this maps generally wrong. But difference between wrong and good map is often very small. We think, that similar tools as we try to make in our project, cad decrease number of wrong maps.

Selected references

A.H.Robinson,J.L.Morrison,P.C.Muehricke,A.J.Kimerling,S.C.Guptil: Elements of Cartography,NewYork,John Wiley&Sons,Inc.,1995

M.V.Drapela : Vybrane kapitoly z kartogrfie, Praha, SPN, 1983