Editing 1784: Bad Map Projection: Liquid Resize
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Partial -- explains a few underlying concepts but needs a lead section}} | |
− | There is no perfect way to draw a map of the world on a flat piece of paper. Each one will introduce a different type of distortion, and the best projection for a given situation is sometimes disputed. | + | There is no perfect way to draw a map of the world on a flat piece of paper. Each one will introduce a different type of distortion, and the best projection for a given situation is sometimes very disputed. Randall previously explored different projections in [[977: Map Projections]], and expressed his disdain for some types he sees as less efficient but whose users feel superior. In this comic, he suggests a new map projection which is useless for most map applications as the size, shape, and position of most countries are quite distorted. Worse, this method needs a planar map projection as its starting point, thus compounding the problems. |
− | + | [https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/content-aware-scaling.html Photoshop's content aware resizing tool] resizes images by identifying what it thinks are important details and preserving these, while shrinking or stretching less detailed areas. For example, [http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/710073-content-aware-scaling when used on a face], the algorithm detects that the eyes and mouth are important details and tries to keep these in place, while stretching the skin around it. When applied to a map, this means that areas with lots of countries - and therefore lots of detail - such as Europe, West Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean and Central America/the Caribbean are relatively unchanged, while big countries like India, China and the US are very warped. [http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/content-aware-scaling Bad content aware scaling] is a meme. This projection does do a good job, however, of making almost every country clearly visible and indicating which countries are neighbours. | |
+ | South America fits into Africa almost as it did in the era of the super-continent [[wikipedia:Pangaea|Pangaea]]. | ||
− | + | [[wikipedia:Tissot's indicatrix|Tissot's indicatrices]] are equally sized small circles overlaid on a globe to show the distortion of a particular map projection; if the map distortion distorts the shapes or areas of countries, it will do the same to the circles. The title text suggests that the shapes of Tissot's indicatrices would be pretty well preserved by the Liquid Resize transformation, 'as long as you draw them in before running the resize'. Since drawing in the indicatrices first would be identified as details, the Photoshop filter would try not to change them. However, the rest of the map would still change around them, making them useless. | |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
:[Caption at the top of the panel:] | :[Caption at the top of the panel:] | ||
:Bad map projection #107: | :Bad map projection #107: | ||
− | :<big>The | + | :<big>The Liquid Resize</big> |
:A political map compressed using Photoshop's content-aware resizing algorithm to cut down on unused blank space | :A political map compressed using Photoshop's content-aware resizing algorithm to cut down on unused blank space | ||
− | :[Below the caption there is a map of the world divided and colored by political boundaries, with outlines around each continent in black and around each country in dark gray. Antarctica is colored in light gray, bodies of water in white, and countries in pale shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The map is heavily distorted, with Africa in the center and the other continents curving around it, approximating the bounds of a square with rounded corners. | + | :[Below the caption there is a map of the world divided and colored by political boundaries, with outlines around each continent in black and around each country in dark gray. Antarctica is colored in light gray, bodies of water in white, and countries in pale shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. The map is heavily distorted, with Africa in the center and the other continents curving around it, approximating the bounds of a square with rounded corners. Especially the oceans have been removed but also huge countries like the US, Australia, Brazil and Russia have been heavily distorted while areas in the center with many smaller countries like Africa and Europe is almost unchanged.] |
{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
[[Category:Comics with color]] | [[Category:Comics with color]] | ||
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Maps]] |