Map Drawing/Computer Drafting

ANTL 207

This unit will demonstrate how to clean up field maps for inclusion in a site report. Please work carefully, since these maps probably will wind up in a site report! We will be using Macromedia Freehand for this project—if you have any questions about using this program that are not covered in this handout, please ask your instructor or check the tutorial section of the Macromedia program.

1) In Freehand, begin a New Project

2) Under the File menu, Import one of the maps for this project, which will be found in the ANTL 207, Fall 2009 file in the My Documents Folder.

3) Your cursor will begin a right-degree angle. Click in the upper left-hand corner of your sheet of paper, and the imported map will appear.

4) Adjust the zoom to at least 100%, so you can see what your map looks like.

5) If your map is not oriented upright compared to you, go to the Modify menu, click on ‘Transform’ and then on ‘Rotate.’ A menu will appear on the screen. Rotate your file by 90% (or 270%) until it is oriented correctly.

6) If there is a reference line in the map, put it in by clicking on the ‘Line’ tool in the toolbar probably located along the left of the screen. Place the cursor on one end of the line (possibly labeled ‘A’), and keep the mouse key down, as you follow the line to the other end (possibly labeled ‘B’). Let go. You should have a nice, straight line on your map. This line may have numbers written along it—do NOT write these in, at least not yet.

7) In front of you is now a correctly oriented, scanned in field map. You need to trace clearly over the lines, and replace the handwritten labels with typed text. First, adjust the zoom to about 200%. Click on the ‘Bezigon’ tool in the toolbar, probably located along the left of the screen. This tool allows you to trace irregular shapes. Use this tool to trace a single object on screen—it’s best to start with one that you are planning to fill later. If you want to adjust the width of the stroke or the angles of its joins, go to the Windows menu, and then click on ‘Inspectors’ and ‘Stroke’—a toolbox will appear that allows you to do that.

8) When you have closed the shape, go to the ‘Fill’ toolbox located behind the ‘Stroke’ toolbox. Select a Pattern for the fill—something simple and geometric is traditional, and you may want to just copy whatever pattern the original mapmaker used. If the shape does not have a pattern fill, omit this step.

9) Repeat until all the map lines and shapes are neatly traced. Dotted lines (such as to indicate a flotation sample or soil column) can be obtained by selecting ‘Pattern’ from the Stroke toolbox, and selecting a pattern that gives you the dotted effect that you like.

10) If there is a legend, use the Rectangular shape tool from the toolbar to produce the base rectangles for the legend, and then use the Fill toolbox to match whatever fill you used in the map.

11) It is now time to put in text. Look at the handwritten text on the map. Most of it will be soil descriptions, along the general line of “10YR 3/2 very dark grayish brown silt mottled with 10YR 4/2 yellowish brown sand.” First, go to the ‘Text’ toolbox behind the ‘Stroke’ and ‘Fill’ toolboxes. Select Times New Roman, 12 point, and plain style. This should set the base style for your map. Now, click the Text tool from the toolbar, and click on a spot that you’d like to add typed text. Copy the handwritten text, making sure that you have corrected all spelling errors that you notice (“modeling” means “mottling” for example). If you have any questions in the translation of text, refer to the original map in the George Reeves paperwork notebook. If you still can’t read it, get your instructor to help translate the lousy handwriting.

12) Label your guideline, by using your ‘Text’ tool to write in an A at the A end of the line, and a B at the B end. You do not need to add dots or circles, as these are understood.

13) Add in the North Arrow, by selecting the ‘Line’ Tool from the Toolbar, and drawing the line to overlap the North Arrow. Go to the ‘Stroke’ Toolbox, and select whichever Arrowhead makes North point the correct direction. Using your Text tool, put in an N next to the arrow, so it is clear what it is for.

14) Add in the Scale, using the Line tools and Text tools for requisite numbers.

15) Label the map at top, making sure it doesn’t overlap with any other text or lines, using Times New Roman font, but 12 point boldface. To do this, go to your Text toolbox, and select ‘Bold’ instead of ‘Plain’ under the font type. This label should include the site name and number (George Reeves 11S650), Feature # (Feature # 436), and Planview, Profile, and any other information included along the top of your map—NOT including the original date the map was produced.

16) Check over your map. Is it neat? Is it readable? Is it clear which text is referring to which section of the map? Can you tell what the boundaries of your features are? Do you know where North is? Can you see the scale? Do you know what the map is of? Are you really, really sure it’s all done?

17) If you are, change the map zoom to about 50%. You should now see the the whole map, including the rectangular sheet imported at the beginning. Select the Black Arrow tool from the toolbar to your left. Click on the edge of your scanned map. You should see four black dots at the corner of the original scanned map. Hit the delete button. You should now see just your traced map, without any of the original scanning.

18) Save the map as a Freehand file, using the Save command under the File menu. Save it in the My Documents ANTL 207 Fall 2009 folder, with the feature number and description (Fea 436 profile).

19) Now print out your map on the 2200 printer, making sure that the page setup is correct—if the map is in a landscape format, you will have to go to the Page Setup and change the setup to Landscape to make sure that your entire map prints.

20) Look at it on paper. Are you happy with it? Are the answers to the questions in #16 still ‘Yes’? If so, put your name(s) on it and turn it in.

21) Finally, export it as a 300 .dpi .tiff file, by going to the Export command under the File menu, selecting .tiff as the type, and hitting the Setup key to make sure the .dpi is correct. Make sure it is saving to the correct folder and hit the ‘Save’ button.