Maxim Rylov

Cartographically Plausible Label Placement

A Multi-criteria Model for Good Point-label Placement on OSM Maps

Abstract

The cartographic label placement is a very important aspect of a map production. This task is essential for both traditional and automated cartography. Every OSM-based map is annotated using a labeling algorithm in one of the existing toolkits for rendering maps. However, none of these algorithms is able to take into account a rich set of well-established cartographic guidelines for feature annotation used by human cartographers. Assigning names to point-features is one of the map lettering tasks.

In our talk we present an approach, expressed as a multi- criteria optimization model, that complies with almost all well-defined cartographic placement principles and requirements for point-feature label placement. We show how this approach allows significantly increase toponym density on an OSM-based map without effecting readability and legibility.

About the author

Maxim Rylov is PhD student in GIScience Research Group, Department of Geography, Heidelberg University. His main research interests are digital and web cartography, automated label placement, computational geometry, GIS mapping.

Media

Video/Audio recording: mp3 mp4