On: A Map of the World Won Japan’s Prestigious Design ...

[hyperion2010]

Except for the fact that it tessellates so all you need to do is make the map a bit bigger and that distortion goes away (seen in [0]).

0. http://www.spoon-tamago.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/autha...

[Semiapies → hyperion2010]

A map shouldn't need an infinite series of other maps to be useful.

[hexane360 → Semiapies]

But if you have an infinite series of maps (e.g. google maps) then using a projection that takes advantage of that is indeed useful.

[klodolph → Semiapies]

You're looking for a map where a straightish line gives you the direct path between two points? That's completely impossible. Flying from LA to Tokyo will take you over Alaska. Try to work that one out on a map.

(Yeah, you can make a map where straight lines work, but only for a chosen point of origin or antipodes around that point.)

[_0nac → klodolph]

Then why are you labeling it "completely impossible"? Here's a perfectly sensible straightish-line path between LAX and NRT, using a polar-aspect orthographic projection:

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=LAX-NRT&MS=wls&MP=p&DU=mi

[klodolph → _0nac]

Yes, if you cherry pick the right projection for a particular route you'll get something like that, which is exactly what I said. But plot Johannesburg to Sydney on the same map.

What I said is impossible is to have a map where all routes between pairs of points look sensible. It gets worse if you optimize for other factors, like making maps equal-area, conformal, rectilinear, etc.

[_0nac → klodolph]

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=JNB-SYD&MP=polar&DU=mi ?

There's an easy way to make all routes between pairs of points look sensible at once: plot them on a 3D globe ;)