Map Use Environments
The ways a map can be used is determined in large
part by the environment in which the individual can intereact with the map. As we move
into the use of computers and Geographic Information Systems, we find that maps are being
employed in many different ways. The continuous presentation of weather maps on television
has likewise added another dimension to map use. In the future we can expect to see more
diverse map use environments.
The following topics are discussed in the paragraphs below:
Printed Maps
Projected Presentations
Interactive Computers
Networked Environments
Operation Environments
Virtual Maps
Printed Maps: The traditional concept of the map
is 'ink on paper' being a printed document largely in a graphic format. Certainly, many
maps are of this type. Most of these maps are distributed to users as single sheets, as
part of a book, or in collections such as atlases. In this form the user is normally in
control of the map-use environment. As such, the user can control the length of time the
map can be studied, can control the lighting environment, can make measurements from the
map, and can magnify the image or draw on the surface. The producers and distributors can
have no input into how the map is used and read once the map is in the hands of the user.
In addition to loose maps and paper atlases, there are many other environments where
printed maps are seen, such as large maps used as posters, small maps used for reference
along public transit lines, wall maps hung in front of a classroom, and three dimensional
map models on public display. In the viewing environments for these types of maps the user
may not have total freedom to work over the map. In many cases the light levels may not be
optimal or the user cannot get close to all parts of the map. In some cases a person or a
mechanical device may serve as an intermediary to point out things on the map. In the
classroom environment, the intermediary is likely to be the teacher. As a poster there may
be devices to let the user touch a site and hear a message or it may be possible to touch
a button along the side to activate a light on the map showing where a particular site is
located on the map. There are many ways printed maps are presented to a larger public
other than placing the map in the hands of the user.
Projected Presentations: Television and movies represent another map viewing
environment. Maps are employed frequently in news and weather broadcasts on TV and in
documentaries on film. In these situations the viewer has no control over the maps seen on
the screen. The viewer usually has no anticipation that a map will appear on the screen
and once it is there the viewer has little idea how long the map will be visible for
study. On the other hand, the presenter is in a position to point out features on the map
and direct the user to the more important points. Frequently this is done through the use
of dynamic symbolization on the map or users may see a person actually pointing to
features on the map on the screen.
Television weather presentations represent a unique viewing environment because the
weather maps are presented at regularly scheduled times with the same individuals making
the presentations. In general, whether hour by hour or day by day, the maps will have a
similar look in a familiar presentation environment. In these situations the viewer can
select a weather presentation at a predictable time and be assured what types of maps will
be presented.
Television is a low resolution display device and therefore it imposes limitations on the
nature of the maps that can be shown on television. As such there many types of maps that
cannot be shown in this environment. This stands in contrast to ink on paper which
normally has little limitations on graphic representations of static displays.
Interactive Computers: Another map use environment is that of the investigator
employing visualization tools. With the emergence of powerful computer workstations
individuals can now process, model, and manipulate data to generate maps and other forms
of output. Cartographic Visualization is a sub-field of scientific visualization, one of
the more advanced areas of interactive computer graphics. This environment gives emphasis
to a high degree of interactivity on the part of the user who is seeking to discover
unknowns in a private activity. The ICA Commission on Visualization is investigating this
specific use environment.
The personal computer is becoming a tool for the display and creation of many types of
maps. We now see the creation of digital atlases and popular mapping programs that are
readily available to users of personal computers. Further we see the availability of large
databases that permit users to generate their own maps of a large number of variables. It
is now possible in the United States to produce on a personal computer all or parts of the
standard topographic map, originally published at a scale of 1:24,000. There is great
variation in this environment in the amount of interactivity the user might have with
maps. In some cases, the user can only display a map on the screen. In other cases the
user can activate a dynamic map display and move forward and backward throughout that
display and zoom in on certain areas.
Networked Environments: The Internet and the World Wide Web represent still another
map use environment. The Web provides an environment in which individuals and
organizations can display and present maps for anyone in the world who has access to the
Web. The nature of the Web is such that maps can be very current, in some cases
essentially real-time. It is possible to find weather maps on the Web that are updated
every two or three hours. In an experimental example users can see traffic conditions
along major highways in southern California updated minute by minute. However, many of the
maps shown on the Web are simply scanned copies of paper maps. In general, these maps are
not effective when presented in this different use environment.
The Internet through the use of gopher servers, ftp, and the Web provides a means whereby
users can get access to mappable spatial data and in some cases mapping programs. Where
government data are in the public domain we see situations where large volumes of
geographic data are made available for downloading across the Internet because it is less
expensive than distributing data and maps in more traditional formats .
Operation Environments: Another use
environment occurs in terms of operations, especially in terms of transportation and
navigation. Whether at sea, on the ground, or in the air, maps and charts are used under
the constraints of navigating and having to do many other things in concert with use of
the maps. In these environments the users do not have the freedom to study the map at
will. These operational environments impose an added dimension on map use whether the maps
being used are printed on paper or projected on an electronic screen.
Virtual Maps: The maps discussed to this point are visual products, whether ink on
paper or a display on a computer screen. More and more, we will be using virtual maps,
whereby map information will be provided to make appropriate decisions although a visual
map may never be created or be displayed. An automobile navigation system may be able to
direct the vehicle towards a designated location without the driver ever viewing a map.
Weapon systems are being programmed to read the landscape and seek out a specific target.
You are at the bottom of the Map Use Environments page of the discussion of the Many
Dimensions of Map Use.
Note: The effort to build these pages is on-going. If you have something to contribute,
contact: Dr. James R. Carter, Illinois State University. jrcarter@ilstu.edu
last updated: 31 August 1999
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Map Use Home Page