Table Of ContentSeries Editor D. R. F. TAYLOR
A D V I S O RY B O A RD
J. T. COPPOCK,
J-P GRELOT,
Institut Geographie National, Paris, France
HU YUJU,
Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping,
People's Republic of China
T. KANAKUBO,
Japan Map Center, Tokyo, Japan
J. L. MORRISON,
US Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, USA
B. RYSTEDT,
National Land Survey, Gavle, Sweden
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Geographic Information Systems
The Microcomputer and Modern Cartography
Edited by
D. R. FRASER TAYLOR
Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
PERGAMON PRESS
Member of Maxwell Macmillan Pergamon Publishing Corporation
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Geographic information systems: the microcomputer
and modern cartography/edited by D. R. Fraser Taylor,
p. cm.
1. Geographic information systems. I. Taylor, D. R. F.
(David Ruxton Fraser), 1937-
G70.2.G46 1991 910'.285—dc20 90-7762
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Geographic information systems: the microcomputer
and modern cartography.
1. Geography. Applications of microcomputer systems
I. Taylor, D. R. Fraser (David Ruxton Fraser) 1937-
910.285416
ISBN 0-08-040278-X Hardcover
ISBN 0-08-040277-1 Flexicover
Printed in Great Britain by B.P.C.C. Wheatons Ltd., Exeter
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MY
FATHER, DAVID R. TAYLOR, WHO DIED IN MAY 1989
Preface
THE PURPOSE of this book is to consider the impact of two important
technological changes on the discipline of cartography. The first is the
technology of Geographic Information Systems which, in turn, has been
made more feasible by the dramatic impact of the microcomputer
revolution. Both of these have had a fundamental impact on cartography at
all stages from data gathering to data presentation and use. These are
considered in a systematic fashion in the chapters of this book.
Many individuals have helped in the preparation of this book, but special
thanks must go to Eleanor Thomson and Barbara George for editorial and
administrative assistance, and to Carleton University for providing research
and administrative facilities without which the book could never have been
written.
Ottawa, May 1990 D. R. FRASER TAYLOR
vii
List of Figures
1.1 A GIS family tree (after McLaughlin and Coleman 1989) 7
1.2 A conceptual basis for cartography 14
2.1 The total station survey system 25
2.2 GPS positioning system 25
2.3 Analytical photogrammetric workstation 28
2.4 A comparison of spectral sensitivities (modified from
Lillesand and Kiefer 1987) 30
3.1 Graphics system block diagram 42
3.2 9x14 character box 48
3.3 Text mode memory pointers 48
5.1 Levels of data abstraction 71
5.2 Examples of cartographic data types 75
5.3 Basic classes of geographic data models 77
5.4 The "Spaghetti" data model (from Dangermond 1982) 78
5.5 The Topological data model (from Dangermond 1982) 80
5.6 Graphic elements of a GBF/DIME file 81
5.7 Contents of a sample DIME file record 82
5.8 (a) The POLYVRT data model, (b) The POLYVRT data
structure 83
5.9 Computer map and the resulting chaincoded lines (adapted
from Freeman 1974) 85
5.10 Four- and sixteen-directional chaincoding schemes 86
5.11 The three regular tessellations 87
xi
XÜ LIST OF FIGURES
5.12 A regular triangulated network representing surface data
(adapted from Bengtsson and Nordbeck 1964) 88
5.13 The three regular tessellations in recursively subdivided
form 89
5.14 A quadtree data model 89
5.15 A triangulated irregular network (TIN) 91
7.1 Components of an expert system (adapted from Browns ton
et al. 1985, p. 6) 133
7.2 The map design process (from Mark and Buttenfield 1988,
p. 417) 135
7.3 Role of expert systems in map design (revised from Mark
and Buttenfield 1988) 145
9.1 An unclassed bivariate choropleth map created using a line
plotter. Depicted is the relationship between median asking
price for homes and percent of homes lacking plumbing—
Wisconsin, 1980 (from Carstensen 1986a, p. 36) 174
9.2 The dot matrix method for portraying continuous data.
Shown here are snowfall totals for Michigan's lower
peninsula, 1978-79 (from Groop and Smith 1982a, p. 128) 175
9.3 Unit-vector density map of average May surface winds over
the coterminous United States (from Lavin and Cerveny
1987, p. 136) 177
9.4 Nested value-by-area cartogram showing southwestern
Pennsylvania land use by county, with cartograms adjusted
to consider perception (from Cuff^r al. 1984, p. 6) 179
9.5 Choropleth maps created using Miller's Great American
History Machine. In (a) two variables (proportion of white
in their 20s and 30s and proportion of slaves in the
population) for the same time period are compared, while in
(b) a single variable (proportion of whites in their 20s and
30s, 1840) is compared with a map of physical features (from
Miller 1988, p. 29) 182
9.6 Automated methods for mapping migration. Figure (a)
illustrates the gross migration to and from California from
1965-70. Figure (b) illustrates two methods for portraying
net migration. In the first case migration arrows are shown
between origin and destination, while in the second the
arrows are rerouted to pass through adjacent places (from
Tobler 1987, pp. 160-162) 185
LIST OF FIGURES Xlii
9.7 Displays illustrating true 3D capability. Shown are two
views of a zone of hypothetical subsurface PCB
contamination: (a) a sliced cube, (b) an iso-surface display
(from Smith and Paradis 1989, pp. 332-333) 188
9.8 Modifying the statistical brush for geographic purposes.
The rectangular brush can be seen in the scatterplot in row 2,
column 1, encompassing the fifteen states with the lowest
percentages of cable penetration. The states are highlighted
in all six scatterplots and on the map beneath them (from
Monmonier 1989, p. 83) 190
10.1 From mainframe to micro: the software path 208
10.2 Population of French origin in North America 209
10.3 Population of French origin in Southeast U.S. 209
10.4 Population speaking French at home in Southeast U.S. 210
10.5 Flag of one of the French communities in North America
(Louisiana) 210
10.6 Navigation buttons controlling the access to the different
parts of the atlas 211
10.7 Navigation matrix for mines and minerals 213
10.8 Mines and minerals à la carte: selected images, (a) General
description of gold, (b) Production process of gold, (c)
Location of gold mines in Canada, (d) Description of copper
producers in Timmins, Ontario, (e) Zoom on the Abitibi
region, (f) Evolution in the production of gold in Canada 217
10.9 Mines and minerals: the software 218
10.10 Mines and minerals: the navigation buttons 218
11.1 Vehicle navigation systems 226
11.2 Dead reckoning (Heintz and Knoll 1986) 227
11.3 Variation in direction (Neukirchner and Zechnall 1986) 228
11.4 Simple and aggregated objects 232
List of Tables
3.1 CG A Video Modes 50
3.2 CGA Text Attribute Byte 50
3.3 CGA Colour Attributes 51
3.4 Monochrome Attributes 51
3.5 Colours 52
3.6 Turbo Pascal CGA Palettes 52
3.7 TMS34010 Drawing Speeds 55
3.8 Matrox PG-1024 Specifications 58
3.9 Workstation Specifications 58
6.1 Microcomputer Mapping Software 117
10.1 List and Presentation Forms of Subjects in the Micro-Atlas
"Mines et minéreaux à la carte" (Mines and Minerais à la
carte) 214
xiv
About the Authors
D. R. Fraser Taylor is Professor of Geography and International Affairs,
Associate Dean (International) of Graduate Studies and Research and
Director of Carleton International at Carleton University in Ottawa. He
received his academic training at the Universities of Edinburgh and London
in the United Kingdom. His research interests in cartography are mainly in
the area of applied computer-assisted cartography, a field in which he has
published widely. He also has a deep interest in Third World development
problems. His most recent major book contributions are The Computer in
Contemporary Cartography, Wiley, 1980; Development from Above and
Below, The Dialectics of Regional Planning in Developing Nations (with
W. B. Stohr), Wiley, 1981; Graphic Communication and Design in Contem-
porary Cartography, Wiley, 1983; and Education and Training in Contem-
porary Cartography, Wiley, 1985. Dr. Taylor has twice been elected
President of the Canadian Cartographic Association. In 1984 he was elected
Vice-President of the International Cartographic Association, and Presi-
dent in 1987. He was also elected President of the International Union of
Surveying and Mapping in 1989.
Yves Brousseau received an M.A. in Geography from Laval University,
Quebec City, in 1989. He is the first author of the micro-atlas La
Francophonie nord-americane à la carte, which was part of his M.A. thesis.
He is currently working in Cameroon for a private firm engaged in natural
resources development.
Barbara P. Buttenfield is an Assistant Professor and Director of the GIA
Lab in the Department of Geography at the State University of New York at
Buffalo where she teaches courses in computer and analytical cartography,
cartographic design and map animation. She is a research scientist at the
National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). Her
research interests include map generalization, scale-dependent geometry
and development of knowledge base concepts for mapping. Dr. Buttenfield
is a member of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping
(ACSM), the Canadian Cartographic Association (CCA), the North
XV
