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Author Topic: Building Your Own Maps  (Read 37497 times)

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Blacknova

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Building Your Own Maps
« on: January 23, 2012, 04:25:00 PM »
Once I start getting maps completed, in addition to Volt's data, I'll upload not only the map, but also the shapfiles used to create the map, with insttructions on how to access and use them to create your own.  I'll use this thread as the how to thread, for ease of reference.
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Blacknova

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2012, 05:29:54 PM »
The best way to build your own maps using the data Volt and Bad_Syntax made, along with the state, province and regional polygons I have created, is to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

A geographic information system is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyse, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data.

As planetary data is given in an X.Y coordinate system, so therefore GIS becomes very useful in mapping the BattleTech universe.

In order to use the data, you will need a GIS software package.  There are several available from proprietary systems like ArcGIS and MapInfo, to freeware packages like QGis, QuantumGIS and GVSig.  See Wikipedia’s List of GIS Software for more information.

In each of the mapping threads I have, following the map post, there will be another post with a .zip file containing the data for those maps. Download this data and save it wherever is useful to you.

Download one of the GIS packages and run yourself through a tutorial, as each package will be slightly different and it will save me the time explaining.  Each will teach you how to use and manipulate the data.

Once you understand how to add layers (the data), play with its symbology (shape and colour) and learn how to export for the particular GIS package, you really don’t need much more.  The data I have put up here will then be of use to you in creating your own maps.

For the weaker packages, you may need to play with the exported images in a vector or raster based image editing package: like GIMP; Photoshop; or Inkscape.  However, more powerful GIS packages, like ArcGIS, can export maps that look the goods from the get go.

Any other questions, please feel free to ask here.

For ArcGIS users (ArcMap, ArcEditor and ArcInfo), I will be more helpful as that is the system I use, but I can provide pointers for other packages.
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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2012, 05:35:32 PM »
When creating the borders I made a conscious choice to try an keep to the mid-point between systems held by different powers, which makes a slightly different look to some of the "traditional" borders.

The addition of the dual names for some systems was provided by Volt and Bad_Syntax, I thought it was a nice touch and kept it, as editing it out for each era would be a right, bloody pain.
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Siden Pryde

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2012, 12:40:56 AM »
You've done a great job on these maps.  :)
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Blacknova

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2012, 12:44:15 AM »
Thanks, lot more planned to come.
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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2012, 11:01:37 AM »
This is just too cool, now that RL has given me a bit of time for Btech  8)
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Kwic

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2012, 05:47:56 PM »
What is the easiest way to include Force Listings on the map, similar to some of your latest sets of Maps.

ie showing that This RCT, that LCT, those Mercs, and whatever is left Militia, are all posted to planet X.

And then the follow up question, is how can someone track movements of units from world to world via ArcGIS?
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Blacknova

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2012, 09:19:32 PM »
For units, once moved, you do a new X, Y plot and mod the plot column headers with the date. For movement a separate polyline shapefile is best fit so far but I am still learning so there could be better methods.

I am using a different method for exporting to excel, so it does not really apply.
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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #8 on: April 03, 2012, 09:25:59 PM »
Arcgis also has geodatabases which allow an attribute to have different types of shape, but I have to teach myself how to play with those first.
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Kwic

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012, 09:04:12 AM »
Guess I need to dive back into learning ArcGIS again.

This is all driven from the source data file then?
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Blacknova

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2012, 06:50:22 PM »
Yes it is.  Using a Geodatabase is the way to go from more reading, but as I learnt on the ground and not formally, there are holes in my knowledge of the system.
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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #11 on: August 19, 2014, 11:44:32 AM »
afternoon guys , just downloaded you map program . wonderful ,just have to figure out how far out to place the 3 polities I've got from the writings on the obt . they are the outer colonies region , Britannic coalition & the royalist alliance . I don't know if you have put them into an update or not .
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anastasiusfocht

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2015, 10:40:37 AM »
Can these maps be linked into a sql and php game for autoupdates?
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Blacknova

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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #13 on: August 31, 2015, 05:50:20 AM »
Not sure.  You could check the ESRI help page for ArcGIS or Volt might be able o help you with Bad_Syntax's program.
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Re: Building Your Own Maps
« Reply #14 on: November 09, 2016, 07:04:38 AM »
Hey Blacknova,

I'm using the latest release of GIMP and i'm wondering how to keep the resolution of a map file (.pdf, .jpeg, etc) when I zoom in so I can read the planet name(s).

Example; Using the Empires Aflame map. I increase the zoom in the .pdf and I get the results that I want. In any other type of file - .jpeg, etc., it doesn't work - image is blurry especially with more zoom.

I'd appreciate any help,

Thx,

Deathknight69
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