ShadeMap

ShadeMap is a tool, developed by Mark Horridge, for shading or colouring regions of simple maps according to each region's "score". For example, you could produce a map of the world where each region was coloured according to income per capita, average life-span, or some other score. An example of such a map appears below.

Winners (red) and losers (blue) from partial liberalization of cereals trade

Such maps are usually produced by sophisticated programs, such as MapInfo or ArcView, which require a considerable investment of money and learning time. By comparison, ShadeMap has very limited capabilities, but is free and simple to use. Several files of region outlines [Australia, USA, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Japan, China] are supplied, including maps of the world divided into the regions used by the GTAP model.

Output files

ShadeMap produces output files in either vector (EMF) or bitmap (BMP) format. You can paste these directly into Word or Powerpoint documents, or manipulate them further in a graphics editor.

Assistance for GTAP users

The download includes map boundary files showing:

• the 66 world regions of GTAP version 5
• the 78 world regions of GTAP version 5.4
• the 85 world regions of GTAP version 6 provisional release 2
• the 87 world regions of GTAP version 6 final release
• the 92 world regions of GTAP version 6.1

In most applications of the GTAP model, the database is aggregated to distinguish fewer (bigger) regions. ShadeMap comes with a command-line program, AggMap, which enables the GTAP user to aggregate one of the maps listed above to their own regional aggregation. AggMap recognizes a command-line option, "/G", which causes it to read a regional aggregation scheme from one of the AGG text files used by the GTAPAgg and FlexAgg programs.

The download below contains a tutorial document, SHADEMAP.PDF, to guide GTAP users through the steps of creating and modifying a map.

Instructions: download the ZIP file from the link below, and unzip it into an empty new folder (suggest C:\ShadeMap). Run the program ShadeMap.exe and study its online help for more guidance. Download 3.2 MB zip

GAMS interface: Tom Rutherford has developed a GAMS Interface to ShadeMap which you can get here. Another version, by Uwe Schneider, is here.

Update May 2007: ShadeMap.exe has been updated to be more Vista compatible. Now uses CHM help file format.

Complaints and suggestions to Mark.Horridge@BusEco.monash.edu.au

Go to
Links to other models and programs by Mark Horridge
GEMPACK Home Page
CoPS Home Page (bottom of this page has "Search COPS site")