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[MAPS] TUTORIALS - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: [MAPS] TUTORIALS (/showthread.php?tid=51400)

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- Jg3_Prodigy - 14.02.2008

musst i make map_h 4x too if i do it in one file with map_c? i think so.
and how make i map_t i dont get it?

- ClockWatcher - 14.02.2008

Prodigy,

Are you using MicroDEM? Sizewise:

Map_h = map_T = map_F = en_02, in these each pixel = 200m

Map_C, each pixel = 50 m (but ensure the size you choose is divisible by 32 because of the way IL2 works) So map_C is x4 the size of the others.

Have a good read through the "Map Modifying Discussion", there are lots of good bits of info and techniques in there. It is also worth looking at existing IL2 maps to see how they are put together.

You make map_T the same way as map_h, the only difference is that each shade of grey in map_h is a value for how high that point on the map is, the "whiter" it is, the higher. Black is 0m.
In map_T, each shade of grey is linked to a texture, i.e, fields, town, road........ In the tutorial, making map_t uses a quick and dirty method of placing textures according to height. Fields and grasslands at low level and mountain textures at higher levels for instance.

CW

DIVA-GIS - big_yamato - 14.02.2008

Just sharing, I'm using DIVA-GIS from http://www.diva-gis.org/ to create texture maps, basic river lines etc.

Here's few examples in .jpg (the original files were .bmp):

[Image: 1-1.jpg]

[Image: landcover.jpg]

Sorry I can't provide tutorials since I just found the program yesterday and still learning to use it... But so far it seems a very valuable software for map modders.

- fly_zo - 14.02.2008

many thanks m8 Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin ..... here i am drawing rivers (manually ) for two weeks now .... this app should make my life much more easier . Will try it ASAP

Z

- ClockWatcher - 15.02.2008

Good find Yamato

Looked at using GIS data and associated programs before, but not comfortable with it. The projection format from some sources is Clarke1866 which needs manipulation if you are using DEM/SRTM data which uses WGS 84. In other words if you mix maps made with GIS and maps made with DEMs/SRTM you may need to stretch/modify the maps in one to fit the other. Secondly, the rivers etc are drawn as vectors, and at some scales they appear very road like with lots of straight lines. Some of the data in these can also be offset by up to 2km in some datasets you can download, so if accuracy is your game, be aware.

Another program which uses this format is the ARC series from ESRI. http://www.esri.com/

I believe this mapping format, GIS, was intended for the ease of producing maps for presentations, books etc quickly with different data, ie roads, climate, traffic, urban sprawl, pollution.....

A good source of data is The Digital Map of the World at http://www.maproom.psu.edu/dcw/. You will need to convert it though using Import71, unless there are other methods of importing the data.

Look forward to seeing how people get on with this and bring their knowledge to the table. Personally I have not had much luck and time available to get to understand it. It is definitely another tool in the map workshop Smile

CW

- _1SMV_Gitano - 15.02.2008

ClockWatcher Wrote:I believe this mapping format, GIS, was intended for the ease of producing maps for presentations, books etc quickly with different data, ie roads, climate, traffic, urban sprawl, pollution.....

Yes, my girlfriend works for a local institution as landscape ecologist and she told me they are using GIS programs extensively...

- big_yamato - 15.02.2008

ClockWatcher Wrote:Good find Yamato

Looked at using GIS data and associated programs before, but not comfortable with it. The projection format from some sources is Clarke1866 which needs manipulation if you are using DEM/SRTM data which uses WGS 84. In other words if you mix maps made with GIS and maps made with DEMs/SRTM you may need to stretch/modify the maps in one to fit the other.

Well, the program lacks accurate scaling methods like microDEM has but i found the 4-5x magnification when saving image file give me just about the right size with the map_c's dimension. Still experimenting though.

Quote:Secondly, the rivers etc are drawn as vectors, and at some scales they appear very road like with lots of straight lines. Some of the data in these can also be offset by up to 2km in some datasets you can download, so if accuracy is your game, be aware.

Indeed. But I'm going to try to have the program draws the river lines with 2 or 3 px, saving the map with 8x enlargement, then I'll use GIMP anti aliasing filter to get them smoother before downsizing it. I wish there are simpler ways though, but i'm still exploring the program to find out more.

And speaking about accuracy, I pasted the resulting tracelines above map_c sized MicroDEM files and while it's not 100% perfect match, it's still usable to provide clear guidelines, IMO.

Quote:I believe this mapping format, GIS, was intended for the ease of producing maps for presentations, books etc quickly with different data, ie roads, climate, traffic, urban sprawl, pollution.....

...and map_t textures allocation since it has land coverage layer. And since it's in vector format, It can be used for this purpose, i think.

Quote:A good source of data is The Digital Map of the World at http://www.maproom.psu.edu/dcw/. You will need to convert it though using Import71, unless there are other methods of importing the data.

Thanks for the link, I'm downloading the data for comparison at this moment. Speaking about datas, if anyone making the map of their own country, maybe it's worth to check your own goverment's websites for downloadable geographic datas first before checking outside sources.

I just found few days ago that in here there are actually a lot of them freely available... :roll:

- ClockWatcher - 15.02.2008

big_yamato,

Looking at the program you use, DIVA-GIS, its export function straight to the clipboard is brilliant. The magnification function is really useful in getting the "fineness" of lines required for IL2 maps. Much better than some of the commercial application I have seen!

Playing around with it at the moment on top of an original map_C and enlarged map_h derived from MicroDEM. Wish Gimp had better image transforation tools.

On the subject of ground cover etc, in some places in the world the last 70 years has seen huge changes in land cover.

Cracking find Yamato Smile

CW

- big_yamato - 15.02.2008

Hehe, it's all started when I realized there are sooo many rivers to draw by hand... Needed a quicker way to draw them and then fine-tune later :lol:

About landcover changes, indeed, there are many changes. Take Java, for example, I believe the forests were far larger than just a couple of patches in the pic. But then again, I have a very rough calculations of land usage related to the land's population in the 40's.

Basically I take the era's census (20 million) and current (200 million lives) as some kind of ratio indication (1:10). So it could give some clues regarding the land usage.

Ofcourse, it'll be far better if there's actual data from that time, but I still haven't found it yet...

- fly_zo - 15.02.2008

tried it and i believe i'll stick to hand drawing for rivers ..... anyway it's almost finished

[Image: rivers-test_map_c.jpg]

- ClockWatcher - 21.02.2008

Road and railway textures, an easy method, has been updated, page 2 of this thread.

Fly_zo, The vector format is good for a guide when plotting rivers, but IMHO hand drawn rivers are defintely more accurate and produces better quality maps. But you already knew that Wink

CW

- fly_zo - 21.02.2008

ClockWatcher Wrote:Road and railway textures, an easy method, has been updated, page 2 of this thread.

Fly_zo, The vector format is good for a guide when plotting rivers, but IMHO hand drawn rivers are defintely more accurate and produces better quality maps. But you already knew that Wink

CW

thanks CW for all of your tutorials ... IMHO they are essential for making new map as much as tools are... so i thought if is too much to ask to make pdf file from them ( i already have ones that covers microdem use , for my personal use ) and i'll upload them here ... or should we wait for all of them first .... anyway, its just a thought ....

again, many thanks

Z

- Jg3_Prodigy - 21.02.2008

upload upload :lol:

ups iam the nooby :wink:
please do this Tongue

- ClockWatcher - 22.02.2008

fly_zo,

I am more than happy for you to turn them into a PDF. If there are any more tutorials that you would think would be beneficial please let me know.

In making the maps though, there is more than one way of skinning the landscape Wink This is just my approach.

CW

- asheshouse - 22.02.2008

Pulling the existing online tutorials into a pdf download is an excellent idea.
It is becoming progressively more difficult to find old tutorials or tips even when you know they exist.

Might be better though to make it a Word *.doc download. This will be easier to edit and maintain in the future than a pdf document, and will be easy to index etc.