A Conceptual Framework For Automated Generalization and its Application to Geologic and Soil Maps

Research in map generalization starts to focus on other types of maps than on topographic maps only. Therefore, new generalization concepts have to be developed, extending on the experiences and research efforts originally made in topographic generalization. This paper presents a new conceptual framework of map generalization with respect to thematic mapping based on an analysis of the literature. The framework consists of three phases: a structure analysis stage, the generalization stage and the visualization stage. The stages are first discussed by their objectives and subsequently with respect to more technical modeling aspects. Finally, as a case study, the framework is applied to conceptual modeling of the generalization of geologic and soil maps