Introduction to
Computer
For better or worse the day the day of hand drawn computer maps
is coming to a close
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Introduction to
Computer
Computer Cartography is quickly replacing it
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Introduction to
Computer
There
are a LOT of reasons for this:
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- Better and cheaper computers
- Easy and powerfull Software
- Access to good color printers
- Easily accessible formats (JPEGs, PDF) to share
data and maps
-
Introduction to
Computer
And the maps themselves!!!:
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- Better Lineweight control
- Color!
- Typesetting
And most of all
- Correctable
- Updateable
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A quick overview of Computer Graphics
Computer
Cartography
Raster
Graphics
Vector
Grapics
Raster Graphics
is a grouped
collection of
individual dots
(pixels)
In vector
graphics, shapes
and lines are
described by
formulas
When areas are
picked and moved,
everything goes.
There is no
difference between
different parts
So individual
features can be
moved as a whole
Introduction to
Some popular graphics programs :
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Vector based software
Raster based software
- Freehand
- Macpaint
- Corel-Draw
- MS Paint
- Autocad
- Xara
Introduction to
Computer
So lets go through drawing a basic map in a graphics
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Introduction to
The first step, as for hand drawn maps, is to take your data
Computer
and reduce to a line plot
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Compass
Introduction to
Computer
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Using ‘normal’ hand
drafting techniques,
cover the lineplot with
mylar and pencil in
your details
Introduction to
Computer
Scan
your hand-drawn
draft into the
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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!
Introduction to
Import your scan into your graphics program – in this case Illustrator,
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and assemble the scans in the correct order
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Import using
place and
highlight your
scan
Place as many
as you have
Introduction to
Computer
Using
the pointer,
highlight your scans
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and
drag them until
they overlap correctly
You can rotate the
scan if they need to
be rotated
Introduction to
A few words about layers
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•Layers are one of the best features of a
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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
Introduction to
Computer
You can Lock the layer so it
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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
Introduction to
Computer
By
Default your scans will go into layer one.
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Click on it, and an options box will appear.
Rename it to base or scan, and dim it to 75%
Now lock it
Introduction to
Computer
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Call it walls
Click here to make new layer
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Should look something like this
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You can change
the zoom here –
zoom in a bit
Introduction to
Computer
Make sure the walls
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you draw in it)
Set the Stroke width to
1.5 pt (for the walls)
Set to no fill
Pick up the pencil tool
Introduction to
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Start to Draw, tracing your hand drawn map!
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Introduction to
Computer
Continue your tracing of
walls – making sure
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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
Introduction to
Computer
- Create a layer
called structure
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- 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!
Introduction to
Computer
Cartography
Do the same
thing with
details!
Introduction to
Computer
A finished map may have many layers
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