Map-Making Q&A

[whatcouldgowrong]

Question: Is it acceptable to use old maps, like hundreds of years old that are now in the public domain? For example if I find a map on a university server that is free to the public, can I base a map on that, or use it as the template for adding my own textures and labels?

[natty dread]

Of course it is.

[whatcouldgowrong]

Awesome. I was hoping I wouldn't have to draw the islands by hand. I'm glad actual cartography is not required

[natty dread]

Actually, you will have to make your own graphics. But you can use any map to trace the borders. That is, you take the existing map, put it on layer 1, then trace the borders on layer 2.

[TheSaxlad]

I have been using GIMP and now I want to do text for my legend on my map, however I can only get one style, one font and most importantly one size of text.

Has anyone else had this problem and does anyone know the solution to it?

Thanks.

[thenobodies80]

with the text tool you should be able to use all the fonts you have on your machine.
1. Click on the text tool
2. Select the text tab on you tool panel
3. Click on the Letter icon, then choose your font
If you want to change the size or the position of the text simply change the other option available on that tab.

Click image to enlarge.

http://docs.gimp.org/2.6/en/gimp-tool-text.html

[MrBenn]

I know that the limit dimensions of maps are "small: 630x600px" and "large 840x800px"...

But can you make a map that's wider but shorter, or taller but thinner than the limits?
ie: "small: 730x500px" "large: 970x670" ?

No, doesn't work that way, sadly.

As others have said, those are the maximum dimensions currently allowed; although you don;t need to stick to them. You can make a narrow and shorter image, but you cannot exceed those dimensions.

[ender516]

The Map XML Wizard tool (blessings be upon chipv) produces XML with the following header:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

which looks perfectly correct, based on my reading of the XML 1.0 Specification. However, the Map Inspect portion of the Map Maker tool does not process this properly, and only works if the header is changed to

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

(note the lower case encoding name).
I have no problem with the lower case version being accepted, since most naming conventions encourage case insensitivity, but since the XML 1.0 Specification says "UTF-8" should be used, I think if only one form can be supported by the Map Maker tool, then it needs to be this one.

An odd sidenote: the Test XML portion of the Map Maker tool has no problem with the upper case version.

[natty dread]

ender, actually now that I look at it- I don't think the uppercase utf-8 was the problem at all. For example the .XML for my Orient Express map has the utf-8 in uppercase yet it works fine in mapmaker.


...see, I changed it back to uppercase and it works fine:

http://www.fileden.com/files/2010/2/7/2 ... ns.1.0.xml

[ender516]

Sadly, my employer blocks fileden.com so I can't check anything here on my lunch, but I was getting a little confused last night, trying versions (yours, mine, and hybrids). I guess I will check again this evening at home.

[natty dread]

Sadly, my employer blocks fileden.com so I can't check anything here on my lunch, but I was getting a little confused last night, trying versions (yours, mine, and hybrids). I guess I will check again this evening at home.

My guess is that your first version used the wrong UTF-8 encoding...

I always save my xml:s with windows notepad, and they work fine.

[kengyin]

im not sure where to ask this so i'll ask it here if you dont mind, do you have to be premium to make maps? are there any good and free programs for macs? and about how skilled do you have to be and how long would it take to make a map? thanks

[natty dread]

You don't need to be premium, making a map takes 6-12 months, and you need some graphical skill. I don't know anything about mac programs though.

[ender516]

The Map XML Wizard tool (blessings be upon chipv) produces XML with the following header:

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

which looks perfectly correct, based on my reading of the XML 1.0 Specification. However, the Map Inspect portion of the Map Maker tool does not process this properly, and only works if the header is changed to

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

(note the lower case encoding name).
I have no problem with the lower case version being accepted, since most naming conventions encourage case insensitivity, but since the XML 1.0 Specification says "UTF-8" should be used, I think if only one form can be supported by the Map Maker tool, then it needs to be this one.

An odd sidenote: the Test XML portion of the Map Maker tool has no problem with the upper case version.

Just in case anyone was following this and didn't catch my report of the cause elsewhere, the real problem turned out to be blanks in the URL. Once I renamed my fileden folder to use underscores, the problem went away.

[army of nobunaga]

quick question.. is it easier to make portions of a map from scratch (blank white page) or take a high resolution digital photo of something you want and insert it and begin from that point?

thanx