Resources to help explore a passion for mapping...software and otherwise?

[Meshon]

Hi there, and major respect for supporting your son's passion! I'm going to lend my vote to the drawing tablet. I have just a small one, and it's old, but it makes such a difference in how I interact with my drawing software. I think that would be pretty exciting for him to play with; it sounds like he's a master at learning acquisition, so just jump right in! You can find them at some computer and electronics stores if you don't want to wait for shipping.

Along with GIMP, another piece of software you might look at is InkScape. It works a bit differently but is really good for drawing lines and shapes and having a high degree of control. Both GIMP and InkScape are free, so you're only investing the time to learn how to start using them. My son has been using Adobe Illustrator (similar to InkScape) and I've been really pleased with how he's progressing.

There are lots of tutorials for GIMP and InkScape. I imagine your son is reading, and probably has been for a long while, so he will be able to take over his knowledge acquisition pretty easily and teach you!

Have fun!

Meshon

[GranolaMom]

How grateful I am for all your comments! Finding the tools is as much fun for me as using them will be for him. I love the idea of a tablet paired with a program. And thanks for the thread on raised relief globes. We made a paper mache one and while crafting it was an adventure I have to admit our scale was more than a bit off. The joys of hands on learning! I will check out each thread and idea shared and I have no doubt he'll be thrilled to share his creations as well. Many thanks all!

[GranolaMom]

Meshon you're spot on! We've learned more about maps, geography and no doubt soon mapping from this little being than we ever learned in a brick and mortar classroom. What a ride we're on...

[ChickPea]

There are simplistic drawing programs for kids like TuxPaint (www.tuxpaint.org), but it might be too simplistic and not really what you're looking for, although something like this might help to introduce the drawing tools before unleashing a poor kid on the Gimp user interface (which is a bit daunting even when you know what you're doing!)

I believe there are some good video tutorials on Youtube to introduce Gimp and probably Inkscape too. The joy of free software is that you can try it and, if it's not what you want, you haven't wasted your cash. I'd definitely save that cash for a graphics tablet instead.

I do hope you'll share your son's creations with us.

[johnvanvliet]

Hi "GranolaMom"

i was going to guess you are using Microsoft Windows , but then you stated you are using Apple

i do not use ether - been using Linux for the last 10 years

almost all the tools i use are CROSS platform , that is they run on Linux BUT!!! also run on Apple and Windows

Gimp should run on a mac check macports , but apple has some very good photo editing software

Inkscape
https://inkscape.org/en/
https://inkscape.org/en/download/mac-os/


Qgis i think will also run on a apple ( apple is basically BSD ( Berkly Software Distribution ) )
https://www.qgis.org/en/site/index.html
http://www.kyngchaos.com/software/qgis


there are A LOT !!! of FREE opensource ( GPL - General Public License) software like Qgis ,Inkscape ,and The Gimp

be a bit skeptical of the $30-$50 USD "shareware " and low cost software
some is good, some is GREAT

a lot of it is CRAP however !

[GranolaMom]

Thanks ChickPea and johnvanvilet! I'm thinking I may have to pass this one off to my husband who is MUCH more tech savvy than I am but I'm giving it a go before I concede.

[ChickPea]

Haha that's the spirit! Good luck.

[Kanny]

If your interested in other mapping resources my library has a pretty big (but admittedly a bit disorganised) collection of links that we have collected together over the years:

http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections...nts/maps/links

A particularly useful link for looking at my countries (UK) mapping as it has evolved over the years is the NLS (National Library of Scotland) interactive digital map collection. This lets you look at a great deal of mapping including a lot of the OS (Ordinance Survey) maps at all their various scales and dates. Simply use the map to zoom in, click on a box of the area your interested in and then it should bring up all the maps in that series. Also note that you can use the menu on the left to switch between both categories and map series.

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=5&...s=39&point=0,0

Next I would be remiss if I did not tell you about the British Libraries georeferencing project. This is a endeavour to take the many maps held at the British Library, scan them in and then tile them across a digital map of the modern world. Each map is compared to modern map data and satellite imagery after which a common point of reference that unifies the two is marked.

So for example, lets assume that you have a map of central London that dates from say... 1870, well at that time Big Ben exists so one of your points of reference could be Big Ben as it still exists today (despite many action movies trying to suggest it should be destroyed by aliens). Anyway, once you have placed 3 or more such points its then possible for the system to compare and triangulate the old map - overlaying its digital image over the satellite image using a distorting mesh (don't worry if that does not make sense, its a lot less complex than it may sound). This allows us to test the accuracy of an old map (are Big Ben and Buckingham Palace the correct distance apart?) and also allows us to fade the old image out over the top of the satellite image - letting us see how things have changed over time.

This first link takes you to all the maps that have currently been Georeferenced. The first google map represents the most recent additions and the one beneath it is everything that's been done up to this point. Simply zoom in to an area that interests you and then click on a dot. Afterwards you can click on the image of the map and you will be taken to a google map style page with a scan of the old map overlayed on top. Now you can zoom in, fade the map in and out to compare its accuracy and toggle any cutlines on and off. Once you have had a play select the accuracy tab at the top and this will show you the points of stress in the maps accuracy by displaying how its mesh is distorted.

http://www.bl.uk/maps/georeferencingmap.html

This second link is a pretty obvious example of a map that is not accurate when compared to modern mapping (It also the first map I ever georeferenced, so its far from the best). When looking at the map also consider where it is and is not accurate, for example the coastlines around the ports and areas surrounding towns are OK, but the accuracy of the mapping to the south of the island is quite poor. Who made the map and why?, what (if any) points of interest exist in the south that may make them want to represent it accurately?

http://britishlibrary.georeferencer....htvg/visualize

This final link takes you to the georeference page itself, which is an open project that people around the world help with. Who knows, maybe you could even give it a go yourself! The video tells you all you need to know.

http://www.bl.uk/maps/

If you need more help or want ideas listing other forms of content please let me know.

Best wishes!

[Gamerprinter]

I just released a Map Tutorials Guide Book, called 25 Quick & Dirty Map Tutorials designed so that if you have a favorite graphics application like Photoshop, GIMP, Illustrator, Inkscape or Xara Photo & Graphic Designer (or really any similar graphics application) that you are already comfortable with, the guide points to where the tools are that I use to create maps, then very simple step-by-step instructions teach you all the techniques I use to create maps. I am a professional game cartographer, having creating maps for dozens of publishers, including Paizo Publishing. Last year I did the multi-player maps for the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Strategy Guide, so I am an illustrator/cartographer for the video game industry as well. Note: the guide doesn't teach you how to use any of the mentioned programs, you have to already be familiar with the software, before successfully using the tutorials.