Design and Implementation of Multi-style GUI for Cartographic
Information Systems
Y.F. Chen, Y. Ling
Zhengzhou Institute of Surveying and Mapping,Department of
Cartography & GIS,
cyfbeijing@163.com
With users’ increasing, there is a great different demand for GUI
in CIS from expert users to public users. But almost all user interfaces in
existing CIS are designed for specialist-oriented, and treat all users as the
same, thus ignore individual features of users. In order to solute the contradiction
that the expert users need the powerful functions but the public users need
simple operation, the author puts forward the design idea of multi-style GUI for
CIS.
As a
visual carrier of system’s supplying spatial information to user, electronic
map itself is an important component of GUI in CIS. Therefore, designing GUI
for CIS can’t simply follow the design principles of general computer
information systems, but should consider its spatial trait and map character.
According to map character of CIS, the user interface concept in broad sense is
presented. All information interfaces including electronic maps shown before
users could be seen as the components of user interface in CIS, but not limited
by windows, menu, icons and toolbars in traditional meaning. The multi-style GUI makes one CIS software has ability of providing
different style GUIs for different users depending on users’ basic
characteristics and demands. In this way, most users can use CIS software more
easily and efficiently. Based on the analysis of common GUI in existing CIS, a
standard icon library was built. According to the concept of user interface in
broad sense, there are four typical GUI models, that is concision-style,
website-style, software-style and multimedia-style GUI. And typical user interface model library was built as the
elementary user interface the system supplied for different users.
Design
of multi-style GUI for CIS includes: 1. Screen interface elements design, which
studies the figure of windows, menu, icon, toolbar and button and their layout
in user interface, and presents various GUI design schemes according to user
cognitive demands. 2. Map interface elements design, that is, applying
cartographic visual perception theory to visual display design of electronic
map and whole visual effect of GUI. 3. Multi-style interface library
establishment for CIS through user cognitive experiment.
The
paper consists of five parts. Part one, problems in existing GUI on CIS and
concept of user interface in broad sense. Part two, concept of multi-style GUI
and typical user interface model library. Part three, multi-style GUI design
for CIS. Part four, technical flow of developing CIS with multi-style GUI. Part
five, conclusions.