blade2k5's Real World+Fantasy Maps

[Pat]

Troy simply stunning details and wonderful maps man!!!!

[blade2k5]

Update Time once again.  There have been some changes in in what's being released when due to the fact that the finished list has grown to 15 and climbing and some maps are being packaged as 2-paks.  You may also notice that the current projects being worked list is currently sitting on 12, most are nearly done, just need to render, write the readmes and package it all of them up for release on the LEX and STEX. 

Further below in this post are SC4TF overview and Regional images of 10 of the before unseen completed maps listed below.  Albuquerque, Baltimore, Boston, El Paso, Flagstaff, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Ventura/Oxnard California East and West [will be packaged as a 2-pak] and finally Washington DC.

Newly Released Projects:
1. Nihau & Molokai Hawaii / Available on the STEX [NHP 2-Pak]
2. Maui Hawaii Mini-Map MegaPak / Available on the STEX
3. Cabo San Lucas Baja Ca. / Uploaded today Available on the STEX
4. La Paz Baja Ca. / Uploaded today Available on the STEX

Finished Projects/Possible Release Dates:
01. Boston / 9-7
02. Baltimore / 9-7
03. Cabo San Lucas Baja California / 9-7
04. La Paz Baja California / 9-7
05. Washington DC / 9-14
06. El Paso / 9-14
07. Mazatlan Mexico / 9-14
08. Puerto Vallarta Mexico / 9-14
09. Albuquerque NM / 9-21
10. Flagstaff AZ / 9-21
11. San Jose del Cabo Baja California / 9-21
12. Mt. Fuji Japan / 9-21
13. Green Bay WI /
14. Milwaukee WI /
15. Phoenix AZ /

Current Projects being worked on:
01. Oahu Hawaii
02. Grand Canyon
03. Houston/Galveston - This one is going to take some more work to complete than most other maps.  Can't say for sure when it will be complete.
04. Dallas/Fort Worth Teaxs - This one is going to take some more work to complete like the Houston/Galveston map.  Can't say for sure when it will be complete.
05. Portland Maine
06. Pittsburgh
07. Providence
08. Cleveland
09. Brunswick/Bath Maine
10. Las vegas
11. Tokyo Japan - Having the same issues with this map as I am with the Houston/Galveston and Dallas/Ft. Worth maps.  I also hadn't realized just how much area Tokyo covered, may have to do this city in sections and upload as mega-paks depending how many maps I have to make to cover the entire city.
12. Grand Canyon maps - 2 so far with several more to come.

Upcoming Projects in no particular order:
01. Big Island Hawaii
02. Amarillo Texas
03. Fresno California
04. Lake Tahoe
05. Sacramento California -  May not be able to do.  Like New Orleans, parts of Sacramento are below sea level which creates a nightmare when trying to convert the DEM data.
06. San Diego Metro area
07. Parts of China - Thinking maybe Shanghai, Beijing to name a couple of cities off the top of my head.
08. Indonesia - I have entire island chain's DEM data dl'd and plan to map most of the country.
09. Parts of Africa - Right now I have the DEM data for the Horn of Africa area dl'd, plan on Kilimanjaro and some coastal maps.
10. Japan - I have the entire country's DEM data dl'd.  Mt. Fuji is first up, Tokyo to follow.
11. the Caribbean - Plan on mapping the entire regions islands...including Cuba.
12. Australia I have the entire continents DEM data dl'd.  All of Australia's major cities and some interior maps are in the planning stages.
13. British Isles - I have entire BI DEM data dl'd.
14. Amazon River
15. parts of Brazil - Rio, Sao Paulo, Amazon River
16. Central America - I have entire CA DEM data dl'd
17. Baja California I have the entire BC DEM data dl'd
18. Straight of Gibralter
19. parts of south-east Asia
20. Kilamanjaro

Now onto the Eye-Candy Gallery:

Albuquerque New Mexico:



Baltimore Maryland:



Boston Massachusetts:



El Paso Texas:



Flagstaff Arizona:



Milwaukee Wisconsin:



Phoenix Arizona:



Ventura/Oxnard West:



Ventura/Oxnard East:



Washington DC:

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[Shadow Assassin]

That Phoenix map looks dreadfully boring...

Who'd want to live out there, anyway?

[Tarkus]

That Phoenix map looks dreadfully boring...

Who'd want to live out there, anyway?

It's so dry and desolate.  I love it.   (That's just looking at the terrain, though.  Never been to Phoenix myself.)

All these maps look fantastic as usual, Troy!  I'm just wondering how I'm going to build on all of them.   (I'm having a blast with the Hephaestus map you and beskh did last year right now)

-Alex (Tarkus)

[threestooges]

Excellent work as always. These maps are such a treat for the eyes it's making me think about starting a new region (no... must finish the one I started first). I'll be looking forward to the Lake Tahoe Map as I used to live in Reno, NV, but allow me to compliment you on your rendition of Ventura/Oxnard. I can remember driving on US 101 many times going to or from LA (which I don't see on your list, but then you have enough on that already). Always great to see these things in action. Take it easy and keep up the good work.
-Matt

[blade2k5]

I wanted to let everyone know that I just uploaded four new maps to the LEX, Mt. Fuji, San Jose del Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.  More to come over the next few weeks

[Gaston]

I know not to request someplace.   I do however have a suggestion for something to think about.   The entire length of the Mississippi River Valley.   I was thinking about the varied terrain along it's length.   From way down south in Louisiana where it is flat delta.  (Lots of bridge building potential there)    All the way north to the source.      Also the historical significance of building from south to north or visa versa, instead of from east to west.   Remember it is just a suggestion to get the ole brain cells bouncing off each other.


---Gaston

[blade2k5]

Southern Louisiana is nearly impossible to do, tried to do New Orleans several times, but the Mississippi riverbed is of higher elevation than most of the city itself. 

I do, however, have a Memphis and Twin Cities maps due for release sometime in the next few weeks, as well as plans for Baton Rouge and Shreveport [whether either is on the river itself I can't recall off the top of my head.  There is also a St. Louis map by beskhu3penm available on the STEX, not sure if it's on the LEX or not.  I'll have to pull out my trusty road atlas and see what else along the river that looks interesting to map.

[art128]

very good looking maps 
my favorits are El Paso
Verona
and Pheonix


thanks for these maps 

[rooker1]

Awesome looking maps Troy.
Great work.
Robin 

[blade2k5]

Thanks Robin and art128.  Glad you liked my latest creations.

As requested by Kellis, the Taipei and Hiroshima maps have been uploaded as Lex Exclusives and are now available for your downloading pleasure

[art128]

thanks !! 
I have a question, can you create some map of Portugal ?

[blade2k5]

Yes, Lisbon is on my list and I do have all the DEM data dl'd for both Portugal and Spain.  Is there any particular area of Portugal you would like, or do you want the entire country mapped?

[art128]

yes, I think Lisbon and  Oeiras  and maybe leiria (my favorites citys  )

[blade2k5]

Ok, will do.  Just found my old world atlas when cleaning out the basement today so that should be no problem   Now that I'm unemployed [father-in-law, who's 79 this December, had his 2nd mild heart attack in 10 years and I need to stay home to do all the strenuous chore around the house], I'll have a wee bit more time to get those requested maps done.

[papab2000]

First off let me say that you are doing a fantastic job on the maps. I have tried making them after reading the tutorial. It is not easy. As for the Phoenix map, well that is Phoenix, flat and dry. I lived there for a while, love the cacti.

Any chance of getting a Detroit/Windsor map on your list?

Keep up the nice work

Thanks,
Rich

[blade2k5]

Thanks Rich   Converting DEM data to a 16-bit greyscale png is a snap once you get the hang of it.  To answer your question about Detroit, I plan on doing all major US cities are on my list and then some. As for when I'll get to the Detroit map I don't know yet.  I have roughly 30 maps waiting to be uploaded, but can't upload them all at once so I'm doing them in 4's once a week to 10 days as flooding the market might be frowned upon and drive some members out of their minds.   Keep a lookout here for further details

[papab2000]

Sounds good. I think I have most of your maps. The problem is not getting the DEM data to gray scale, it is once it it imported into the terraformer, there is a lot of work cleaning up the map. It is very rough and takes some art work to make it look good, I am not much of an artist. The other issue I ran into is that I can not get Canada in with the Detroit area. Seems the site only gives you the US. I have a few maps others did of the area but they really are not the best. I did do a map of an area on Lake Huron in norther Michigan that came out OK. I almost thought about posting it. Anyway I really enjoy your work, the maps are great fun to play and the variety is great. I have been fooling around with the lot editor and bat tools but it is very complicated. Plus as I said I am not an artist so creating buildings and such are out of the question.

Rich

[blade2k5]

The other issue I ran into is that I can not get Canada in with the Detroit area.

Yes, I've noticed that as well, even though the site claims to have international data.  The international data I do get isn't as good of quality as the USGS website which irritates me to no end.  I've been working on Rotterdam Netherlands all day for another member and cannot get the waterways to show up...all I get is a completely flat terrain, so as far as that map is concerned, I'll have to free-hand it in Paint like I used to before the age of SC4TF came along.  All I need is a decent sized 'street' map of Rotterdam to do that.  Haven't found one yet except the Google stuff which doesn't do me any good.

For the list of maps I have completed, here's a list:

US Maps:
1. Albuquerque
2. Atlanta
3. Baltimore
4. Boston
5. Brunswich-Bath Maine
6. Chattanooga
7. Cleveland
8. Columbus Georgia
9. Crater Lake Oregon
10. El Paso
11. Flagstaff
12. Green Bay
13. Hot Springs Missouri
14. Las Vegas
15. Madison Wisconsin
16. Memphis
17. Milwaukee
18. Mobile
19. Oahu [Future Mega Mini-Map Pak]
20. Olympia Washington
21. Palmer Alaska
22. Pensacola
23. Phoenix
24. Pittsburgh
25. Portland Maine
26. Providence
27. Tanana Alaska
28. Ventura/Oxnard Ca.
29. Washington DC

International:
1. Shanghai
2. Victoria british Columbia

There will be many, many more in the next couple of months that will be added to the list

[papab2000]

Cool, thanks for the quick reply and thanks for the nice maps

Rich