Geographic Information System (GIS) Versus Cartographic Software (CAC)
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Novan HazardGeographic Information System (GIS) Versus Cartographic Software (CAC)
Uploaded by
Novan HazardGeographic Information System (GIS) versus Cartographic Software (CAC)
We can roughly sub-divide the software relevant for cartographiy into two groups:
'Geographic Information Systems' (GIS) and
'Computer Aided Cartography' software (CAC)
GIS programs generally provide a huge potential to store, manage and analyse referenced and
interconnected data. In contrast to GIS, CAC software is mainly used for high quality visualisation of
given spatial information. To achieve this, CAC users work with user-friendly graphic software with a
large number of special functions and tools.
GIS and CAC visualisation of spatial information example
Discover the difference between GIS and CAC visualisation of spatial information by rolling over the
following example with your mouse.
A. GIS visualisation of spatial information .
B. CAC visualisation of the same information.
Overview of CAC and GIS products
The number of computer programs for spatial data analysis and visualisation have increased during the
last decade. Within this learning unit, we will analyse the relationship and the differences between GIS
standard packages, GIS desktop software, desktop publishing software (DTP), Computer Aided Design
(CAD) and specialised mapping programs.
Overview of some CAC and GIS Software Products.
The following table gives a short overview of the main CAC and GIS Software Products.
GIS Cartographic Functionalities
Advantages and disadvantages of cartography using GIS
It is true that analysing data is the real power of GIS, but analysis is wasted if you can not communicate
your results. This is why more and more GIS includes some powerful cartographic tools. However, most
of them are not adapted to the user and often violate cartographic convention. Furthermore, when
analysing spatial data in a GIS, some temporary displays are quite often produced which are of course
not intended for map communication.
Advantage of cartography using GIS
The technology of GIS mapping has evolved a lot in the last 10 years. This is why the GIS user has
currently a wide range of functionalities and mapping tools at his disposal. Mapmakers which use GIS
are no longer limited to simple black-and-white, letter-size pages produced on an office printer. You
have now the choice of producing dazzling full-color paper maps from letter to poster size, high-quality
published map products, and interactive maps with a GIS. With GIS you can easily:
Create maps semi-automatically
Manage layers
Symbolise data
Label maps with text and graphics automatically
Layout and print maps
Work with styles and symbols
Look at data with graphs
Create reports
Query maps
Disadvantage of cartography using GIS
When creating a map, if the user does not indicate a projection and grid system, a number of GIS
software packages default to a “Plate Carree Projection”. „Plate Carree” is a projection which distorts
the shape, area, and scale as the displays moves away from the equator. And therefore, there are
countless examples of bad maps whose creators do not realise that they must indicate an appropriate
projection (the default projection is, of course, usually not the best. This is a classic problem by using GIS
for cartographic purposes: the user has not to understand the characteristics of the data or of the
mapping techniques used because the GIS automatically selects the default settings. This problem is
exactly the same for many other cartographic considerations like:
Classification: The classification tools included in most current GIS package allows quick and
easy classing schemes. This can lead to inappropriate choice, because no significant
experimentation is needed. Another factor to consider is the number of classes: the default
number of classes in GIS package is frequently too high: nine or ten, whereas five or six classes
are enough.
Text Placement: Labelling points, lines and polygons automatically is often imprecise or
cartographically false. Overposting (labelling for one feature placed on top of labelling for
another feature), bad polygon labelling (on left/centre/right) are other placement, are classic
errors.
Colour schemes: Often the default colour schemes are qualitative, this can be a real problem for
choropleth mapping (which use quantitative data).
Cartography functionalities using CAC
Cartography using CAC
The task of digital cartography is to realise a meaningful presentation and a perfectly readable choice,
for paper or electronic media distribution, of the GIS processed data. This is why an ergonomically
graphic software with a wide range of special cartographic functions must be available to the
mapmaker. As seen in the previous unit (GIS versus Cartographic Systems), many CAC systems exist. We
will now present you the most needed tools for mapmaking, and also show you the advantages and
disadvantages of cartography using CAC.
The most needed CAC tools for mapmaking
To depict the most needed CAC tools for mapmaking, we will have a look on the detailed functional
demands for a new digital cartographic production system realised at the Federal Office of Topography
in Switzerland:
Input of analog and digital map data
Visualisation of data on screen (WYSIWYG)
Internal coordinate system
Raster image manipulations
Vector manipulations
Editing of raster data (line art)
Editing of vector data
Hybrid processing of vector and raster data
Text processing
Processing of continuous tone data
Data output
Disadvantages of cartography using CAC
One of the main disadvantages of cartography using CAC is the loss of data attributes when importing
GIS data. Indeed, when moving geographic data in a CAC software, shapes will be held whereas all the
geographically critical aspects such as associated tables, coordinates, projections, scale and the resulting
relationships among the elements will be lost. Therefore, you will not be able to edit attribute data, or
undertake mathematical calculations on the attributes (for example, to calculate a percentage) of the
geographical data within a CAC software. Some other common problems when importing GIS data in
CAC software are:
The GIS designated colours, fills and strokes, line weights, pattern styles for fills and strokes,
fonts, etc. are quite often altered, or even lost.
Labelling using attributes from the layers associated tables is not possible.
The projection properties and parameters are lost.
Etc.
