9 replies to this topic

[Kimi]

Hello, everyone! I am wondering if I could ask you a question regarding indexing convention/standard. There are so many cartographers visiting this site and I thought you guys would kindly help me out with this question.

When indexing, which style do you use? When I say "indexing", it mean there are a number of row and columns on a map and assigning a number 1, 2, 3, ...,n to each column and an alphabetical characters on each row...etc.

I am wondering if you know any indexing convention/standard... or could you tell me what style do you use for indexing?
I have done a bit of research on this and those are the main indexing style...
1) dash between a letter and a number (e.g. A-1, C-5)
2) there is one space between a letter and a number (e.g. A 1, C 5)
3) there is no space between a letter and a number (e.g. A1, C5)

-- In addition, which side do you use numbers and alphabet characters? Do you use numbers on the left and right sides or on the top and bottom sides?

Do you use any other style when you use indexing with letters and numbers?
I will look forward to hearing from you guys!! Thank you very much for your help in advance!!

Kimi

Attached Files

•  dash_s.png   27.33K   55 downloads
•  Space_s.png   27.65K   46 downloads
•  NoSpace_s.png   34.77K   40 downloads

[natcase]

When indexing, which style do you use? When I say "indexing", it mean there are a number of row and columns on a map and assigning a number 1, 2, 3, ...,n to each column and an alphabetical characters on each row...etc.

I am wondering if you know any indexing convention/standard... or could you tell me what style do you use for indexing?
I have done a bit of research on this and those are the main indexing style...
1) dash between a letter and a number (e.g. A-1, C-5)
2) there is one space between a letter and a number (e.g. A 1, C 5)
3) there is no space between a letter and a number (e.g. A1, C5)

-- In addition, which side do you use numbers and alphabet characters? Do you use numbers on the left and right sides or on the top and bottom sides?

Do you use any other style when you use indexing with letters and numbers?

We use letters on the horizontal axis, numbers on the vertical axis, and we style the index A1. We omit spaces after commas. We also usually omit the letter "I" to avoid confusion with the numeral "1", especially since we use a sans-serif font for index text.

My theory is people habitually read across and then down (and are likely to think "XY" instead of "YX" as a grid), and "A1" makes more sense to me than "1A". Not sure why, but it seems like a more usual expression, at least in American usage.

Where we have to, when we run out of alphabet numbers, we start over with AA, BB, etc.

Hope this helps. Does this mean more flexibility for formatting indexes in MaPublisher is coming? It's not a huge inconvenience, but I'd love to get rid of the hyphens! One less thing to fix in reintegrating with data.

[Crischan]

I'll agree with Nat. It's kinda natural to read it that way.

Off the record: German topographic maps use a logical, but confusing system for identifying their tiles: They use two numeric digits for row and two numeric digits for colum, written together like 3049
I never manage to remember what come first, row or col when I need to determine which adjacent tile to load into GIS... (Col comes first...)

[Hans van der Maarel]

I'm with Nat too.

Another system I sometimes see is that within a grid cell, there's an additional subdivision into 4 parts (2 rows 2 columns) which isn't shown on the map. Those 4 sub-cells are then indicated with letters a through d, clockwise from (usually) top left. This would place a street in cell A1a for example.

Hyphens/dashes: I use them if I have space, but they can be easily replaced with something else anyway.

[DaveB]

Do you guys also ever have a need to specify the starting value? For example, start with L instead of A or 6 instead of 1. (for example, to match the index on an inset with the index on a main map)

[klacefield]

For the run book project I work on we went with an index similar to the german topographic maps with two numeric digits for both horzontal and vertical. However we also have nested sub cells mentioned by Hans. I mention this in that the fire community here wanted a space added between the main grid numbers and the sub to make it easier to read.

So for example; 2142 is a 1:12,000 map, 2142 A is a 1:6,000 map and 2142 A3 is a 1:3,000 map.

My opinion on the matter is that I like no spaces when combining letters and numbers and then if sub grids are used then consider adding a space or dash to help with the readability.

[Dale Sanderson]

Do you guys also ever have a need to specify the starting value? For example, start with L instead of A or 6 instead of 1. (for example, to match the index on an inset with the index on a main map)

Yes, I do. To allow for possible future expansion, I'll often assign the upper left grid cell as, say, B-2 (instead of A-1).

[natcase]

Do you guys also ever have a need to specify the starting value? For example, start with L instead of A or 6 instead of 1. (for example, to match the index on an inset with the index on a main map)

Sure, if the map art being indexed is part of a larger publication. For folded maps, we continue the letters and numbers on the back side (e.g. the lower-right on the front is M5, the first squre on the back is N6).

[Hans van der Maarel]

Do you guys also ever have a need to specify the starting value? For example, start with L instead of A or 6 instead of 1. (for example, to match the index on an inset with the index on a main map)

Sure, if the map art being indexed is part of a larger publication. For folded maps, we continue the letters and numbers on the back side (e.g. the lower-right on the front is M5, the first squre on the back is N6).

Just to make sure everybody is aware of this... if you go into the Advanced dialog of the MAPublisher Grid / Graticule generator, you can specify which letter/number the grid should start with, which order to use (A1 or 1A) and which letters/numbers to omit.

[Kimi]

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for all your comments!
It was interesting to hear from what you guys do with indexing. I was really excited to read each comment!!

Thank you so much! Have a great summer!!
Kimi