6 replies to this topic

[BioGeoMan]

Hello.

I am creating a recreation sites map for SE North Carolina and NE South Carolina for a website. When complete, the map will be interactive. Each symbol on the map will be linked to specific information about each recreation site.

Please take a look at what I have so far and render some comments! I am nowhere near finished and I may add more types of recreation sites to the map, but I don't want to clutter it too much (e.g. I have beach access sites, but they are so numerous that they would be difficult to symbolize without making the map essentially unreadable, and difficult to use interactively).

Thanks,
Michael.


 cfa_rec_website.gif   563.83K   183 downloads

[Dennis McClendon]

Looks very nice to me. I only have a couple of minor suggestions:

• The drop shadow along the coast is a bit dark for the city names to be visible. I might also distinguish between the ocean edge and the "not our territory" western edge, rather than use the same drop shadow for both.
• I might look at a yellow or green casing along the scenic rivers, so they could be the same color blue as other water.
• I'd make the state boundary different from the other boundary lines, thicker and maybe dashed.

I like your surfer dude. I'm working on a very similar symbol today myself.

[MountainCartography]

I suppose that the interactive map will be tied to a website that contains more information pertaining to the map, though I have to wonder what "game lands" are? Are they fenced wildlife enclosures for viewing or designated hunting areas? I noticed that you reside within northern New Mexico and myself from western Colorado. Both of us are surrounded by wide open space, where wildlife roams where ever it chooses and often times through our neighborhoods and backyards. Not really having spent much time in the eastern part of the country, I suppose that there really isn't much in the way of open space, though "game lands" baffles the heck out of me and compelled me to comment. I guess, as with anything carto or otherwise.... "it's all about scale".

Beyond that disconnect, the map makes me feel that the area of interest (SE North Carolina and NE South Carolina) is an island. The shadow effect would probably work fine if it was limited to the Atlantic and not to the surrounding land mass. The smaller scale "inset" which locates the larger scale interactive map helps, but I think I personally would continue the coastal outline beyond the extents of the larger scale interactive map + eliminate the shadow effect on the inland side of the coastal outline. If you did consider a continuation of the coastal outline, you might consider feathering it to a faint color shade as it nears the feathered edge of the shadow.

[ELeFevre]

Hey Michael,
Nice map. my 2 cents:

• I'm having a difficult time seein beyond the floating island effect on the main map. How about adding the rest of N.C and S.C to "ground" the view?
• I don't know what game parks are either. Are these private hunting parks? A place to gather and play D&D?
• How about including roads that connect to the boat ramps?
• How about a few Scenic River labels?
• In the legend you show "Parks, Natural Areas, and Gardens". What is a "Natural Area" if it isn't a garden or a park? Is this some kind of safe-zone for nudists?

Nice work. Erin

[mikeb226]

I also think it is a nice lookin map.

Being from Pennsylvania, I understand what a State Gameland is. Funny how things are different everywhere, eh?

Not sure how they treat gamelands in the Carolinas, but would they be better represented as polygons instead of points?

I would also second the suggestion to make it look not so "island-like". Keep the oval gradient, but add in a subdued rest of the land.

Good Job!

~mike

[MapMedia]

Nice job. Decent recreation icons.
Is there a way to generalize the coastline or make the coastline not black? Its a little distracting. If the map ever goes Flash, generalizing the lines will help a lot.

[BioGeoMan]

Thanks for all your comments, I appreciate it!

Yes, Game Lands (in NC anyways) are lands held by the State of NC for public use. Technically there are multiple uses including passive recreation, but hunting in eastern NC is VERY popular, so the lands are primarily used for hunting. Permits are required and tabulations of kills, etc. They are not "parks" per se, but they are undeveloped lands that have great habitat for a variety of animal and plant species. Good places for viewing wildlife, but make sure to wear ORANGE!!

My goal was to make this map as simple as possible, hence no roads, I even considered no streams, but thought again. Each icon will link to a website with more than enough info on how to get there, what is there, who manages it, what you can do there, etc. The map was intended to basically be a portal to other information. Simplicity + Utility = Happy Clients

When the map is up and running on my clients website, I will provide a link on Cartotalk...for all who are interested of course.

Thanks again,
M.