Transcript Slide 1
What Makes a Good Map? How well does map communicate to your audience? What is the motive, intent, or goal of the map? Who will read the map? Where will the map be used? What data is available for the composition of the map? What resources are available in terms of both time and equipment? Mental map making Know what you will map and how before you do so – Sketch layout of map or groups of maps – Decide on symbol types, and colors that are proper for the map in question Symbol shape, size, orientation, hue (color), value (lightness or darkness), pattern, etc.. – scale, north arrow, legends and graticule – Decide on color scheme of presentation Font size, type, color – Achieve a balance between blank spaces and page content Communicating with Maps Determine what the purpose of the map is Who is the intended audience What features are needed What is the best way to symbolize the map Basic Elements of Map Composition Basic map elements: Information commonly needed by the map reader – title, scale, legend, body of the map, north arrow, cartographer, neatline, date of production, projection used, and information about sources Elements found on every map Distance or Scale Direction Legend Sources of information How processed Visual Layout Title Here Title Here Eye expects (1) balance and (2) allignment Symbol “weight” Line weight Pattern Shading Hue Color and Map Design Color is a complex visual variable and in a GIS is specified by RGB or HSI values. Red, Green, Blue are additive primaries. Magenta, Cyan and Yellow are subtractive primaries. Saturation and Intensity map better onto values than hue. Dimensions of Color Dominant wavelength - “color” HUE How light or dark the hue is INTENSITY The purity of the hue SATURATION TEXT Gives map its title and Legend Also labels features (Qualitative and Quantitative) Typographical Characteristics: 1) Family: Variation based on design Times New Roman Impact CourierNew 2) Face: Variation based on weight, width, and angle Wide Latin Brittanic Bold italic 3) Font: Specific font size and style Times New Roman (16) Times New Roman (24) Text placement Santa Barbara Santa Barbara Path right Santa Barbara Santa Barbara L a g o o n P a t h D o w n Graphic Perception The human eye has difficulty deciphering more than 12 colors in one view This map has 48 colors. Can you tell the difference between California and Nebraska Graphical Hierarchy Ground –larger of two contrasting areas –grays, light browns, heavily saturated hues Figure –long wavelength hues –coarse texture –strong edge Visual Balance Most people will focus on a point slightly above the image’s geometric center Graphic Perception(cont) The human eye can decipher no more than seven or eight shades form the 256 shades of one color All of the lines differ by 1.9% Graphics Perception(cont) 5 to 7% of the population is color blind Your map may be reproduced in Black and white. Texture vibration is an effect that causes some patterns to move. Hillshades People’s eye are trained to interpret hillshades with the light source coming from the NW. If the light source is from the SE many people will invert the topography Light source from the SE Light Source form the NW Geographic Features The map body is the main focus for the map. It should be prominently displayed. The other elements of the map should not direct attention away form it. Classifications in ArcMap Natural Breaks (Jenks) Natural Breaks (Jenks) Quantile Quantile Equal Interval Equal Interval Defined Interval Defined Interval Standard Deviation Standard Deviation Two “dynamic” maps Plotters HP Large Format