Abstract: Map displays have been an important element in the feature set of in-car navigation systems. Actually, with modem equipment extending such system functionality to personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular telephones, virtually all travelers may use and benefit from the present invention. Early digital displays were monochrome, single-line-vector, planar representations. Color, area fill, scale-dependent attribute selection, labeling, heading-up rotation, line thickness, signs and icons have all been added to make the display more informative and intuitive. Still today, the designer is challenged to provide a more informative, less distracting display to serve the multitasking driver. More recently, perspective view and 3D objects have gained popularity because of their added utility as well as aesthetic appeal. Just as the planar map is a special case of the perspective map, perspective is a special case of the variable-scale map.