Map editing

[V22 Osprey]

I'm trying to build a map from scratch, but they always look crappy and look like pieces of crap compared to the other maps included in the game. [8|]

Any ideas? I would like some map requests and see if I can make a map of an actually place and see how it turns out.

[countblue]

I had the same feeling when I started to roll my first own scenarios.
Just keep those maps you are not satisfied with at the moment, in a few months you might find them handy to start from again.
In my opinion a good idea is to start with an area you know by yourself.
Maybe make a hypothetical scenario but with a real landscape in mind.

I did now my first scenario where I feel the map is correct (a little).

The scen is almost ready but my first testplay did not turn out like I wanted it.
So I have to correct the victory settings but I am still trying to figure out in which direction.

To me good Maps are an art.

CB

[Jason Petho]

ORIGINAL: V22 Osprey
Any ideas? I would like some map requests and see if I can make a map of an actually place and see how it turns out.

For practice, you may wish to acquire a 1:25,000 or 1:50,000 topo of your hometown. Try mapping that as a start, as you are, in theory, intimately familiar with how the map should look when it is done.

It is also a good exercise of interpretation, which is mostly what you will be doing with considering a hex is 250m across.

Start small, then grow!

Best of luck.

Jason Petho

[Mr. Guberman]

Map making is the most time consuming and my least favorite part of scenario design...however...

Two different types of map, both for WF:

!!Curt is an absolutely hypothetical map, representing the Ardennes/Huertgen region of western Europe, made by (1) setting parameters with the map editor, rougly representing the area I wish to represent and then generating a random map from those set parameters. Typically, I set roads to near 0%, towns and cities ditto, prior to generating, (2) from the level 4 view, add geological features indicated by the terrain and elevation characteristics generated by the editor (i.e. streams do not generally go up and down elevations, water bodies usually tend do be located at lower elevations [ditto swamps and marshes], gullies tend to form in recesses of the hills and etc., (3) add towns, roads and other manmade features to my hearts content (remembering to consider how people might have manipulated the world around them), then (4) go to level 1 view and systematically examine the entire map in detail (making adjustments as I feel appropriate) then reverse the view and repeat. Voila.

2ndTankDiv is an historical, real world map of the Signy l'Abbaye area of France generated hex by hex using (1) geographical and geological maps (i.e. Google Earth and other geophysical/elevation maps, etc) and (2) a Michelin 1:40,000 roadmap (~1970's) to locate the towns, roads and etc. (most of the good bookstores have a map section with a wonderful choice of Michelins and others), using poetic liscence with regard to the growth of towns and roads since the 40's, then (3) perform step 4 above.

Both of the above took about 48 to 72 hours to make, apiece. Some others have taken much longer to make, check and validate.

Remember to establish the scale. Generally I use 4 hexes per kilometer (6 hexes per mile). Then you will have one. It is tedious and I do so much prefer generating OB's rather than maps...but it is a neccessary evil.

I can't seem to attach zip files here, but if you would like to see them, let me know where to send the map files.

Good Luck,

Cheers
Curt

[V22 Osprey]

nebelwerfr@live.com

Would love to see the maps!

Jason:Seeing as my hometown is large city, I wont do that.I may however try my current town as there is not much out here.

[V22 Osprey]

Oops

[baltjes]

I realy like making maps, especially large ones, although it is a very-very time-consuming work. Huib Versloot has somewhere (I think it is at 'the Blitz') put some fine ideas to establish maps with the help of Google Earth and PhotoShop. But since I have no PhotoShop and the situation today is quite different from the time I want my maps to be situated, I restrict myself to the old fashioned method with help of adequate maps, a ruler and a pocket calculator, but above all; I love it. I have just finished a map of the western part of my home country (NL) of about 500 x 800 hexes, and I am working now on a map of the east part (500 x 1000 hexes).

As told before, situations are quite different today from the situation in 39-45. Besides the tremendous growth of the population (and therefore growth of cities, towns and villages), there are many other deviations: Main roads (Highways if you want), the connecting vains from one concentration of economic activity to another, are now running around those concentrations in stead of through them, railways may have been disappeared, added or changed, meandering rivers or streams have been canalized (straightened), woods have been cut/established, roads have been deleted/added, etc, etc. It is therefore best to use maps from the time-area you want to have your scenario acting.

Be aware that, if you are using different maps from different origins, the North-South orientation might be slightly different, causing a rotation from one map to another. I experienced that when making large maps (my favorite!!) and discovering that a village that was (slightly) south of a reference village on the one map, was (slightly) north of that reference on the other map.

Start with some small villages. Take a village as your reference and calculate the number of hexes north (or south) and east (or west) to the next village. (A programmable pocket calculator can be fine). Do not start with large cities, unless there is a clear reference point such as a road, running over a river into that city (e.g. Arnhem), but 'encircle' your city with a number of small villages (if present of course); spot, size and shape of your city will then become clear very soon and can be filled in with the appropriate symbols (city, town, village).

If you want to make use of railway traffic in your scenario, be aware that main roads (paved and unpaved) should not enter or leave a hex at the same hexside as the railroad does; this wil stop all rail-movement! ( a 'path' does not have this effect, so you can use this road-feature at free will).

I tend to use Delta-values (the height difference in meters of two subsequent height levels in the game) of 2 meters. This fully fulfills the maintask of heigth differences (IMHO): Blocking or enablig LOS/LOF. As a consequence, the real range of height differences in the area will not be covered. I take that disadvantage for granted, as long as the tactical features of the scenario are covered.

It is recommended to make your map larger than the strickt area or your scenario. This gives the units some 'room to maneuver' when entering as reinforcements, without directly corrupting your victory-point erea or even worse!. (I experienced this in my first Hells Highway scenario, where I had no space to deploy the German reinforcements at the town of Best adequately, they were just sitting ducks!) .


Start on a small scale and extend your map when necessary (or when you start to become as 'mad' as I am).


Hajo Baltjes

[Huib]

If you have a scan of an historical map, you can overlay it in Google Earth. This will enable you to get the height correct for every single hex. Ofcourse you also have to put a hex overlay in Google Earth so you actually have 2 transparant layers on top of eachother. This way David Galster and I made a map of the area between Nijmegen and Wesel. Right now it is 250 x 175 hexes and the maximum deviation from reality is about 250 meters. So you could say with this method it is 100% correct.
David also developed a tool in Excel to calculate distances between places based on geographical coordinates. That means if you set hex numbers and geographical coordinates for one place (for example the Waalbridge in Nijmegen) it will give you the hex numbers of any other place you have the geographical coordinates of. In Google Earth the geographical coordinates are easy to get; just hold you mouse over the spot.

Huib