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| Mapping Technology |
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| Sunday, 27 December 1998 00:00 | ||||||||
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Source: The New Straits Times (page 10) In the old days making maps was a tedious process. Hand drawn on pagra paper which was embedded with aluminium, the maps were subjected to vagaries of weather.In conditions of heat, the maps inevitably curled up, and in cold temperatures they were inclined to shrink. Modern times have put an end to such problems. A polyster-based material coated with emulsions now used as scribing material. This material lends stability and provides for better accuracy, the most important element in map-making techniques. According to cartographer Hasidah Baharuddin of Department of Survey and National Mapping, in the cartographic section, there are two types of mapping: topographic and thematic. Topography maps show all types of data, for example, roads, railways and vegetation such as rubber plantations.  Thematic maps are designed to show a specific purpose, for example in road maps, tourism maps or state maps. Scales used vary, depending on the purpose of the maps, and can range from bigger scales of 1:5,000 to smaller scales of 1:50,000 or even smaller. What this means is, if what is needed is a general overview of a geographical area (perhaps for development purposes), the smaller scales would be used. But if a map has to provide more details like the number of hotels in a particular area, then the scales used would be larger. "It all depends on the purpose of designing the map in the first place," says Hasidah who has worked at the cartographic section of the Department for the past 19 years. "I love my job," the 41-year-old enthuses. "It's not monotonous, and besides maps, I also get to design things like reports, security designs and commemorative documents and certificates. "You know, the Department of Survey and National Mapping is now 113 years old, and we have been designing things for a long time. In the old days, it was not just designing of maps but also bonds, share certificates, currencies and coupons that were used for trade," she says. Through she loves her job, she acknowledges some frustrations brought about by the low public awareness of using maps to acquire spatial information. "The culture here is to ask, rather than use maps," she laments. Commenting on her interest in land survey, she recalls that in an era when not many females opted for studies on the subject, she was already enthusiastically pursuing the course at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. After graduation, she joined the cartography section of the Department and trained in-house for two years. Five years down the line, she was offered a fellowship programme by the Dutch government to complete a one year course at the International Institute for Aerospace & Earth Science in the Netherlands. She subsequently graduated with a Technologist's Diploma in Cartography in 1984. She then returned to Malaysia to train other staff in her section. The Holland-trained cartographer deems her role as that of an author's, only in her case she uses graphic symbols and visual variables, rather than words, to relay her message. Done properly, this transference of details or data via "cartographic language" onto a map provides the end user with a wealth of information regarding geographical areas. "A picture tells a thousand words," says the mother of four children whose ages range from four to 15. "Depending on the purpose or the theme of the map, we sometimes highlight or down play certain things, for example by using brighter colours to highlight and monotones to subdue, or by deleting unnecessary data to avoid cluttering up the map. "It is important for the end user to understand the map he's reading, and for what purpose," she adds. Before designing a map, Hasidah has to know its purpose, the suitable scale to use and what the effective symbols are. Long ago, map making was by hand and was tedious, using cartographic tools such as tripod beam, compass, palette, road pen, drawing pen, ruler and carving knife. "More modern scribing tools were later developed and today, with the advancement of information technology, the conventional processes of map making have been replaced by computerization. Malaysia has not been left behind. For the past decade, the Department has embarked on a steady programme of digital mapping technologies. The Computer Assisted Mapping System (CAMS) was introduced in 1990 for the production of digital topographic mapping. Then in 1995, the Department acquired the Digital Thematic Mapping System (DTMS) for the production of digital thematic maps, and its staff underwent intensive in-house training to understand the software. This then is the ultimate challenge: to create maps that people are able to utilise. Hasidah stresses on appropriate colour choices too. Colours, she says, can help people identify easily the different aspects of a map. "For example, in State maps, we use different colours to differentiate between the various districts. Generally though, the colours we use reflect international trends," she explains. Where colours aren't enough, lines and text (in various fonts such as italics) are used. To produce a thematic map manually takes an average of six months, but by using the computer, the time taken is less than one month. "The computer really helps," Hasidah says. "Manually, it would be tedious to rectify errors, whereas by using computers, we can manipulate the base maps to concur with the chosen themes." The base maps, according to her, are produced using the DTMS which extracts data from the CAMS data base. Manipulation means deleting unnecessary symbols, perhaps buildings and rivers, and adding in others like vegetation. Generally, by manipulating the base maps, certain elements can be highlighted and others down played. Outlining the work of a cartographer, Hasidah explains that it is team work all the way, and interdependence among the various sections is a key factor. The basic requirement before one can become a cartographer is a diploma in land survey, but an additional diploma in cartography helps. It is then a matter of interest, dedication and specialisation. According to Hasidah, the first stage of preparing a thematic map is the collection of data. This is sourced from the computer data base as well as from other government departments. The data is compiled and the cartographer looks at the purpose of the map, the scale, the accuracy and the projection expected, as well as who the end-user is. The last stage is designing the map either manually or via the computer. "In between, there are many levels of checking of course, as we rely on each other to gather the facts and ensure accuracy," she says. As Hasidah emphasises, one may have the basic training and understanding of map making, but it takes years of hands-on experience to produce quality work, especially if one uses the conventional hand-drawn method where steady hands are paramount. "It would take an average of five years to acquire the finer points of producing maps. Anyone can master the techniques if he is patient enough. What is important in this job is not to be color blind," she says. Hasidah is excited about an impending project regarding a national atlas that the Department of Survey and National Mapping is embarking upon. This is an electronic atlas in the form of interactive multimedia CD-ROM and hard copies of maps based on different themes will be printed. "The purpose of this project is to give comprehensive geographical information to the public for reference, educational or research purposes. "When this project is completed, we will be on par with other developing countries which already have this electronic atlas," she smiles.
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