Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
many early examples generated by computers
were quite crude visualisations, developments in
computer technology, e.g. Pentium II processor
power, have provided opportunities to provide
visually 'smooth' fly-bys over and through the
terrain with the aid of navigation controls.
Interactive cartography also allows users to
study various spatially related issues. A good
example is NAISMap2 (http://atlas.gc.ca/school-
net/issuemap) (see also Cartwright 1994).
Virtual reality offers yet another interesting and
challenging dimension to cartography, and as
noted on the Geographer's Craft homepage at the
University of Texas poses a question as to how
cartographers will be employed in cyberspace (see
also Jiang and Ormeling 1997).
the point of departure to the termination of the
journey. It is based upon a digital database, and the
user is able to establish the optimum and optional
routes, the distance, and the time from start to
finish. The user specification is produced in the
form of a map and a text-based description of the
route numbers. A similar product is the
DELORME AAA Map'n'Go 4.0 travel planner
(http://www.delorme.com/mapngo/), which
allows the user to generate a detailed travel plan
with stops, driving time, mileage, road names and
exit information, together with tourist
information (e.g. place descriptions, hotels,
museums, etc.). It also provides a slide-show
facility to include user-acquired images. Other
examples include:
•
American Digital Cartography Inc. (ADC)
produces a family of digital atlas products,
including ADC WorldMap for use with
MapInfo software (http://www.dci.com/
adcworld.htm).
Electronic maps and atlases
With the development of the desktop computer
and peripheral technology such as optical and
compact discs (CDs), it has become increasingly
easy to take advantage of the potential of
multimedia innovations to create and distribute
digital maps and atlases. While electronic atlases
are not new (the first appeared in 1979), and some
of the early ones such as the United Kingdom
Digital Marine Atlas (UKDMAP—British
Oceano-graphic Data Centre (BODC)) were
initially distributed on multiple sets of floppy disks,
CDs, CD writers and CD-ROMS have come
down in price to the extent that most new
computer hardware specifications include a 24- or
32-speed CD-ROM drive as standard. This has
meant that many more opportunities are available
to market both map- and image-based atlases on
CDs at relatively low cost.
There are many examples of varying quality
and type, e.g. De Lorme Global Explorer and
Microsoft Encarta 97 (Box 41.1) (see Kraak 1997).
Not only do these atlases provide static maps but
also a range of tools to allow the user to interact
with the maps, to search for places and to query
the maps, with results being displayed in the form
of text, images, graphics, video clips and so on.
Other products include Microsoft Autoroute,
which provides a means of planning a route from
•
MSAT has recently produced an interactive
satellite image atlas of Europe, which allows a
user to zoom in to the image and to add map
annotation (MSAT 1998).
•
The A-Z of London, AA StreetMaster
London and Bartholomew London Maps are
three examples of digital maps of London on
CD-ROM (see Shepherd 1998).
•
See also http://www.geod.ethz.ch/karto/
projects/mmatlas/mmatlas.html.
In-car and other navigation systems
With the availability of more and more spatial data
from, e.g., the Ordnance Survey (OS),
Bartholomews and the Automobile Association
(AA), in-car navigation systems are now becoming
a far more frequent sight in cars, either as a
standard fitting or as an optional extra. Although
many are still relatively simple systems, with
crude displays, and costs are still relatively high,
there is growing awareness and use of digital
maps in cars as a potential replacement for the
more familiar paper map or road atlas. Ocean-
Routes has developed an on-board ship-routing
