Is there a collection of universal cartographic symbols?
April 29 2009 |
4 comments
Categories:
Symbology
Is there a globally valid 'universal' set of cartographic symbols? Who defined it? Do we provide it? Can it be downloaded? Especially I'm looking for:
- power doors
- non-power doors
- elevators
- lifts
- ramps
- curb cuts
- curb without a curb cut
- accessible (handicapped) parking
Thanks a lot!
Mapping Center Answer:
There are certainly commonly accepted cartographic conventions (like using blue lines for rivers and green colors for vegetation), and certain mapping agencies will adopt a set of cartographic symbols for their maps (like the symbols on a USGS topographic map, as shown in Parts 5 and 6 on this web site: http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/nmpstds/qmapstds.html), but there is NO ONE SET of universally accepted cartographic symbols. And for us cartographers that is actually a good thing! Different maps will require different symbology for all sorts of reasons that relate to the use and the audience of the maps.
That said, there ARE sets of symbols that many map makers use and therefore many map readers are familiar with. Many of these are sets of symbols are found in the ArcGIS styles. For the types of features you are trying to map, there are no standard symbol sets.
If you are making a 2D map, you can check out the Public Signs style. This style contains marker symbols that have the kinds of signs you might find in public buildings to indicate such things as elevators, escalators, and stairs. The Hazmat style has things like stairs (of various types), escalators, elevators (or various types), and handicapped accessible emergency exits. The Transportation style contains symbols for handicapped reserved parking and access for the handicapped. Other styles will contain other symbols. You can either use these symbols as they are, use them to create your own symbols, or create you own symbols using other input (e.g., graphic image files).
With the increased use of GIS to model 3D and larger scale environments, I think you will begin to see some increased attention to standardization of symbols for GIS applications that relate to mapping building-scale or street level-scale environments. ISO-TC211 does have a standard on Portrayal but I did not see anything like what you need. You may jsut ahve to make something up or look into the architectural/building literature for more guidance.
http://www.safetylabel.com/catalogs/view.php?page=0&catalog=1&category=0
You might also check out the Handbook of Human Factors in Web Design:
http://books.google.com/books?id=qSk7ytVDvWgC&pg=PA479&lpg=PA479&dq=human+factors+symbols+ANSI&source=bl&ots=ln26OHg7eE&sig=jjZDnPrViD4bEYvI4WOyeT9ACfw&hl=en&ei=hQwLSpW4MIrCM6fowNQL&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#PPA449,M1
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It was my understanding that ANSI or ISO had developed systematic symbologies for representational schematics in this field, but apart from some very pricey book advertisements (which may not even help if I were to buy them), I'm finding practically NOTHING. Particularly when it comes to any kind of a standard.
What I am needing especially are a key to the standard symbol set to represent the many various feature types designating our nodes in the mapping of our water and sewer pipe networks. Stormwater features and fiber optic symbologies would also be extremely helpful.
As to pipe node symbologies, those I do find are geared to hydraulics and to mechanical engineering gedgetry - not to the mapping of an underground potable water supply network.
I'm reduced to hoping to find a concensus of symbologies among the plats and plan & profile drawings submitted to our office by a some of our area engineers - but even this wouldn't provide a complete set of symbols for reference.
I was glad to find the ESRI AMFM Water font, among others in the character symbol sets. I haven't yet find a key to their typical use or definitions.
It seems that it ought to be so simple to find - for example - an ANSI, ASCE, APWA, or AWWA resource providing a list or key to typical or COMMON symbologies, if not to a STANDARD - something ideal in mapping nodes according to the most common symbolic language of the target audience.
This has all been a frustrating and fairly fruitless effort. Please pardon my rant. I do hope that someone out there can offer direction to a resource which would provide a thorough set of these sort of symbols and their definitions.