DIVA 4 and EFA 10 - Paradigm Change at the VVS

14 mdv news II/2011
Network Map and Route Option Maps at the VMS
Transport Authority of Middle Saxony
Over the past few years, the creation of
cartography from GIS data (Geographic
Information System Data) has become
more important at transport authorities
and companies. The first article about ‘VVS
cartography directly from DIVA’ appeared
in mdv news I/2005.
A number of transport authorities use
DIVA modules Map Server and Map
Requester to generate route network
maps, city map sections and route option
maps. Another module, the Map Tiler, calculates
tiles to be able to display interactive
maps in various zoom levels. All
three were used for DIVA 3 and have had
their technology transferred one-to-one to
DIVA 4.
".... manually creating high-quality information
media has largely been replaced by
automatic processes. The result not only
saves time and energy but also provides the
ability to have up-to-date information by
integrating these products into the journey
planner." (quote from mdv news I/2005, article
"VVS cartography directly from DIVA, Mr.
Torlach)
The path from updated GIS (DIVA Geo) and
DIVA data to a generated map goes from
determining the sections of the areas in
DIVAGeo to configuring the many parameters
of the Map Server. These parameters
enable area-, route-, and point objects to
be displayed on a map according to means
of transport using character sets and
stops, which include links of routes.
The VMS set the goal to be able to generate
both route network maps a network
map using DIVA. In doing so they hoped to
save costs and generate up-to-date maps
for timetable books as well as for
download from the internet.
At first, the GIS data was enhanced to
include fare zone areas, zoom frames, and
locality names for the route network maps,
POIs (points of interest) and a few other
objects.
Afterwards comprehensive parametrization
occurred for all GIS objects, stops and
links. Now there are more than 50,000
parameter settings, all of which were first
tested in small sections and the used on
the entire map. The advantage of having
one’s own maps in comparison to ‘drawing’
on exiting maps is that the contents can
be precisely displayed in accordance with
the message of the map, which is public
transport on the background of settlement
structures. The symbols and colors of
the background map can be selected so
that the public transport appears in the
foreground.
The product with the largest area is the
transport authority’s route network map.
This makes both the map and the locality
index important. There is also a grid over
the map that makes it easier to find individual
localities (see figure 1, page 15).
In addition to the network map, 23 route
network maps were printed for the larger
cities as a supplement to the timetable
books (see figure 2, S.15). Every map can
also be accessed via www.vms.de -> VMS
timetable -> network maps (see figure 3,
page 15).
The VMS required a series of enhancements
that will be described in detail
below:
A specialty of the network map is the
option to display fare zones. By means of
an intelligent, automatic coloring procedure,
settings can be made so that
neighboring areas do not receive the same
color. In addition, overlapping fare zones
are shaded
with both
colors of the
respective
zones. The
appearance of
the shading
can be customizedaccording
to width
and angle (see
Figure 4: Fare zones
figure 4).
The network map has a zoom frame with
city fare zones which indicate that there
are route network maps in larger scales for
specific areas of the city. Stops are not
labeled inside the zoom frame (see figure 5).
Figure 5: Zoom frame
In the network map, the lines that lead out
of the transport authority are displayed
with an arrow
and direction
label. Because
the direction of
the arrow cannot
be indicated
using links, they
have to be defined
by a bracket
Figure 6:
Routes that spill off of the map
in a point object
in the GIS (see
figure 6).
There are many optimization functions to
label destination stops in DIVA programs,
stop labeling
specially for network
maps,
street labels,
display of combinationsymbols
and route
displacement of
different means
of transport (see
Figure 7: Combination symbols figure 7).
Only specific stops can be labeled in the
network maps. The display sequence of
destination stop
boxes at stops
can be set hierarchicallyaccording
to means of
transport. The
labeling of destination
stops in
relation to destination
stop
Figure 8:
Rail boxes
Figure 9:
Rail line display
boxes can also
be customized
(see figure 8).
The boxes at rail stations
are dynamic, which
means that they turn in
the direction of the link
of the rail line without
displaying the links. Instead,
the rail lines are
displayed from the GIS
(see figure 9).