blade2k5's Real World+Fantasy Maps

[SC4BOY]

Hmmm okie dokie.. I did as you suggested.. worked ok, but a hiccup or two (when you enter the two numbers it apparently averages all the low/high points rather than setting a floor.. so I had to set the value to DOUBLE DEPTH in order to get it to the level I wanted (it still was off a fraction or so.. I guess the average of all the shoreline cliffs throws the value off a smidge, but a bit of trial and error and it worked pretty well). Thanks for the tip.. a fairly handy tool to know about. Turns out I had dl'd the 1.1 version, but as I don't use it much I never bothered to actually update it.. ... anyways..  all good  now.. thanks again.

This is my "re-config'd" layout.. if anyone wants it PM me.. thanks again B2K5

[blade2k5]

It's been a few eeks now since I posted the images of 15 maps in which you, the user, got to vote on to see which three would be released first. Here's how the voting went:

Portland Metro 4
Anchorage AK  3
Atlantic City    3
Astoria           2
New Orleans    2
Fall River, Quad Cities, Evansville and San Fran/Oak each got 1
All the rest got a big fat '0'

Portland, Anchorage and Atalntic City are now available on the LEX.  Enjoy.

[blade2k5]

In the two weeks since I released the five maps listed in the post above, I've been working on some fantasy maps taken from real world places and taking a couple at a time, matching them together into a single map.  So far, I've completed two, but the first got corrupted somehow and I didn't make a sc4m file for it so that one is lost.  On the other hand, the second one, which took a total of 6 days to make, is complete and ready to be showcased.  So, without further adieu,

Here's the first Terraformer image after I brought several maps together as I was beginning the underwater terraforming...


The second terraformer image and 6-layers deeper into the seafloor...


The third and final terraformer image as the carving of the seafloor has been smoothed out...


And finally, the finished look


Map Details:

configuration: 36km x 36km, 81 [9x9] large cities
elevation H/L: highest point 1225.9M/4,021ft, lowest point -80M/262ft [170M in the game ]
real-world places used: Ummm...good question.

I'm not sure if this map will actually be released, I may use it for an MD I've been thinking about doing.  I also don't have a name for the map yet either  

[Gaston]

Very nice map indeed Blade.   I see several oxbows linkie on the right side of the map.    Perhaps a name might be "The Oxbow Trench".   Referencing the great underwater terraforming you did as well as all the oxbows present.

Also, a while back you said you might be able to make a map of Dubuque, IA.    Any activity on that map?

---Gaston

[blade2k5]

Thanks for the name idea, I'll keep it mind

As for the Dubuque map, I've made five attempts to get it done, but having issues with the elevation when it comes to the waterways.  There are some areas of Dubuque where you get vast lakes that shouldn't be there .  Still trying to figure out how to get around that problem.

[marsh]

fantastic map   

[Monorail Master]

I hope you can make the GTA: San Andreas map. That would be so awesome! (GTA series fan)

[mightygoose]

bravo although it is clear they are different regions... perhaps picking tow areas that are geologically similar might help with unity.

[blade2k5]

bravo although it is clear they are different regions... perhaps picking tow areas that are geologically similar might help with unity.

Actually, I made the map like this on purpose   It's the map I'm using to develop for a possible CJ someday

[blade2k5]

It's been awhile since I posted any pics of up-coming maps.  Well, that changes right now   This time around, we find ourselves in Puerto Rico.

First up is Mayaguez...I know there is a river in the southern part of the map, but unfortunately, the lousy DEM data I had to use didn't clearly define where I could draw them in, so if anyone who knows Mayaguez well can easily draw them in with terraformer.

8x7 large tiles...




Next up is Ponce...

8x7 large tiles...




And of course, you can't map Puerto Rico and not map San Juan...

11x6.5 large tiles or 44km x 26km...





All three will be available at a LEX near you very soon

Thanks for dropping in and have a fantastic day/night depending what time you visit

[RickD]

Fantastic maps. Too bad I probably won't live long enough to play them all. 

[portlandexpos04]

Wow awesome Blade!  Love the San Juan map.  Glad you're back!
Are you planning to do any more Asia maps in the near future?  I've been trying to find a good Singapore and Shanghai one.

[blade2k5]

Fantastic maps. Too bad I probably won't live long enough to play them all. 

Thanks Rick   You know, that's probably true considering I've released more than 200 maps since Oct '05

Wow awesome Blade!  Love the San Juan map.  Glad you're back!
Are you planning to do any more Asia maps in the near future?  I've been trying to find a good Singapore and Shanghai one.

Thanks Port   I've tried to do Shanghai several times, but it is so flat that the 90M DEM I have to use doesn't define the waterways at all, making it difficult to draw in the waterways in their proper place.  As for Singapore, that area had never crossed my mind, but now it's on a list of places to map in the future.  As for returning full time to map-making, can't say when that will be as I'm currently working on a possible cj, something I've been toying with for a couple of years.

[blade2k5]

Mayaguez, Ponce and San Juan Puerto Rico are now available for download on the LEX.   Enjoy.

[CoastRunner]

I love your maps!    Oh, and I vote for Shantou.

[Agathorn]

Hello everyone,

I was looking for a map of the Netherlands but so far i didn't find it. Does enyone know if that already exist?
Earlier I was checking USGS but the have according to me only data from the US. Thus the have no data from Europe. Am i richt? And if the have it where do i download it?

My question is for now: can some one make me a map of that small country at the other side of the ocean.

Greetings,

Agathorn

[Fabian93]

A map of the whole Netherlands would be way to huge.
I doubt a computer would be able to handle that..

Fabian

[jondor]

I love your Portland Metro map, it's a lot of fun to build on familiar terrain.

I wonder if you might consider creating a westside Portland metro map that stretches from the Willamette river out to Forest Grove and down to about Tualatin or Wilsonville?  I've always been a fan of transportation and I have a hankering to do a sort of revisionist history where the Oregon Electric and SP did not cease passenger service in the 30's.

Thanks for all the fabulous maps!

[blade2k5]

Before we begin, let me address the comments left since my last post.

jondor: I took a look at the areas you pinpointed and what I can do is map the area west of the Portland Metro map as a separate map. Adding the areas along with Portland Metro map in a re-do is not something I want to tackle again regarding the actual path of the Columbia River. 

Agathorn:  Like Fabian93 mentioned, that map would be to big for my pc to handle.  Secondly, I like to add that most the Netherlands is below sea level and that makes mapping the Netherlands a tricky task.  The only thing I can think of is asking dobdriver and see what he can do.  His magic wand does things with maps that mine does not.

Ok, now onto the business at hand.  For a longtime I've been seeing requests asking for fantasy maps with mountains, hills, rivers coastlines and lots of flat areas in which to build on.  Well, I took a break from playing a region I'm hoping to turn into a MD someday and decided to see what I could do to covers some of these requests.  This time though instead of spending dozens upon dozens of hours hand-drawing a map, I decided to find me some real world terrain that would fit the bill.  I found five places that fit the basic requirements, Mountains, hills, coastline and quite a bit of flatlands to go around.  These five new fantasy will be part of a series I'm going to call "Somewhere In The World" or SITW for short.  These maps will be accurately scaled for size and elevation, the only altered parts will be the river systems I draw in with TerraFormer.

The first map is is a coastal map which features mountain ranges forming a wide valley that curves into an elongated 's' formation, with the valley's western end meeting the sea.  Two major rivers converge near the coastline, one running north-westward from the south-central border of the region, while the other meanders the entire length of the valley from it's eastern end until it meets the sea at the western end. 

Specifics:

Map Size: 13x9 large tiles or 52km x 36km
Elevation:  HP1870.9M    LP 250M  Seafloor is set at 210M, -40M below sea level in the game.
Dependencies: Either SC4 Mapper or SC4 Terraformer for importing.
Terrain Mod: Heblem's Yucatan

TerraFormer View:


Regional TerraFormer View:


Regional View w/o Trees:

Click to see larger image: http://a.imageshack.us/img189/7115/grandrivervalleyrc02a.jpg

Regional View w/ Trees

Click to to see larger image.http://a.imageshack.us/img138/6089/grandrivervalleyrc01a.jpg


Expect to see this map available for download soon.  Also, keep checking back to see the remaining SITW maps.

One last thing, I do not remember which part of the world the data is for, didn't bother to make note of it since these maps are going to be fantasy anyways, so if ya ask, my answer is I don't know

[jondor]

I definitely wouldn't need the Columbia included, and don't really need the Willamette either if it's a lot of trouble.

http://www.thedwarfers.net/otherstuff/random/West_Metro.jpg

I've outlined the area I'm most interested in with red.  It does miss out a little of the very north end of suburbia and seeing some of that included would be nice, but this particular rectangle does cut out the rivers.