GEOLOGICAL MAP PRODUCTION USING GIS SOFTWARE 
Gary Labelle, Paul Huppe, 
Vic Dohar, and Mario Methot 
Geoscience Information and Communications Division 
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada 
601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0E8 
KEY WORDS: GIS, Cartography, Geology, Topography, Scanning, Digitizing, Hardware, Software 
ABSTRACT 
Our primary goal is to produce geological maps using digital outlines of geology from AutoCad, FieldLog, scanned 
images, and other systems, incorporate digital base map information with geology, add text, line work, symbols, surround 
information, and output the results on colour electrostatic plotters and film imaging systems. Work has included the 
development of routines to handle external digital sources of base data, development of archiving procedures, 
cartographic editing routines, CMYK colour modelling specifications, font handling procedures, and plotting procedures to 
obtain hard copy output from postscript files. 
CARTOGRAPHY SECTION 
The section's map production procedures are based on 
the Environmental Systems Research Institute's (ESRI) 
ARC/INFO 6.1.1 computer assisted mapping and 
geographic information management system. The 
primary platform used is the SUN SPARC2 work station. 
Work stations are linked in a Local Area Network (LAN). 
This configuration offers the optimum combination of 
digital mapping applications, workstation performance, 
and network environment. 
ARC/INFO software links cartographic data in vector files 
(ARC) with attribute information (INFO). ARC and INFO 
are both independent and fully integrated. Data files can 
be separately manipulated, and updating one system 
automatically updates appropriate data in the other 
system. 
Routines and expertise that will greatly facilitate future 
map production is continually being developed in 
cooperation with the Computer Technology Section. 
These routines, menus or graphical user interfaces (GUI), 
include procedures for creating a watermask, labelled 
neatline, key maps, legends, scale bars, and streamlining 
routine tasks such as attributing geological polygons and 
adding complex structural symbols by providing AML 
routines to prompt and present logical choices. Symbol 
libraries for various fault types, colour tables for shading 
polygons, and geological symbols are being created or 
imported from other systems and stored in our symbol 
library. 
THE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY SECTION 
The Computer Technology Section provides expertise by 
testing and evaluating hard copy output procedures, 
developing aids to import external digital data sources, 
and advice on the acquisition and future direction for 
automation. 
WORKING WITH DIGITAL TOPOGRAPHIC BASES 
Users should acquire digital base imagery from a 
recognized cartographic mapping institution such as 
NRCan, provincial mapping agencies, and private sector 
companies with a good track record for supplying quality 
digital mapping imagery. If you change the data resolution 
by generalizing or weeding out vertices to make the base 
digital imagery more manageable on PC based systems, 
be sure to retain the original copies for Cartography to 
bring the imagery back up to pre-press quality. Publication 
submissions should include digital bases and geological 
outlines. We will mix traditional and digital technologies to 
produce hard copy maps. 
PREPARING HARD COPY MANUSCRIPTS 
FOR DIGITAL PRODUCTION 
A. Ink all geological contacts and faults on a photolysis 
image or a matte film overlay using drafting pens as 
follows: 
- . Contacts (4000 pen); Faults (42 pen). 
- Ink density should be as black as possible, 
linework should be sharp, clean and unbroken. 
294 
  
Cal 
afte 
Cor 
ink 
the 
be | 
Clo 
wal 
= Tie 
B. Structu 
placed ( 
C Any ad 
boxes, 
separat 
D. Compile 
and incl 
latitude 
1:250 € 
degree 
smaller- 
is carel 
overlay 
and a ! 
Maximu 
PREPAF 
DIGI 
It is sometin 
imagery to 
registered | 
converted c 
available, ar 
Cartograph 
possible. L 
add new or 
vectorized ir 
PREPARII 
This can be 
cartographe 
used on ge 
only just be 
Symbol mus 
that it beco 
rotated at a 
ARC/INFO 
"marker sy: 
author can s 
type, and a 
the symbol 
other GS( 
accumulate 
Considerabl 
he library of 
it will require 
into a digita 
digital symb