23 replies to this topic

[DMoore]

The attached file is a revision on a locator map made for client a number of years ago. They specifically asked for the colors for the countries and identified the water features to identify. Final output will be 8.5x11 inside a larger document. This map will accompany finer scale maps for land management.

Thanks in advance for comments.
--
Dorn Moore
Green Space GIS
http://www.greenspacegis.com

Attached Files

•  Zambezi_Base.jpg   353.72K   259 downloads

[Crischan]

Just a quick 2 cents:

• Please add a scale
• The red extent box on the overview map looks way too heavy filled
• I'd personally use circles instead of squares for the cities (just like with the map version on your website)

Nice work with the shading, without these colors would just be too much.

Cheers,
Crischan

[ErinGreb]

The colors are nice.

I agree that the red box on the continent map would look better with no fill, just a red stroke.

Also, I find it difficult to tell which rivers the labels are referring too, since the labels are horizontal and sometimes cross two rivers. Align the rivers along the path like you did with Shire River. If they don't fit, use R. for River, or you could probably take the type size down a few points

[razornole]

I agree with the comments above. In addition, I have noticed a white/gray bar down the left margin, and some purple/gray artifacts along the Mozambique coast. If there was a scale bar, I could tell you more precisely how big your city/town/village indicators are but i'm guessing they are about 20-30 miles square. It leaves a whole lot of confusion. For example, is Tete on the Luia, Revube, or Zambize River? Is Chipata in Malawi or Zambia? Is Mutare in Mozambique or Zimbabwe?

I would think that your indicator map of Africa could fit inside your map with a little over the sea/ocean and Mozambique. That way you could avoid the huge white bar at the base when printed. If you can't cover Mozambique, you could still move it up some over the unknown waterbody and limit the size of the blank area.

kru

[DMoore]

The colors are nice.

I agree that the red box on the continent map would look better with no fill, just a red stroke.

Also, I find it difficult to tell which rivers the labels are referring too, since the labels are horizontal and sometimes cross two rivers. Align the rivers along the path like you did with Shire River. If they don't fit, use R. for River, or you could probably take the type size down a few points

Thanks Erin -
I agree and I am not sure how he wants to handle the rivers, in many cases they are complexes of rivers that are important. The box on the continent map is troubling to me as well. I like the suggestions to make it an outline.
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
D

[DMoore]

I agree with the comments above. In addition, I have noticed a white/gray bar down the left margin, and some purple/gray artifacts along the Mozambique coast. If there was a scale bar, I could tell you more precisely how big your city/town/village indicators are but i'm guessing they are about 20-30 miles square. It leaves a whole lot of confusion. For example, is Tete on the Luia, Revube, or Zambize River? Is Chipata in Malawi or Zambia? Is Mutare in Mozambique or Zimbabwe?

I would think that your indicator map of Africa could fit inside your map with a little over the sea/ocean and Mozambique. That way you could avoid the huge white bar at the base when printed. If you can't cover Mozambique, you could still move it up some over the unknown waterbody and limit the size of the blank area.

kru

Great comments Razornole. I noticed that artifact line on the left this morning. We're not too worried about the size indicators, they are all major cities but I can certainly scale them down a bit. The white space was held for text usage in the document but I would like to move the continent map to the main map to make it easier to use outside the final product.

Thanks again for taking the time to comment.

D

[Christine]

eeek! Reservoir is misspelled.

[Dennis McClendon]

I would probably redraw the rivers as simple lines rather than polygons. They look overly detailed for this scale.

[Robert2009]

Nice picture but perhaps adding hillshade or a terrain under the polygons would make more interesting...
Yeah change the size of the square or circle to smaller to make the Labels more stand out....
How about the logos of your company to the map ? What about the disclamier statement ?

Thought I would just throw them out there....


Take care,
Robert

I would probably redraw the rivers as simple lines rather than polygons. They look overly detailed for this scale.

[Jimbo]

First thought on the colour of Zambia was waterbody, but then I saw the lakes a dark blue. I would switch them then tone down the blue on Zambia since it seems to catch my eye first.

[DMoore]

Updated version of the map. Still some pieces to go but progress. Thanks for the comments to date!

Attached Files

•  2.5.1.jpg   972.68K   87 downloads

[Gretchen Peterson]

Just out of curiosity - is Lake Malawi a part of only one of the surrounding countries or many?

It would be great if the Lake Malawi label could somehow be squeezed in so it reads horizontally. But I realize it is probably too long a name for that.

[razornole]

Hello DMoore,

I like having the inset of Africa, unless you are absolutely sure your target audience knows where you are mapping. Don't ever underestimate the ignorance that Americans have with basic geography.

Check your line break with Huyani River Basin. It is not like the others because I can actually see the river under the text. Which I think is a much better strategy then removing the rivers altogether like you've done with the other rivers. Don't worry I can read your text just fine. I think the drop shadows with your country names are a bit much and actually blur the words.

Hope this helps, and good luck

kru

[Nick H]

I think this is a good map that does its job very well and my comments are trivial. Firstly, I too like the idea of a locator map (it's not just Americans who don't know about geography). Secondly, as hinted at above it might be a good idea to dot in lightly the national borders on the lake, provided of course that these aren't subject to dispute. Thirdly, a scale-bar please. Finally, rotate the label 'Lake Malawi' through 180-degrees (isn't there a convention on this, there was when I was being taught what was known then as 'technical drawing').

Regards, N.

[Crischan]

City names seem to have different offsets from the city markers. Also, they are mostly horizontal which is not the preferred way.
Check out this paper by Imhof