CVE415 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

SYSTEM (GIS)
VISUALISATION

Tina D. Wemegah (PhD)

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 Visualization
• Data visualization (also termed
information visualization refers to the
methodologies, tools, and modes of
representation involved in the process of
visually communicating data to others
• Data can be visually communicated in many
ways, ranging from a simple table of numbers to
complex and highly sophisticated charts and
interactive graphics.
• In GIS and Remote Sensing, the data
visualization is frequently presented in maps
and web applications.
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Visualisation is a process for putting (complex)
images into minds. Example:
– the shape of a mountain - conveyed by contours
– pattern of growth of an urban area - may need
animation to show changes through time
effectively
– air-flows over a patch of terrain - needs 3-D
capabilities plus animation to show true pattern
of directions, speeds of flow
– movements of people in an area - needs ability
to generalize individual movements into
meaningful aggregate patterns 3
 Data output methods and devices.

Methods Devices
Hardcopy (paper) • printer
• plotter (pen plotter, ink-jet printer, thermal
transfer printer, electrostatic plotter)
• film writer
Softcopy • computer screen (CRT) by use of softwares
Output of digital data sets such as ArcView and ArcGIS
• magnetic tape
• CD ROM
• network

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Time series

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 Visualization Process
• The visualization process is the
transformation of ‘raw facts’ (that is data),
which is stored as spatial database in the
computer into output results.
• The input data is basically from
measurements, which is the initial step.
• The output is the pictorial interpretation of
the input data.
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 Visualization Process
The visualization process is guided by the cartographic grammar, The cartographic
Communication process, based on “How do I say what to whom, and is it effective?”

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 Visualization Process
• "How" refers to cartographic methods and techniques.
• "I" represents the cartographer or the mapmaker,
• "Say" deals with communicating in graphics the semantics
of the spatial data.
• "What" refers to the spatial data and its characteristics. i.e.
the knowledge of the correct symbols to represent the
information in the map.
• "Whom" refers to the map audience and the purpose of
the map – a map for scientists requires a different approach
than a map on the same topic aimed at children.”
• “Effective” indicates whether the map portrays or presents
what it is intended for. To test the effectiveness of your map
is to ask others to read and interpret a draft of your map.

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 Factors influencing visualization process
• The visualization process is always influenced by several
factors :
– Are we dealing with large- or small-scale data? This
introduces the problem of generalization.
Generalization addresses the meaningful reduction
of the map content during scale reduction.
– Are we dealing with topographic or thematic data?
These two categories traditionally results in different
design approaches
– More important for the design is the question of
whether the data to be represented are of a
quantitative or qualitative nature. 9
 Generalisation
• The process of reducing the amount of detail in a map (or
database) in a meaningful way’. Objectives are :
– How much to simplify the situation being depicted?; and
– How to symbolize the relationships being represented?

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Generalisation

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 Thematic and Topographic Data
• A topographic map visualizes, limited by its scale, the
Earth’s surface as accurately as possible. Topographic
maps are general purpose which shows the visible
features of the landscape such as relief, water bodies
and roads.
• This may include infrastructure (e.g., railroads and
roads), land use (e.g., vegetation and built-up area),
relief, hydrology, geographic names and a reference
grid.
• Thematic maps represent the distribution of particular
themes/element/subject. Thematic maps are special
purpose where the emphasis is placed on a particular
element.
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Topographic map Thematic map

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 Quantitative or Qualitative Data
• Data will be of a qualitative or quantitative
nature. Qualitative data is also called nominal
data.
• Nominal data exist of discrete, named values
without a natural order amongst the values.
– Examples are the different languages (e.g., English,
Swahili, Dutch), the different soil types (e.g., sand,
clay, peat) or the different land use categories (e.g.,
arable land, pasture)
• In the map, qualitative data are classified
according to disciplinary insights such as a soil
classification system. 16
 Quantitative or Qualitative Data
• Quantitative data can be measured, either
along an interval or ratio scale.

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Quantitative or Qualitative Data

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 How to map qualitative data
• If one, after a long fieldwork period, has finally
delineated the boundaries of a province’s
watersheds, one likely is interested in a map
showing these areas.
• The geographic units in the map will have to
represent the individual watersheds.
• In such a map, each of the watersheds should
get equal attention, and none should
• stand out above the others.
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The application of colour would be the best solution since is has characteristics
that allow one to quickly differentiate between different geographic units.
However, since none of the watersheds is more important than the others, the
colours used have to be of equal visual weight or brightness

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Two examples of wrongly designed qualitative maps:
(a) misuse of tints of black;
(b) misuse of bright colours

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 How to map quantitative data
• When, after executing a census, one would for instance
like to create a map with the number of people living in
each district, one deals with absolute quantitative data.
• The geographic units will logically be the districts. The
final map should allow the user to determine the
amount per district and also offer an overview of the
geographic distribution of the phenomenon.

• To reach this objective, the symbols used should have

quantitative perception properties.

• Symbols varying in size fulfill this demand

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Population for different regions

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• Poorly designed maps displaying absolute quantitative data:
(a) wrong use of green tints for absolute population
(b) incorrect use of colour

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 Graphic/visual variables
• Six categories called the visual variables can be
distinguished and this may be applied to point,
line and area symbols.
• size,
• (lightness) value,
• texture,
• colour,
• orientation
• shape.

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 Size
• This refers to how large the symbol is
• It conveys quantitative difference
• The size of a label or symbol is how much space it
occupies on a map.
• Size differences are relatively easy to recognize,
making it a useful variable.
• The size of symbols can convey information, such
as a quantitative amount of something, or can be
used to attract a viewer's attention (i.e., raising it
in the Visual hierarchy.
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 Colour
• Colour is the visual perceptual property
corresponding in humans to the categories
called red, green, blue, and others.
• Humans generally perceive three aspects of
color: hue (the commonly-named colors of the
rainbow), saturation (the intensity or brightness
of a color), and value (the lightness or darkness
of a color

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 Value
• Value is the lightness or darkness of a symbol
• Its very important visually - the eye tends to be led by patterns
of light and dark
• usually used to represent quantitative differences
• Tradition suggests darker symbols should mean "more" -
however this may reverse on dark backgrounds which are
common on computer displays - on dark backgrounds, lighter
may mean "more“
• As an aspect of color, value refers to how light or dark an
object appears on a map.
• Value effectively conveys a feeling of "more" and "less," an
ordinal measure; this makes it a very useful form of symbology
in thematic maps, especially choropleth maps.
• Value contributes strongly to Visual hierarchy; elements that
contrast most with the value of the background tend to stand
out most (e.g., black on a white sheet of paper, white on a
black computer screen).
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 Texture
• Texture refers to the aggregate pattern
made up of many individual symbols.
• For example, a dense network of lines
representing streets could collectively
convey the concept Urban Area.
• An evenly spaced lattice of green dots
could mean Orchard, while a random
distribution of the same green dots could
mean Forest.
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 Orientation
• Orientation refers to the direction labels and
symbols are facing on a map.
• Although it is not used as often as many of the
other visual variables, it can be useful for
communicating information about the real-
world orientation of features.
• Common examples include wind direction and
the direction in which a spring flows.

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 Shape
• A shape is a simple design that is used to symbolize an attribute on a
map.
• They reference a location with a certain attribute.
• Different shapes generally correspond with different attributes.
• For example if a map of a city has a red cross on it then, most people
will assume that there is some sort of medical services provided at that
location.
• Another example would be a star on the map that denotes that a
particular location is of some importance to the reader.
• Shapes come in many different varieties and should be used in simple
symbology as not to confuse the viewer.
• Generally, shapes are also easily recognized in contrast with one
another.
• Some aspects of shape are inherent to the phenomenon being
portrayed and may not be easily manipulable, especially in line and
region symbols, such as the shape of a road or a country.
• In line and region symbols, shape can also play a role as part of a
pattern, such as a region filled with tree icons.

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 Position
• The position of map elements is important in
cartography.
• Absolute location on a map cannot be altered,
but the position of labels and information can
affect the viewer's perception of a map.
• Example you cannot alter the position of a
control point but can alter the label
representing the control point.

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 Identify the visual variable
Size Value Texture Orientation Colour Shape

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 Visualizing time series (4th Dimension)
Mapping change;
example of the urban growth
of the city of Maastricht,
The Netherlands:
(a) Single map, in which tints show
age of the built-up
(b) series of maps;
(c) simulation of an
animation.
Animated map Change is
perceived to happen in a single
image by displaying several
snapshots after each
other just like a video cut with
successive frames.
The difference with the series
of maps is that the variation is
deduced not from a spatial
sequence but from real
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‘change’ in the image itself
ANIMATED MAP VIDEO

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 Map cosmetics
• Maps need cosmetics which are information needed for them
to be fully understood.
• Each map should have, next to the map image, a title,
informing the user about the topic visualized.
• A legend is necessary to understand how the topic is depicted.
• Additional marginal information to be found on a map is a
scale indicator
• a north arrow for orientation,
• the map projection used,
• some bibliographic data.
– The bibliographic data should give the user an idea when the map
was created, how old the data used are, who has created the map
and
– even what tools were used.
– All this information allows the user to obtain an impression of the
quality of the map. 49
Map cosmetics

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 Class assignment
• What types of data are there in Civil
Engineering.
• Classify them under either Quantitative or
Qualitative
• Classify them under nominal, ordinal, interval
and ratio

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