Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The Atlas Toolbox:
Concept and Development of a Rule based Map
Component for a GIS-VIS Production Environment
Hartmut Asche, Rita Engemaier
Department of Geography, University of Potsdam
Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
gislab@uni-potsdam.de
Abstract
In commercial mapping and atlas cartography cost-effective production of
maps and atlases is a constant issue in the business concept of commercial
cartographic enterprises. A combined GIS and visualisation system can be
considered the production environment of choice for quality, cost-effective
map production. To strengthen the visualisation component of such sys-
tem, one concept of particular relevance is that of the atlas toolbox. Using
the modular principle this framework allows for the production of maps
and atlases by combination of technical or cartographic components and
methods. This paper discusses the concept and application of one particular
component, the map component, for automated, rule-based quality map
construction.
1- Introduction
The development and production of maps and atlases, in particular, is
costly and time-consuming. For this reason cost-effectiveness of atlas pro-
duction has been a constant issue in the business concept of atlas producers.
Based on the present state of geoinformation technology (GIT) several
concepts have been elaborated to reuse map and atlas components origi-
nally developed for one particular map or atlas in other products. Any ran-
dom review of existing paper maps and electronic maps will show that
maps and/or atlases can roughly be assigned two categories: poor map
