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Web-based Automatic Sector Data / Map pdf Generator

First up, more praise & kudos to Mickazoid for producing this tool. I've only just downloaded it (not run it yet), but I'll try it out on Linux.

I tried some of this stuff myself in the past (by modifying some of the postscript code for 18xx train game maps), and the output here is streets ahead of my own efforts. I only did subsector maps from secgen output.

However, I think it is important to separate the format/print function (which this package seems to do excellently) from the generate function. Sector maps are read from an external format, but so should all of the contents be. I'm thinking about trade classifications and animal encounter tables here. I'd like to add names & descriptions to the animals, which would initially be randomly generated, but as a ref I'd want to personalise some of them. So that large herbivore on the plains of Fulacin may be a groat, but the smaller herbivore in the mountains could become the "mountain groat", which I'd have to change by hand for the worlds I care about. Without an intermediate file format, that would be me editing the finished pdf (which most people don't know they can do).

I'm also looking forward to system maps (planets, moons etc, as shown earlier on this thread), classic LBB planet maps & also the chance to name a couple of key local individuals & businesses. But again, they would be best externalised so the ref can tweak them for an adventure, or set them up to match some canonical source.

I'd like to help, but for now let me just add thanks and encouragement.
 
Being new here, I just found this.

Amazing work all the way around Mickazoid (hopefully, she still posts here? I didn't read through the *entire* thread). I just downloaded the pdf for the Spinward Marches Remote Survey. I smiled from ear to ear when I saw the Sagan quote on the cover. I've been using it as my standard sig line for a few months now


I'm makin' a trip to Kinko's *soon* to get these things printed well


...And I'm definitely setting up the scripts.
 
Hi there - thanks for the great feedback!

The system does allow customization of various data both before you generate the LBB and afterwards.

To modify system data you simply modify the entries in the .sec file and route file, (names/UPP, borders, routes, labels, etc.) and re-run the script.

To perform deeper mods of cargo or animal listings, you can disable the script's cleanup section, and edit the 'desc' file. Re-render a pdf from the text file when done making edits. Then, just staple the new pdf onto the old pdf's pages 1-38.

You can do it with a few commands, and I'll be happy to write 'em up for you if you'd like.

Most of all, I'm glad you're enjoying the output (and soon, the software).
 
Neighbouring subsector names?

Hi Micki

I was just wondering (as I am often wont to do): is it possible for your marvellous infernal device to put the names of neighbouring subsectors on the sides/top/bottom of each subsector map, a la supps 3 and 10?
 
Yes.

Yes. :)

The barriers are:

1. Ensuring the text will be centered and not overprint any borders (that's very tough, but doable... involves detailed alignment, placement of a white rectangle directly under the label text to ensure no overprints of borders, and rendering the side subsectors' text as centered, finally rotating the left and right side component pdfs.
2. Handling border subsectors (it'll probably leave those edges' subsector labels blank)
3. Time impacts of adding four more render n' rotates to the process
4. It's summer which means I'm tanning. If it rains at the beach house, I'll probably knock it out in a few sessions. :)

In short, it's a pain in the ass, but doable. :)
 
Mickazoid said:
The barriers are:

1. Ensuring the text will be centered and not overprint any borders (that's very tough, but doable... involves detailed alignment, placement of a white rectangle directly under the label text to ensure no overprints of borders, and rendering the side subsectors' text as centered, finally rotating the left and right side component pdfs.
2. Handling border subsectors (it'll probably leave those edges' subsector labels blank)
3. Time impacts of adding four more render n' rotates to the process
Click to expand...
Wibble!!
4. It's summer which means I'm tanning. If it rains at the beach house, I'll probably knock it out in a few sessions. :)
Click to expand...
Double wibble!! :D
In short, it's a pain in the ass, but doable. :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for that, Micki. My Curiosity is satsified ;) <HiverHiverHiver...>
 
'wibble'? whither wibble?

As a sign of my goodwill and unending screenshot capabilities, I've just finished the subsector label 'placement' tests.

gronk_labels.jpg


I think the 'left' label should be oriented bottom-to-top, with the baseline on the inside (the reverse of what's visible, a 180° rotation of the right side label). Next up - writing the code that obtains the names of the adjacent subsectors for each map and renders the labels.

Should be a few weeks at the least (the weather has unfortunately been lovely).
 
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Uh, as long as you are "fixing" things, :) one thing I would like is to see color-coded hexes for polities. Not a hard-see line around the hexes, but color the whole thing.


I'm over 50 and need all the eye help I can get :D

BTW, what's a "wibble"?
 
Already there

Bill - take a look up-thread. You can colorize any hex or hex border with any of 128 or so colors. Assigning random colors to each polity would mean that black and white laser printing would be seriously screwed... so you can run the script, colorize the polities and re-run it to achieve just what you asked for. :)
 
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I agree the left side ought to run bottom-to-top. I would flip the bottom one (for absolute consistency), but some whiners who can't read upside down would start complaining.... :file_28:
 
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Fritz_Brown said:
I agree the left side ought to run bottom-to-top. I would flip the bottom one (for absolute consistency), but some whiners who can't read upside down would start complaining.... :file_28:
Click to expand...
Yeah, the left side subsector name needs to go (as Fritz said) bottom-to-top. The bottom one should stay as it is (cos I can't read upside down - whinewhinewhine..... ;))
 
Sorry for the thread necromancy but I just found out about these awesome sector LBB's. I would really like to get the Foreven one (and all the others as well); how can this be done?

Allen
 
Mickazoid,

I'm in the process of trying to install your sectormaker in SUSE Linux 10. Do i need to have apache installed for this to work?

Sorry, not really a linux guru, first time installing the OS. Just so I can check out your great app.

Thanks,

Chris
 
Quick Question? If you are not using Mac OS do you still need to install the xcode tools?

I keep getting an error when running the script.

No such file or directory linge 807: pstopdf

Pstopdf is installed, only thing is i'm running SUSE 10

CH
 
need to know where pstopdf is and what's on line 807 of the script.

Probably just expecting it in a different part of the OS install.
 
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