Cognitive Research On The Dynamic And Interactive Characteristics Of Cartographic Visualization

Maps are not only the results from people cognition of spatial environment, but also the tools that the people use to make spatial cognitions. Due to the tool property of map, the development of the map is mostly affected and limited by the technology. Actually we can see from the history that the map is technology-driven. However, as a subject, the map needs its own theories, and the study of these theories must be developed as the study objects, study methods and study goals deepens with the development of the technology.A new type of maps with animated and interactive functions arose from the efforts in information technology and is becoming more efficient than static paper maps. Multi-dimensional dynamic spatial information turns into a new content included in the map. In this circumstance some researchers put forward the visualization model of maps, whose technical approaches are kinds of new computer technologies, primary characteristics are animation and interactivity, and tasks are to achieve personal exploration.This paper studies the foregoing characteristic of the map. It consists of 7 chapters: the developed history of map visualization, research of spatial cognition in animated maps, the interactive property during the use of map visualization, the making and realization of animated maps, and the effects and how it will be extended in theoretical map sciences because of the properties of animation and interactivity.The introduction part of this article discusses the backgrounds of map visualization and concludes its developed process of animated maps. Furthermore, it advances the exploratory property, its animated property and interactive property will affect the theories of map sciences.First, the paper starts from the spatial cognition of animated maps, introduces the outputs of the map spatial cognition we already have and then interprets some important concepts of traditional map cognition such as the cognition of spatial phenomena, image maps, visual cognition and cognitive information process. Second, it analyzes the dynamic spatial-temporal geographical phenomena and images of time cognition involved in human's languages and minds. Traditional maps only reflect a static world statically, but the moving objects also have their image map formats in our brains, which will be discussed later in this paper. Third, it will study the people visual feelings of moving pictures and its characteristics aiming at the using effects of animated maps. And it suggests we should make animated maps on the basis of the information loading characteristic and using characteristic of animated maps. Finally, it discusses the interactive functions and methods of animated maps in a broad sense.Map visualization concentrates on map users and believes in its developments should bepersonal oriented, more interactive and more visualization tools for analysis and exploration. However, the study of spatial cognition is always focusing more on the research of cognitive characteristics of mapping experts and less on the map users.The map visualization schema in the paper pays more attention to the users' spatial cognition and inner image characteristics—the simulation expression of image information from the aspects of people's thinking actions with the help of computer science. It studies step by step internal comprehensive portrayal and eternal portrayal which people perceive the real world — visual information process of visualized graphs which users can interpret, understand and find the visualized results combined with their knowledge, experiences and concepts.Map visualization is of great importance in the scientific visualization. In this paper we use the framework design model, knowledge, the expression of thinking and the data flow model of scientific visualization for reference to study the map visualization. And moreover, it analyzes different kinds of cognitive strategies and actions that people use to make scientific researches in the map visualization environment.To extend the traditional mapping we make animated maps. After we analyze the certain map relation between geographical phenomena and map graph portrayal, we classify spatial-temporal geographical phenomena which are the main study objects of animated map from the standing of graph expression. To classify is to make a better choice and decision of expression. Then we make a conclusion about the conclusion of animated maps classification. From the aspect of map users, animated maps can be classified into two classes: time serial class and non-time serial class. After that we analyze the animated map making include dynamic phenomena expression in the traditional maps, dynamic expressive property of static variables and the graphic characteristics of dynamic variables. Though both computer animations design technology and computer software provide a strong tool for animated maps design, the relations between people—earth—map are still core problems of mapping.It is obvious that new practices affected theoretical map science. Study of spatial-temporal geographical phenomena, computer animations technology, dynamic and interactive characteristics, assistance to exploratory objects, all of those are new changes in the new period of the map, which are beyond the content of traditional theoretical map science. In this paper we discusses that the spatial cognitive study has been extended by the use of animated maps from the following four aspects besides from the evolution of map definition: map spatial cognitive theory, map information transformation theory, map model theory and map receptive theory. Traditional map information transformation schema has changed into exploratory map visualization schema. Maps are no longer limited in the loading and transferring, it also engages in the knowledge discovery. With the time to be considered, the conceptual model and physical model of maps has become perfect. Because of more receptive cognitions and new technologies about animated maps,the theory has been enriched in the map receptive theory, and it supplies a strong theoretical foundation for virtual realities.Finally, we choose the theme about spatial and temporal change of Chinese population density to build our test system. The test of the system indicates it will benefit for analysis of thematic change laws if there are animations and interactive technologies when users use the system. Meanwhile, the design factors such as classification scheme in the display effect of animated map system and the background of users are also important when we decide the effect of using the system.