No, I don´t like using their data for anything cause of possible copyright issues. I´ve got a much more detailed, game engine based 3d model of Iceland now than they do anyway ;)
Yes, there are many ways of doing this. Some of todays services like StreetView would have helped a lot. But do keep in mind that if you create the data from scratch yourself you´ll have much better control over things and a better understanding of how to portray the data in the best possible manner for each given project. We went the ultra detail-perverted way on this one :) By using our own data I also know for a fact I won´t run into any licensing or copyright issues, and apart from that I´m able to use the 3d models for all sorts of stuff. If you need some further tips you´re free to send me an email at [email protected]
yes of course, we´ve used this map zoom solution on a number of our own projects and for different clients. There´s a beautifully simple admin system behind it to add and edit points etc.
All honor of the online solution goes to my friend/genius Brian Suda: http://www.suda.co.uk, though I worked with him on the design and supplied data. 3d,drawing+painting+coding=you don´t wanna know, I tend to shock most customers with initial estimates, which is why most of the projects are self initiated, like this one.
hehe, insane is a good word to describe this one. I´m not
sure of the long term consequences but there were long nights, weeks, months and years spent on this one.
It´s even a tad bit more than you guessed. First: Make photocopies of ground plans, sections and drawings of each side of appr.600 houses at the city planning office.(appr.3.000 a2 sheets of paper if I remember correctly) Sit down for one summer with two friends, model those buildings and play a lot of ping pong in between to keep mentally stable. Then charter a plane, persuade the air control to get you permission to fly 10 circles over a busy city center to photograph almost each house from the same angle (for colors and details such as flagpoles, trampolines etc.). Then walk the streets to photograph missing parts.
After all of that: Decide on an angle, start trying to find a suitable style, do test blocks, then draw 186 a3 drawings, watercolor each one using the aerial photos for accurate colors and then finally assembling the map, color grading, bunch of dodging and burning, street names, et voilá, you got yourself a map!
Well, you wouldn´t see much difference. A large area of what´s depicted has a preservation status. But great idea, I´ll check the difference in a few years :)
And no, I get seasick, I´m sunbathing on a roof somewhere ;) We were all on the map, I´m noticing some got lost during last update, I´ll add them back in soon!
hehe, damnit, you weren´t supposed to find me that fast. Keep the location to yourself ;) and sshhhh....I´m obviously trying to catch up on my tan there, can´t you see how pale we are up here in the arctic?
The cartographer of the map here.......
Very good point, I´ll look into a good solution for that, thanks for the feedback, every design can only get better with well grounded criticism.
Hey guys! I´m the cartographer that designed this map, here are a few other examples of our work if anyone´s interested: http://www.borgarmynd.com
A friend let me know about the post and I just wanted to say thanks for posting and feedback, much appreciated :) I got a few of my architect and graphic designer friends to work on this map with me while we were still in school, 7 years ago, and the website with the zoom feature is done by Brian Suda http://www.suda.co.uk A total of 5 people (4 architects & 1 graphic designer) took part in making the map and 3 more of our graphic designer friends helped in one way or another on layout, web design etc.
The map is actually a collage of 186 a3 watercolor sheets that took 2 years (2300 hrs)to 3d model, draw and paint. The watercolor sheets were all based on 3d models we made first of each house, using city planning groundplans and sections, so the accuracy (even though it might look all cute and cuddly) is very high (Every tree, flagpole etc. is based on actual objects) We update the map every year, draw in new buildings, paint in new colors of houses etc.
For those interested, the map is an axonometric projection of my home town Reykjavík, Iceland. We used this kind of projection in order to maintain scale within the map.