185
6
185
One thing that makes spatial data unique is that it can be mapped. Once
you’ve used GIS to create the boundaries of a Civil War battlefield and analyze
its proximity to new housing and commercial developments, the next step is
to make a map of the results of your work. However, making a good map with
GIS involves more than taking the final product of the analysis, throwing on
a title and legend, clicking on “print,” and then calling it a day. There are numerous design elements and considerations that should be taken into account
when laying out a map. In fact, there’s a whole art and science of mapmaking
(called cartography), involving things like color selection, the positioning of
items on the map, or what kind of message the final map product is conveying
to the reader.
A map is a representation of spatial data that is designed to convey information to its reader. Making digital maps with GIS offers a wide variety of
options for creating an end-product, but there are a few considerations to take
into account before you start the mapping process. For example, say there’s a
nearby municipal wooded area that gets used by the local populace for walking trails, biking, picnicking, or walking the dogs. The only map of note is an
old hand-drawn one you can pick up at a kiosk at the park entrance and the
local government wants to update it. As you’re the local geospatial technology
expert, they come to you to do the job. Before you break out your GIS tools,
there are some basic questions to ask that are going to define the map you
design.
First, what’s the purpose of the map and who will be using it? If the park
map you’ve been asked to design is intended for the park’s visitors to use, then
some of the important features the map should contain are locations of park
entrances, parking, comfort stations, and designated picnic areas. It should be
at an appropriate scale, the trails should be accurately mapped, and trailhead
Using GIS to Make a Map
Scale, Map Elements, Map Layouts, Type, Thematic Maps,
Data Classification Methods, Color Choices, and Digital Map
Distribution Formats
7
cartography the art
and science of creating
and designing maps.
map a representation
of geographic data.
6
185
One thing that makes spatial data unique is that it can be mapped. Once
you’ve used GIS to create the boundaries of a Civil War battlefield and analyze
its proximity to new housing and commercial developments, the next step is
to make a map of the results of your work. However, making a good map with
GIS involves more than taking the final product of the analysis, throwing on
a title and legend, clicking on “print,” and then calling it a day. There are numerous design elements and considerations that should be taken into account
when laying out a map. In fact, there’s a whole art and science of mapmaking
(called cartography), involving things like color selection, the positioning of
items on the map, or what kind of message the final map product is conveying
to the reader.
A map is a representation of spatial data that is designed to convey information to its reader. Making digital maps with GIS offers a wide variety of
options for creating an end-product, but there are a few considerations to take
into account before you start the mapping process. For example, say there’s a
nearby municipal wooded area that gets used by the local populace for walking trails, biking, picnicking, or walking the dogs. The only map of note is an
old hand-drawn one you can pick up at a kiosk at the park entrance and the
local government wants to update it. As you’re the local geospatial technology
expert, they come to you to do the job. Before you break out your GIS tools,
there are some basic questions to ask that are going to define the map you
design.
First, what’s the purpose of the map and who will be using it? If the park
map you’ve been asked to design is intended for the park’s visitors to use, then
some of the important features the map should contain are locations of park
entrances, parking, comfort stations, and designated picnic areas. It should be
at an appropriate scale, the trails should be accurately mapped, and trailhead
Using GIS to Make a Map
Scale, Map Elements, Map Layouts, Type, Thematic Maps,
Data Classification Methods, Color Choices, and Digital Map
Distribution Formats
7
cartography the art
and science of creating
and designing maps.
map a representation
of geographic data.