Map Tools

Working with maps in Python with basemap.

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2015 Travel

2016 Travel

2017 Travel

2018 Travel

2019 Travel

Requirements

• python 3.5.2
• matplotlib 1.5.1
• pandas 0.18.1
• requests 2.11.1
• geopy 1.11.0
• basemap 1.0.7
• image 1.5.5

Basemap

Matplotlib basemap is compatible with Python 2.7 and 3.5 on Unix (Mac) systems, but only 2.7 on Windows. To install basemap on a Windows computer running Python 3.5, you have two options:

1. Install basemap on Python 3.5 (via Christoph Gohlke):

• Navigate to http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/
• Select the appropriate basemap.whl file. For 64 bit Windows running Python 3.5 use basemap‑1.0.8‑cp35‑none‑win_amd64.whl. Download the file to your computer.
• Open command prompt and cd into the directory that contains basemap‑1.0.8‑cp35‑none‑win_amd64.whl
• Run: pip install basemap‑1.0.8‑cp35‑none‑win_amd64.whl
• Initiate Python by running python
• Verify basemap is installed by running from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap and verify no errors
• ⚠️ Note that running import basemap will always give an error even if installed properly, which tripped me up initially

2. Create a Python 2.7 environment and install basemap there. Reference Managing Environments and Managing Python

• Create a Python 2.7 environment called “py27”: conda create -n py27 python=2.7 anaconda
• Activate py27 by running: activate py27
• Install basemap by running: conda install basmap or pip install basemap
• Verify basemap is installed by running from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap and verify no errors
• ⚠️ Note that running import basemap will always give an error even if installed properly, which tripped me up initially

Cartopy

Cartopy is the new development of Basemap, but I have not worked with it yet. From the Basemap website:

Starting in 2016, Basemap came under new management. The Cartopy project will replace Basemap, but it hasn’t yet implemented all of Basemap’s features. All new software development should try to use Cartopy whenever possible, and existing software should start the process of switching over to use Cartopy. All maintenance and development efforts should be focused on Cartopy.

Installation

Clone this repo using https://github.com/mkudija/Map-Tools.git.

Run

Prepare Data

• Plan out the route(s) to be plotted. Enter the names of the origin and destination locations in data/locations (no_lat-lng).csv. Entering latitude and longitude is not required, but can be entered if desired.

• Run (1)_get_lat-lng.ipynb. This script (A) uses the Google API to find the latitude and longitude of the origin and destination locations, and (B) calculates the great circle distance between these locations in nautical miles, statute miles, and kilometers. The result is saved as locations.csv.

Plot Great Circles

• Run (2)_plot_trips.ipynb. This uses the Python basemap package to plot the great circle lines between each origin and destination.

Plot Range Rings

• To plot range rings, run plot_range_rings.py. This gathers data from the appropriate data file, and places an icon on the map at each origin (and destination as desired) and range rings around the origin. The radius and number of range rings can be configured.