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Thread: How I make my maps. ~ BDH

  1. #1

    Default How I make my maps. ~ BDH

    ~oh goddamit, just take note to be patient and never send out too many pms at once :laughing: ~
    ~and for a more interesting read http://rinkworks.com/dialect/dialect...hp%3Ft%3D39035 ~
    Some people have liked my maps, and that's brought me a great deal of pleasure. Many people have congratulated my skill at making such accurate, large, and aesthetically pleasing works of art, but the truth is that they are not works of art, far from it it in fact. They are the product of research and a hobby of mine called geograhical information systems. By converting freely provided satellite data, i could create maps that, with work, could be used to play Rome: Total War. Much of the process used to be very time consuming, and, in some ways, costly. However, with more work, I have found a good freeware tool and some good data so the process can be undertaken by anyone who wants to. Through this process, it is possible to create a good map like the quality I have shown previously in under an hour. It is a very easy to do and anyone can do it and enjoy it.

    It all begins with a trip to a United States Geological Survey.
    http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevati...0/gtopo30.html
    That website shown above contains GTOP03 data, which is a multinational composite of digital elevation models. This is the raw data that is converted into a tga format that makes this process possible. Download the data into a folder and put all of it in the same folder. Don't unzip the data. The data should be accessed in its zipped format.

    Next, we go to a site that provides a good converter for the tool. It is free and easy to use.
    http://www.visualizationsoftware.com/3dem.html
    This software is nescessary for converting the data into a useable form. Its also the only good way to do it unless you want to pay for software. Download the software. When you open the software, a small box will pop up asking you what you want to acess. Select USGS dem. Explore your computer for the dem files. Drag a box and select all the data. Another screen with a map will pop up and ask you where you want to go. Drag the bottom bar all the way across. That bar specifies the size of the data area. You can open 20 by 20 degrees of data at a time. Then, select a good area. A digital elevation map of the area will then load. The map though will not be on a black to white color scale. Open the color scale box at the top of the screen and select modify scale. Go through the pallete and change the color scale to a black and white. Its a fairly simple process and only requires a little bit of algebra. Modifying the pallette is also important for creating different elevation effects and playing around with it can help create good maps. You will also see an altitude range. The altitude range specifies the altitude of the area and will be reset to the area's range of altitude every time you load data. In order to create a continous map, modify this so its constant for the places you will connect together. After this, close that box and then open the Geo Coordinates pull down and turn the coordinates off. From there go to File and save map image. Save it as any image file you like. After that go to File and load terrain model. Just press ok. You don't need to load the elevation data again since you already selected it. Go through the map process again, except this time choose a different location. Make that location exactly 20 degrees up or down of the original one you had. Repeat much of the process. Once you have some good map images, load them into photoshop. Since you gathered them at exactly 20 degree intervals, they will match up absolutely perfectly in photoshop. Just use the layer system.

    Terrain
    http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/LCC/
    The site above will provide a good base terrain map. It comes in two, extremely large portions. Each pixel should be a discrete datum with no anti-aliasing. If you see anti-aliasing, you've downloaded the wrong file. The files are extremely large so a large amount of ram is helpful when using in photo shop. The terrain data was also made from the GOTP03 data, so in ps, the two will match up absolutely perfectly. Absolutely do not be satisfied with anything less than perfection in matching these two hope. Only very small allowances should be made since this data would undoubtedly be larger than the elevation data you got from the previous process. Once everything is properly aligned together, use the terrain data to correct elevation flaws in the elevation data. Use photoshop layers to do this process. Basically, the terrain data has been corrected while the elevation data has some holes in it below sea level (most notably at the caspian.) After this, use the color key from the site to convert the data. The data can also be used in climate formation.

    It must be noted that this data is designed for the modern day, so any good mapper must make allowances as well as make any and all nescessary corrections. Lets not get lazy now! Also, using large versions of these files and THEN downsizing can help make it more accurate. This is especially important in any warping, projection changes, or rotations.

    Projection Changes
    This data comes in a straight mercator format. In order to get the desired projection it must be converted. This can easily be done in the photoshop program. Just remember to use large files and to change them together after they have been aligned and the elevation data corrected. Also, add extra data from aroundt the desired area so it looks more natural if you go over the area you specified. For some of the more extreme projection changes, more work is nescessary. The warp function does not allow you to change multiple files at once. There is an easy way to get around this. It is only data, so it is possible to store it as a single alpha channel. Just convert the terrain data such that no two values have the same Red Green or Blue value and convert the water in the elevation data to 0 0 0 (since that value can't be used anyway for the regular terrain) Store the data as a single file and convert the alpha channels to RBG. Then all you can transform it to your hearts content. Making minor changes, or otherwise very major. After that, it is only a simple matter to seperate the two and reconvert them.

    This is the basics of employing freeware and standard modding tools (Photoshop) to create a good base for a RTW map. After this though, hard modding work is needed, much still needs to be done by hand. Creative thought is also nescessary in overcoming many of the hardcoded obstacles that can thwart some use of these materials, espesially when creating a map that spans large distances. Good luck using these materials. They are fun to experiment with and, if implemented correctly, they really do pay off. Some mods use the same or similiar technique, try and spot them if you can

    Sincerely,
    BDH

    In a final note, there are a few more tricks, but you can figure them out on your own
    and be sure to mention me when you make maps :laughing:
    Last edited by bdh; February 10, 2006 at 09:58 PM.
    Given any number of random, even contradictory metaphysical postulates, a justification, however absurd, can be logically developed.

    Mapping advances anybody can use. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39035

  2. #2
    ErikinWest's Avatar Civitate
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    HAAHAHAH! Wow! This is er... um amazing. Invaluable. What does BDH stand for?

    Erik

    Music is the pinnacle of civilization and Jazz is the apex.
    Member of S.I.N.
    The means justify the ends. Or better put: the same means will achieve the same ends.
    Under the patronage of Chandrashekar Azad.

  3. #3

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    BDH stands for Bearing Distance Heading
    Given any number of random, even contradictory metaphysical postulates, a justification, however absurd, can be logically developed.

    Mapping advances anybody can use. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39035

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by bdh
    BDH stands for Bearing Distance Heading
    BDH you are one awesome guy. Kudos to you.



  5. #5

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    This sounds like to me a bunch of new realisticly mapped mods! Awesome work BDH!

  6. #6
    Civis
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    Very good tutorial BDH, very informative, hopefully it will help the community.

  7. #7

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    Thanks along guys! I probably should have done this at first, but here are some examples.








    Given any number of random, even contradictory metaphysical postulates, a justification, however absurd, can be logically developed.

    Mapping advances anybody can use. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39035

  8. #8

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    Thanks a lot Bdh ....very impressive

    PAENINSULA ITALICA project creator

  9. #9

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    Sorry for the following off-topic question, Bdh ...I'm wondering if you found also a good solution for the "water amount" problem which affects many huge maps with large portions of sea pixels ...I'll be very grateful for all the info's on that matter which you'll be able to provide.
    Thanks a lot again for sharing so much with the community.

    PAENINSULA ITALICA project creator

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Luciano B
    Sorry for the following off-topic question, Bdh ...I'm wondering if you found also a good solution for the "water amount" problem which affects many huge maps with large portions of sea pixels ...I'll be very grateful for all the info's on that matter which you'll be able to provide.
    Thanks a lot again for sharing so much with the community.
    Well, there are only 4 ways to deal with the issue.
    1) make the map smaller
    2) rotate the map (best do it with a large version of the map and then to shrink it, especially with terrain data - this is because the pixels are square)
    3) distortion - you can distort the projection of the map - you can use photoshop to magnify the land and shrink the water or you can simply move land masses closer together
    4) Art - many ancient maps had pictures in them, so if there is an empty space, try and fill it with pictures, but this isn't always a good idea if the empty space occurs between two places
    Given any number of random, even contradictory metaphysical postulates, a justification, however absurd, can be logically developed.

    Mapping advances anybody can use. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39035

  11. #11
    Mirconus the Great's Avatar Civis
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    Cool! Can you make some maps for me? If you can, PM Mirconus the Great.

  12. #12
    Opifex
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    Awesome stuff BDH, thanks a lot!


    "If ye love wealth greater than liberty,
    the tranquility of servitude greater than
    the animating contest for freedom, go
    home from us in peace. We seek not
    your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch
    down and lick the hand that feeds you,
    and may posterity forget that ye were
    our countrymen."
    -Samuel Adams

  13. #13

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    Great tutorial BDH , but im stoked, in the part where you say load the download the data from http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevati...0/gtopo30.html

    what exctly do i have to Download?

  14. #14

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    There is a map of the world there and its divided into tiles. Click on a tile and it will bring you to another page where you can download the data for that tile. You'll see a link that looks like this W020N90
    or some other numbers and letters. Download the file, it will be large and in a compressed format. Don't uncompress it though, its designed to be read in its compressed form.
    I hope that helps
    Given any number of random, even contradictory metaphysical postulates, a justification, however absurd, can be logically developed.

    Mapping advances anybody can use. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39035

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  16. #16
    Basileos Leandros I's Avatar Writing is an art
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    BDH,

    Can you do a full tutorial for creating a campaign map please?!(this includes map_regions.tga)

    Please.

    Good tutorial btw. Doing now my map.
    Ja mata, TosaInu. Forever remembered.

    Total War Org - https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/

    Swords Made of Letters - 1938. The war is looming over France - and Alexandre Reythier does not have much time left to protect his country. A finished novel, published on TWC.

    Visit ROMANIA! A land of beauty and culture!

  17. #17
    Basileos Leandros I's Avatar Writing is an art
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    BDH,

    I have a problem. I load the W...90 gz zipped file. I put the 20 degress width, but then it requests and W....40 gz or Dem file!!!
    What's wrong?!
    Ja mata, TosaInu. Forever remembered.

    Total War Org - https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/

    Swords Made of Letters - 1938. The war is looming over France - and Alexandre Reythier does not have much time left to protect his country. A finished novel, published on TWC.

    Visit ROMANIA! A land of beauty and culture!

  18. #18

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    Great turorial BDH,
    Here is my map:
    http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/4779/karte3la.jpg
    Excellent work! Just remember to use the terrain corrections in the other file download (the one the map_ground_types is made from). There are definately some flaws in the data itself in very low areas. Its plainly visible around the caspian but is easily corrected. Also, play around with the photoshop functions and the rtw settings to get the most out of the map. Photoshop filters especially can help, so its always a good idea to consider those.

    BDH,

    I have a problem. I load the W...90 gz zipped file. I put the 20 degress width, but then it requests and W....40 gz or Dem file!!!
    What's wrong?!
    The problem is fairly simple. Sometimes the 20 degree by 20 degree box you selected on the map selector goes slightly outside of data area you specified. If there isn't enough data for what you *technically* asked for, it will pop up with a window asking for more data. To solve this problem, look at the picture of the tile you downloaded and see where it goes off (whether to the north, the south, the east, or to the west) and download the tile its probably overlapping into. Then, go back to the program and open them both at the same time by drag selecting before you press ok in the file selection window. That should solve the problem since you can be certain you are asking for all the data. If you don't want to do that, you can also select an area smaller than 20 degrees, as long as you don't access more than you have downloaded on your computer or drag selected. Doing either of these should fix the problem, just remember that you're opening a USGS dem. I hope this helps :sweatingb
    Last edited by bdh; January 06, 2006 at 03:51 PM.
    Given any number of random, even contradictory metaphysical postulates, a justification, however absurd, can be logically developed.

    Mapping advances anybody can use. http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=39035

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by bdh
    Quote:
    Great turorial BDH,
    Here is my map:
    http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/4779/karte3la.jpg

    Excellent work! Just remember to use the terrain corrections in the other file download (the one the map_ground_types is made from). There are definately some flaws in the data itself in very low areas. Its plainly visible around the caspian but is easily corrected. Also, play around with the photoshop functions and the rtw settings to get the most out of the map. Photoshop filters especially can help, so its always a good idea to consider those.
    Which filters would you advice me to use in editing map's different places, i guess Stylize->Tiles could do something good. Anything else?
    Btw my map is 1132 pixels width and 566 - height, comparing with BI default map_regions (255 width, 156 height). Should I reduce it smaller?

  20. #20
    Basileos Leandros I's Avatar Writing is an art
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    Thanx BDH. Downloading now more tiles.
    Ja mata, TosaInu. Forever remembered.

    Total War Org - https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/

    Swords Made of Letters - 1938. The war is looming over France - and Alexandre Reythier does not have much time left to protect his country. A finished novel, published on TWC.

    Visit ROMANIA! A land of beauty and culture!

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