How the Quality of Cartographic Generalization Is Assured – the Approach with an Automatic Cartographic Generalization Chain

As one of the key techniques in multi-representation database, GIS, mapmaking and Digital Earth, automatic cartographic generalization has been intensively researched since decades. Current developments worldwide have been concentrated on the efforts towards adaptive and easily embeddable automatic generalization modules or services. Based on an analysis of the common rules concerning the quality issues that a cartographic generalization system has to obey, this paper put forward an “automatic cartographic generalization chain”. This chain integrates cartographic generalization knowledge, algorithms, operations, real-time monitoring, quality assessment and process control together. With examples, we show how to apply the common rules in an automatic cartographic generalization system.