For better or worse the day the day of hand drawn computer maps is coming to a close
Mar 26, 2015
For better or worse the day the day of hand drawn computer maps
is coming to a close
Computer Cartography is quickly replacing it
There are a LOT of reasons for this:
- Better and cheaper computers
- Easy and powerfull Software
- Access to good color printers
- Easily accessible formats (JPEGs, PDF) to share data and maps
-
And the maps themselves!!!:
- Better Lineweight control
- Color!
- Typesetting
And most of all
- Correctable
- Updateable
A quick overview of Computer Graphics
Raster Graphics
Raster Graphics is a grouped collection of individual dots (pixels)
When areas are picked and moved, everything goes. There is no difference between different parts
Vector Grapics
In vector graphics, shapes and lines are described by formulas
So individual features can be moved as a whole
Some popular graphics programs :
- Freehand
- Corel-Draw
- Autocad
- Xara
- Macpaint
- MS Paint
Vector based software Raster based software
So lets go through drawing a basic map in a graphics
The first step, as for hand drawn maps, is to take your data and reduce to a line plot
Compass
Using ‘normal’ hand drafting techniques, cover the lineplot with mylar and pencil in your details
Scan your hand-drawn draft into the computer. Just about any format is ok – JPEG for example.
Make sure that you scan at enough resolution to capture all your detail!
If you cannot get the entire hand draft onto the scanner at once, scan in sections – make sure there is enough overlap!
Import your scan into your graphics program – in this case Illustrator, and assemble the scans in the correct order
Import using place and highlight your scan
Place as many as you have
Using the pointer, highlight your scans and drag them until they overlap correctly
You can rotate the scan if they need to be rotated
A few words about layers
•Layers are one of the best features of a graphics program, and most (if not all) modern products have layers
•Layers act like separate pieces of mylar. You can draw on several pieces and then combine them together for the whole
•We use layers to separate types of features, to make it easier to work on specific groups at a time
•We tend to use separate layers for • Walls• Structural • Details• Typesetting• Scan• Among other things
You can Lock the layer so it doesn’t move, or get changed
You can make layers invisible, or show them. Making layers invisible can help you work on other layers
Make a new layer with this button
By Default your scans will go into layer one. Click on it, and an options box will appear. Rename it to base or scan, and dim it to 75%
Now lock it
Click here to make new layer
Call it walls
Should look something like this
You can change the zoom here – zoom in a bit
Make sure the walls layer is highlighted (so you draw in it)
Set the Stroke width to 1.5 pt (for the walls)
Pick up the pencil tool
Set to no fill
Start to Draw, tracing your hand drawn map!
Continue your tracing of the walls – making sure you get all of them.
A few hints
- If you stop drawing, you can restart by putting your pen over the end of a highlighted section
- Zoom in enough to see all your detail clearly. You can use the zoom button
- You can move the drawing around with the hand button
- Create a layer called structure
- Change the pen width to 1pt
- Zoom in to make sure you see the detail clearly
- Make sure the structure layer is highlighted
- Pick up the pen and start drawing!
Do the same thing with details!
A finished map may have many layers