Starmap generation; freeware

[stofsk]

Alright I downloaded sec2pdf as a pl file. I was using Opera when I shoulda used IE.

Anyway, how do I run it?

(I r stupid )

 

[Maladominus]

Wow. Deja vu. I tried this sec2pdf thing 1 month ago.... and simply gave up with the steep learning curve. I tried, really I tried.

Fortunately, Mister Flynn was nice enough to have made me a PDF of the SolRim sector.

stofsk, if you ever figure it out... I might just ask if you' have time to make me a sector map of the Magyar!


Only 2 things I can say with certainly about this sec2pdf thing:

#1) it's got a steep learning for the average non computer wiz

and

#2) it created INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL PDF sector maps. Hands down, the PDF sector map that I have (which Flynn made using sec2pdf) beats every other sector map out there on the Internet.

 

[Falkayn]

Well, it is a Perl program that you run from the command line. Not exactly user-friendly, but there it is.

You will need to download Perl (see ActiveState)to get it working. You will also need to download PDF::API2.

As for how to use it, go back to http://dotclue.org/t20/ and scroll down to the bit on the page called "Using the sec2pdf script".

Here is a sample command line I created to create the Gateway domain:
perl sec2pdf -pa4 -M -ts -c -B -h -d Ley.sec -d Gateway.sec -d GlimmerdriftReaches.sec -d CrucisMargin.sec -o GatewayDomain2.pdf

Note that you will need the various .sec files as well as Perl, as well as PDF::API2, as well as sec2pdf in order to get this working.

You can reduce the amount of command line options by specifying a map style file, for example his darkmap.txt:
perl sec2pdf -abBch -tsector -pa4 -d Gateway.sec -S darkmap.txt -o GatewayBlack.pdf

However, this requires the use of .msec files to get the most out of it. I created ones that mapped every single polity in T20 by filling their regions in colour.

The result is spectacular, and very customisable, but a complete pain in the ass to work out and run.

FWIW here are links to the files I used/created:

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/GatewayDomain_Filled.pdf

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/GatewayDomain_FilledBlack.pdf

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/GatewayDomain_Normal.pdf

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/GatewayDomain_NormalBlack.pdf

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/GatewayDomain_NormalBlackNoHex.pdf

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/Filled_CrucisMargin.msec

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/Filled_Gateway.msec

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/Filled_GlimmerdriftReaches.msec

http://www.falkayn.com/traveller/downloads/Filled_Ley.msec

Cheers!

 

[stofsk]

Using the sec2pdf script

For Windows, you need to visit activestate.com and download the latest version of ActivePerl (currently 5.8.4) to install on your machine. Once it's installed, run Perl Package Manager, which opens a terminal window, and type "install PDF::API2". When that's finished, you'll be able to open a fresh cmd window, cd to the directory containing the sec2pdf script and your data files, and run it as "perl sec2pdf [options]".

Here's where I'm stuck.

I downloaded the latest version of activeperl, I rune Perl Package Manager. It loads up a Dos-like command prompt window. I type 'install PDF::API2' and it does so. At this point, I don't know what to do. I don't know how to run perl to get where I want to be. Do I use PPM? I take it I do. But I don't know how to use it.

 

[Falkayn]

You will need to run a normal DOS command window (run "cmd" from the Start menu) and then type the Perl command. The PPM is only required to install the PDF::API2 package.

 

[stofsk]

Ugh. I don't know how or why, but this just doesn't work.

So Robject, you were saying something about your own method which has less of steep learning curve...?

 

[BetterThanLife]

Personally I wish someone had a sec2cosmographer script, instead of galactic to cosmographer.

H&E is the right freeware program for the job, though I have seen it choke once too often on turning sec files into useful data. Probably an error in the sec file or one of the choices in a normal sec file isn't recognized in H&E, I never could figure out which was the problem. It is easy to use and will generate sectors, maps, (Sector, Subsector, System and Planetary thank you very much.) So if you are generating a Sector from scratch, this is the right software to use. The only issues I ever had with it, was when I tried to import the 993 Gateway Domain sec files to it.

1.08 is available in the yahoo group and was the last version of the 1 series produced. 2.0 was never integrated and currently is on hiatus as far as development goes, if not completely dead (which the dsigner said it is dead. ).

 

[robject]

Oh? What does the cosmographer data look like?

I agree that H&E is the right tool for the job.

stofsk, what problems are you having?

 

[BetterThanLife]

It doesn't look like data. It looks like the maps produced by QLI, GDW and FASA. Someone wrote a script that converts Glactic Sector Files to Cosmographer, it is in the FLibrary, but unfortunately nobody has Galactic Sector files for things like Gateway Domain circa 993.

Now I am sure there is plenty of data there. But Cosmographer is a CC2 add on by the folks at ProFantasy and it definitely isn't free. (Though there is a free viewer.) CC2 is a 2D CAD package specifically for RPG mapping. Cosmographer adds templates for standard Traveller Sector Maps, Traveller Planetary Maps, etc. (It also has standard Traveller symbols for things on Starship deckplans.) As well as other generic SciFi symbols. An excellent tool all around.

 

[robject]

Oh... well, was it written in Perl? I guess I ought to check it out.

 

[BetterThanLife]

Originally posted by robject:
Oh... well, was it written in Perl? I guess I ought to check it out.

Actually I found on the Galactic Group that there is a Perl script to convert SEC files to Galactic Sector Files. SO I can run them up in Cosmographer. (As soon as I install perl.

)