How to Build a Road Map
Map-making and map reading is an essential navigational tool used for saving time and money. Road maps are available in multiple formats, according to purpose. Advanced technology allows travelers to generate a professional feel by designing their own maps. Despite the variance between back-of-the-envelope drawings and 200-page atlases, all maps carry basic features that standardize their ease of use.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
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Define Area
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Select the detail of the road map according to your objectives. For example, cross-country driving requires regional maps. Conversely, shoppers looking for a particular boutique location need detailed images of every area street.
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Identify landmarks that can be used as reference points. Examples include geographical features, political boundaries, tourist attractions and major roads. Highlight these landmarks within the road map to use as directional guides to match your model to reality.
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Use indexing to guide yourself and other readers towards locations on the map. List a series of regularly spaced letters and numbers along both sides of the image to create a grid for indexing. Spaces upon the map match up these coordinates and are used to identify landmarks.
Legend
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Set aside space within the map for a legend--a guide used to summarize the images and symbols you create.
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Design a scale that correlates the size of your map to real-word conditions. Consider associating one inch of space on the road map with one mile of actual geographic distance.
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Categorize roads in the area according to type. American roads might be described as streets, principal routes and interstates, which are divided further into free and tolled highways. Differentiate between these routes by color-coded lines, fonts or combinations of both.
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Study local highway shields of the area you plan to represent, and match these signs to examples of each route on the legend. U.S. interstates feature red, white and blue signs and should be matched to the boldest lines on your map. County and state route shields vary according to municipalities, and they usually are local roads.
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Designate other landmarks and points of interest with symbols on your legend. Rand McNally uses triangles for mountain peaks, stars for capital cities and dashes for swamps.
Draw the Map
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Select the technology you plan for drawing your map, in step with your proficiency. Maps are made with satellites, computer software, surveying equipment and the basic pen and paper. Most consumers might copy a map onto paper from memory or another image. You can even type information onto Web sites such as Google and MapQuest, which automatically display maps for print.
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Study local terminology to overlay and further define the imagery on your map. For example, interstates are referred to as expressways, freeways, tollways and turnpikes according to local jargon. Principal routes usually feature numerical shields and proper names. Attach these proper names onto your map's roads.
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Verify that the information is accurate by relying upon the map to arrive at a certain location. Compare the map with real-world conditions as you progress towards your destination.
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Tips & Warnings
Monitor new construction and geological shifts to update your road maps regularly. Your local department of transportation is a good starting point for road-construction plans.
Road maps usually do not account for important information such as traffic flow or the quality of neighborhoods. Routes that might appear to be "straight shots" could direct you toward major congestion or crime-riddled areas.
