Chapter 7. Using Python and Mapnik to Generate Maps
Because geospatial data is almost impossible to understand until it is displayed, the use of maps to visually represent spatial data is an extremely important topic. In this chapter, we will look at Mapnik, a powerful Python library for transforming geospatial data into great-looking maps. In particular, we will look at:
- The underlying concepts Mapnik uses to generate maps
- An example program using Mapnik to generate a straightforward map
- Various data sources that you can use to add geospatial data to your map
- How to use rules, filters, and styles to control the map-generation process
- The "symbolizers" you can use to add points, lines, polygons, textual labels, and raster images to your maps
- How maps and map layers work together to create a map
- Ways of rendering a map into an image file
