ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a new approach to line generalization which uses the concept of 'effective area' for progressive simplification of a line by point elimination. Two coastlines are used to compare the performance of this, with that of the widely used Douglas-Peucker, algorithm. The results from the area-based algorithm compare favourably with manual generalization of the same lines. It is capable of achieving both imperceptible minimal simplifications and caricatural generalizations. By careful selection of cutoff values, it is possible to use the same algorithm for scale-dependent and scale-independent generalizations. More importantly, it offers scope for modelling cartographic lines as consisting of features within features so that their geometric manipulation may be modified by application- and/or user-defined rules and weights. The chapter examines the merits and limitations of the algorithm and the opportunities it offers for further research and progress in the field of line generalization.
