University of Konstanz
Graduiertenkolleg / PhD Program
Computer and Information Science

PhD Program Spring Workshop 2005


Map projections and the detail in context problem

speaker Joachim Böttger
 
date March 15, 2005
 
abstract While visually dealing with complex data it is often desireable to show small details in the context of their much larger surroundings. The detail in context problem arises since space and resolution on screens and on the visual cortex are limited. Several solutions exist that magnify important details of the presented data and shrink other, less important parts, inevitably introducing other kinds of distortion in the process. The surface of the earth with interesting details thousands of kilometers big as well as only centimeters small is an especially challenging object. Traditional map projections generally strive for the minimization of distortions for a faithful depiction of the earth. In this presentation I would like to introduce concepts of mapmaking and present a technique for the depiction of the surface of our planet that shows details with sizes ranging over several orders of magnitude in one seamless image.