Terra Incognito

3D Stills | Cartography | GPS & Compass | Remote Sensing

The map is not the terrain!

Maps represent the land, but the land is far more complex than any map can ever reveal.
Every map greatly simplifies the reality on the ground. One of  the keys to a good map is exactly what & how & how
much the simplification is carried out.

3D rendering of Cheyenne Mtn. & Canyons, view to the West. Subset of larger image included with Colorado Springs & Pikes Peak map. Based on USGS digital elevation information with sunlight cast from the northwest.

Lefthand Canyon, Colorado. Quicktime, 3D Fly Over, 362K