Real-Life Communication
There is plenty of technical vocabulary used by GIS experts. Many
of the words have developed with the technology. Other words have come from
older forms of mapping.
Your company has bought a new GIS software
package. The package will allow the user to draw and edit maps.
You
have been assigned to figure out how it works. You're supposed to send a memo
to your colleagues about the package and how it can be used. You open up the
manual. This is what it says:
Digitizing Techniques
for Map-It! Software
Digitize on-screen with the mouse as an input
device to capture information from raster images. The image might be scanned
air photographs, or maps. Load the image. Superimpose a line layer on the
image layer, and then use the mouse to digitize directly on-screen. The accuracy
will be good as you can zoom any part of the image while digitizing.
You
can also use this Map-It! software to capture topographic and thematic maps,
and drawings.
You want to make sure you know exactly
what the passage means, so you open up the manual to the glossary. Here is
what the words mean:
Digitizing: Drawing on the
computer
Input device: Instrument (mouse) that is used to draw
on the computer screen
Raster images: The set of horizontal
lines on the screen that are composed of pixels (the smallest elements of
an image)
Scanned: Photo that has been copied using a scanner
so that it will appear on the computer screen
Layers: A map
can have many different layers. Each layer is used to classify a different
type of information. One layer may show horizontal lines, another will have
pictures, and another will show map symbols
Line layer: An
example of a line layer is a national border or a district, county or state
line
Image layer: An example of an image layer is a photograph
or graphic placed on the map
Topographic maps: Maps that show
elevation (changes of height) on the land using contour lines
Thematic
maps: Maps that show themes such as religion, language groups, transport
centers or natural resources
Now that you know what everything
means, rewrite the passage in your own words. You want to make sure that people
in your office will be able to understand how to use the program.