Atlas' disc version brings maps to life.

Byline: GREG BOLT The Register-Guard

People say the world is getting smaller, and geographers at the University of Oregon are doing their part to make sure Oregon is part of the trend.

After bringing the state down to the size of a coffee-table book with the prize-winning second edition of Atlas of Oregon, the team has shrunk the state to the size of two computer discs with a CD-ROM version that adds even more information about the Beaver State. And just as the print version carved new ground among state atlases, the disc version already is turning heads in the world of geography.

"This has really raised the bar for other states," said professor emeritus Bill Loy, co-author of both print editions of the atlas. "They look at this as being the new standard for the print world, and now the CD world."

The team that produced the digital version of the atlas, led by UO Infographics Lab director Jim Meacham and cartographer Erik Steiner, wasn't content to simply scan the print version onto a computer disc. Inspired by the flexibility of the digital world, they added features that make the CD version about as static as Oregon's weather.

Like the print version, the CD-ROM is more than just a collection of maps. It's more like an encyclopedia of Oregon, offering stacks of information ranging from human settlement to energy generation, from wildlife populations and climate to business and employment.

Plus, the digital atlas has animation that shows changes over time, graphs that can be overlaid with state and national data and maps with a zoom function for detailed customizing. It also has aerial photographs of selected cities and toolbars that give users quick access to text information, other topics, references and help menus.

For example, maps that show the pattern of large-scale disease outbreaks throughout the state's history can run through an animation function with shaded areas that expand and contract, showing where outbreaks grew and ebbed over time. And a section on battles between settlers and Native Americans also can be displayed over time so stars of different colors pop up on a map as the cursor runs over a time scale.

Steiner, who left Penn State to come work on the atlas' disc version, said the aim was to create something that would be easy to navigate but be loaded with useful information. They especially wanted it to be something teachers can use, as well as planners, business people, outdoors enthusiasts and anyone interested in Oregon's physical and cultural past and present.

"It's more than a resource. It's a tool," Steiner said.

The digital format makes it a natural for younger people who have grown up with computers, and Meacham said that's one of the things they were aiming at. But they deliberately made it as easy to use as possible with the idea that anyone would be able to use it.

"In a way, it's really democratizing the information," he said. "We're really trying to open this up for people to explore information."

The first disc covers three chapters that contain all the thematic material from the print version, while the second contains detailed, high-resolution maps of every square mile of the state with zoom-in and zoom-out functions. It retails for $49.95.

All in all, more than a thousand images were incorporated into the discs. And while Oregon isn't the first state to put its atlas in computer form, this version is far ahead of anything that came before it.

UO geography professor Alexander Murphy, president-elect of the American Association of Geographers, said the atlas already is making waves. Murphy wasn't involved in the project but said it's one of the first to use computers to bring detailed geographic information to a broad audience.

"What's neat is that you've got something that actually goes quite a bit beyond what the print edition could do, and the print edition already was making quite a splash," he said. "To present a comprehensive image of the cultural and physical aspects of a state and bring it together in a format that gives access to a broad audience and takes advantage of the technology, this is really innovative."

The UO hopes to use proceeds from sales of the digital atlas to develop lesson plans and other educational material for teachers, especially in grades six through 12. The university got a significant boost toward that goal from Sony Disc Manufacturing, which donated a run of 10,000 copies, including discs, jewel cases and other support.

Sony's contribution helped keep down the costs of the CD-ROM atlas and make it more affordable, said Tom Hager, acting director of the UO Press, publisher of the atlas.

WHERE TO BUY

Disc version of Atlas of Oregon: Available at UO Bookstore and other local booksellers, and online at www.uopress.com. Retails for $49.95.

CAPTION(S):

The Atlas of Oregon CD shows seismic activity with graphics.