Mod 6

Once again, I'm having trouble with blogger. I transfer the files from work, so that may have something to do with it. I also touch up stuff in AI, and none of that shows. I'll post again tomorrow from my work computer to see if I can get it all to show up.

Mod 5, Unclassified

I've emailed copies of both classified and unclassified to Trisha. I don't know why this is happening, but my colors are reversed when I upload the images to the blog. There isn't text, title, north arrow, or scale either. I'm uncertain why this is happening, but I've spent the last 20 minutes trying different ways to do it. Please grade the emailed images!

Mod 5, Classified

Mod 4

By utilizing image rectification, an analyst can take an image that does not have projection info, and effectively lay it over another image that has a stated projection. While modern imagers (even consumer cameras) have the ability to add GPS data to an image, this is a new technology. The ability to rectify any image can aid historical research projects. Areal photographs taken from airplanes or hot air balloons can now have projection info added to them. This will allow researchers to accurately study an area for changes to agriculture or wilderness or to determine old property lines.

There is also the possibility to inaccurately rectify an image, either through a lazy analyst or poor image quality. If this is done, decisions can be made that are based on data that is inaccurate and therefore misleading. Caution would be needed, as well as other outlets of information, in order to make informed decisions based on image rectification.

Mod 3

Roads—Road are retaining more heat from the previous day compared to the surrounding area, hence the lighter color.

Natural and man-made vegetation—The vegetation has lost a lot of heat as it does not retain as much thermal energy throughout the evening.

Sidewalks and patios—Like the roads, they are a lighter color, but not as light as the road. This is likely due to both size and use, as vehicle to road friction may heat up the roads even more.

Storage sheds in back yards—The storage sheds are darker in color as they are likely not insulated buildings nor do they have air conditioning or heating. Because of this, they are more prone to mimic the ambient air temperature which is 12º C, therefore appearing darker.

Automobiles—Being metallic, automobiles are mostly darker. Like the storage sheds, they are neither insulated nor temperature controlled (at least not when the vehicle is parked). Therefore, they will also appear darker.

Bright spots on many of the roof tops—These are likely vents on the roof for stoves or dryers. As they produce a lot of heat, they will appear lighter in color.

Mod 2

The use of the multi-spectral image allows quick and easy distinction between vegetation, water and urban areas. The blue vegetation appears to be plant growth on islands in the southern half of the image. In the northern half, there appears to be blue vegetation growth in urban parks or backyards. If you were looking to obtain sites for urban areas, the panchromatic image may be better as they stand out. You would have to be careful when using the images for making boundaries, though, as the sand in the panchromatic also appears very light in color. This could make beach-front residence difficult to determine.

What problems might you infer or identify in using this type of photography?

Color would likely be problem for beginner's using CIR. While the contrast is certainly better than traditional color photographs, traditional color is also easier to understand for the layman. CIR, on the other hand, can aid it discerning vegetation growth and health, industry compared to agriculture, and land use, it does take some training to fully understand. When I first looked at the photos, I had no idea that red would mean vegetation.

Wind Farm Location

Isoyet Map

I wouldn't consider myself any sort of profession (just yet) but I think I've got layers down. I attempted to use a clipping mask for the border of the state, but it didn't work so I traced an outline of the state and used that to crop out the border.

I played with idea of a legend, but I liked the simplicity of using just the single sentence. I'm also usually challenged with color choices, so I thought that using grays would be easier. It was, I pulled up color brewer and it was straight forward.

Flow Map

Another of the more fun maps to make. It was enlightening to see that I could take raw data from a source (the Yearbook) and mold that data into a workable map that makes since. The legend is my least favorite. I attempted to make the triangular legend but I couldn't make it look right, so I kept this one.
I tried to acknowledge that there was an amount of "unknown" immigration. I hope that listing the data as not being there is truthful to the source and not misleading. In the same manner, I opted to remove Antarctica as there isn't a native human population of the continent (and therefore no immigration). I hope it's acceptable that I did both those things, I felt that while it may have been limiting in information to the end user, it was information that didn't benefit the purpose of the map.

The non contiguous map was a bit harder. I attempted to stylize the map a bit more by adding a drop shadow. Having never used AI before this course, it was pretty time consuming. I need to organize my layers more, as that was my biggest time sink. I had a constant struggle with the binding boxes, but every time I open AI, things are a bit easier. In order to get the shadow fill, I had to copy and paste a new layer of continents over the shadowed layer to make it look "lifted" off the map. I also discovered textures, and like them a bit more than solid colors for background.

Between the two maps, this one was more straight forward for me. I was able to get what I wanted and it showed up nice. The gradient for the legend was the hardest part, as I had to search the internet in order to find how to put the two colors on either end.

Here is my Florida Pop. density map. If anyone see's this and knows how to get rid of the white boarder, please help. I've struggled with this a lot in Illustrator. I've exported my jpegs at 300ppi, and made certain that my "paper" size and artwork size boarders are the same. It's really confusing me! Thanks if you can.

I had a pretty good time making this map. Probably the best mod to date. I spent some more time checking out what other things my classmates were doing, which really improved my map. It forced me to be a bit more creative and competitive. While it did take some time to do it, I found a few shortcuts for next time in Excel as well as Illustrator. The use of layers in Illustrator is starting to come back to me (I haven't used it in years) and that has sped things up a bit in the creation process. Well, it's also lowered the frustration as well, which is always nice.

Second Choropleth Map

This is my second choropleth map. I feel a lot better about it than the first. The legend has been corrected from the first map, as well as a new layout that makes more since. I chose the Albers equal area projection for this, as I believe area to be the most prudent attribute for a choropleth. What I don't like is the size of Alaska. I was tempted to shrink Alaska, but I know that my scale would be off, so I nixed that idea.

I realize that we're not supposed to add decorative features, but my map feels empty to me. I originally had a neat line, but didn't like the look of it.

Choropleth Map

This is my first map. Honestly, it isn't very good. While I was working on it, my wife went into labor so it dropped from thoughts. Completely.

Composition Lab

Here is my composition lab for Mod 4. I like this one, the "insert" boxes took me forever as I couldn't figure how layers and groups were working, but I got it figured out now. Also, the borders of the counties are strange, some show, some don't. Don't know if that is something I changed or not.

Typography Lab

This is my typography lab for Mod 4. The .jpg quality is low, if anyone knows how to save it at a better resolution, please post in comments.

This is my creation of four different data classifications.  The classification that I would use for for this data would be Natural Breaks as  I believe it to be the most accurate for the end user in depicting what the data is telling them.

Map Critique

First the bad map.  This map here is just offensive to the eyes.  While reading the web page that accompanied this map, I found that the colors mean nothing, which makes it worse.  More than that, the map needs to be simplified to make it usable.  Overall, a useless map for all but the most basic of directions.

This is my pick for a good map.  It is a map of Sri Lanka land use.  It has a legend that makes finding the information easy and quick.  There is very little "mapcrap" outside of the publishing information (which is arguably not "mapcrap").  It gives the user the full picture, is properly simplified, and contains the contrasting color hues that do not misrepresent the information.

Mental Mapping

You can tell that I am a north-westerner at heart.  It's really all about the weather.  I don't mind the rain, but I really dislike a lot of hot weather, hence the south being green.  I'm keeping the central-east portion of America open.  I understand that the area is just beautiful and the weather mimics the north-west, with less rain.  California is orange as well merely because of family, but the tax system will likely keep me out of there.

Test

Yup, still testing...