scholarly journals From Semiology of Graphics to Cultural Analytics: flaws in the mathematization of visible

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Anthony Masure
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
Cultural Productions ◽  
Technical Performance ◽  
Visual Variables ◽  
Interesting Object ◽  
Object Of Study

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The goal of this conference is to study the legacy of Jacques Bertin’s Semiology of Graphics in the field of dataviz, and more precisely in Lev Manovich’s Cultural Analytics.</p><p>Published in 1967, Jacques Bertin’s <i>Semiology of Graphics</i> (<i>Sémiologie graphique</i>) aims to establish the representation of topographic mapping on a scientifically “proven” system. Bertin relies on an objective (Desbois, 2018) and rational system of signs called “visual variables” (Bertin, 1967). Evoking the old Gestalt Theory (Metz, 1971), the Semiology of Graphics wants to build an “efficiency” of communication at the expense of precision. According to Bertin, it is essential to simplify the information beforehand. There is also the idea of a moving and dynamic image that makes sense through tangible manipulation. Its matrix table system (“ordinable matrices”) allows readers to configure their own reading of data by appealing to their aesthetic feeling. This is what Bertin called “the painter’s eye” (Palsky &amp; Robic, 2000).</p><p>It is striking that Bertin depreciates aesthetics to the detriment of efficiency and logical rules – a kind of “doxa” of the visible. While the Semiology of Graphics has greatly influenced cartographers since the 1970s, this paradoxical (repressed?) place of aesthetics in the construction of scientific images is still alive (Renon, 2016). We thus find many resurgences of this desire to mathematize the visible in contemporary information design practices, for example in dataviz. This rapprochement between Graphics and computer sciences (IT) had also been initiated by Bertin himself through his many collaborations with IBM.</p><p>We could consider that dataviz deviate from Bertin’s principles because they too often favour technical performance over effective understanding of information (Buellet, Gimeno &amp;amp; Renon, 2018). On the other hand, the primacy of the efficiency of computer code (the “efficient” processing of large datasets) may suggest that digital code would, in a way, have replaced visual variables. Caught in a tension between the abstraction of computer code (which is no longer manipulable, as was the case in Bertin’s ordinable matrices) and their visibility (their representation on the screen), dataviz is an interesting object of study to rethink the relevance of Bertin’s theories today.</p><p>We will focus our study on the field of Cultural Analytics. Initiated by the artist and computer scientist Lev Manovich in the early 2010s, Cultural Analytics compute human cultural productions (social media, works of art, etc.) in “patterns” to identify matches and recurrences (Manovich, 2018). Some of the most well-known projects (interactive experiments and exhibitions) include Phototrails / Instagram Cities (2012&amp;ndash;2015) and Selfie City (2014). These real technical feats do not escape the impasses of topographic map neutrality denounced by John Brian Harley in the late 1980s: “As they embrace computer-assisted methods and Geographical Information Systems, the scientistic rhetoric of map makers is becoming more strident. The ‘culture of technics’ is everywhere rampant (Harley, 1989).” This transition from topographical mapping to the mapping of human cultural productions raises questions about visual variables: is a mathematization of the visible desirable or even possible?</p>

scholarly journals Designing typefaces for maps. A protocol of tests.

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Sébastien Biniek ◽  
Guillaume Touya ◽  
Gilles Rouffineau ◽  
Thomas Huot-Marchand
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Topographic Maps ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
Type Design ◽  
Design Issue ◽  
Map Design

The text management in map design is a topic generally linked to placement and composition issues. Whereas the type design issue is rarely addressed or at least only partially. Moreover the typefaces especially designed for maps are rare. This paper presents a protocol of tests to evaluate characters for digital topographic maps and fonts that were designed for the screen through the use of geographical information systems using this protocol. It was launched by the Atelier National de Recherche Typographique Research (ANRT, located in Nancy, France) and took place over his ‘post-master’ course in 2013. The purpose is to isolate different issues inherent to text in a topographic map: map background, nonlinear text placement and toponymic hierarchies. Further research is necessary to improve this kind of approach.

scholarly journals STUDY OF THE STABILITY CONDITIONS OF A HIGH CUT SLOPE ALONG EGNATIA HIGHWAY (ASPROVALTA - MACEDONIA)

2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1833
Author(s):  
Θ. Στιμάρατζης ◽  
Β. Χρηστάρας ◽  
Γ. Δημόπουλος ◽  
A. Κίλιας ◽  
M. Χατζηαγγέλου ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stability Analysis ◽  
Slope Stability ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Soil Mechanics ◽  
Slope Stability Analysis ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Stability Conditions ◽  
Cut Slope ◽  
Topographic Map ◽  
The Stability

This study is about the stability conditions of a high cut slope as well as the possible measures of restoration, along the Egnatia Highway (deviation of Asprovalta). The study includes: the topographic map of the landslide and the 3-D view with the use of Geographical Information Systems, the analysis of geological and petrologie data from the samples of five core drillings, the soil mechanics laboratory tests, the determination of the causes and the landslide mechanisms and finally the slope stability analysis with «classic» methods such as Bishop, Janbu, Morgenstern-Price. A multiple repeated slope stability analysis took place in order to determinate the proper geometry (inclinations) of the slope with new benches. From the analysis of the data, the landslide restoration can be achieved with the combination of measures such as new benches geometry (proposed), surface drainage systems, retaining walls, soil nailing, geogrids and grass mat.

MAGICAL Computer Simulation of Mesolithic Foraging

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Winter Lake
Keyword(s):  
Computer Simulation ◽  
Simulation Model ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Computer Code ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Multiagent Simulation

The MAGICAL (Multi-Agent Geographically Informed Computer AnaLysis) software described in this chapter was designed to integrate two of the most important computational methods used by archaeologists during the last decade: Geographical Information Systems (GIS) (e.g., Allen et al. 1990) and multiagent simulation (e.g., Lake 1995; Mithen 1990). At the outset of model development in 1995, it was recognized that GIS provide archaeologists with a sophisticated means of manipulating spatial data, but offer limited support for modeling change through time. Conversely, multiagent simulation models have allowed archaeologists to study change through time, but have either lacked or had simplistic spatial components. Consequently, the research described here aimed to combine the strengths of GIS and multiagent simulation in one software package so as to better facilitate the quantitative study of spatiotemporal variability in the archaeological record. The MAGICAL software was developed within the broader context of the Southern Hebrides Mesolithic Project (SHMP). This project was established in 1988 by Dr. Steven Mithen (University of Reading) to acquire new data from the Scottish Islands of Islay and Colonsay and, by integrating this with existing data, to develop a regional perspective on the early postglacial settlement of Western Scotland (Mithen and Lake 1996). The construction of a computer simulation model was considered a fundamental part of the postexcavation studies of the SHMP (Lake in press). It was hoped that conceptual models which would otherwise remain largely intuitive could be more rigorously explored by formalizing them into mathematical algorithms, translating those algorithms into computer code, and then running simulation experiments. This chapter describes how the MAGICAL software integrates GIS and multiagent simulation. It does so directly in section one and then by example in sections two, three, and four. Section two discusses the conceptual basis of the SHMP simulation model, and section three describes how this was implemented using the MAGICAL software. Section four presents the results of the SHMP simulations. Note that the SHMP simulation model is discussed primarily as a means of demonstrating the capabilities of the MAGICAL software. Those interested in the wider background to this particular modeling endeavor are urged to consult Mithen (ed., in prep).

Assessment of land-use change in coastal areas through geographical information systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica Lango-Reynoso ◽  
Karla Teresa González-Figueroa ◽  
Fabiola Lango-Reynoso ◽  
María del Refugio Castañeda-Chávez ◽  
Jesús Montoya-Mendoza
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Coastal Ecosystems ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Computer Based

Objective: This article describes and analyzes the main concepts of coastal ecosystems, these as a result of research concerning land-use change assessments in coastal areas. Design/Methodology/Approach: Scientific articles were searched using keywords in English and Spanish. Articles regarding land-use change assessment in coastal areas were selected, discarding those that although being on coastal zones and geographic and soil identification did not use Geographic Information System (GIS). Results: A GIS is a computer-based tool for evaluating the land-use change in coastal areas by quantifying variations. It is analyzed through GIS and its contributions; highlighting its importance and constant monitoring. Limitations of the study/Implications: This research analyzes national and international scientific information, published from 2007 to 2019, regarding the land-use change in coastal areas quantified with the digital GIS tool. Findings/Conclusions: GIS are useful tools in the identification and quantitative evaluation of changes in land-use in coastal ecosystems; which require constant evaluation due to their high dynamism.

A protocol for sampling pastures in hill country

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 ◽  
pp. 203-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.J. Hutchinson ◽  
D.R. Scobie ◽  
J. Beautrais ◽  
A.D. Mackay ◽  
G.M. Rennie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Random Sampling ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Topographic Complexity ◽  
Hill Country

To develop a protocol to guide pasture sampling for estimation of paddock pasture mass in hill country, a range of pasture sampling strategies, including random sampling, transects and stratification based on slope and aspect, were evaluated using simulations in a Geographical Information Systems computer environment. The accuracy and efficiency of each strategy was tested by sampling data obtained from intensive field measurements across several farms, regions and seasons. The number of measurements required to obtain an accurate estimate was related to the overall pasture mass and the topographic complexity of a paddock, with more variable paddocks requiring more samples. Random sampling from average slopes provided the best balance between simplicity and reliability. A draft protocol was developed from the simulations, in the form of a decision support tool, where visual determination of the topographic complexity of the paddock, along with the required accuracy, were used to guide the number of measurements recommended. The protocol was field tested and evaluated by groups of users for efficacy and ease of use. This sampling protocol will offer farmers, consultants and researchers an efficient, reliable and simple way to determine pasture mass in New Zealand hill country settings. Keywords: hill country, feed budgeting, protocol pasture mass, slope

Geoinformation research and vegetation mapping (digest based on the proceedings of the InterCarto. InterGIS conference. 1994–2020)

2020 ◽  
pp. 78-98
Author(s):  
T. V. Kotova
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Far East ◽  
Vegetation Mapping ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Ecological Functions ◽  
Geoinformation Technologies

Proceedings of the International conference (ИнтерКарто. ИнтерГИС, Russia) devoted to geographical information systems for sustainable development of territories have been published annually since 1994. The articles discuss theoretical and methodological aspects of geoinformation support for environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainable de­velop­ment, issues of geoinformatics, cartography, remote sensing of the Earth, problems of environmental sustainability and environmental impact assessment. Over a quarter of a century, the conference proceedings got more than 125 articles related to the use of geoinformation technologies to the study and mapping of vegetation. The review of proceedings gives the concrete examples how to solve problems of vegetation mapping using GIS, it is focused on publications providing some examples of GIS appli­cation to the vegetation studies. The review is organized into thematic sections according the field of application of Geoinformatics: 1.Vegetation, 2. Dynamics, state and ecological functions of vegetation, 3. Biodiversity and its assessment, 4. Plant resources, 5. Monitoring of vegetation. The Vegetation section contains publications on vegetation studies and mapping performed for some regions of Russia — the North of the Far East, the Republic of Sakha (Yaku­tia), the Tyva Republic, Central Siberia, and others. More than half of the articles are devoted to vegetation dynamics, state and ecological functions of vegetation at different hierarchical levels. Some papers present the results of the studies based on new types of information sources (photographs) and visualization methods (animation). The use of geoinformation technologies to study biological diversity was included in the agenda of five conference sessions and later reflected in more than ten publications. They cover the development and creation of GIS, the use of geoinformation technologies for the analysis, assessment and mapping of biodiversity, for its monitoring and conservation. Quite a large number of articles are devoted to the study of forest resources. GIS technologies were used to solve problems of forest management, cartometric analysis of forested areas, determination of taxation indicators, systematization of forest conditions, etc. Examples of geoinformation versatile research for medicinal plant resources are given to assess their quality, resources and productivity in the region, to identify growing areas, including ones to be protected. Most of the published materials concerning to vegetation monitoring mainly relate to forests and forest management.

PROBLEMATIC ISSUES OF THE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS USE IN SOCIO-HYGIENIC MONITORING AND RISK-BASED SUPERVISION

2019 ◽  
pp. 31-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Е.М. Studenikina ◽  
Yu.I. Stepkin ◽  
O.V. Klepikov ◽  
I.V. Kolnet ◽  
L.V. Popova
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Electronic Library ◽  
Information Portal ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Software Product ◽  
Information Systems Use

The paper considers the problematic issues of the geographical information systems (GIS) use in the sociohygienic monitoring (SHM). We analyzed scientific and practical publications on this subject that are freely available on the largest Russian information portal of scientific electronic library eLIBRARY.RU during 2014- 2018, which allowed us to formulate the principles of organization and requirements for effective operation of geographic and information systems in the socio-hygienic monitoring. An analysis of the implementation of these principles at the present stage of development for the socio-hygienic monitoring system is presented, the results of which were used in formulating priority tasks in the area of geographic and information technology implementation into socio-hygienic monitoring and risk-based planning of control and supervisory measures: to determine the necessary level of detail and an information list depicted on electronic maps for the implementation of risk-based control planning; to provide organizational and regulatory and methodological support for the hierarchical principle of GIS within Rospotrebnadzor operating on a single software product of domestic developers for organizations and institutions; to work out the need to combine GIS with similar systems of other departments involved in the data collection of social and hygienic monitoring (Rosstat, Roshydromet, Rosprirodnadzor, Ministry of Health, etc.) to enable automated data export and import; to solve staffing issues to ensure customization and subsequent GIS operation; to provide budget funding for the purchase of licensed software products for GIS in SHM, preferably of Russian developers.

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