Sunday, January 06, 2008
Maps for teaching
A couple of days ago Chris Heard posted about how he is upgrading the maps he uses for teaching (I found his previous set really useful a couple of years ago) using the atlas module in the Accordance Bible program for Macs. Because Chris wanted maps with semi-transparent "call outs" with reminders on them he took the Accordance maps into Photoshop to enhance them. Then David Lang on the Accordance blog noted this and proposed that presenting them directly to the class in Accordance would allow extra features like animating the routes map. Chris replied that he wanted the maps available to students for private study, and that not all students have this software, so the maps had to be exported anyway.
I haven't explored the map modules in the PC Bible software I use, I doubt it is as good as Accordance, though years ago Logos Bible Atlas software was a great addon. Now however, the maps and especially the wire frame "3D" ones look very dated. So I use another standalone program, Bible Mapper by David P. Barrett you can download and use the basic program freely, though there is a small (currently US$35) charge for adding some useful features. I think David's tool produces good-looking maps easily and quickly, though like Accordance it would need export to Photoshop (or GIMP or whatever) if you wanted to add semi-transparent layers.
Mark at the really useful Biblical Studies and Technological Tools blog has posted on this a few times recently, he is presenting on the topic at BibleTech08 an event I'd have loved to be at, his posts are worth looking at:
Oh, and here's a short video that shows that I can't use graphics programs as well as Chris, and suggests that I must take all the advice and start outsourcing myself to India. (Rather than transporting myself to Sri Lanka.)
¶ 7:19 AM 
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I haven't explored the map modules in the PC Bible software I use, I doubt it is as good as Accordance, though years ago Logos Bible Atlas software was a great addon. Now however, the maps and especially the wire frame "3D" ones look very dated. So I use another standalone program, Bible Mapper by David P. Barrett you can download and use the basic program freely, though there is a small (currently US$35) charge for adding some useful features. I think David's tool produces good-looking maps easily and quickly, though like Accordance it would need export to Photoshop (or GIMP or whatever) if you wanted to add semi-transparent layers.Mark at the really useful Biblical Studies and Technological Tools blog has posted on this a few times recently, he is presenting on the topic at BibleTech08 an event I'd have loved to be at, his posts are worth looking at:
Oh, and here's a short video that shows that I can't use graphics programs as well as Chris, and suggests that I must take all the advice and start outsourcing myself to India. (Rather than transporting myself to Sri Lanka.)
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I just went to Bible Mapper and discovered that it is no longer available for download or support. :-(
By 
Judy Redman, at
January 12, 2008 6:06 PM
That's very sudden, I checked the site when I made the post. Since it mentions nothing about the licence changing I could make a CD and post it to you by snail if you wanted to try it.
By Tim, at
January 12, 2008 6:24 PM
