Regional Map Searches

[lazy tiger 22]

Not sure if this has been asked before, or if in the right forum area, but has anyone attempted a graphical search interface regarding regions? I mean, I know you can just type in a search in the STEX for your favorite region, but has there ever been an attempt at a graphic?

For example, imagine a full map of the USA...when you mouse over certain areas, they highlight indicating that a modder/creator has made a SC4 regional map of the location. You can zoom in further or zoom out as needed, many locations have overlapping regions. For example, I have been using for some time, Drunkapple's Cathlamet, WA region, and also working a little on Izidor44's Aberdeen, WA regional map. A few nights ago, while just poking around the STEX, I came across Drunkapple's Long Beach, WA regional map, which basically covers the area of my two regions, but in one map.

I thought I would ask, I was looking on Google Earth at landforms, ideas, when I thought it would be cool to be able to zoom in, and a regional map (if one exists..) lights up, indicating its on the STEX. The highlights would be the physical limits of each creator's map, and multiple maps of the same area could be highlighted in different colors (Drunkapple could be red, while Izidor44 could be yellow..). This would also be helpful for users who live in a small town, perhaps their town falls inside the border of a larger region, that they hadn't thought of looking through. Each highlighted map could open a small tag to show the author and a link to the STEX to read more or download.

Just wondering if even such an interface is possible...Of course I am not limiting this to a US map, this could be used for the other parts of the world as well. This would make searches easier for those of us that look for a challenge or aesthetic to the maps. I like Aberdeen due to the mix of water and low mountains (as rendered..) which creates some nice natural boundaries to my cities. I am sure there are other finer examples, both well known real world cities, and not so well known ones. Which is why I was on Google Earth, to look at regions and cities that aren't the vanilla type. I know Google probably would not support this, maybe someone can program it for the STEX?

[Hamish 1,369]

It sounds like a good idea. And would be a great way to find maps.

I suppose someone could do this with a kml file for google earth, it would still be a bit of a challenge though.

[lazy tiger 22]

Yeah, I don't know how to do it, short of combing thru the STEX, using Google Earth's pushpins to denote regions and info....but 1. if would only be on my GE maps, and 2. combing thru the STEX to make a complete map sort of defeats the map's purpose in the first place, as I will no doubt find tons of content, to place graphically...

What I was thinking was that there could be a map (it need not be perfect, but at least one that depicts terrain features), when a creator uploads a region to the STEX, they can index the region to the map (basically, using the USGS data map, to make a perfect match of exactly how big the author's map is..), I would still have the index in the STEX, of course, for example, its far easier to type in "Chicago" than to bring up the map, zoom, etc...

This idea is for people who just want to browse, which is why the landforms would be important on the map, and the major cities would be listed just for reference. Also, it helps creators, as there could be two or three regional maps of the same area, but a smidgen of an important area may be uncovered. Ultimately, we could even use this to create a full map of everything, meaning total land coverage.

The limitations are programming such a map-GUI interface, and this leaves out Fantasy worlds, such as Middle Earth for those Mayors so inclined. But if this process is able to be done, I am sure others could make maps of Middle Earth, Tatooine, Dune, whatever their fancy. Also, maps not falling into these groups would be missed, a futurama map of Bender and Fry (rendered as landforms..) wouldn't fit any of these catalogs.

Just a thought....