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DEMANDS IN GIS POSED UPON CARTOGRAPHIC VISUALISATION
Stanislav Franges', Vesna Posloncec-Petric', Robert Zupan
"University of Zagreb, Faculty of Geodesy, Institute for Cartography
sfranges(@geof.hr, vesna.posloncec@geof.hr, rzupan@geof.hr
KEY WORDS: Cartographic Visualisation, GIS, Visualisation Tools, Demands Posed Upon Cartographic Visualisation
ABSTRACT:
The most important changes in modern cartography are associated with the development of computer technology and GIS,
animation, multimedia presentation, Internet, WWW etc. Regarding the function and using of cartographic presentation, the accent
has been given to cartographic visualisation. The paper emphasises the conditions that should be fulfilled in order to meet the
demands made on cartographic visualisation. In the paper it is pointed out through examples how demanding the cartographic
visualisation is because of demands posed in GIS.
1. INTRODUCTION
GIS is an information system about the entire Earth's space and
it is intended for a successful management of that space. This
information system encompasses therefore various professional
fields and activities. It enters geodesy, geology, agriculture,
forestry, water supply industry, planning and arrangement of
space, traffic and communication lines etc.
2. TASKS OF GIS
GIS started to develop for the purpose of being applied in
connection with environment. More recently, however, it is
applied more and more in other field as well. Social and
economic applications have grown more significantly lately,
and this development has been directed mostly by the
application of marketing in developed countries.
The task of every information system is to provide the basis for
users that gives them a possibility of making certain decision on
time. The information system is therefore a series of operations
that start with planning the operations, gathering the data and
over to saving and analysing these data.
In order to carry out various analysis it is mostly not enough
any more to have classical presentation on a paper map, but we
have to create GIS. Fundamental questions that can be
researched by means of GIS and answered are: Where is it? —
position, What is it like? — condition, What has been changed? —
trend, What is the best (the shortest, the quickest) way? — way,
According to what...? — pattern, and What if...? — modelling
(Figure 1). J
3. POSSIBILITIES OF GIS
GIS is the information system in which all data are geocoded.
Geocoded means determined with co-ordinates in some co-
ordinate system. It is most often the system of co-ordinates
(0, A) or rectangular co-ordinate system in a definite map
projection (Francula, 2002).
A number of phenomena and situations connected with space,
and hence, a number of objects with data that can be processed
by GIS is very big. One can say in general, that the contents of
91
TREND
What has been changed?
MODELLING POSITION
What if...? Where is it?
GIS
WAY CONDITION
What is the best? What is it like?
PATTERN
According to what...?
Figure 1. Fundamental questions that can be researched
by means of GIS and answered
GIS are very diverse. All data should be saved in a manner that
would enable immediate answers to questions and allow more
efficient updating, and GIS is the tool that offers all that. Since
GIS encompass maps and various other data sources, it is a
powerful tool for performing analytical studies and formulating
guidelines, applications and control (Figure 2).
GIS can be applied for solving various problems. Databases
searching can answer the question what is placed in a certain
position. On the contrary, we can demand the places to be found
that correspond to certain conditions. It is possible to find the
best way (the shortest, the fastest) between two places.
One can make a conclusion that the main characteristic of GIS
is the accent on analytical operations. The ability of GIS to
