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RAUK - Archived Forum - Help please

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Tony Phelps
Forum Specialist
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
No. of posts: 575


View other posts by Tony Phelps
Posted: 16 Sep 2003
I am having a bit of trouble with regard to distribution maps for my books. I have the detail, more or less, but I have tried everything to get plain outline maps. These have to be quite varied, whole continents, parts of continents, island groups, etc. Although I am describing 240 species obviously in many cases more than one can go on a map. e.g. Cerophidion - Cent America. Macrovipera - N.Africa ' near East.
Are there any good draughstpersons out there? or any other solutions. Its a pain as it is diverting me away from the text; I have a deadline, but cannot leave maps til last minute.
Thanks

Tony
-LAF
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
No. of posts: 317


View other posts by -LAF
Posted: 16 Sep 2003
I guess this is partly a problem with copyright of using existing maps and making a final product that is accurate and looks professional. By far the most obvious way to generate maps would be with the use of a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) package as undoubtedly of the shelf maps exist of all major aspect of the earths surface for these systems. It's then just a case of filling in the data. Not really my field though so you'd need to find someone who knows how these things work. My second thought was can you get in touch with Stephen Spawls, as the mapping in the venomous snakes of Africa book was, in my opinion, the best I've seen in a field guide, he might know what was used to generate those.

I'll ask around about the GIS thing as I know a lot of free software now exists.

Cheers, Lee.
Lee Fairclough
Tony Phelps
Forum Specialist
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
No. of posts: 575


View other posts by Tony Phelps
Posted: 16 Sep 2003
Thanks Lee,
Stephens a mate so yes I'll give him a call, the mapsin the East African guide wern't bad either as I recall.
Cheers

Tony
Ewan
Member
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
No. of posts: 21


View other posts by Ewan
Posted: 17 Sep 2003
Dear Tony

Here At UCL Geography department we have a cartography unit who produce excellent maps and diagrams for publications and books.
They do work both within the dept and for external clients. I believe their external work is charged at 25 pounds an hour - a very reasonable rate and approximately half the price of other bureaus in the area.
If you wish to get on touch with them please email either Cath cpyke@geog.ucl.ac.uk or Elanor emcbay@geog.ucl.ac.uk
They are on the web at:
http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/drawing_office/

Good luck with the book

Ewan Shilland

Environmental Change Research Centre
University College London

Ewan Shilland
Contract Research Scientist
Environmental Change Research Centre
University College London
Tony Phelps
Forum Specialist
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
No. of posts: 575


View other posts by Tony Phelps
Posted: 18 Sep 2003
Thanks Ewan,
This sounds good, will put to publishers they have to foot the bill, but the fee sounds reasonable and after all I only want outlines, I will fill in the detail.

Cheers

Tony

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