Every flat map misrepresents the surface of the Earth in some way. Maps cannot match a globe in truly representing the surface of the entire Earth. A map projection is used to portray all or part of the round Earth on a flat surface. This cannot be done without some distortion. Every projection has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. A map can show one or more, but not all, of the following: true direction, distance, area, or shape. JMP uses a couple of projections (Albers Equal Area Conic and Kavrayskiy VII) for its maps. Within Images, you can select from two built-in map images, or you can connect to a Web Map Service to retrieve a background image.
Figure 14.13 Examples of Simple and Detailed Maps
Simple Earth and Detailed Earth both support a geodesic scaling. In Figure 14.13, the Earth appears as a rectangle, where the width is twice as wide as the height. If we were to take this rectangle and roll it up, we would have a cylinder. In reality, we know that the Earth does not form a cylinder, but rather a sphere. You can use a geodesic scaling, which transforms the map to a more realistic representation of the Earth. To use the geodesic scaling, change the type of scale on the axes.
To change the axes scale:
2.
Change the Scale Type to Geodesic or Geodesic US.
Figure 14.14 Y Axis Setting Window
Figure 14.15 Simple Earth Background Map - Axes Set to Geodesic Scale
Figure 14.16 Examples of NASA and WMS Maps
Figure 14.17 NASA Server Map Example
Figure 14.18 NASA Server Map Example - Zoom In on Colorado
To locate a server, launch the add-in through the menu items Add-Ins > Map Images > WMS Explorer. The add-in presents a text box for entering the url of a known WMS server. Alternatively, you can make a selection from a drop-down list of pre-discovered WMS servers (the list can be out of date). After specifying a WMS server, select Get Layers. Using Get Layers is not necessary if selecting from the drop-down list or if clicking Enter after entering a URL. This sends a request to the WMS server for a list of layers that the server supports. The returned list appears in the list box on the left, labeled Layers. A map of the world appears as an outline in the graph to the right. Selecting a layer makes a request to the WMS server to return a map, using the specified layer, that represents the entire earth. Selecting a different layer generates a different map.

Help created on 7/12/2018