Active legends for interactive cartographic animation

Active legends in cartographic animation serve the dual purpose of controlling the display of a map sequence and providing necessary information about the individual frames. Legends for cartographic animations have typically been implemented in a non-interactive form as individual legends that are synchronized with the display of the map. An active legend creates a tactual/visual association between the individual maps in the animation and what they depict. The development of more interactive cartographic animations is a function of both the available technology and the operational metaphors that make the technology accessible. The Web is providing a means to distribute interactive animations. A particular interactive cartographic animation developed with JavaScript is evaluated for functionality and content.