The lay of the language: surveying the cartographic characteristics of language maps

Although visible in research in the 1980s and 1990s, works concerning language-mapping issues are recently rather absent. This is an unfortunate oversight given current GIS capability and its potential to tackle visualization issues that were previously simply acknowledged and accepted. Given that there are no established guidelines for language map construction, this work aims to renew attention to language mapping, beginning with a survey documenting the characteristics of published language maps. The survey components address the problematic aspects described in the literature, such as boundary representation and depicting linguistic diversity, and reveal their usage and frequency. The noted map characteristics include, but are not limited to: publication type, publication year, coverage area, language data or variable used, and symbology details. For consistent classification, we use a language-map symbology classification scheme found in previous research. In general, chorochromatic maps using polygonal map units dominate our survey. We also find further evidence supporting the problems outlined in language mapping literature with the widespread use of solid-line boundaries and depiction of only one language or feature per place. However, we also note some unique strategies used for handling uncertainty and linguistic plurality. Observations of tactics not captured by the existing 20-year-old typology lead us to create an updated language map symbology typology consistent with the trends observed in our survey. Overall, we document language mapping strategies in practice and provide direction for future research by highlighting the pros and cons of current cartographic approaches for depicting language.     

Towards a Deeper Understanding of Cartographic Text Visualisation: Assessment of User Preferences and Colour Influence

The main goal of this research is to investigate the influence of a map’s background colour on user preferences regarding labels’ typography, including their size, shape, orientation and texture. Four sets of backgrounds were tested: blank maps, grey scale, hot colours and cold colours. The foreground of these maps is populated with name labels, which are associated with point objects or areal objects. Bertin’s visual variables were applied to this set of name labels, both separately and in combination. User preferences of different typographic variations were registered and compared on the basis of different background colours using a one-way ANOVA. The results indicated that the typographic design of the map labels should not be adapted according to the map’s background colour.     

A Predictive Model for Frequently Viewed Tiles in a Web Map

Distributing pre‐generated image tiles from a server‐side cache is a fast and popular way of serving maps on the Web. However, these caches can grow unmanageably large for maps covering many scales over a broad extent. This research presents a model for determining high‐priority geographic areas for tile caching. The model considers variables found in previous research to be of interest to Web map users, such as populated places, major roads, coastlines, and tourist attractions. The proportion of area, disk space, and time saved when creating a partial cache (consisting only of high‐interest areas) and a cache of the entire map extent are compared to establish that marked savings are possible. Several applications of the model beyond tile caching are briefly discussed.     

Smart Cartographic Background Symbolization for Map Mashups in Geoportals: A Proof of Concept by Example of Landuse Representation

Geospatial data are now widely available to the general public thanks to geoportals and online mapping platforms. However, creating a map involves more than just combining data layers. Thus we develop cartographic functions for geoportals to support better visual hierarchy in user map mashups. This includes a couple of preparatory steps followed by a smart cartographic background symbolization derived from the original layer style. We evaluate different approaches to background symbolization: greyscale, desaturation, and smart background. The different background symbolization methods are analysed with two concrete map examples and evaluated with a survey. The smart background symbolization developed in this work improves the visual hierarchy of the map mashup by reducing the visual importance of the background layers.     

深度地图——论地图学与神经科学的结合

在研究地图学与神经科学相互影响和交叉融合的基础上, 探讨了深度地图的内涵, 提出深度地图是神经科学与地图学的结合, 是应用认知神经科学理论和方法理解地图, 以揭示地图的神经学机理。神经科学的新发展为地图学开辟了更加广阔的空间, 特别是空间细胞的发现, 为深度地图的研究奠定了神经科学基础。通过对大量神经科学研究资料的分析, 提出地图功能是大脑空间信息处理功能的反映, 构建了深度地图概念模型, 并构建了空间细胞和编码机制与地图功能之间的关系, 以阐明地图的神经机制, 从而深化人们对地图本质的认识, 促进地图与人工智能的融合与深化应用。     

A History and Analysis of Mapping Urban Expansion in the Kathmandu Valley,Nepal

Abstract

There have been numerous efforts over many years to map or delineate urban locations and features in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. This study acquired 27 land useland cover maps for the Valley or the urban portions of the Valley. Those maps vary greatly in their mapping parameters. The objectives of this study were to first conduct a cartographic comparison of the differences in the creation and content of the maps and then do an analysis of the urban changes in the Valley based upon the maps. The maps for the Valley have differed in their source materials, the amount of field work involved, scale and minimum mapping units, classifications used, definitions of classes and coordinate systems. Source materials have included various scales and formats of aerial photography and different satellite systems. The most difficult issue in comparing the maps is the varied classification systems and definitions. The same feature will be classified differently from map to map. This is particularly an issue for institutional features such as temples, palaces, educational facilities, open public space and governmental sites. Definitions of residential areas are also not consistent. Even with the differences in mapping parameters, considerable useful information can be obtained by comparing these maps. These include a simply documentation of the urban extent and the generally resulting loss in agricultural lands. There was an increase in urban extent from 22 to 83km² between 1955 and 2000. Urban expansion has also changed from occurring on the upland river terraces or tars to the floodplains. Finally, while not directly documented in these maps, the tremendous pace of urban growth has resulted in multiple infrastructure and environmental challenges.     

Narrative Cartography: From Mapping Stories to the Narrative of Maps and Mapping

Abstract

This paper provides an overview of the multiple ways of envisioning the relationships between maps and narratives. This is approached from a map making perspective. Throughout the process of editing this special issue, we have identified two main types of relationships. Firstly, maps have been used to represent the spatio-temporal structures of stories and their relationships with places. Oral, written and audio-visual stories have been mapped extensively. They raise some common cartographic challenges, such as improving the spatial expression of time, emotions, ambiguity, connotation, as well as the mixing of personal and global scales, real and fictional places, dream and reality, joy and pain. Secondly, the potential of maps as narratives and the importance of connecting the map with the complete mapping process through narratives is addressed. Although the potential of maps to tell stories has already been widely acknowledged, we emphasize the increasing recognition of the importance of developing narratives that critically describe the cartographic process and context in which maps unfold - the core idea of post-representational cartography. Telling the story about how maps are created and how they come to life in a broad social context and in the hands of their users has become a new challenge for mapmakers.     

An Automated Method of Scale Selection and Sheet Configuration for Multiple Sheet Census Maps with Insets

In order to create a useful map, the cartographer must select a scale at which the map reader can distinguish features shown on the map and read their labels. However, the choice of scale for a paper map is also constrained by the size of the map sheet and by the cost of working with a large number of sheets. When the feature density pattern allows, space can be conserved by making the map at more than one scale: a small scale suitable for most of the map, while dense features are shown on inset maps at larger scales. Creating inset maps requires the cartographer to make a series of complex, interrelated decisions regarding the most effective overall sheet configuration, which is dependent upon the scale chosen for the main map and how the inset maps are created. The Census Automated Map Production System (CAMPS) applies cartographic logic and density analysis to make these decisions in a fully automated mapping environment.     

A heuristic multi-criteria classification approach incorporating data quality information for choropleth mapping

ABSTRACT

Despite conceptual and technology advancements in cartography over the decades, choropleth map design and classification fail to address a fundamental issue: estimates that are statistically indifferent may be assigned to different classes on maps or vice versa. Recently, the class separability concept was introduced as a map classification criterion to evaluate the likelihood that estimates in two classes are statistical different. Unfortunately, choropleth maps created according to the separability criterion usually have highly unbalanced classes. To produce reasonably separable but more balanced classes, we propose a heuristic classification approach to consider not just the class separability criterion but also other classification criteria such as evenness and intra-class variability. A geovisual-analytic package was developed to support the heuristic mapping process to evaluate the trade-off between relevant criteria and to select the most preferable classification. Class break values can be adjusted to improve the performance of a classification.     

提高大比例尺地形图航测成图精度的测量方法

结合在白银市城区1∶500比例尺地形图航空摄影数字化成图,以及酒钢厂区1∶500比例尺现状图测绘的实际作业生产,介绍布设地面标志点进行航空摄影测量的作业方法,比较布设地面标志点进行航空摄影测量与常规航空摄影测量的成图精度。     

浅谈北京规划市区1:500地形图数字化测绘

地形图为国民经济建设和社会各行各业的发展提供测绘保障,它是城市规划设计、市政工程建设、工业与民用建筑、土地开发利用、防灾减灾等各方面的基础数据之一。本文结合北京城市基础测绘工作,以《BSCS G2000》测图软件为例,简述大比例尺数字化地形图的作业流程,地形要素取舍及检查验收工作。     

宗海图编绘要素在AutoCAD中的实现技术方法探讨

宗海图是用海项目确权、范围界定的重要载体,考虑到宗海图编绘过程中各制图要素的重要性,本文通过分析宗海图编绘规范中关于比例尺、地图注记和图式等相关要求,结合在Auto CAD软件中的实现方法进行了探讨,期望以此实现宗海图编绘过程的规范化。     

A Microsoft VBA Application for Generating Heat Maps

A choropleth map is a form of thematic map used to portray the structural characteristics of some particular geographical distribution not apparent in data presented in tabular form. Preparation of a choropleth map starts with the assignment of map features to classes based on the value of a specific feature attribute followed by the association of classes of features with appropriate map colors or symbols. Map features are often geographical regions with naturally or artificially defined boundaries, but choropleth maps can also be prepared by segmenting the area to be mapped into a regular grid of regions. Maps prepared with each grid shaded in an intuitive manner such as blue for grids with the lowest attribute values to red for the highest values can be termed “heat maps”. This technical note describes the HeatMap Microsoft Excel application which converts information contained in a worksheet into a heat map, and then converts the heat map into a file suitable for display using mapping systems such as Google Earth. An example illustrates how the application can be used to visualize the seventeenth century frontier between the Polish/Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire.     

Fuzzy Classification for Mapping Invasive Species from Multispectral Imagery

Vegetation maps are essential tools for planning and evaluation in nature conservation. To a large extend, management objectives can be defined in terms of vegetation attributes. Vegetation maps are frequently used in conservation planning and evaluation. Nowadays, remote sensing is one of the most important sources of vegetation cover classifications at different scales. In this paper, the usefulness of moderate resolution images for invasive species Cirsium arvense and Stachys byzanthina mapping at local scale is evaluated. A fuzzy classification approach is tested for improved discrimination of invasive species. The study was carried out in Vazroud rangelands located in the Mazandaran province of Iran. In this study among the analysed Z-score for uncertainty map creation is found that 0.9, 1.0 for TM image and 1.1 for IRS image in normalized are the best based on known attributes of the study area.     

交通要素启发式多尺度表达技术方法探讨

针对当前地图的单一尺度可视化与用户所需地图的多尺度表达之间的矛盾,利用多尺度制图技术,探讨基于用户制图需求的交通要素启发式多尺度表达的技术方法.通过对用户的制图需求信息进行启发式识别,提取出相应参数对不同尺度下各要素进行取舍和简化,最终实现交通要素的多尺度表达.实践表明,文中方法可以改善电子地图表达尺度单一的缺陷,满足用户对多尺度地图的制图需求.     

地图空间认知的数学原理

根据非退化区间为等势集合的原理,论证了从制图区域到二维地图平面间的映射与复合映射是双一一函数;主体意图对制图物体性质的确定,使地图符号既满足视觉感受的要求又满足制图物体Ax与地图符号pgf(Ax)之间的双一一函数关系。根据集合的连续定理,证明了地图符号pgf(Ax)是制图物体Ax的同胚象,从而为地图的空间认知提供了数学基础和理论支持。     

Investigating Issues in Map Accuracy When Using an Object-Based Approach to Map Benthic Habitats

In a recent study, benthic habitat maps were created of the Texas Gulf Coast from digital aerial imagery. The images were classified using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach and a classification and regression tree (CART) technique. The map was manually edited, changing 26% of the polygons' labels. Accuracy assessments of the unedited map and the edited map revealed the two were not significantly different. The research in this paper evaluates why these maps may have similar accuracies. Our analyses indicate that the small segmentation scale parameter used over-segmented the imagery, reducing the effectiveness of the CART technique and editing.     

专题制图中多因素数据的Fuxxy-Grey局势决策综合分类

专题制图中，所收集到的数据经常是单因素的，而在专题地图上却往往需要把多个单因素专题数据进行综合分类来表示。本文中，采用Fuzzy-Grey局势决策（下简称F-G决策）来研究多因素专题数据的综合分类问题，把“数据的模糊性”引入到灰色局势决策之中，根据不同情况，讨论各局势上效果测度中模糊隶属度确定的建模方法，在合适的隶属函数的基础上，在计算机上对实例分类进行程序运行，获得满意的结果。研究表明应用该方法在专题制图中对多因素数据进行综合分类是一种有效的手段。     

THEMATIC MAPPING OF PLANETS: CURRENT SITUATION AND PROSPECTS

Principles and objectives governing Soviet thematic mapping of nearby planets are outlined, types of information sources for such mapping categorized, and the suitability of different types of information sources for thematic mapping are evaluated. This is followed by a classification of thematic planetary maps according to type. The need for a standardized, systems approach to the determination of map scales, compilation and generalization, symbolization, and map design is emphasized as an essential prerequisite for the development of complex atlases of individual planets, atlases of “comparative planetology,” and the establishment of “planetary information systems.” Translated by Jay Mitchell; PlanEcon, Inc.; Washington, DC 20005 from: Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, geografiya, 1987, No. 6, pp. 60-67.