Digital map details campus

Through a marriage of aerial photography and digital imaging, a group of faculty, staff and students has produced a striking new view of the campus: a 20-by-30-inch color photo image map that depicts the 900-acre campus in extraordinary detail.

The map, which covers a 2-by 3-mile expanse from Eagle Heights to the Kohl Center, is a poster made from a merged digital image of 79 aerial photographs that depict the campus, its buildings and other features.

The map uses orthophotography, a technique that removes distortions inherent in aerial photographs. For example, relief – the topography of the landscape due to changes in terrain – is smoothed out so the photograph takes on the geometric qualities of a conventional map. The technique results in an image that can be used to measure distances, directions and areas accurately.

Campus units participating in the Campus Map Project include the Division of Facilities, Planning and Management; the College of Engineering; and the Institute for Environmental Studies. The map was published with the help of the UW–Madison Cartography Laboratory and the State Cartographer’s Office.

The map is available for $14 plus tax, shipping and handling through the State Cartographer’s Office. To see a low-resolution image of the map or place an order for the map, visit: http://www.geography.wisc.edu/sco

Forms can be obtained and credit card orders can be placed by calling (608) 262-3065. For more information, contact Bob Gurda, State Cartographer’s Office, (608) 262-6850, rfgurda@facstaff.wisc.edu.