A New Cartographic Research A New Cartographic Research Agenda for Virtual GlobesAgenda for Virtual Globes

Session 4510: Virtual Globles: GIS for the Masses?

Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Ph.D.Associate Professor

E-mail: mtsou@mail.sdsu.edu

April 17-21, San Francisco, CA

The Department of Geography, San Diego State University

AAG 2007San Diego State University

Impacts of Virtual Globes for Impacts of Virtual Globes for Modern Cartography ResearchModern Cartography Research

Traditional 2D MapsTraditional 2D Maps 3D Virtual Globes3D Virtual Globes(link to video)

Differences Differences (Virtual Globes vs. 2D maps)(Virtual Globes vs. 2D maps)

• 3D Representation. (Multiple perspectives)

• Virtual Reality. (more similar to the real world)

• More dynamic and interactive (multiple layers and hyperlinks to multimedia – pictures, sounds, animations, 3D buildings).

• Easy to get lost --- difficult to control viewed areas. (Too many controls/buttons) – Flying an airplane… users need some training.

San Diego State University

• 3D Representation. (revisit Cartographic Design principles (such as Figure/Ground) in 3D environments)

• More dynamic and interactive (Need to define new rules for the dynamic layer managements)

• Virtual Reality. (display environment – super-large screen or CAVE environments. Super-small device for Pocket PC or cellular phone).

• Easy to get lost --- (Re-design the Graphic User Interface !!! Direct Manipulation !!! ).

New Directions for New Directions for Cartography ResearchCartography Research

San Diego State University

Cartographic MatrixCartographic Matrix

For the Virtual Globes and the Internet-For the Virtual Globes and the Internet-based Cartographybased Cartography (i-Cartography)(i-Cartography)

(original presented in 2004 AAG (original presented in 2004 AAG meeting, Ming-Hsiang Tsou)meeting, Ming-Hsiang Tsou)

San Diego State University

Basic Concepts • Formalize the cartographic design of Virtual

Globe Mapping with computational methods. (computational cartography?)

• Establish a coherent conceptual framework for dynamic multi-layer map display.

• Improve the 3D map representation in Internet GIS applications.

Figure / Background

San Diego State University

The Cartographic Matrix • Inspired by Brain J. L. Berry’s geographic matrix (1964) and Bertin’s Visual

variables (1967).

• Map Layer: Column, Cartographic variables : Row

Map Layers Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1

Census Track O (polygons) 6 Sequence N/A

Destroyed-Home P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3

Fire Perimeters O 4 Cyan N/A

Aerial Photos I (images) 5 Index

(Band 4, 3, 1) N/A

ThematicMapping(Theme)

Sub-cartographic studies (Figure / Ground)

Symbol Types

Cartographic Variables

Map Layers Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1Census Track O (polygons) 6 Sequence N/ADestroyed-Home P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3Fire Perimeters O 4 Cyan N/AAerial Photos I (images) 5 Index

(Band 4, 3, 1) N/A

Sub-cartographic studies (Color Scheme)

Symbol Types

Cartographic Variables

• Facilitate the cartographic design as an integrated unit (framework), rather than separated, isolated map layers.

• Explore the dynamic relationships between each layers for Internet mapping. (Is each layer independent or dependent to other layer?)

Converting Cartographic Rules into Computer Algorithms

Statements:All point layers should be above all polygon layers.

First-Order Logic:

Computer Program: number layout sequences (1:top, 2:second..)

polylayer(x).number = i pointlayer(y).number = jIf (i < j) then {

polylayer(x).number = jpointlayer(y).number = i}

yx, Above( PointLayer(x), PolyLayer(y) )

Cartographic Matrix for AnimationMap Layers Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1

Census Track O (polygons) 6 Sequence N/A

Destroyed-Home P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3

Fire Perimeters O 4 Cyan N/A

Aerial Photos I (images) 5

Index(Band 4, 3, 1)

N/A

Symbol Types

Day 1

Map Layers Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1

Census Track O (polygons) 6 Sequence N/A

Destroyed-Home P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3

Fire Perimeters O 4 Cyan N/A

Aerial Photos I (images) 5

Index(Band 4, 3, 1)

N/A

Symbol Types

Day 2

Map Layers Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1

Census Track O (polygons) 6 Sequence N/A

Destroyed-Home P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3

Fire Perimeters O 4 Cyan N/A

Aerial Photos I (images) 5

Index(Band 4, 3, 1)

N/A

Symbol Types

Day 3

Systematic Research Framework for future cartographic research

• Animation• 3D visualization• Color scheme• Figure/Ground• Layer transparency?• Sub-matrix?

Map Display in Extra-large or Extra-small screens)

• Automatically transform cartographic matrix for different map display devices (PDA, Pocket PC, cellular phones, large multi-screens display…)

Map Layers

Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1

Census Track

O (polygons) 6 Sequenc

e N/ADestroyed-Home

P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3Fire Perimeters

O 4 Cyan N/A

Aerial Photos I (images) 5

Index(Band 4, 3, 1)

N/A

Symbol Types

Original matrix

*Mobile Device

Conversionmatrix

=

Map Layers

Layer-sequence Color Size

Roads L (line) 3 Blue 1

Census Track

O (polygons) 6 Sequenc

e N/ADestroyed-Home

P (point) 1 Red 6

Highway L 2 Red 3Fire Perimeters

O 4 Cyan N/A

Aerial Photos I (images) 5

Index(Band 4, 3, 1)

N/A

Symbol Types

Original matrix

*Large Screen

Conversionmatrix

=

New Research Agenda for New Research Agenda for CartographyCartography

• Cartographic Matrix (computational cartography) –

– Dynamic map display/symbol changes– Display of extra-large, extra-small devices

• New methods for dissemination of maps and geospatial information (Virtual Globes in Video Games Console – Nintendo Wii).

• The design of direct manipulation user interfaces.

San Diego State University

Video Demo – Wii are the Masses!

Wii DemoWii DemoVirtual GlobesVirtual Globes

San Diego State University

Conclusion• New cartographic research directions needed

for the Virtual Globes

• Formalize cartographic rules with computational algorithms (Cartographic Matrix)

• New idea for the map user interface (Nintendo Wii Remote Example)

• Virtual Globes for the Masses!!! Internet GIS merged with Video Games!

San Diego State University

Slides and Movies Slides and Movies download download

Thank You

Q & A

• http://map.sdsu.edu/movies.htm

• http://map.sdsu.edu (select the [movie download] in the home page)(select the [movie download] in the home page)

Ming-Hsiang Tsou, Ph.D.Associate Professor

E-mail: mtsou@mail.sdsu.edu