This week we’ve begun our pivot from principles of traditional cartography to the influence of digital methods on spatial representations. In some cases, digital methods can be seen as facilitating methods of representation that were previously only within the reach of masters, like Raisz and Imhof. In other cases, digital methods are changing the rules of representation, moving from abstraction to realism.
For Friday, please find an example of a terrain map and comment on the following:
- describe the map with respect to abstraction versus realism
- how are visual variables used?
- how does the purpose and/or audience of the map influence the above?
The Ocean Floor. Marie Tharp. 1977 (with assistance with Henrich Berann)
http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/news/2006/images/HeezenTharp_900.jpg
(assessed on 4/2)
Keywords:
Reference map, Geographic, snap shot (in geologic time), Stationary object, Posters on the wall, Primary sources , Pen and ink, Oblique, Hypsometric tints
“I think our maps contributed to a revolution in geological thinking,(a which is some ways compares to the Copernican revolution. Scientists and the general public got their first relatively realistic image of a vast part of the planet that they could never see.” – Marie Tharp
The 1977 Marie Tharp ocean floor map, which is wide circulated and still used in teaching today (such as the one hanging on the wall of BiHall 417,) is an intriguing process of merging of science and art. After plotting the data from echo sounders for several years, Tharp “decided to make a physiographic diagram of the ocean floor in the style of A.K. Lobeck,” which demonstrates the terrain “as it would look from a low-flying plane.” The goal of the map was to illustrate the ocean floor “as it could be seen if all the water were drained away.”
The ocean floor map tries to relate known morphology on the continents to the unknown one in the ocean. Tharp collaborated with Heinrich Berann, an Austrian landscape painter experienced in rendering the Alps. Terrain features on the ocean floor are highlighted while those on the continents, muted and simplified. The distinction between different geological features facilitates the understanding of the complex ocean floor. For example, the depth of continental shelf is defined by light and shadow; so is the elevated Mid Ocean Ridge. The reference included provides a scale for the readers to compare and learn.
In retrospect, Tharp accounted the choice of map style to be significant “because it allowed a much wider audience to visualize the seafloor.” The recent gravity data has produced more accurate bathymetry, the exaggerated quality of the Tharp map engages those who has no background in geology.
This is unrelated to my map, but also very cool: creating a 2.5D crevasse in the street.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SNYtd0Ayt0&feature=related
Citation:
Nagchaumpa. “Kauai Hiking Adventures” (map). No scale. http://www.nagchaumpa.com/2006/KauaiHike.htm. Accessed on April 1, 2010.
Key Words:
Terrain map, snap shot, stationary object, image on a computer screen, unknown sources, graphics software, planimetric, toponyms (place names), point reference symbols, shaded relief, bona fide boundaries.
Discussion:
This is a relief map of the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The view of the map is planimetric, although the map is certainly not a simple abstraction. Realism definitely plays a role in the map because of the hill-shade effect (the light source appears to be coming from the west or northwest). In particular, the elevation of Mt. Waialeale relative to the rest of the island is demonstrated by this hill-shade effect.
The hill-shade effect and color are probably the most obvious visual variables on this map. All of the lower elevation areas are depicted by the color green, and areas that are higher in elevation are shown by brown. The hill-shade effect further emphasizes this by casting shadows on one side of all the high-elevation areas. Furthermore, the Waimea Canyon stands out from the rest of the terrain for two reasons. First, the light source doesn’t reach inside the canyon, so it appears as a very dark “slice” in the terrain. Also, the colors red and gray are used around the canyon, so it clearly stands out from the green and brown areas of sea-level elevation and higher elevation. Finally, texture is also used as a visual variable in several places on the map, usually in areas of higher elevation to show the steepness of the elevation gain/drop.
This map is very interesting in that it is intended for hikers, but there are no hiking trails shown on the map. Instead, there are towns, airports, major highways, secondary highways, and places of interest. Although these could all theoretically be helpful for hikers, it seems like the true purpose of the map is lost. The realistic effect of this map is helpful for potential hikers because it avoids using contour lines to depict elevation. Instead, the hiker feels like he/she is actually there and can actually see which areas are higher/lower in elevation. Likewise, the color scheme definitely helps potential hikers see which areas are higher and which are lower in elevation.
Gregory, Jason. “Baker’s Battle” (map). Accessed 2 April 2010 from http://www.3dnworld.com/users/74/images/bakers_battle.jpg. No scale.
Keywords: historical reconstruction, vista, long exposure, stationary or portable, image on computer screen, primary sources from surveyors, air photo, and battlefield notes, GIS and graphics software, plan oblique (or perspective oblique, hard to tell), point reference symbols, shaded relief, flow vectors
This map is a historical reconstruction of Baker’s Battle, which took place between US Cavalry and Indians in August 1872 near the Yellowstone River and what is today Billings, Montana. The map was constructed using a combination of a map that was recorded during/after the battle, a detailed description of the events within the battle, and an air photo of the area. The greatest difficulty the cartographer had was in re-creating the landscape to show the course of the river in 1872, which was quite different than it is today, so today’s DEMS had to be modified.
What I find most interesting about this map is how realistic the terrain has been made to look, and yet how abstract the symbology representing the human dimension is. The cartographer goes to great lengths to use different tones to represent different types of vegetation (scrub vs. mixed forest vs. shoreline vegetation), mottled sun glint on the water, and shaded terrain, but then uses red and blue cylinders, arrows and numbers to represent camps/humans, movement, and events, respectively. The color choice (red for Indians and blue for US Cavalry) is symbolic in itself, but the cartographer also uses the orientation of the cylinders to differentiate between the activities of the two groups: the cylinders are horizontal for the US Cavalry, who were all sleeping, and vertical for the Indians, who were all awake, active, and approaching.
The map was produced for a historic preservation group in Wyoming looking for a way to tell the story of the battle visually, presumably for visitors.
Allan Cartography. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (map). Medford, OR.
http://www.allancartography.com/popup02.html
Keywords: Reference map, geographic scale, long exposure, stationary object, poster on a wall, secondary sources, graphic software, planimetric, contours, shaded relief, land cover map
This is a map of the ecosystem of Yellowstone Park with intuitive landcover representations, roads, towns, and hydro features. A hillshade effect is used to convey the mountains, which works well on this small-scale map. The streams are just raster lines with no tapering, and there is casing around the lakes. It is hard to tell what the audience should be, because the hillshading and landcover representations seem to attempt realism but there is also a lot of hard data buried in the map. There is no sun glint on the waters, and while the hillshades are generated in an illuminated relief style the small scale of the map makes this difficult to process. The labels follow traditional conventions, as do roads and streamlines. It tries to be both abstract and realist, and this makes it a very busy map.
Google Earth Blog (2010). “Swiss Alps” (Image). No Scale. http://sites.middlebury.edu/maps/2010/04/01/terrain/
Accessed: April 1, 2010.
Key Words: Oblique, Photo Overlay, Computer Screen, graphic and 3D visualization software, terrain, topographic, raster overlay, tour, DEM
This graphic is a satellite photo overlaying on raster map or DEM (digital elevation map) demonstrating the topography of this particular part of the Alps. A graphic 3D visualization software was used to provide a oblique perspective of the topography, raising the mountains into 3D. The purpose of this graphic is to provide map users with a realistic perspective of the lay of the landscape seen from the actual location. Representations like these enable map users to refrain from using critical spatial analytics. The topographic DEM with hill-shading overlay is as realistic of representation as the 3D model. Recognizing the topographic features as seen in a photo, like this graphic of the Alps is a realistic representation of the land. Because the DEM used is a generalized scale, meaning each cell in the raster data represents an elevation change not exact to the elevation of the land. The generalized data also generalizes the satellite photo overlaid onto the 3D rendering. This graphic could be used for a vast number of purposes as long and would usually be accompanied with a more detailed map. For example, land developers trying to represent the landscape in a realistic way would use this imaging technique as an oblique perspective view that would be accompanied with a map that better preserves area, distance, and location.
Citation: Rick Lovel, “Longmont Colorado, an aerial view” (unknown date) No Scale [http://www.3dnworld.com/gallery.php?user=RLovel] Accessed on 1 April 2010
Keywords: Reference Map, Vista, Image on a computer screen, GIS, Graphic Software, Oblique, Terrain, Land cover, road map
Discussion: This map is a particularly interesting example of the intersection between realism and abstraction. The map shows an oblique view of the town of Longmont, Colorado. A realistic terrain model of the mountainous hinterlands around the town provides important landscape context for the viewer. The town flows up into the foothills, and peters out in higher, snowcapped peaks. The realistic terrain model conveys the emotional and experiential quality of the place.
The map employs a range of visual variables to respond to the differing needs of its users. To create a more detailed and realistic landscape terrain model, landcover type is shown with greens, rocky greys and snow caps, also emphasizing surrounding elevation and slope. The road map section of the town uses line weight and color to show different classes of road data, along with red numerical symbols that may link to landmark names in accompanying text not shown in this layout. Within the town’s area, the terrain is simplified and flattened, represented by a mottled off-white, interspersed with fairly realistic water features.
The map is most likely designed to appeal to current residents of Longmont, or perhaps to short-term visitors. Although there is relatively detailed road, density and place name information conveyed, the map would be difficult to use as a locator map beyond general landmarks and spatial relations of place names within the town. In fact, the map serves primarily to locate the town within its landscape context, a function that is enhanced between the contrast between the more traditional road map and the realistic terrain layout.
NATO (1999). Terrain Map of Kosovo. http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/imint/kosovo-51.htm
Key Words:
Terrain map, tour, sequence, portable object, slide in a presentation, primary sources, graphics software, perspective, direction, toponyms, geographic reference symbols, shaded relief, bona fide boundaries, flight movement.
Discussion:
This map is definitely made in an attempt to show some aspects of realism. Its purpose is to show Allied post- and –pre strikes in Kosovo air raids, and it follows that the map was created using a perspective view to simulate the experience from an aircraft. Because the map was made specifically to show air raid directionality and targets, there was not a whole lot of effort put into making the map very realistic. The color scheme is realistic to a point, and the hillshade is effectively used from the NW. The outside of the area is muted to bring focus to the center. There is stream tapering, and it looks like there may have been an attempt to sun-tint the lakes. The map is also very simplified, in areas – such as the horizon line – it even looks like it was airbrushed. This effect removes the non-salient features.
The image online is fairly pixilated, making it difficult to read some of the toponyms, but the gestural features and spot illumination are enough to figure out the point of the map. This user group definitely affected how this map was made, the town/city names that were included, and the details that were most effectively shown.
Citation: Whitefish Mountain Resort. Big Mountain ski resort map:
frontside. No scale. http://www.powdertravel.com/ski_area_map/big_mountain_ski_area_trail_map_front.jpg. Accessed April 1, 2010.
Keywords: Terrain map. Reference map. Snap shot. Perspective. Shaded relief.
Discussion: The map displays the front side of the resort in highly
realistic detail. The perspective is from a fairly low angle relative
to the mountain, giving the viewer a direct view of the trail system
on the front. Other mountain peaks recede into the background,
presenting the illusion of curvature and distance. Vegetation adds
another layer of realism to the depiction, changing from light to dark
green and thinning out as elevation increases. While it’s unclear if
this actually corresponds to winter vegetation in this area, the
transitions are effective in communicating elevation. The vegetation
texture is also an important visual variable in this depiction,
representing slope and thick forest bordering trails. A subtle
hyposometric tint is also present, ending with a pink on top of
mountains in the foreground.
Other visual variables are the trails, lifts, and road network, shown
here as solid green, blue, and red lines. Different colors
representing varying difficulty of terrain; in combination with the
three dimensional representation the novice map reader can easily
apprehend trail difficulty. Actual wayfinding may be difficult given
the scale of the map, however it seems appropriate for navigating to
general sections of the mountain based on desired difficulty.
This map is well designed for the general ski mountain audience. The
realism adequately conveys information about slope and terrain, and
the trail and lift network is symbolized in ways that are easily
comprehensible. A more abstract representation would not be as easy to understand for a general audience, particularly while reading it after getting off a lift at the top.
Citation: Allen, Dana. “Middlebury College Snow Bowl Trail Map” (map). No Scale. http://www.middlebury.edu/about/facilities/snow_bowl/trailmap. Accessed on 2 April 2010.
Keywords: Snow Bowl, shaded relief, ski, trail map, perspective, slope, pitch, trail, perspective, oblique, hand drawn, exaggeration,
I’ve been skiing at the Snow Bowl for four years now, and I figured it was time to take a stab at the old trail map. By and large this map serves its purpose—to provide basic topological relations between the ski trails and lifts and signify the difficult of the slope for customers. However it is not necessarily the most effective because the manner in which this hand draw oblique map represents slope pitch and angle. While the map may show that Allen is an advanced run and that Hadley is intermediate (based on a vague circle, square diamond system established by god know who), the map does little to intuitively show which areas of the mountain are steeper than others because of poor shading. Like many ski maps, the first challenge is showing backside areas that would otherwise be hidden given a chosen oblique view. In the case of the snow bowl, the map makes little effort to show that the left and right extremes of mountain are facing different angles. Perspective is very skewed in this image as seen in the way Lake Pleiad appears to be at a slope like the trails. Interestingly, the artists has taken creative license to exaggerate the peek by stretching it up and giving the impression that it is the absolute top of the mountain, giving the map that traditional sense high altitude, while in reality the snow bowl levels out onto a larger ridge that continues up higher.
Mt. Hood Meadows (2009). “Trail Map” (map). No scale. http://www.skihood.com/The-Mountain/Trails/Trail-Map?promo_id=It%27s%20A%20Whole%20New%20Mountain. Accessed on 2 April 2010.
Key words: reference map, tour, snap shot, portable object, fold-out map, unknown sources, painting, graphics software, perspective, line reference symbols, area reference symbols.
This trail map of a ski area uses abstraction and realism in different ways to distinguish natural features from man-made features and area designations. The base map is painted and air-brushed by hand by James Niehaus, who Mt. Hood Meadows calls “the Rembrandt of mountain artistry.” With the intended audience of skiers and snowboarders, its aim is to be realistic enough to evoke a sense of the place (in prime skiing conditions, of course), but idealized and simplified enough to be legible as a map when overlaid with the abstracted man-made features.
Niehaus painted forested areas as homogenous swaths of little trees, ranging in size and color (green to blue) based on the distance from the aerial vantage point. The textured forest areas are easily differentiable from the smooth, white to light blue snow-covered areas, including both runs and higher glaciers. The overlaid lines with inset labels identify runs, and are classified by difficulty using both line and label color and symbol. Although this use of two visual variables to differentiate only the difficulty of the runs is unnecessary (except for very colorblind people), it is the convention for ski resorts, making it is easily interpretable by the intended audience. Whereas runs are identified with lines, bowls and canyons are labeled with only symbols and names. A semi-transparent orange shading fairly intuitively identifies night skiing areas. The more abstracted concept of ‘slow zones’ is represented with darker orange crosshatching. The mapmakers dealt with the challenge of having such a large resort on the laterally rounded slope of a cone by creating a separate, smaller map to show the far right side of the mountain, which is only for very advanced skiers and snowboarders.
Citation:
American History and Genealogy Project. “Death Valley National Monument California” (map). No scale. http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/dvalley/map.html. Accessed on 1 April 2010.
Key Words:
Reference map, geographic, snap shot, portable object, guidebook, pen and ink, perspective, shaded relief, terrain map
Discussion:
This is a guide map of Death Valley National Monument (now National Park) within a NPS/Dept. of the Interior guide book from 1934. There are two maps on the layout: the more realistic perspective terrain map of Death Valley and the highly abstract locator map, showing the location of the boundaries of the park. The audience of the layout is visitors to the park and its purpose is
The terrain map is black and white and probably hand drawn. The hill shade on the two small mountain ranges surrounding the valley is the main visual variable implying an attempt at realism. The sunlight is coming out the east but no part of Panamint Valley to the west is shaded even though the mountains would cast shadows over it. This is a case where realism was sacrificed for simplicity and understandability (i.e. making the two valleys shadeless). Parallel vertical lines show the large cliff faces of the mountains, making the rendering more realistic. More abstract variables were used for man-made landmarks. Lines are used to represent roads. A black square is used to represent the airport and dots to show the area of the golf course. I think this map has a good mix of realism and abstraction.
The perspective view of this map is effective because it gives the reader a good sense of the shape and orientation of the park. As you look toward the north end of the park (within the valley), there are fewer landmarks, which would also support the use of this perspective view.
GreenInfo Network. “The Vision Fire: Point Reyes” (map). Originally published as tabloid sized map for Bay Nature magazine. 1:6000. http://www.greeninfo.org/services.php. Accessed on 2 April 2010.
Key Words: data exploration, tour, snap shot, portable object (as originally published), tabloid sized map published in magazine, primary sources (?), graphic and 3D visualization software, plan oblique, bonafide boundaries, vector overlay
This plan oblique map was originally published in Bay Nature magazine to accompany a story about the regeneration of ecological systems exposed to fire. This map shows the burn intensity of a major fire in the Pt. Reyes National Seashore, a property of the U.S. National Park Service.
This map’s realistic touches are achieved primarily through the plan oblique rendering of elevation; this map does not use any of Pattersons’ ‘principles of realism’ discussed in class. The maps’ authors overlaid several boundary, trail, road and water vector files over the DEM’s oblique rendering, none of which are rasterized. The map also lacks variation in color, and texture to landcover, lakes, and the ocean. More traditional reference map techniques are evident in the use camping, marking area symbols, and lakes’ and shorelines’ dark blue outlines. The map illustrates the gradation of burnt landcover with red, dark orange, and light orange thematic classes, defined in a legend, rather than trying to intuitively depict these areas by illustrating gradations in the burnt landscape.
However, this combination of 3D and traditionally 2D mapping techniques works well given the intent to inform article readers; the minimal use of realism techniques is not necessarily a bad choice. Rendering the landscape as an oblique view made obvious the significant variation in elevation, that if illustrated via contour lines would be less intuitive and distract from the maps’ figure elements. The use of abstract, more traditional symbology (rather than rendering data realistically), clearly and quickly conveyed information regarding the location and intensity of burn areas, and the location of salient human features on the land.
Source: Ryhiner Collection. “Altorff, Haupt Flecken des Lands Ury”. No scale. http://www.stub.unibe.ch/stub/ryhiner/images/ch/rec00001/r0000847.htm. Accessed April 1st 2010.
Key words: oblique, realistic, print, terrain, copper plate, long exposure, land cover, land use
This graphic is as much an illustration as it is a map. However, it contains a great deal of spatial information about the topography of the valley it depicts. It uses visual variables that translate directly into real world image. Although the artist used very little abstraction, the scene has been simplified and enhanced. The graphic is a snapshot. However, the map contains elements that I doubt were present at the time when it was created. For example, goats climb on rocky slopes in the lower left hand corner and sailors row into port. Long exposure gives users a sense of land use independent of temporal considerations. Real world visual variables keep the map intuitive. This print was made in 1642. It appears that it was created using a copper plate. The medium limits the detail and “fuzzyness” of the map. The artist uses straight lines to depict topographic features and glare on the water. This simple method of depiction works for me, the map still looks realistic.
Citation: Mount Rainier National Park. “Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection”. No scale. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/mt_rainier_national_park_wa_1917.jpg. Access on 2 April 2010.
Keywords: Reference map (terrain), geographic, snap shot, portable object, image on a computer screen, primary source, pen and ink, planimetric, distance, area, direction, shape, scale, toponyms, point reference symbols, line reference symbols, area reference symbols, contours, bump map, land cover, fiat boundaries, bona fide boundaries
Discussion:
This map is interesting because it uses aspects of the traditional, “old school” cartographic style in a more realist way to present information about an areas terrain. It is very important to note that this map was made in 1917 and is in black and white which significantly reduces the options in regards to how terrain can be represented. To overcome this limitation, the author uses a number of cartographic design methods the still largely align with Patterson’s “four rules for realistic maps”. The map has very few lines except for those that represent rivers, roads, and trails. The glacier is outlined from the other areas, but there are no contour lines (expect for depth lines in one of the lakes which is a very dated style concept). Instead, the author relies on texture to describe the change of terrain while also giving the overall map more of a feeling of dimensionality; uneven dotting is used to show the glacier and longer slashes are used to represent the top of the volcano. Because of this simplicity, the map generalizes the terrain to the extent that it looses the undulations and localized elevation of the area. Another notable shortcoming is that it symbolizes lakes as empty circles on the map that contain no modulating tone or shading.
That being said, the map is highly effective in regards to conveying a realistic translation of the area to the general visitor who will be traveling around the park, especially since every notable physical feature is labeled. The true focus of the map concerns the captions that indicate where certain accommodations are located and the ways in which to access them via roads. In this case, the terrain is more of a base map that people can reference in order to understand their surroundings on a basic level and, more importantly, allows them to move through the park, from one destination to another, easily.
ESRI Mapping Center (2008). “Aspect-Slope Map” (map). No Scale. http://blogs.esri.com/Support/blogs/mappingcenter/archive/2008/05/22/aspect-slope-map.aspx Accessed: April 1, 2010.
Key Words: Terrain Map, Image on computer screen, Stationary object, GIS, Crater Lake, Aspect, Slope, DEM, Bump mapping, Planimetric, Cindy Brewer
This map simultaneously shows the aspect – or horizontal direction a slope faces – and steepness of the terrain surrounding Crater Lake in Oregon. The map relies on an innovative key, which is essentially a color wheel of different hues and varying saturations. Hue represents the aspect of the slope and its position on the color wheel correlates to the cardinal direction that the slope faces. Saturation corresponds to the steepness of the slope, thus brighter saturations represent the steepest slopes while the less saturated hues at the edge represents flatter surfaces. There is no quantitative data included on the key, thus the aspect and slope values are compared on relative terms to each other. The color scheme is superimposed on top of a DEM of Crater Lake which was made on ArcMap using 3D analyst. The heights of slopes are not represented by the qualitative visual variables, thus the digital terrain adds a hint of realism to the map which mimics how the area would look in real-life.
The bump-mapping effect achieved using 3D analyst makes the map fairly realistic, as one can visually see the caving in of the lake and its steep shore instead of relying on abstract contour lines. Yet, the two variables (aspect and slope) which are superimposed on the DEM make the map more of an abstraction. This type of map would be useful for professionals – such as geologists to whom aspect and slope data would be useful. This map does not make much sense to the average map-reader because the color scheme does not represent a real-world depiction of the landscape nor is the key easy to comprehend without previous knowledge of geography.
1. Citation
Austin, Dale. (2007) “Topographic and guide map of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.” No Scale. http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mrwizard/places/leleenau/portoneida.pdf Accessed 1 April 2010.
2. Keywords
Reference map, terrain, tour, snap-shot, image on a Computer Screen, primary sources, graphics software, planimetric, distance, direction, area.
3. Discussion:
Though it is a large pdf file, presumably made with some of the same software used to make more realistic maps, this map errs on the side of traditional abstraction. It uses topo lines to show elevation and abstract symbols to show landcover. It uses few of Patterson’s realist principles, with lots of lines and vectors, sharp, clearly delineated tones. Water, for instance is, always a single and unrealistically bright blue tone. There is some attempt to show texture, but only through abstact symbols such as dots, coming out of the hachure tradition. Text is heavily relied upon to identify landform. Uniform square symbols represent all buildings. Visual variables, include color, toponomy and symbols. It is unclear who the audience of the map is, ostensibly park users since it draws on guide books as well as UGS data, but the level of detail is so much that I can hardly imagine it being useful to visitors. It would make more sense as a surveyor’s map. The topo lines are accurate down to the meter. Not sure who that information would help.
1. Citation
James Niehues. The Canyons Trail Map (animated map). No scale. http://www.thecanyons.com/File/0910trailmap_2mb.pdf. Accessed 31 March 2010.
2. Keywords
Reference map, tour, snap shot, portable object, fold-out map, pen and ink, plan oblique, neighborliness, hill-shading, terrain map, James Niehues
3. Discussion
James Niehues is a particularly famous cartographer known for his artistic ski resort aerial maps. This map in particular shows the Canyons Ski Resort in Park City, Utah (I’ve skied there twice, thus why I chose this resort – it’s awesome). There are many techniques that Niehues employs to make this map more realistic and effective as a terrain model.
This map is a plan oblique view of the ski resort. The view is from the east side of the resort – presumably the side on which most of the lifts are generally located – the peaks are somewhat distorted to give this full view of the resort. In keeping with shade relief conventions, the illumination azimuth is located in the northwest corner of the map. It appears as though the illumination altitude is slightly increased to avoid shading of valleys behind larger peaks. The contrasting of shadows and light areas has a nice balance of values based on actual colors seen on a ski slope. Niehues makes excellent use of texture substitution when drawing trees on the landscape (he even includes shadows and varying tree type – evergreen vs. aspen). He also uses outside land muting so that the focus is only on the ski resort. Part of the reason Niehues is so successful is because he has generated his own personal style for landscape maps. His high level of detail, near-perfect vision of place, and artistic flourishes make his style both unique and effective (and highly imitated).
GreenInfo Network The Vision Fire Point Reyes (map). No Scale. San Francisco: Green Info Network. http://www.greeninfo.org/images/services/presentations_image8.jpg Accessed on 4/2/2010
Reference map, tour, long exposure, stationary object, poster on a wall, secondary sources, graphics software, perspective, shape, direction, toponyms, point/line reference symbols, area reference symbols, tints, land cover map, fiat boundaries, networks
The map of the effects of a large forest fire in West Marin County, California uses an abstracted perspective view in order to emphasize the spectrum of damage done to a hillside by the fire. One of the few ‘realistic’ elements is the employment of a muted hillshade to give a sense of depth and texture. All bodies of water from streams to the ocean are the same color and there is no attempt to vary the width or texture of the water. The use of a perspective map is an aid to map users who are able to discern, the area, and the relative elevation and location of the fire damage without the need for many place names or complex isolines. Abstraction is more helpful than realism in this case because it does not undermine the overall goal of the map.
The map would benefit from the addition of land cover or vegetation to help viewers better understand the damage done to the variety of plants and habitats in the affected area.
Kenai Fjords National Park: “Exit Glacier Trails” http://mappery.com/maps/Kenai-Fjords-National-Park-Official-Trail-Map.mediumthumb.pdf.png (Accessed 4/1/10).
Key Words: terrain map, snapshot, portable, photograph, planimetric, line reference symbols.
The purpose of this map is to display trail names for a hiking audience by overlaying the trails on an aerial photograph. Color variables distinguish the separate trails while their difficulty is indicated in the legend. Overall, the map’s layout is simple and the photograph suggests more about actual terrain and glacier access than it does navigation on the trails themselves. The intended audience is a hiker and the black strip and logo at the top suggests that this is the cover of a pamphlet or brochure. From the photograph the viewer gets a very accurate idea of the terrain: relatively dense forests, steep elevation on the Harding Icefield Trail, the glacier itself, and the outwash plain at its base. A point of origin is indicated by the icons on the right side of the map. While this map may be more accurate than a digital rendering of a oblique view, the latter would be more effective to entice the viewer to actually view the glacier and could offer a better view of the spectacle itself – the glacier.
Citation:
White River National Forest. “Aspen Mountain” (map). no scale. Accessed on April 1, 2010.
URL: http://www.mogulski.com.au/images/trailmaps/aspen_mountain_trailmap.jpg
Key Words:
Thematic map, vista, tour, a snap shot, portable object, fold-out map, primary sources, graphics software, perspective, shape, scale, toponyms, area reference symbols, shaded relief, hypsometric tints, land use maps, land cover maps, territorial maps, fiat boundaries
Discussion:
This map is a ski trail map of Aspen Mountain in White River National Forest in Colorado. The map is given out as a fold-out map with the three other mountains making up Aspen/Snowmass include. In this format, the legend, inset, and all the trail names are legible. The map combines abstraction and realism. It is an abstraction because of the heavy use of labels and straight trail lines. It is a realism map because of the use of shading on the slopes of the mountains, depiction of trees and buildings, and similarity to what you see when approaching the mountain. Colored lines are used to classify the ski slopes and the contrasting bright red lines are used for the lifts. The lifts and slopes are abstracted differently to show different modes of travel. Since this map is used for people visiting the mountain, its main purpose is making it easy for users to get around. By making the map realist, it is easier for users to visualize what the spaces are going to look. The careful attention to detail makes the viewer know the high quality of Aspen area ski mountains. By making this map simply an abstraction, it would be very for skiers to get around when using the map.
Trail Map • Whistler Blackcomb Resort
Niehues, James (2009). Whistler Blackcomb Resort. Whistler, BC http://www.ski.com/resorts/trailmaps/tmn_whistler.jpg. Accessed on 1 April 2010.
Keywords:
Reference map, tour, snap shot, portable object, fold-out map, primary sources, pen and ink, graphics software, oblique perspective, preserves distance, direction, area, shape, scale, toponyms, line reference symbols, area reference symbols, shaded relief, land cover, fiat boundaries, networks.
Discussion:
While many terrain maps today rely on features of realism generated by computer graphics software, the ski industry has, in general, tracked a more conservative path relying on the hand drawn oblique terrain maps of one man, James Neihues. Neihues hand paints the backround terrain ski area trail maps using watercolor and airbrushing. The reference information of the trail map, such as route names and difficulties, liftlines, and mountain lodges are added later using graphics software. This combination of techniques allow for a “realistic” oblique depiction of the ski area terrain, while clearly displaying the human elements of the ski resort using representational symbols. Topography of the mountain is depicted using hill-shading and texture. In addition, Neihues uses texture patterns to represent land cover features relevant to skiers, such as forest of varying densities, cliff bands, and other rocky areas. In addition, elements of the base village are depicted with realistic representations of resort condo buildings and town areas.
For its intended purpose, helping skiers navigate the resort, finding particular runs or lodges, I’m skeptical of the necessity of a realistic depiction, especially because of the cognitive difficulty of linking the “oblique perspective” trail map with one’s on the ground experiences. Interestingly, Whistler has an alternative trail map that abandons the intricate realism of Neihues’ design in favor of a more concise, abstracted trail map.
http://media.intrawest.com/whistler/maps/trailmap0809.jpg
This alternative trail map maintains the minimum visual variables necessary for conveying the oblique perspective while using abstracted vector symbols to depict the majority of mountain aspects. The abstracted trail map displays reference information about the resort in a much clearer fashion. Because of this, it’s intriguing that Neihues somehow manages to maintain a virtual monopoly on trail map design for the major resorts of North America.
citation: http://www.headwatersdance.org/#/part%20iii
accessed 4/1/10
http://www.headwatersdance.org/#/videoiii
keywords: perspective, vista
Ok, I may have taken abstraction a bit too far here, but I figured I might as well give it a shot. For my terrain map I chose to include a project conducted by a contemporary dance company in Montana. To provide some background, each year a nationally known choreography was commissioned to a particular area of Montana where they spent an extended period of time learning the landscape and its inhabitants. They then created a 20-minuted danced based on their understanding of the place. The stated goal of the projected is to “celebrate rich landscapes and diverse cultures of Montana, ultimately creating a “movement anthology” of this beautiful and complex state. It’s an opportunity to look at a place through a new medium.”
The video I’ve included is an abstraction of the Hi-Line, an area defined by windswept prairies running along the northern boundary of the state. The dancers are the visual variables, functioning as tools to communicate the space to the reader (or in this case, audience).
Gunnar, Keith (1995). “Arches National Park” (map). . Accessed 1 April 2010.
Key words: reference map, tour, snap shot, portable object, fold-out map, image on a computer screen, unknown sources, GIS, graphics software, planimetric, toponyms, point reference symbols, line reference symbols, area reference symbols, shaded relief, fuzzy boundaries, fiat boundaries, networks.
Discussion: This map of Arches National Park is an abstract representation of the park, with an attempt at realism in the shaded relief of the terrain. The light source appears to be coming from the southwest, differing from convention due to the direction of the ridges (most run northwest to southeast). The map has a foreground/background effect, making the park itself a bit lighter than the land outside the park boundary. Roads and trails are distinguished using weight, color and texture. Water has two variables, recognizing permanent streams and seasonal washes. Typical National Park symbols denote picnic areas, water and restrooms. The audience of the map is tourists, most likely coming for a day trip around the park while driving. The map focuses on the roads and show little detail of the trails themselves, especially in terms of terrain. Distances of roads is provided, but there is no indication of length or difficulty of trains, aside from elevation on a few key features, like Delicate Arch.
Citation: National Geographic (2003). “Grand canyon of the sea”. <> accessed 4/1/2010
Keywords: Reference map, vista, snap shot, portable object, figure on a page, graphics software, perspective, toponyms, terrain map
Discussion:
This layout contains three maps: an oblique view map showing the canyon, a locator map of all of California, and a planimetric map of the canyon. Both the oblique and planimetric maps lean much more toward realism than abstraction. I believe that there is actually a satellite image used on land in the maps. In the oblique map includes labels of places and elevation, but does not have any other symbols other than a North arrow (which is relatively discrete). Beyond the place names and elevation, the map relies entirely on the reader’s ability to gather information from the realism of the image. The planimetric map is similarly realistic, but also includes a red line showing a fault line and delineates the area viewed in the oblique view image. The purpose of the map is to inform the readers of National Geographic about an interesting geologic feature. Because the purposes are strictly informative and for pleasure reading more than actual navigation or some sort of calculation, there is no need for abstraction that would allow more visual variables to be included. Realism works very well in this case because it allows the reader to feel like they are actually getting to see the canyon that they are reading about instead of having to think up their own image based on a more abstract mapping. Also, the oblique view really highlights how deep the canyon is more than the planimetric view does, accomplishing the goal of demonstrating to the reader the similarity between this sea canyon and canyons we see on land.
Citation:
National Park Service. “Chaco Culture National Historical Park.”
Keywords:
Reference map, geographic, snap shot, image on a computer screen, National Park Service, Graphics software, toponyms, terrain, shaded relief
Discussion:
For this assignment, I thought it would be best to chose an area where I actually know the terrain so as to better compare it to the map of this area. This map is a NPS reference map of Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico—notable more for its abundance of Pueblo ruins than the grandeur of its mesas (though I like theirs just fine). And in fact, the map perhaps mutes the canyon too much: though the canyon walls at Chaco are perhaps only 150 to 200 feet, the map has such low contrast that the mesas barely register. For this park, there does need to be some emphasis on the height of the canyon walls because a decent number of the hikes in the park involve skirting up or down the canyon wall; and this map does not provide that.
The map also portrays no vegetation; and though Chaco Canyon does have an arid climate, both the canyon floor and the mesa tops are almost entirely covered in some sort of low vegetation; again, it would be important for the map to at least suggest this coverage simply because it is helpful to hikers.
In terms of the labels provided, I think the NPS did a pretty thorough and helpful job; all of the lengths of the hikes are very easy to find, for example. Also, the entire map does show the more important highways near the park; Chaco is not an easy place to get to, and so showing these easier-to-find highways makes the park seem less inaccessible to a prospective visitor looking at this map. Otherwise, I think that the thick red of the main road through Chaco needs to be toned down; it takes up way too much attention.
NASA (2009). “South polar region of the moon.” No scale. http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/361307main_goldstone-20090618-full.jpg (gray) http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/361308main_goldstone2-20090618-full.jpg (color)
Accessed 1 April 2010.
Keywords: Reference map, vista, snap shot, image on computer, primary sources, GIS, graphics software, oblique, perspective, bump mapping, terrain map, moon
These NASA models of the moon’s terrain are intended for an expert audience, but for the vast majority of viewers, they have a purely educational purpose, as they will never visit the location. Thus, it is effective to use a 3-D representation because it makes the terrain features easy to perceive. The map is accurate enough (and indeed intended) to be used by scientists to plan a moon mission with the provision of more locational information. The two images work well in concert with one another, because the grayscale image is realistic and conforms to people´s conception of the moon’s surface based on photographs they have seen. The multicolor map provides elevation information shown with a varying field of color, and thus adds another variable to the relative information portrayed in the grayscale map. However, it loses some of its realistic appearance, because the hillshade is not as easy to perceive under the bright colors, reduced to a binary hillshade with color covering the light parts. In both maps, information is lost in areas in shadow, which are too dark to make out.
http://www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=hale&parkname=Haleakala%20National%20Park
Citation: National Park Service. “Haleakala National Park.” 9 Mar 2010. Web. 1 Apr 2010. .
Key words: Reference map, manipulable object , snap shot, interactive object, image on a computer screen, primary sources, graphics software, perspective, toponyms, point/line/area reference symbols, shaded relief, bump mapping, bona fide & fiat boundaries
This map is of Hawaii’s Haleakala National Park on the island of Maui which appears realistic in the elevation and apparent steep grade of the volcanic mountains but unrealistic in land cover as the pictures of the park on their website appear to contain colorful vegetation. The steepness of the sides of the volcano can really be seen in the changes between how the roads and trails zig-zag or not. The differentiation between gullies and streams is important because in this type of landscape visitors/hikers should know the likelihood of needing to pass running water based on the time of year. Interestingly the map refers to part of the trail passing through private land yet gives no indication to it being occupied private land as no structures outside of the visitors’ centers are depicted.
Visual variables are the stereotypical NPS icons for picnic areas, campgrounds, etc. but they are small and not distracting to view on the map when trying to use it to follow the trail. Other visual variables are the hillshade and the relatively monochromatic color scheme which while making it easier to understand the basics of the area, the color scheme at least leaves much to the imagination and could lead to confusion, especially in the approximately seven mile hike up/down the Kaupo Gap.
The audience of this map is hikers though the visitor centers are handicap accessible. As the audience is specific to those who would be hiking the trail, important sights such as cinder cones are shown and elevation (visualized through hillshade) is important.
(Sorry) Keywords: A Sequence, Animation, Images on a computer screen, Graphic Software, Modeling Software, Perspective, Shaded Relief,
Citation: Alex Roman for The Third & The Seventh. “Making of by Alex Roman HD.” January 13th 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqyQVxVuRnM Accessed on April 1st 2010.
For full video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSGx4bBU9Qc&feature=related
Keyword
I chose this video instead of a traditional map because I believe it is the epitome of realism used to represent space. Alex roman created the 3D visual experience of these spaces through modeling, texturing and illuminating the space and objects. The second link/video is the full video exhibiting the result of this sophisticated technique. The first link/video illustrates how each of these techniques contributes to the final product. He uses, color, texture, and brightness to articulate form. The specificity of his technique is so exact that many of the constructed scenes can easily be confused for an actual space. This video illustrates how our eyes can deceive us and our how highly realistic spatial representation easily confuses the reader. As Jeff said, when faced with a high level of realism we look and accept but do not think about the space.
High realism such as this can be deceiving but it also has the ability to dramatically evoke the feeling of a space. Abstracted representations of space are typically incapable of evoking much emotional response. The purpose of these videos is to showcase Alex Roman’s ability to render space. They do not serve as a reference of any kind. However, they are very effective in romanticizing the emotional experiences of these spaces through high realism.
Citation: New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (2009). “Minnewaska State Park Draft Master Plan” (map). No Scale. http://nysparks.state.ny.us/inside-our-agency/documents/MasterPlans/MinnewaskaStatePark/MinnewaskaStateParkChapter6Figure25.pdf. Accessed on 1 April 2010.
Keywords: Terrain map, plan of action, Tour, snapshot, portable object, tabloid-sized map, primary sources, GIS, planimetric, point & line reference symbols, contours, fiat boundaries
Discussion:
This draft of the master plan for the Minnewaska State Park in NY, also known as the Gunks to climbers, relies mostly on abstraction in a planimetric view. There is an aspect of hill shade or bump mapping illuminated from the northwest, but elevation relies primarily on contour lines. Because this is a park for hikers and climbers, the audience would probably have some familiarity with how to read contour lines and they would be useful should this map be intended for public use.
Figure-ground relationship is established by using color muting. The park area is shown in green while the surrounding area is shown in a grayish brown. On one level this map is a bit cluttered because there are many line features, but one can differentiate between the different features by their color. The mapmakers reduced clutter a bit by using text boxes outside of the map to discuss the actions being taken at each part of the park. There is no aspect of “harmonious hydrography” in that there is no sun glint on the cased lakes, and the streams are not tapered.
Moreover, the map is oriented differently than the locator map. The north arrow on the map ameliorates this confusion. This map would not be very good for a general audience, but since it is intended for internal use within the New York State office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, the audience is already familiar with the park and its terrain.