Atlas Design And Compilation Based On Cartographic Perception Theory

For a long time, the map is considered as the best carrier for the expression, transmission and research of geographic information. Geographical research needs map; the expression of the research production is inseparable from the map. So the map is called as the second language of geography. In the information age, with the explosion of the total geographic information, the atlas is much better than the single map, because it can carry more information, do analysis during a long time span. The atlas have more advantages in the spatio-temporal expression. Meanwhile so many mapping system based on GIS have been widely applied, and make it much convenient quickly to compile map and atlases than ever before. Many professional staff in every discipline can compile their data into map or atlas through the GIS mapping system easily. But it also bring us a new problem, at present maps and atlases’ s perception by reader is poor which compiled by GIS system. Therefore, discussing the basic theory of cartography and guiding atlas compilation by cartographic perception theory has a very realistic significance. Firstly, this paper reviews the modern cartography theory, and then studied the cartographic perception theory visual psychological basis, cartographic perception visual variables and perception effect; the relationship between the design of map symbol,color and the perception by reader, and the experiment method of cartographic perception theory. On the theoretical basis of theory, this paper designed cartographic perception experiment by the example of the Atlas of Lanzhou city historical vicissitude, and makes a questionnaire. After that this paper designed and compiled the Atlas of Lanzhou city historical vicissitude under the support of the questionnaire data. The design of this atlas oriented by reader’s perception which has been realized as a important factor. Through the design and compilation of the atlas this paper studied how to apply the of cartographic theory in atlas design work, as so as to improve the atlas perception effect, and make the transfer role of spatio-temporal information by atlas much more effectively.In this article, we designed atlas sketch with different color, different layout styles, different symbol way, different base map, and then makes a questionnaire with this material. The analysis of the questionnaire data verified that design atlas based on cartographic perception theory will make readers have a better feeling of reading.At the same time it also shows that using the questionnaire survey to get readers feel data and then determine atlas design is feasible. By the questionnaire data analysis, this paper takes the the readers’ feeling effect of hypsography, ancient administrative map, the old city reconstruction map, Lanzhou city expansion map, the layout design of key area of city expansion in this atlas:1,About the relief shading of hypsography in this atlas, using more color is more accessible to readers to accept;2, In the ancient administrative map and old city reconstruction map, readers prefer to relief shading and satellite image such kind of base map which are easy to read;3, About the color design in Lanzhou city expansion map, readers are prefer to the collocation of red, green and yellow rather than purple and blue,4, In the symbol design of prehistoric human activity map, readers’ feeling show that the shape symbol is better than the abstract symbol.Getting the results of the readers feel, has a positive guiding significance to the design of the atlas.