1. Research Opportunities
Charles W. Kann III
John Hopkins University

2. Overview Pictures Time Lines and Time Maps
Maps and documentation using maps
Multi-dimensional Story Spaces (Story Arc)

3. Pictures Use of pictures Opaque overviews – sorry no slide….
3-D images of monuments (
Photosynth (

4. Marked Up Picture

5. Great (and simple) use of markup
Uses “image-map” type technology, some overlaying

6. 3-D images 3-D images of monuments (http://historicgettysburg.us)
Works by stitching together multiple images from multiple angles.
I want to document more monuments like this, but the documentation and picture taking is time consuming…
Add to Monuments Map (later in talk)
A job for history buffs, or even historians looking to document the monuments.
Help in getting funding? (Gettysburg Foundation?)

7. Photosynth Photosynth (https://photosynth.net/)
Synths are more detailed pictures embedded in larger pictures (see example next slide).
One project I really want to do with someone is Pickett’s charge.
Allow a realistic feel for walking the route
Allow evaluation of terrain features(?)
Allow multiple routes(?)
Allow narrative and/or annotations?

9. Time Lines and Time Maps
Multiple types of time lines
What is normally called a time map is really just a time line
What I will call a Time Map is a time line with an additional dimension of time implemented as a time line
Time lines should be able to produce multiple representations of time dimension.

10. Time Lines Time Line with Excel template
Time Line with web based software
Time Map

11. Time Line with Excel
There are many Excel templates, and anyone wanting to research digital scholarship would be well served to at least look at them.
Project Management timeline was adapted to produce a timeline of Nelson Mandella’s life.
Complete instructions on how to do this.

12. Uses of Excel Time Line Could be used to create course assignments
Place the Missouri compromise, Nullification Crisis, etc., on the time line, and give a brief description of each event.
Needs to be incorporated with hyper links to text boxes (still to be done).

13. Time lines for the Web Many tools… Simile Timeline.js Timeline project
Vis.js
None really is a great match for Story Arc (later).

14. Time Maps
Timemap.js – Still in active development, though Simile is not.
TimeMapper -
My Example -
I am available to work on time maps (not for a novice to try on your own in Timemap.js)

15. Maps and Documentation using Maps
Openlayers
Gettysburg Monument Map
Map Overlay

16. Maps and GIS systems
What is traditionally thought of as a Map is really just a picture.
Geographic information systems GIS systems changed the view of what a map is.
A GIS is NOT a picture map, and a picture map is NOT a GIS.

17. Open Layers
Open Layers (OL) is a tool that allows multiple layers of images(?) to be superimposed on each other.
One layer can be a GIS from a Tile Server (generally only GIS use tile servers, but as we will see later, to understand the technology, you have to let go of preconceived notions)
Other layers can be pictures, drawings (polylines), markers (or images), etc.

18. Open Layers (cont) OL ≠Google Maps
What Google Maps does is really a small subset of what can be done in OL.
For example, OL can be used for viewing large images, annotating them, hyper linking areas on the image, add content to the image, etc. It really is an amazing tool.
Not really for a novice (though I can help if anyone has a project to use it).

19. Gettysburg Monument Map
Developed by John Duncan as a research project last summer.
Ported to Android.
Uses Open Layers
Needs history buffs/historians to complete
Full text of all monuments (started)
Missing about 200(?) monuments and other sites
Documentation of monuments on a separate page
Better pictures, 3-d pictures

20. Map Overlay Being done by Yulin Zhu this summer.

21. Multidimensional story spaces Story Arc
Think about a time map…
2 dimensional map with a third dimension overlaying it, which is time.
2 dimensional map is just a space, does not have to be a map. Could be a gigabyte picture.
Third dimension does not have to be time
Depth for geology of area
Overlay of characters in a story.
Why just 3 dimensions?
Are dimensions even contiguous, or can they be markers, events, characters?

22. Story Arc
Initially it is intended to be a map and time line for a story.
Events occur at time and place.
Events have a description, and characters taking part in events.
Allows the choosing of the event types (dimension) or characters (dimension) to include.

23. Story Arch (continued)
Originally envisioned as part of a class (never run) on Visualizing Fantasy Fiction (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings).
Map would be open layers (it is a picture, not a GIS) with inserts for important areas and towns (hence the need for OL).
Could be used to follow historic events, characters, etc.

24. A lot of information
I have given you a lot of information about the material I am interested in.
If you would like to do something in this area, see if you can find a professor who would be willing to work with you in that area, and then include me.
Things I would really like to do:
Pickett’s Charge with Photosynth
Finish Monument’s map and stories
Work on Game of Thrones and Lord of Rings (with art/cartography students)
Get Map Overlay out and see if we can push it.
Any image map or picture technology