What we do
Cartographic animations – dynamic sequences of electronic maps that convey on a computer screen the dynamics and movement of depicted objects and phenomena in time and space (e.g. movement of precipitation, movement of vehicles, etc.).
We often see these animations in our everyday lives, for instance, television weather maps, which clearly show the movement of fronts, areas of high and low pressure, atmospheric precipitation.
All kinds of sources are used to create animation: remote sensing data, economic-statistical data, direct field observation data (for example, various descriptions, geological profiles, observations of weather stations, census materials, etc.). Dynamic (moving) images of cartographic objects can be different:
- moving the whole map across the screen and individual content elements across the map; - changing the appearance of symbols (size, colour, shape, brightness, internal structure). For example, settlements can be shown as pulsating punctuations, etc.; - animated map-frame sequences or three-dimensional images. In this way it is possible to show the dynamics of melting glaciers and the dynamics of erosion processes;
- panning, rotation of computer images; - zooming in the image, using the "zoom in" or "zoom out" effect object; - creating the effect of movement over the map (circling, circling around the area). The animations can be flat and three-dimensional, stereoscopic, and can also be combined with a photo image. Three-dimensional animations combined with a photo image are called virtual maps (the illusion of real terrain is created).
Techniques for creating virtual images can vary. As a rule, first, a digital model is created using a topographic map, aerial or space image, followed by a three-dimensional image of the area. This is then coloured into the colours of the hypsometric scale and then used as a real model.
Digital mapping of terrain
As a result of the topographic-geodesic production automation a new trend appeared – the digital mapping of the terrain.
Digital mapping as a part of topographic-geodesic manufacture means the technological process combining the collection and processing of digital topographic information, computer generation of digital terrain model, its storage, maintenance and updating by means of a computer database, getting on this model of various analytical and graphic materials in accordance with the requirements.
In scientific terms, digital mapping is a new method, which is fundamentally different from traditional analogue methods and is designed to create a digital terrain model (DTM). Topographic plans and maps are regarded as its derivatives. Users of topographic and geodesic information are able to receive not one universal document (topographic map or plan), which requires additional processing, but a number of materials of different content and form, which are necessary for solution of specific tasks. This approach meets the needs of various branches of economy in topographic and geodesic and cartographic materials and gives a great economic effect due to their multiple and multi-purpose use.
Scientific and technical literature and normative documents provide notions of digital terrain models, electronic, digital maps, digital topographic maps, and their various classifications.
Digital maps (DC) in vector format are the most common type of digital maps. They were created (at the end of the last century) using digitizer technology with manual tracing or by scanning the originals with subsequent vectorization (at present), using software tools – vectorizers. An alternative approach is a raster digital map created by scanning topographic maps.
A vector-based DEM has a number of advantages. Nevertheless, practice shows that if there is no need for a vector base, limited financial resources and for other reasons, a raster copy of the topographic map (plan) can be used.