Cartography Tips and Tricks

Chris RivesMilsoft Utility Solutions, Inc.

Introduction

• Chris Rives– Support Specialist, Milsoft Utility Solutions

– Training, Support, Installations

– B.S. Geography, Texas State University– GIS concentration

– National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency– NIMA Cartographic School

Outline

• Cartographic Concepts/Theories

• GIS Tools/Implementation

• Applications

Concepts

• Cartography Defined• Basic cartographic concepts• WindMilMap Renders• Creating maps in ArcMap• Printing and plotting maps• DSMap Book• Things to remember • Q & A

What Is Cartography?

• Art, Science, and Technology

• Making Maps

• Presentation

Map and Design Objectives

• Map objectives• Share Information• Highlight relationships• Illustrate analysis results• Decision support

• Design Objectives• Manipulate the graphic characteristics• Fulfill the intended purpose

Factors Controlling Cartographic Design

• Audience • Reality and need to generalize• Objective • Technical Limits and Scale• Mode of use• Final Design

Communication in MapsReality….The geographicenvironment

Compile

CartographerGIS/CAD specialist

Map

Map

RecognizeSelect

ClassifySimplify

Read

Symbolize

AnalyzeInterpret

Map User

ImageMentalimageof reality

Map

Types of Maps• General Map

• Location/positional• Variety of features and uses

• Thematic Maps• Distribution of an attribute• Single attribute or relationship

• Different objectives, different cartographic designs

Issues In Cartographic Design

• Colors, shade patterns, and text• Perception of colors and symbols• Legibility of features and text• Visual contrast and hierarchy

• Visual Balance• Size • Value

ESRI Layers, Data Frames and Maps• Layer

• Represent symbolized spatial data

• Data frame• Organizes layers

• Map contains• Data frames• Layers• Map elements

Layers

Data frame

WindMilMap Renderers• Every feature type has a unique

WindMilMap Renderer. • Applying WindMilMap Renderers

• Renderer Button• Right-Click• Properties

Analysis Manager• Affects the color of

the entire model• Gives the proper

colors to a new symbol

• Changes to match the colors of the current view mode

Display Options: Circuit Element Symbols

• Element sizes controlled universally

• Element sizes can be individually set as well.

Display Options: Lines & End Points

• Can turn on Mid & End Points

• Can be any Symbol

• Can set Visible Scale Range

• Line Width can also be set.

Property Page

• Controls all aspects of the renderer

Change Symbol• Select Value.• Click on Preview Window.

Symbol Variations

• The Base Tab• Changes symbol values• Different for each feature type• Allows for different symbol value breakdowns

Symbol Variations

• The Status & Dead tab• The Status tab changes symbol values for current, selected,

upline, and downline.• The Dead tab changes symbol values for features not energized.• Status and Dead symbols can be consolidated.

Demo

• WindMilMap Renderers• Property Page• Change Symbol

• Symbol Variations• Analysis Manager• Display Options

• Circuit Element Symbols• Lines & End Points

Filter by Symbol

• Features can be filtered by symbol value.• Select symbol values not to be drawn.• Right click and select Hide.

View Modes• The current view mode can be changed on the

WindMilMap Analysis toolbar.

• Layers remember symbol settings for each view mode.

• Layers can beindependent of thecurrent view mode.

Reducing Legend• Only checked symbol values show in

legend.• Unchecked values still draw on map.

Text Definitions

• Text definition place attributes on symbol• Not labeling• Always present on every symbol• Definitions shared by symbol values

Text Definitions

• Create different definitions.• Definition can have multiple text layers.• Text properties

• Name• Position• Visible Scale• Font• Value

Demo

• Filter by Symbol• View Modes• Reducing Legend• Text Definitions

Creating Maps in ArcMap• Design in Layout View• Data frames organize layers.• Map elements are added to a virtual page.• Maps stored as .mxd files

• Data location• Layer properties

Setting Up The page• Remember the purpose.

• Will the map be viewed up close or at a distance?• What is the best page size?• Landscape or portrait?• What printer will I be using, and what are my printer

size limitations?

Elements of a Map

• Title• Map Body• North Arrow• Legend• Scale Bar• Other text

• Author name, Logo, date of map

Inserting Map Elements

1.Choose type.

2.Choice appears on page.

3.Drag and place.

4.Modify as needed.

Layout tools

• Zoom and Pan layout tools

• Additional layout settings from Tools > Options

An Example of the Legend Properties Dialog

Double ClickModify

Adding a north arrow and a scale

Change unit, increments,color, font.

Change angle, color, size.

Incorporating a Reference System• Displaying reference positions on the maps• Available reference system:

• Graticule• Lat/Long

• Measured Grid• Map Units

• Reference Grid• ABC/123

• Different graticule or gird types on the same map• WindMilMap will use the grid system that’s already in WindMil.

Text Blocks• Title and Author

• Data source, date, projection

• Date of map and of data

• Disclosures and Acknowledgements

same

Grids and Rulers

• Determine the size of the map elements.

• Use guides to arrange elements.

• Use grids to position elements at specific points.

• Use snapping for precision and efficiency.

Creating and Using Map Templates

• Gives all maps in a series the same look

• ArcMap templates

• Create your own

Exporting a Map

• Exporting to an image format– Each format has different output options.

• Copy a map to clipboard.

DS Map Book

• Free map production tool • Map Book Tool Bar

• Creating a map series• Create Local and Global indicators

DS Map Book • Click on Create Map Book.• Select Index Layer.

• Use all tiles.• Suppress Tiles.

• Use only tiles with electrical elements in them.

DS Map Book

• Set the Extent.• Variable• Fixed• Data-Driven

• Set the options.• Rotate• Clip data• Label Neighbors• Select tile when drawing

• Click Finish.

DEMO

• Setting Up the page• Creating a map series • Inserting Map Elements• Complete Map

Things to Remember

• Visual Balance• Beauty is not the main objective.• Map Objective

• Why?• Design objective

• How?

• ALWAYS THINK of the USER.