Creating World Maps

[Flynn]

Good Morning, All,

I'm looking for programs I can use (free, preferably) to make icosahedral world maps for future Stellar Reaches issues. I definitely want something that will print well, and looks good. Do you guys have any recommendations?

Thanks in advance for your time,
Flynn

 

[jfetters]

If you want free, I would probably recommend Heaven & Earth.

If you want to pay, I'd probably recommend Fractal Terrains + Campaign Cartographer. It gives nice results, but it is a lot more cumbersome a process than H&E.

 

[Flynn]

The problem with H&E is that you can't modify the results. That, and I don't like the slightly yellowed background color, but that's just me. If you try to port the image into anything else, it doesn't look right to me.

Wilbur, on which FT is based, will also do icosahedral map projections, but I don't like the results, and I can't seem to save them in the projected format. Course, it's been a while since I tried it, so I could be misremembering.

I had thought about H&E, but in the end, I don't like it because of the coloration issues mentioned above. I'll use it, though, if I have to. (I used to beta test for it, back in the day. Name's even in the credits.) Still, I'm hoping to hear about other applications, if any exist.

Thanks, Jim, for the feedback so far,
Flynn

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by Flynn:
The problem with H&E is that you can't modify the results. That, and I don't like the slightly yellowed background color, but that's just me. If you try to port the image into anything else, it doesn't look right to me.

Wilbur, on which FT is based, will also do icosahedral map projections, but I don't like the results, and I can't seem to save them in the projected format. Course, it's been a while since I tried it, so I could be misremembering.

I had thought about H&E, but in the end, I don't like it because of the coloration issues mentioned above. I'll use it, though, if I have to. (I used to beta test for it, back in the day. Name's even in the credits.) Still, I'm hoping to hear about other applications, if any exist.

Thanks, Jim, for the feedback so far,
Flynn

Yeah, I was just trying it - you can do the projection, but as a BMP or JPG only. So while you can port a map to CC2, it is only the flat map.

Bummer. I thought you could do more with it.

 

[Mickazoid]

I like using a few photoshop plugins and a few open source tools:

- LunarCell, to render the planet in a globe format and a 'flat' format for the map
- Flexify, to take the map and transform it into an isomap.

Then I import both graphics into an Illustrator template based on the 'World Hex Map' TAS form.

Here's an image of the final version:

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

Ooh - I see you snagged my PDFs! And made good use of them too.

 

[Mickazoid]

Your pdfs? They are Lovely!!! Thank you so much!

If I can return the favor, don't hesitate - btw, I sent you an email re hosting.

 

[kafka47]

Ooh, me too, I will be needing a Garden world that might resemble Terra but not be Terra. Lots of different landscapes and blue oceans, and clouds, please. So, if some ones to do one and mount on an accessible web host, that would be fabulious. Then drop me the location, using PM so that later I could use it for the adventure here on the CofI.

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by Flynn:

Wilbur, on which FT is based, will also do icosahedral map projections, but I don't like the results, and I can't seem to save them in the projected format. Course, it's been a while since I tried it, so I could be misremembering.

Okay, it took me most of the night to figure out how to do it, but I finally got it to work. It isn't too bad once you figure it out, but it at least leaves you with a decent looking world map that you can then plop other symbols on from CC2.

First I created the world in FT, then exported it to an Icosahedral Map (BMP format). Then, in CC2, I had to select the correct template, then imbed the image on to the template, making sure that I held down the "shift" key while selecting the area. The end result is the BMP with the grid superimposed.

One downside, however, is that even though the export in FT is Icosahedral, it isn't the TRAVELLER icosahedral map as mick has posted, i.e., none of the "triangles" are split. If I can get some of these up tomorrow, I will.

Mick, I like those results. I think I may try your suggestions there.

 

[Flynn]

There's a great freeware program called PlanetGen that can create planetary maps, too. Just can't get them into the icosahedral format.

I like the looks of what Flexify can do, but don't have any image software that supports plug-ins. I may just have to break down and order FT.

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated,
Flynn

 

[Mickazoid]

Flynn:

I heard that LunarCell works under GIMP (the free Photoshop alternate).

And you can impose pdf's of the grid, and text, and images, using pdftk...

Good luck. If I can prep any maps for you I'm happy to help.

 

[Berg]

Mr Flynn,
Ironically I made these for some of the planets in the GRiP conversion of your SR#1 Adventure...





I also used Planet Gen to make the planet. It generates a square bmp that it wraps to make the globe, which I take and place in a template I made in PSP7.

May be more work than you're looking for

 

[jfetters]

Here is something that I whipped up real quick with the ProFantasy tools as described above.

World generated in FT2 - then BMP exported as iso and pasted into the hex template. I threw in a couple more cities on to the surface.

 

[Berg]

Very nice

I have CC2, did you make a Iso template to share

 

[jfetters]

Actually, the template is included with the CC2 Cosmographer add-on, if you have that. Otherwise, I think I'd be in violation of a couple laws if I posted just the template.

They nicely include two world templates - the one you see above with the non-interrupted icosahedron, and the standard Traveller style icosahedron like you and mick posted.

 

[Flynn]

Very cool. I can't afford the suite you're talking about there, but I like what you've done with it. I'm probably going to try something with GIMP, Lunarcell and Flexify. With that, I should be able to make the images to paste into the fanzine.

More later,
Flynn

 

[Berg]

Originally posted by Jim Fetters:
Actually, the template is included with the CC2 Cosmographer add-on, if you have that. Otherwise, I think I'd be in violation of a couple laws if I posted just the template.

They nicely include two world templates - the one you see above with the non-interrupted isohedron, and the standard Traveller style isohedron like you and mick posted.

No I don't and yes you would
I was hoping it was home made... oh well thanks

 

[Mickazoid]

Good move Flynn. You can do it all in GIMP, and if you wanna keep it extra sharp, you can combine the line art as a pdf and the images using pdftk.

For me, using Illustrator is crucial because I need to get at the PostScript as directly as possible and illustrator is pretty transparent with .ps files.

 

[jfetters]

Originally posted by Flynn:
Very cool. I can't afford the suite you're talking about there, but I like what you've done with it. I'm probably going to try something with GIMP, Lunarcell and Flexify. With that, I should be able to make the images to paste into the fanzine.

I think I am going to try that as well, if those are all freeware tools - provided I get a few extra cycles, that is.

That is one problem with the ProFantasy stuff - IMO, it is not at all intuitive and has an incredibly steep learning curve. Hell, I haven't even used it to create ship deckplans, which was my prime reason for buying the thing...

Interesting thing about that world that I posted - it was all based on MT rules with the WBH extensions. The funny thing is that Fractal Terrains doesn't modify the world view as H&E does. I calculated the base temp and the world is basically an ice-ball, which is evident as you drag the cursor around the map on FT, as it tells you the terrain type and temp for wherever you are pointing. But the image generated shows water and green.

 

[Mickazoid]

Flexify and LunarCell aren't free, but I think they're like $60 or so.

Well worth it.