The dual principle in atlas cartography. Results on "Geoinformation systems and computer-assisted cartography" within the framework of an "FWF"-research project

Research into "Geoinformation systems and computer-assisted cartography" em bedded in a larger "FWF"-research project and scheduled for a five-year-per iod, consistently and professionally applied the dual principle of atlas ca rtography, though not in the form of products differing in contents or supp lementing each other, but in that of the same products using different info rmation vehicles. The advantage of this principle consists, primarily, in t he application of the "graphical outfit" of print media for the electronic medium as well. in this way the maps are presented in the optimally styled graphical form one is used to. This advantage for visualization was combine d with the advantage of interactivity inherent in the medium, thus enabling the development of an intel active cartographic information system with ad ditional media components, such as pictures, texts and sounds, made possibl e by combining symbolized map graphics and the skeleton geometry in vector mode that negotiates the inter-actions between the map las the user interfa ce and the data base. If, however, buttons and or retrieval masks with spec ific functions are used as user interfaces, the maps provide a topographica l background for showing information that was converted into cartographical form. Moreover users can, by means of the guidelines provided, even create simple maps relating to topics of their own choice by using the data store d in the data base. These maps are interactive too, so that the user of the system can have recourse to the primary data.