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Hai-Etlik · 11-01-2014, 04:29 PM

I'll just weigh in to say that serious cartography is VERY hard.

I'm probably an example of at least a point of Cartography/TL8 as part of my job as a GIS Software Developer (I write the software used for presenting spatial data, as well as managing and analyzing it) This involves familiarity with projections, spheroidal geometry, symbology conventions, labeling (the true test of a pure cartographer), spatial data and the software used to work with it (Geographic Information Systems, my focus), some basic spatial analysis, and a familiarity with the particular thing being mapped (It's hard to make a hydrogeology map without knowing something about hydrogeology, or the aid of someone who does)

Many people see pretty maps and think, "I could draw that". Particularly those who do have some point in Artist. The result is often no better than a back of the napkin type map made much prettier and without the signs that it is highly inaccurate (and possibly signs that it is accurate in some way, often several contradictory ways)

Collecting, managing, analyzing, and presenting spatial data is the basis of an entire industry within which people have to develop focused skill sets and work together in order to accomplish anything due to the massive complexity of it all.

A simple connectedness map of a dungeon isn't hard, assuming you can figure out the connectedness in the first place. Taking raw information and creating a useful map beyond that level is hard. Getting the information you need from the information you have is very hard. Making sure that people understand the data being presented and don't misinterpret it is staggeringly difficult.

11-01-2014, 04:29 PM	#5
Hai-Etlik Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada	Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Cartography I'll just weigh in to say that serious cartography is VERY hard. I'm probably an example of at least a point of Cartography/TL8 as part of my job as a GIS Software Developer (I write the software used for presenting spatial data, as well as managing and analyzing it) This involves familiarity with projections, spheroidal geometry, symbology conventions, labeling (the true test of a pure cartographer), spatial data and the software used to work with it (Geographic Information Systems, my focus), some basic spatial analysis, and a familiarity with the particular thing being mapped (It's hard to make a hydrogeology map without knowing something about hydrogeology, or the aid of someone who does) Many people see pretty maps and think, "I could draw that". Particularly those who do have some point in Artist. The result is often no better than a back of the napkin type map made much prettier and without the signs that it is highly inaccurate (and possibly signs that it is accurate in some way, often several contradictory ways) Collecting, managing, analyzing, and presenting spatial data is the basis of an entire industry within which people have to develop focused skill sets and work together in order to accomplish anything due to the massive complexity of it all. A simple connectedness map of a dungeon isn't hard, assuming you can figure out the connectedness in the first place. Taking raw information and creating a useful map beyond that level is hard. Getting the information you need from the information you have is very hard. Making sure that people understand the data being presented and don't misinterpret it is staggeringly difficult.