University of Palestine
Faculty of Applied Engineering and Urban
Planning
GIS Course
Visualization
1st Semester 2013/2014
GIS and maps
The relation between maps and GIS is rather intense.
Maps can be used as input for a GIS.
They can be used to communicate results of GIS
operations, and maps are tools while working with GIS to
execute and support spatial analysis operations.
GIS and maps
As soon as a question contains a phrase like “where?”
a map can be the most suitable tool to solve the question
and provide the answer.
The map scale is the ratio between a distance on the map
and the corresponding distance in reality.
Maps that show much detail of a small area are called
large-scale maps.
Measurement
• The four measurements and their definitions are:
1. Nominal Qualitative measurements (name, type, state)
2. Ordinal Quantitative measurements with a clear order, but
without a defined 0 value (small, medium, large)
3. Interval Quantitative measurements with a defined
beginning point (temperature, height, distance)
4. Ratio Quantitative measurements that provide a
relationship between two properties where the 0 value
indicates the absence of the relationship (particulates
mg/m3, time to cover a distance, dissolved oxygen in a liter
of water)
Map Definition
Map can be defined as
“A representation or abstraction of geographic
reality. A tool for presenting geographic
information in a way that is visual, digital or
tactile.
Nowadays, maps are often produced through a GIS. If one
wants to use a GIS to tackle a particular geo-problem, this often
involves the combination and integration of many different data
sets.
The visualization process
The cartographic visualization process is
considered to be the translation or conversion of
spatial data from a database into graphics.
To enable the translation from spatial data into
graphics, we assume that the data are available
and that the spatial database is well-structured .
The visualization process
The visualization process
The visualization process is always influenced by
several factors, as can be illustrated by just
looking at the content of a spatial database:
• Are we dealing with large- or small-scale data?
This introduces the problem of generalization.
Generalization addresses the meaningful
reduction of the map content during scale
reduction.
The visualization process
• Are we dealing with topographic or thematic
data? These two categories traditionally resulted
in different design approaches.
• More important for the design is the question of
whether the data to be represented are of a
quantitative or qualitative nature.
Thematic Map Representation
Thematic Maps are those map that represent geographic
distribution of a specific phenomena
Thematic maps show us the weather forecast,
election results, poverty, soil types, and the spread of a
virus.
How can I map my data?
There are six categories, which he called the visual
variables and which may be applied to point, line and
area symbols. They are
• size,
• (lightness) value,
• texture,
• color,
• orientation and
• shape.
Texture refers to
the frequency of
tonal change
Hue refers to the
names that we
give to colors.
Qualitative data
The application of colour would be the best solution since
is has characteristics that allow one to quickly differentiate
between different geographic units.
Qualitative data
since none of the watersheds is more important than the
others, the colors used have to be of equal visual weight
or brightness.
Quantitative data
The final map should allow the user to determine the
value per feature and also offer an overview of the
geographic distribution of the phenomenon.
To reach this objective, the symbols used should have
quantitative perception properties.
Symbols varying in size fulfill this demand.
Quantitative data
Quantitative data
Relative Quantitative data
The numbers now have a clear relation with the area
they represent.
Relative Quantitative data
Visualization of Terrain Elevation
Terrain Elevation can be visualized by:
(a) contour map;
(b) Map with layer tints;
(c) Shaded relief map;
(d) 3D view of the terrain
Visualization of a Map with Time
Series
Can be visualized by:
(a) Single map, in which tints represent age of the built-up
area;
(b) series of maps;
(c) animation.
Single static map
Specific graphic variables and symbols are used
to indicate change or to represent an event.
Figure applies colour tints to represent the age
of the built-up areas;
Series of static maps
A single map in the series represents a ‘snapshot’ in time.
Together, the maps depict a process of change. Change is
perceived by the succession of individual maps depicting
the situation in successive snapshots.
It could be said that the temporal sequence is represented
by a spatial sequence, which the user has to follow, to
perceive the temporal variation. The number of images is,
however, limited since it is difficult for the human eye to
follow long series of maps
Animated map Change
is perceived to happen in a single image by displaying
several snapshots after each other just like a video cut with
successive frames. The difference with the series of maps is
that the variation is deduced not from a spatial sequence
but from real ‘change’ in the image itself.
Map Cosmetics
Each map should have, next to the map image:
A title, informing the user about the topic visualized.
A legend is necessary to understand how the topic is depicted.
Additional marginal information to be found on a map is a scale
indicator, A north arrow for orientation, the map projection used,
and some bibliographic data.
Map Cosmetics
The bibliographic data should give the user an idea
• when the map was created,
• how old the data used are,
•who has created the map and
•even what tools were used.
this information allows the user to obtain an impression of the
quality of the map.
Map Cosmetics
