From GIS to Glowforge: 3D Printed Terrain for Map Nerds

This project, and blog post, were made in collaboration with Chris Cappelli. What a time to be alive. Humans have harnessed the laser. Without question the single greatest application of this profound new technology is its incorporation into consumer grade arts and crafts laser cutters. Naturally, geographers have a thing or two to add to … Continue reading From GIS to Glowforge: 3D Printed Terrain for Map Nerds

Put a North Arrow On It?

In the hyper-technical world of cartography one must often endure a no-holds-barred review session where a map is scrutinized against a time-tested checklist of must-haves. Title? Check.Scalebar? Check.Legend? Check.North arrow? Check. Only then is it an acceptable spatial document worthy of the masses… …except not really. A really great map can have any, or none, … Continue reading Put a North Arrow On It?

Map-Making on YouTube? Cautionary tales, Context, and Encouragement

This is a presentation I recorded for the glorious North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS). It’s my favorite carto conference and just jam packed with fascinating folks diving into the fun of map making. In this one, I get into the why and how of YouTube map-making videos. Plus I got to co-present with one … Continue reading Map-Making on YouTube? Cautionary tales, Context, and Encouragement