Fig. 1 Combined image of an orthoimage and 
cartographic data 
that presents the real object’s situation (ortho image) combined 
with the cartographic (vector data) that has been derived from 
the digitization of a classic map (fig. 2). 
The video file is very impressive and can be used for several 
reasons to enhance the usability of a map. It provides a new 
perspective for the use of cartographic data. 
The path that the virtual camera will follow to capture the 
image sequence of the video can be constructed very easily 
43 Windows Media Player 
Fle View Play Tools Help 
  
using CAD-CAM techniques. However, the design of the 
camera path characterizes the use of the map since its creator 
can emphasize on some specific parts of the map. The path may 
follow a straight line, always facing in front and fly over the 
objects draped model, or it may follow a circular line and 
concentrate on a specific target point of the map, (ie. the 
capital of the prefecture that is imaged on the map). 
4. APPLICABILITY 
In our case the map that has been created illustrates the port, the 
capital and some of the monasteries of the Mt. Athos in Greece. 
Many fly over paths have been created emphasizing different 
parts of the map. In fig.3 the configuration of the camera's fly- 
over path is shown. The path follows a spiral line and the target 
point that the camera is always concentrated on, is the center of 
the map. This video file may be used for a virtual tour of a 
potential visitor over the Mt. Athos. The user of the video may 
also observe the distances between the monasteries and may 
also examine the difficulties that he will find during his future 
realistic visit. 
A very important aspect of the video file is the fact, that the 
objects’ scale mapped on the video is variable. Since the 
camera starts moving from a point far away of the objects and is 
approaching closer to them, the images of the video sequence 
browse these objects in greater scale as time passes. The non 
uniformity of a map’s scale, has been used before to emphasize 
some specific parts of the map’s region (Boutoura, Ch., et. al. 
1999). 
In most of the cases a map is presenting the imaged object from 
=| Playlist1 
  
Fig. 2. Using the Windows Media player the user can browse the video file of the virtual fly-over the map 
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