Esri Mapping Center - Ask a Cartographer

Bump Map & Land Ownership

December 16 2011 | 2 comments
Categories: Cartographic Design

I'm looking for a way to be able to show land ownership incorporated into a bump map. The subject property has to be easily identifiable, but not impede the bump effect (ideally that is).

I've thought about doing a multiple distance buffer inside the boundaries and creating a vignette frame of sorts.

Any other ideas?

Mapping Center Answer:

The bump map is really a secondary issue. What you are (rightly) thinking about is how to create visual contrast between your map background and your land ownership features. Check out the Mapping Center Design Principles for Cartography blog entry for some ideas. A vignette might work but you might also like to think about whitewash effects.

Attachment: sample

White Wash posted by ZACHARY HART on Dec 20 2011 6:07AM

I'm not really finding much to go by in terms of implementing a white wash effect.

What's disappointing is the gradient fill: even if you set a 2nd color on the ramp of 'no color' and a modest transparency on the layer itself, it still just fades to white. This leads me to believe that the only way to create this (at least within ArcMap) is back to the vignette option?

Two polygon fills posted by Aileen Buckley on Jan 9 2012 10:06PM

I am assuming that when you apply the bump map effect you are simply texturizing the DEM and NOT adding a green tint to the vegetated areas. If you are, then you have a real challenge is that you are trying to overlay two polygon fills (one for the bump mapped vegetated areas and one for land ownership). This just won't work. If you don't use a polygon fill for the vegetated areas, you should be OK. If you are trying to display vegetated areas and land ownership at the same time, both with polygon fills, please write back to let us know as the approach we originally suggested will not work for you.

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