Map Use Environments

The ways a map can be used is determined in large part by the environment in which the individual can view and/or interact 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. One of my favorite sites presents every six hours a colorful world map showing the temperature of the land, temperature of the water, ice surfaces and cloud patterns. A loop of these maps can be viewed showing the dynamics of weather over the past ten days.

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, maps are far less effective when designed for one environment but presented in a 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 end of the Map Use Environments page of the Map Use pages