Author: mkhan357

Muniba – I continued working on the iPad Controller, primarily focusing on writing methods to calculate geographical coordinates to send to the Projector in order for it to know which area of the map to display. These points were found by first finding the pixel coordinates on the html page, and then unprojecting it to geographical coordinates using Mapbox GL functionality. The points I calculated were the four bounding points, as well as the “center” of the leftmost and rightmost projections of the selected map. As well as this, I worked with Melanie to get our application on an Ubuntu virtual machine so we no longer have to run locally.

Annabel – I spent a good chunk of this week working with Muniba and Chris on the interface of the Map Room. We want the user to be able to highlight specific points in the data for discussion, so I created a page that allows you to select from the currently visible points and have that point highlighted on the map, accompanied by its available information on the panel. Besides that, I’ve been spending a bit of time trying to figure out the irregularities (or, rather, unexpected numbers) in the tax assessment data; Amanda looked over the dataset with me and narrowed down the unexpected numbers into a shorter time span and Dr. Dan Immergluck of GSU was then able to enlighten us as to why that change was happening.

The screen to select a point from those currently on view:

The dynamic panel on the projector screen (featuring a highlighted point)

Muniba: This week, I continued sifting through code shared to us from the St. Louis Map Room in the hopes that it could be repurposed for our use in the Atlanta Map Room. However I soon realized that with current issues in their applications (like the reliance on Mapzen, which has since been shut down) as well as the considerable modifications necessary for our concept, it may be in our best interest to create our own, simpler, proof of concept application. In considering which mapping API to use, I ultimately moved forward with MapBox GL, because it supports map rotation, which is important to creating dynamic visualizations of the BeltLine. With the projector (relatively) set up, I had the opportunity to experiment with different base maps to see what displays best for our use. I created a basic map in MapBox GL with toggle-able data and BeltLine outline (below). In the upcoming week, I’m planning to continue developing this interface with new types of data, and create an interface for selecting a portion of the map.

 

 

 

 

 

We worked on two different components of the Map Room this week –

Muniba: I primarily considered the design of the interface to enable map room users to choose and project different areas of the BeltLine and data layers. Initially, we hoped to unwind the BeltLine and create a flat, strip map so the user could draw the path as one would walk it. However after further consideration, we decided to instead enable the user to select a rectangular area of a fixed size to zoom in on and map. After looking into different libraries, I ultimately decided to move forward with the MapBox API and p5 for creating maps and drawing, respectively. To display a user’s selection of the map, we will need the coordinates of the central point, the window’s dimensions, and the rotational angle of the rectangular box. After considering these design questions and potential tools, I started looking at the repositories shared with us from the St. Louis Map Room for their projection interface.

Image – Example of a rotated map of the BeltLine I created using the MapBox API.