Map Composition & Module 8 OR Making a Cool map. esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 2 Steps to Creating a Map Define the Purpose of the map –Audience? Professionals?

Map Composition &Module 8

ORMaking a Cool map

esf Laboratory for Applied GIS

2

Steps to Creating a Map

• Define the Purpose of the map– Audience? Professionals? Lay public?– How will map be used?

• Restate into a design problem• Visualize the map• Design solution - arrangement of map’s

image elements to facilitate communication– Sort of an outline

• Graphic design


3

Map Elements used in design

• Main map• Smaller scale inset maps showing location• Larger scale inset maps showing detail• Title of the map (usually prominent) • Subtitles• Legend• Scale• North Arrow


4

Map Elements used in design

• Graticule • Various text (notes, metadata, etc.)• Borders and neatlines• Symbols• Place names and labels • Photographs, Graphics• Mapped and unmapped areas (white

space)


5

The elements one-by-one

• Title– Draws attention by virtue of its size (big!)– Focuses attention on primary purpose of

content of map– Not always needed

• Legend– Principle reference to symbology– MUST be there


6

The elements one-by-one• Scale

– A MUST!– Types

•graphic -- the scalebar• verbal -- 1” = 1 mile (watch this one)• a ratio 1/24,000 (this one too)

– Because of ubiquitous nature of Xerox machines the graphic scale is a must, the others are optional


7

The elements one-by-one• Scale

– A MUST!– Types

•graphic -- the scalebar• verbal -- 1” = 1 mile (watch this one)• a ratio 1/24,000 (this one too)

– Because of ubiquitous nature of Xerox machines the graphic scale is a must, the others are optional

If nothing else these indicate …Accuracy!


8


• Credits– another, older, term for metadata– Some metadata can be placed on

map• Data source• Statement of accuracy, both spatial and

attribute• Date data collected, date map made• Your name, assignment # etc…


9


• Credits– another, older, term for metadata– Some metadata can be placed on

map• Data source• Statement of accuracy, both spatial and

attribute• Date data collected, date map made•Your name, assignment # etc…


10

The elements one-by-one• Mapped and unmapped areas

– Objects, land, water, and other geographical features important to the purpose of the map

– makes the composition a map rather than a diagram

– The most prominent map element

• Graticule & Grids– Graticule – geographic coordinates


11


• Borders and neatlines– Borders serve to restrain eye movement

and focus attention on the map. A Border surrounds all the elements of a map.

– A fill color can substitue for a border– Neatlines are:

• finer than borders• drawn inside borders• mainly decoration• Used to highlight objects (like legends) and to

help balance a map


12


13

Composition• You have all the data • You have the symbolization plan• Now you have to visualize the map

– A creative process– Trial and error process

• Where to put borders, neatlines• What style of borders, neatlines• Where does the legend go?• The title• And so on

Composition• How does the eye traverse the map• Balance of map – will it fall over?• Organization of map elements• Where is important stuff?• Division of space for interest• White space• Borders & neatlines• Text• Color


14


15

Focus

Field

Movement of reader’s eye - upper left to lower right


16

Composition: Planar Organization

• Balance – visual impact of arrangement

• is the map “heavy” at top, bottom, sides???

Geometriccenter

Visual center:5% of total

height aboveGeometric center --

Arrange contentaround

this point


17

Balance: Visual weight• Depends on location

– obj weight increases with distance from center

– obj at top are heavier than those at bottom– obj on right are heavier than those on left

• Depends on size (Duh!)• Depends on color, interest, and isolation

– Red>Blue, Bright>dark

– complex > simple– isolated > groups

• For Example …


18


19

Which is better balanced?


20

Using Eye Movement Eye goes left to right

Generally you want the reader to see the map BEFORE seeing the legend – can’t

always do it


21

Unequal divisions of space more interesting than equal divisions


22

•St. Louis too far from visual center, balance not bad, however•Hard to read name

Better, but a heavy on right

Balance with legend etc.


23

Location of St, Louis

Legend

-adf asdf

adfafffdsf


24


Don’t really need

since countries

are labeled


25

Size / white space problems

Is this a better balanced map?


26

Borders or Not

• A dark fill works better than a light fill in establishing a border


Legend

-adf asdf

adfafffdsf


Legend

-adf asdf

adfafffdsf


27

Borders or Not

• A dark fill works better than a light fill in establishing a border


Legend

-adf asdf

adfafffdsf


Legend

-adf asdf

adfafffdsf


28

Text• No more than two fonts

– Serif text, Sans Serif text

• In each use the following to define hierarchy– Normal. italic, bold, spacing, color– UPPER and lower case

• ALL UPPER CASE IS HARD TO READ• No fancy fonts• Big print for important stuff• Little print for not so important stuff


29

Using Color

• Color is complex and tricky• There are definite color preferences• There are definite color combination

preferences• There are standard color codes (like

for planning)• The map should NOT be garish!


30

So

• Creating maps is a creating a document for a specific purpose -- to communicate something to the reader

• It is an iterative process• There are some basic rules or guides

that can be used – described above an in the on-line course module.


31

Summary of Guidelines1) Map layout – where are the pieces going

to go – major pieces – visual center – eye path – uneven juxtaposition of parts

a) The map area and what’s in itb) Legend placement (usually to right of map)c) Scale bar, North Arrowd) Balancee) White space

2) Map Title – Large – may not be needed


32

Summary of Guidelines3) Credits (Metadata) usually present4) For FOR357/557- Author’s name,

Exercise #, & date!5) Borders and neatlines.

a) Border around ALL map pieces or solid fillb) Neatlines (or fill) around (in) various

pieces

6) Color – tricky – but not garish!


33

4 0 4 8 12 16 Miles

BlewHylewRdlewis

N

EW

S

Lewis Roads and Hydro

4 0 4 8 12 16 Miles

BlewHylewRdlewis

N

EW

S



34

4 0 4 8 12 16 Miles

BlewHylewRdlewis

N

EW

S

Lewis Roads and HydroLewis Roads and Hydro

N

EW

S

BlewHylewRdlewis

10 0 10 Miles

Blah balh blahBlah blah blahBlah blah blah


35

By Eustis B. Nifkin , Inc. Syracuse NY 10/10/05


N

EW

S

BlewHylewRdlewis

10 0 10 Miles


HydrologyLewis County

Hydrology

State & Cnty Highways


36

By Eustis B. Nifkin , Inc. Syracuse NY 10/10/05


N

EW

S

BlewHylewRdlewis

10 0 10 Miles


HydrologyLewis County

Hydrology

State & Cnty Highways

This map illustrates the a;dj;fa a;dljf a;dlfj aljdf a;sdf asdjf a;sdufdafdsf paseuef a;df;a ap[ef a;sduf asdfo aosdf [asdfi asdoif a[dsf [asdifdfi asdifd asdf


37

Things I discovered

• The next maps you see took several hours for the basic map

• A really good map takes time• Turning on labels is ok but you have

no control (or limited control)• Convert to annotation allows

individual manipulation of the labels


38

£¤3HARRISVILLE

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• The basic map as it appears in map view

• Questions– Legend– Title– N arrow– Scale bar– Metadata– Neatlines

• Lewis is a bad shape because of upper left


39

Making a map

• The basic map w/ title and N arrow

• Where’s the edge?

• It was saved as Transparent

£¤3HARRISVILLE

WEST TURIN

TURIN

LEYDEN

HARRISVIL

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NEW BREMEN

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-Lewis County, NY: Towns and Villages


40

Making a map

• The basic map w/ title and N arrow

• Where’s the edge?

• It was saved as Transparent

£¤3

HARRISVILLE

WEST TURIN

TURIN

LEYDEN

HARRISVIL

LE

DIANA

PICKNEY

DENMARK

CROGHAN

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LEWIS

OSCEOLALYONSDALE

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NEW BREMEN

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LOWVIL

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CROGHAN

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0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles


41

Making a map

• Added more stuff but background is still transparent

• Balance does not look too bad

£¤3

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WEST TURIN

TURIN

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HARRISVIL

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0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles

This map showsthe Lewis County

Towns and Villagesserved by State

hightways. It was generatedfrom 1998 NFLII data (towns)and 2005 ALIS data. Map wasprepared by E.B. Nifkin andAssociates, Syracuse, NY10/10/2005


42

Making a map

• Oops!• Put in neatline

around map• In properties set

fill color to yellow• And where did the

second scale come from?

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0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles





43

Making a map

• Oops!• Graphic problem• Clicked on yellow

and got this£¤3

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0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles




• Clicked on “Send to back” and ……


44

Making a map

• Better• But kind of garish• But

– Balance good– Not too much yellow

space for 8.5x11

£¤3

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HARRISVIL

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£¤812

£¤126


0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles





45

Making a map

• Aaah• Better• Still don’t like the

hole where the N arrow is

• Could put a legend there but this map does not need a legend

£¤3

HARRISVILLE

WEST TURIN

TURIN

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PICKNEY

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0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles





46

Making a map

• Here is another approach

• Landscape• Harder to do

because map has to be smaller

• So– Added more text– Added a highway

legend after classifying the highways

• Ech

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-

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This map shows the Lewis CountyTowns and Villages served by Statehightways. It was generated from 1998NFLII data (towns) and 2005 ALIS data.Map was prepared by E.B. Nifkin andAssociates, Syracuse, NY 10/10/2005asd -aea 'aekr ' sda apeora 'fkgl;dieoaod apdope apdap pao[g[g[o[s[pprsgspf spopgisr pfigpiriri9rei;spsirpiprpsgpg-r-e-erfkks;vkpspsptiskkkkbspitipspsriti

Lewis County, NY

State Highway Numbers

Statehighways

HWY_NUM

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26

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47

• Hummmm

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-

0 4 8 12 162Miles


Lewis County, NY


Statehighways

HWY_NUM

12

126

12D

177

26

294

3

410

812


48

0 3 6 9 121.5Miles


Lewis County, NY


12

126

12D

177

26

294

3

410

812

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-


49

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WATSON

LEWIS

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NEW BREMEN

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0 4 8 12 162Miles

0 4 8 12 162Miles




But maybe this, a simple white or no fill is better after all


50

Booby Trap• When you make scale bar it is grayed out?• Why?

– You didn’t set map and distance units

• If there are no map units then ArcGIS has no idea what they are probably no metadata

• If map units are m and you don’t want scale bar in meters then you have to set the distance units

• Where?

Documents

Map Composition & Module 8 OR Making a Cool map. esf Laboratory for Applied GIS 2 Steps to Creating a Map Define the Purpose of the map –Audience? Professionals?