|
Mapping Hacks
Since the dawn of creation, man has designed maps to help
identify the space that we occupy. From Lewis and Clark's
pencil-sketched maps of mountain trails to Jacques
Cousteau's sophisticated charts of the ocean floor, creating
maps of the utmost precision has been a constant pursuit.
So why should things change now?
Well,
they shouldn't. The reality is that map creation, or
"cartography," has only improved in its ease-of-use over
time. In fact, with the recent explosion of inexpensive
computing and the growing availability of public mapping
data, mapmaking today extends all the way to the ordinary PC
user.
Mapping Hacks, the latest page-turner from O'Reilly Press,
tackles this notion head on. It's a collection of one
hundred simple--and mostly free--techniques available to
developers and power users who want draw digital maps or
otherwise visualize geographic data. Authors Schuyler Erle,
Rich Gibson, and Jo Walsh do more than just illuminate the
basic concepts of location and cartography, they walk you
through the process one step at a time.
Mapping Hacks shows you where to find the best sources of
geographic data, and then how to integrate that data into
your own map. But that's just an appetizer. This
comprehensive resource also shows you how to interpret and
manipulate unwieldy cartography data, as well as how to
incorporate personal photo galleries into your maps. It
even provides practical uses for GPS (Global Positioning
System) devices--those touch-of-a-button street maps
integrated into cars and mobile phones. Just imagine: If
Captain Kidd had this technology, we'd all know where to
find his buried treasure!
With all of these industrial-strength tips and tools,
Mapping Hacks effectively takes the sting out of the digital
mapmaking and navigational process. Now you can create your
own maps for business, pleasure, or entertainment--without
ever having to sharpen a single pencil.
|
