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Generalization Operations and Multi-Scale Map Frameworks |
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This topic arose from the seminar I took in the Fall of 2007 under Dr. Cyndi Brewer. While I’m not actively pursuing the more pure aspects of this research (those pertaining to developing automated procedures for use in digital topographic map series), this work has yield two interesting components. First, generalization operators have proved handy in translating AKN data into distribution maps, leading to potential, updated re-creations of outdated and static versions. Secondly, the multi-scale framework is interesting considering its potential application to interactive web maps containing data-driven, scalable representations of AKN data and relevant context base maps. See the Avian Species Range Viewer, designed and built by Steve Crawford and Doug Miller over at CEI. Along the way, I hope to contribute to the field by offering new methods and ideas for aggregating points in vector-based maps. Here’s the abstract that was accepted for AutoCarto 2008.
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Master’s Thesis: Explicitly Representing Geographic Change in Animated Maps |
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After much deliberating, I chose this topic to represent the future body of my Master’s work. Sounding the depths of the animated cartography literature revealed this as an unexplored element of our understanding of map animation. Using a bivariate symbology, I look to test the effectiveness of directly placing a visual variable representing between-state magnitude of change into an animated geographic time series, as compared to a “standard” map animation. I’m currently in the process of hacking out the details (mostly experimental design and process at this point), but a proposal defense is scheduled for mid-Summer. What does this look like? See the preliminary static example, using a bivariate symbology that will likely not be used due to idiosyncrasies associated with this particular visual variable pair (size/value). Of course, it is meant to be animated. That is coming, as I diligently work on learning Flash CS3 and ActionScript 3.0 this summer. |
