Generating Topologically Correct Schematic Maps

This paper studies the creation of schematic maps from traditional vector-based, carto-graphic information. An algorithm is proposed to modify positions of lines in the original input map with the goal of producing as output a schematic map that meets certain geometric and aesthetic criteria. Special emphasis is placed here on preserving topological structure of features during this transformation. The known, existing methods for preserving topol-ogy during map transformation generally involve computing several constrained Delaunay triangulations Mol89, Gol94, JBW95, Rua95]. The algorithm proposed here computes a transformation which preserves topological relations among linear features using simple geometric operations and tests.