'Close-Up' Design Of Maps According To The Hierarchies And Relationships

The popularization of map use and production is becoming increasingly evident,and the volume of information involved in cartography continues to grow.Under the conditions of diversified users and complex data,to guarantee and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of map information transmission is an important issue to be considered in map visualization and information design.There are three major challenges: It faces three main challenges: first,the level of detail of various geospatial and thematic big data varies greatly,and the internal structure and logic are not explicit;second,various new forms of communication media and methods are emerging,and the interactive goals of map information carriers are not clear;third,the synergy between the limit of user cognitive load and data supply and media environment is not balanced.This requires that map design must have the adaptability to quickly focus on key information,clearly respond to user expectations,and adequately give cognitive guidance.Therefore,this paper introduces the concept of ‘close-up' in film narratives into the visual representation system of maps,combines the theory of ‘selective attention' cognitive mechanism,and creates a set of ‘map close-up' methods based on the ‘characterization' of different levels and relationships of map elements.The aim is to reconstruct the visual structure of map information design in a way of perceptual highlighting and to strengthen the cognitive logic of map information transmission process.The main tasks are as follows:First,the elemental levels and relationships involved in map information expression are sorted out.The map hierarchy and the strategy and process of its construction are discussed from the perspectives of time,space and spatial-temporal integration,and the expression relations included in the map information expression are divided into three categories: statistical relations,spatial relations and semantic relations,which lead to the expression needs of ‘map close-up' in each category.Secondly,the concept of ‘map close-up' is explained in detail in the light of the theory of selective attention in visual cognition,which mainly focuses on the scope,content,and dimension of close-up,and its limitations in map expression is discussed.At the same time,a systematic classification of map close-ups based on different principles is presented,and their role in the relevant cartographic fields is explored.Third,the design principles of ‘map close-up' are given,and on this basis,the visual system and design methods of ‘map close-up' are summarized,and the applicability of different methods to the expression of different levels and relationships of map elements is further analyzed.Finally,some examples of ‘map close-up' design and design process are given to verify and discuss the feasibility and potential problems of the proposed method.The results show that the use of ‘map close-ups' plays an important role in clarifying the connections between map elements and forming a clearer presentation hierarchy;a systematic ‘close-up' design framework and suggested solutions can help guide the design of map information,optimize the visual order of map information,and help improve the cognitive efficiency and effectiveness of users.