3D Cartography

Three dimensions in cartography is literally the cutting edge of the field. If any map enthusiast looks back on the history of this profession it is but a mere 5 years ago when all that was available was flat maps. it is all about technology. Computer software has been a godsend for mapping. Without the advancement of the computer we would still be in the field with a tape measurer and other tools I am not even familiar with because they are obsolete. The old way and only way to see elevation was on a topo map. Sure it got the point across but the terrain itself had to be, at least in part, imagined. 3D cartography takes us far beyond this. Now we can use software that allows us to "fly" over an area, all the while displaying detail that could only be imagined on paper maps. It is my opinion, however, that technology has the potential to hinder mapping. When I first got into this stuff I had an idea in my head that I would be working with my hands. By my hands I do not mean pushing a mouse, right clicking and left clicking, but rather in the field. I long to measure, to survey something, anything. Don't get me wrong, the technology is amazing. A computer generated model of any given area might be amazing, yet highly impersonal and sterile. I hate to criticize anything and that is definitely not the idea here, but I do long to use my hands and feel the earth and stand on the landscape, carefully listening to what it has to say. Accuracy and presentation are often benefits of the technological way, but should we really forget, move past the roots of cartography? One might argue that it is still a field highly reliant on field work, but I would tend to disagree. The argument would be that the field work is now moving toward GIS and GPS data collection, but what about when the data has all been collected? I don't know and perhaps I am just bitter but it is this reason alone that I am not sure whether or not I will do this work in the future. The very near future now. I long to be outside and my honesty tells myself and the world I will not spend the next thirty or so years right clicking. The impression that I am against the technology and 3D cartography is wrong. I still look forward to creating some unique and 3D maps, but I wish it was different. I wish I could have both sides cartography. Old and New.

Old vs New in the cartographic world

Anyone can see that cartography and accordingly maps are a much different entity than they used to be. Even in my lifetime the technology and design of maps has changed dramatically. When I was a kid we didn't have GPS navigation pieces in our cars and today we do. I remember going on family vacations across the country and one of the first stops was always the AAA office to pick up countless maps and tour books. Well its been a while since my last family road trip but I can remember thos stacks of maps and books clearly....it was so much stuff. Thinking back on this though, it was not that long ago but that trip to AAA is now obsolete with the Internet and all of its virtual mapping capabilities. In many cases, for many people, the research doesn't even have to be done beforehand but rather it is there as you go on the dash of your car. This to me is a pretty amazing leap in technology for only about a 10 year time period. The ease of operation and convenience of the electronic maps is great, but to me, and perhaps other map geeks, there is much to say about paper maps. They are what I love to look at. I have a collection of them on my wall and I think they are amazing. Even though they are computer generated I see and appreciate the countless hours that were spent to produce such masterpieces. That being said, One can only imagine today what traditional cartographer had to do by hand as mapping pioneers. Hand tools and patience were their tools, two things that are becoming more and more unfamiliar in the world. Not only do modern humans expect things to be done at the drop of a hat, but skilled trades are disappearing with time. I'm talking about the skilled trades that require someone to sit down and create something with human hands. Quite a shame actually. However, today technology is our vessel in almost every field including cartography. I don't believe their is any market for traditional mappers and actually we can do so much electronically that their won't ever be again. Mapping is now a part of the future. It has entered the realm of technology and cannot be reversed, only improved and further advanced. It is my strong feeling though that we need to protect and preserve our traditional maps as priceless historical relics. They should be framed and analyzed and appreciated by anyone with an eye for skill and pure craftsmanship.