Maps

[Sim_Jesse 1]

Lately I see a lot of people using a topographic map of their regions/cities in their CJs. So that's a top-down view indicating the major roads, railways, etc.

I really wonder how to make such a map since I'm planning to start a CJ soon, and a map like that could be a good addition.

Thanks in forward

[Craig91 12]

What I do:

- Open the traffic map in SC4 (I do the network specific ones).

- Take a screen picture.

- Open photoshop and paste the copied screen into a picture. Cut out all except the actual map.

- Resize the image to a nice big canvas.

- Create new layers and draw over your each network with specific colours etc.

Hope that's helpful

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: Sim_Jesse

Lately I see a lot of people using a topographic map of their regions/cities in their CJs. So that's a top-down view indicating the major roads, railways, etc.quote>

What you're describing is a road map. A topographic map is a map of the topography. That is, the terrain. It typically looks something like this:

They can and often do have roads and other manmade features on them, but only for reference. Their primary purpose is to show the terrain.

Now then, if you want to actually make a topographic map...

If you expand any of the views in the data panel, the map there will have different colors on it representing different elevations, essentially like contours on a topo map. So that could be something to work with.

Although, if your region is using imported terrain rather than being hand terraformed, there's an easier way: just use the grayscale BMP that the game uses to generate the terrain.

[Sim_Jesse 1]

Ah, that clears up a lot! Then I actually meant a road map. I'm Dutch, so my english is not too good

I'd like to make a map which shows the main roads, cities, mountains, lakes, rivers and such. A map which explains the general layout of my region to my readers.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: Sim_Jesse

I'm Dutch, so my english is not too good quote>

Well, you're capable of writing proper sentences with proper punctuation, which is more than we can say about some people who speak English as their first language on the internet.

So don't be so hard on yourself.

[Sim_Jesse 1]

Something like this would be ok as well:

Then I would add some lines myself to indicate roads and such.

Could someone explain to me how to make such a map?

[Duke87 1,070]

That appears to be done by taking a screenshot in region view and then skewing the perspective in Photoshop. I believe the technical term for it is "texture mapping".

The fact that the hills, planes, and structures don't properly appear as though they're actually being viewed top down gives this away. It would work perfectly if the terrain was flat and nothing rose above it, but that's obviously not the case.

[Sim_Jesse 1]

So how can I do that?

[mayor_brando 8]

No one has posted on this topic for awhile, but I have the same question as Sim_Jesse, and can't find an answer to it. I have Arcsoft Photostudio, and have messed around with the perspective, but nothing works. Can someone tell how to skew the perspective of a picture so it looks like you're looking direcly down on it?

[antsel 841]

For my road maps, I take screen shots of the traffic view from my data display in each individual city tiles. It is time consuming, having to load each individual city, taking a screen shot, and pasting the image into the photo editing software of your choice, but I think it's worth it.

Edit: The traffic view from the data display works really well too because along with streets, roads etc, it also shows changes in elevation/rivers, which also helps in the creation of a good map.

I have a step by step tutorial of how to create a google maps styled transportation map of your region in my city journal. If you are interested you can find it on page 5 of my CJ. Just follow the link on my sig.

I hope that helps!

[mayor_brando 8]

Thanks! I made just what I wanted.

[chris0101 8]

Maybe we need a tutorial of this in the omnibus section.