28 replies to this topic

[Hans van der Maarel]

Well, it took me more than a few days, but here it is... I'll try and get a larger gallery shot up in the next week or so

Please do, I'd really like to see some more of it.

[natcase]

Well, it took me more than a few days, but here it is... I'll try and get a larger gallery shot up in the next week or so

Please do, I'd really like to see some more of it.

OK, here's a screem shot

Attached Files

•  interstates.gif   202.19K   269 downloads

[Dennis McClendon]

That's quite intriguing. Do you plan to tell the roadgeek listservs and Usenet groups about it, or shall I?

[natcase]

That's quite intriguing. Do you plan to tell the roadgeek listservs and Usenet groups about it, or shall I?

Dennis, that would be wonderful if you were willing... I always feel a little awkward tootling my own horn online so blatantly. I did already post on the strange maps blog and the blog of Mr Yates who did the original map under discussion in this forum.

I'll send you a copy of the hard-copy map...

[frax]

So what would be the next step be for this? (like you, nat, don't have other things to do...)

Maybe add some cartogram qualities too it as well, and have the length of the roads be dependent on travel time or traffic load? (I don't know how well length corresponds to travel time, it might just be 1:1)

[MapMedia]

Hey that is cool. Couldn't view details though. The framework is there, and if a few graphic artists work it over, you could have a decent modern art piece, as well as a functional map.
I actually prefer the schematic view of a highway system.

You could color code line segments by the distance they cover, so we keep both cartogram and spatial quality.

[frax]

actually it is already a cartogram!

[natcase]

So what would be the next step be for this? (like you, nat, don't have other things to do...)

Maybe add some cartogram qualities too it as well, and have the length of the roads be dependent on travel time or traffic load? (I don't know how well length corresponds to travel time, it might just be 1:1)

Well, my original idea was to use this orgnizational analysis to set up a full tube-map-style schematic. Here's the problem: the logical way to do the schematic is with exits being the equivalent of stations, and the interstate system is way to big to do this effectively except on an absolutely staggeringly large sheet. Goodby graphic elegance.

What this evolved into is as much a demonstration of the "grid" mindset that so dominates the American view of the landscape (especially the middle 3/4 of the country) carried to its extreme: the US as a perfect square, all its geographies and topographies squashed and "regularized." So I guess I already think of it as kind of an art piece. It really isn't useful as a navigational or analytical pieces, although because it was drawn in a cartographic style (see my paper at NACIS 07), it feels like it ought to be.

So for now, I have no plans to go futher with this. Back to my locator maps for the outer neighborhoods of Boston, and indexing restaurants in Seattle.

[Hans van der Maarel]

So what would be the next step be for this? (like you, nat, don't have other things to do...)

Maybe add some cartogram qualities too it as well, and have the length of the roads be dependent on travel time or traffic load? (I don't know how well length corresponds to travel time, it might just be 1:1)

Well, my original idea was to use this orgnizational analysis to set up a full tube-map-style schematic. Here's the problem: the logical way to do the schematic is with exits being the equivalent of stations, and the interstate system is way to big to do this effectively except on an absolutely staggeringly large sheet. Goodby graphic elegance.

I tried that for my 'alternative' roadmap of The Netherlands (which was inspired by a British map) and that kept me busy for quite some time already. Doing that for the US interstate system would be a very time-consuming job indeed and elegance would be very difficult to achieve...

[natcase]

Thought you all might enjoy the narrative of my run-in with Mr Yates...

[frax]

wow, interesting. You just have to hope that that forum doesn't rank high in google when people search for your name...

Really odd that he becomes so defensive, when you have been very open and humble all along, and your piece is so different from his.

So did you get any pallet of past-due pickles?

[Hans van der Maarel]

Nice read indeed

"Oh, he stole my idea"... Seems hard to define. Surely that guy wasn't the first one to do either a US Interstate map or a schematic representation of a complex network... By their reasoning, almost all maps in the world are rip-offs

FWIW, Nat, I think your map is very interesting and I'm hoping you'll bring a copy to NACIS for show & tell. Also, thanks for linking to my interpretation

[Sky Schemer]

It certainly was a fascinating exchange. I find it most interesting that people are so quick to cry fowl on matters of copyright yet have no issues with posting obviously personal emails in a public forum. We, as humans, are so filled with contradictions.

For what it's worth, Nat, I thought your initial email was a bit sterile in tone. What you probably intended as admiration comes across as cavalier, and given that this was his work, he probably read it as something far worse.

Email is such an imperfect medium, and suffers terribly from the loss of verbal cues.

[David T]

Very interesting exchange, Nat. Thanks for sharing.