mapping software

[Jeff Holdeman]

Dear Elena,

I have to admit that I took a "cop out" solution to this problem when
I was finishing my dissertation at Ohio State last summer.  I tried
using ArcView at one of the school's computer labs (in the geography
building), but after a few hours I gave up.  (I even offered to pay
one of the graduate students to give me a tutoring session, but no
one agreed!).  I asked several geographers for other software
suggestions, but no one had any answers which worked.

I finally decided to just use Photoshop.  I scanned in a map of the
area (from an atlas) and saved it as one "layer".  I then created a
second "layer" and with the pencil tool, traced the geopolitical
boundaries that I needed and marked all of the towns that were
relevant.  On another layer, I created longitude and latitude lines
(based on the atlas's markings).  When I got my map to look okay, I
deleted the first layer which held the original atlas scan.  I then
saved my map and made a backup copy.  I took the backup copy and
"flattened the layers", then saved a copy.  From there, every time I
needed to make a map with data on it, I took a backup copy of the the
flattened copy, created a new layer, and then added the data with
Photoshop's drawing tools.

You can create a number of effects by playing with the Photoshop
tools and controls.  You can enter your data in different colors, or
you can use the effects to create the patterns that are similar to
ones used on professional dialect maps.

Working like this, you can then keep your dialect data on a layer
separate from the map layer.  Then, you can copy a layer and
superimpose it on another map.  For conference presentations, print a
copy of the base map onto an overhead transparency.  For my data, I
copy the layer which contains a certain dialect feature and then
print it in color on an overhead transparency.  I then create other
overhead transparencies for the other features.  When I am done, I
can place the base map on the overhead projector, then lay the
dialect features on the map.  It is especially effective to then lay
down multiple features at the same time to show overlapping.

Suggestions:
* Save clean backup copies of your maps to work from.  If something
goes terribly wrong, you can throw away the copy that you're working
on and start from a clean map, rather than having to fix the
original.  This is also the value of working in layers.
* Save a copy of your finished base map which does not have the
layers flattened, in case you spot a mistake later.
* My version of Photoshop came packaged with my scanner, which cost
$150.  The version is a limited version, but it contains all of the
features that I need.
* If you are not familiar with "layers" in Photoshop, open Help and
do a search for "layers" for a quick explanation of what they are,
how to create new ones, how to copy them, how to switch from one to
another, and how to flatten them.
* One huge advantage of using Photoshop (vs. ArcView or some other
cartographic software) is that there are a *lot* more people who know
Photoshop well who can provide support.

My dream was to find software that I could enter longitude and
latitude coordinates of villages and have them entered onto a map
that I could then manipulate.  My Photoshop solution was not as
elegant, but it worked quite well.

Jeff

Dr. Jeffrey D. Holdeman
Indiana University
jeffhold at indiana.edu


>I am trying to locate some software that lets one download (or draw, or
>scan) maps of some areas in the Slavic world and then put on them some
>dialectological data. Does anyone know such software? Someone recommended to
>me ArcView 3.x, but  it costs $1,195.00 (ArcView 8.3 - even $1,500.00). Does
>anyone have any experience with, cheaper products like XMap, or anything
>else?
>
>Thanks a lot in advance,
>
>Elena
>

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