Questions tagged [map-making]
For questions that have to do with the science or practice of drawing maps. If the question has to do with making maps this tag is a good fit. Note: This tag is about creating maps of physical features, not creating the physical features themselves nor using the maps for navigation. For that see the geography tag or navigation tag..
189
questions
16
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Map generator for big world
There are several programs available that will generate a random map of an Earth-sized planet, complete with a choice of projections from sphere to 2-D representation.
Are there any available that ...
- 30.5k
2
votes
0
answers
78
views
Would the rain shadow effect cause this area to be a desert?
The arrows are the wind currents. This would affect this the most. The purple triangles are the mountains. They are similar in height to the Ural Mountains of western Russia.The turquoise area is ...
- 886
11
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Would it be possible to make a custom zoomable world map (kinda like google maps)?
Would it be possible to make a custom zoomable world map (kinda like google maps), where you can have all the cities of the world but are able to zoom out to the whole world (and no longer see the ...
- 15.6k
8
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Are the rivers in my fantasy map accurate?
Color legend: The brown shapes are hills, the darker the brown the higher the mountains and the highest peaks I've made white. They are mostly clustered on the east and west edges. The green shows ...
- 81
4
votes
2
answers
225
views
Realistic desert size?
I have figured out a fair bit of processes for my fictional world but am having trouble trying to decide if this desert is a realistic size.
I have highlighted the area in yellow and a rainforest in ...
- 703
3
votes
4
answers
1k
views
How to measure land area for a map?
Is there a site, app, or technique that you can use to measure the area of your world’s continents. It is rather easy to find the surface area of your world if the map is equirectangular or just a ...
- 15.3k
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How does one accurately deduce scale from any given fantasy map (to the best one can)?
Sometimes, a person might wish to know the touch scale of a map, whether made by another person or you, in order to better understand the world a story is taking place. How might one go about deducing ...
- 767
13
votes
6
answers
3k
views
Mapping the far side of the galaxy
Humans got a one time ticket to the other side of the galaxy, traveling $2r$ in just a few days (where $r$ is the distance from earth to the super massive black hole: 28,000 lightyears)
The stars we ...
- 736
4
votes
1
answer
170
views
Which map-making software is best suited for my interests?
I'm interested in creating a map for a world I've been creating. I've done some research to determine which software would suit me best, and it came down to Inkarnate, Campaign Cartographer, and ...
- 11
21
votes
9
answers
4k
views
When starting a new village, what are the sequence of buildings built?
Obviously I know that everyone who is living there is going to want a house but what comes after? Do they build a butcher’s building next or maybe a blacksmith’s building? And what comes after that? ...
- 1,336
7
votes
2
answers
444
views
What Tools to use to generate a fantasy world map with some preset parameters?
I have a world I would like to use for a fiction I am using, and the free tools I got from google (first page) mostly don't do it well.
The world is a Disc. The landmass is about 475 million square ...
- 439
3
votes
2
answers
191
views
Mapmaking: How do I project svg (and vectorial) maps?
I'm currently creating a worldmap. For technical reasons, I want to do it on a computer, as a vectorial image (I can't use pixel images because I need small details).
For more accuracy, I want to have ...
- 4,599
3
votes
1
answer
343
views
Advice to start creating a plausible fantasy map with plate tectonics
I'm going to create a fantasy map for a speculative biology project, I had created some before, but this time I want to create a map with these characteristics:
A supercontinent with 2 smaller ...
- 4,058
11
votes
6
answers
809
views
How would a world with drifting land-masses be mapped/charted for navigation?
Context
The world is made of floating islands suspended in the atmosphere. For all intents and purposes, the world doesn't have a solid surface.
Due to a magical influence, islands rise from the ...
- 66
4
votes
1
answer
226
views
No idea where a current should come from
I was designing a continent and I placed it pretty far south of the equator and far from basically everything (just below 20 degrees south) and have now run into an issue with the ocean currents on ...
- 4,058
4
votes
5
answers
297
views
Common -and unforgivable- mistakes to avoid when drawing a map? [closed]
I'm about to begin drawing a map for my fantasy world. Although I did draw a few maps in the past, I've never paid too much attention to making them realistic.
This time around, I'd like to be able to ...
5
votes
1
answer
233
views
Is my map believable?
I am requesting feedback on my in-progress fantasy world map, primarily in 4 major areas:
biomes
rivers
cities
borders
Do they make sense? If not, what should I change? Any observations or ...
- 404
0
votes
1
answer
169
views
Creating a map of a planet with a strange shape? (edited) [closed]
I have a planet that has an odd pull of gravity because it’s shape is an amalgamation of large landmasses merged together, and held in place by magic forces. Aside from the fact a shape like this on a ...
33
votes
17
answers
55k
views
Best places to be on Earth when an all out nuclear World War III breaks out?
This is a world building question in a preventative context because those people or countries would be left fully functional while others are gone and the safe areas are where the world building would ...
- 1,023
0
votes
3
answers
240
views
Is my environmental map consistent?
This is the map of my alien planet's continents and I want to know if the environments are accurate.
The symbol at the top is the Arctic island. It's like Greenland and has some greenery or should I ...
- 491
30
votes
15
answers
4k
views
How would mapmakers deal with moving cities?
Imagine a city on treads; if you've seen or read Mortal Engines, imagine that instead.
beep beep losers here I come
They're constantly moving, and have decent populations. Don't worry about how it ...
- 3,689
8
votes
2
answers
283
views
What do you need to check to assess if your map is realistic?
Here you are: you are building your world, have come with a nice looking map for it, and now you are asking yourself if that map is realistic or if there is something you have overlooked.
And you want ...
- 275k
14
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Is My Map Realistic?
I'm creating a continent for a story I'm developing. I was just wondering if this map looked realistic from a geographical point of view (weather, city placement, environment, etc.)? Thanks for any ...
- 65.6k
1
vote
1
answer
377
views
Converting an Equitorial-Centered Azimuthal Projection into Equirectangular
The Problem
I made a map of a tidally-locked world under the premise that I was drawing it as an Azimuthal Projection, or a Planar Projection or something like that (I'm afraid I don't know the ...
CommunityBot
- 1
4
votes
1
answer
232
views
Does my world map make sense scientifically?
I'm currently working on a world map. This will be used for various things. I'm trying to get it realistic looking and I want it to make sense scientifically. It doesn't have to be 100% perfect, just ...
- 65.6k
1
vote
0
answers
153
views
Which would be the Koppen-Geiger climate distribution of this map?
The existence of closed seas makes it difficult to me, especially the East one. I have it clear that in the souteast region the climate would be influenced by monzoon, but if the world has only one ...
- 11
4
votes
3
answers
366
views
Reasonable placement of tectonic plates
Im working on this little hobby project and i've come to the stage where i want an actual world map. So id decided to use one of the mapgens out there untill i found one i was happy with:
Now i have ...
- 41
11
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Underground Terrain Types / Biomes / Agriculture
I'm creating a fantasy-world generator. So far I've got it generating a reasonably good surface map, complete with terrain, cities, and borders. Here's a link for anybody who wants to try it: https://...
CommunityBot
- 1
11
votes
2
answers
981
views
How do I design a map that looks old?
I'm in the process of designing an old map (18th or 19th century) and I would like it to look worn out. But then I was wondering where it should be more damaged. I would prefer to avoid damaging the ...
- 3,951
4
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Making the Marauder's Map: Can I make a map that changes?
Those familiar with the Harry Potter series may be familiar with the Marauder's Map, a map that allows the holder to see where people are at any given time. It displays a person as a set of footprints ...
- 3,951
7
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What would a map of an Earth that is 50% land look like?
This here is a plain, simple, good old-fashioned map of our planet:
As everyone here would know, land makes up only 29% of the planet's surface. But suppose for a moment that someone has pulled the ...
- 3,951
4
votes
3
answers
248
views
Can someone please doublecheck my ocean currents map?
Just looking for another knowledgeable eye to see if they see any glaring errors with my ocean currents. The world is the same size as Earth, rotates the same direction, same prevailing winds, only ...
- 76
12
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What would the star chart be like if earth had a ring?
Recently, I've seen those pictures showing what Earth would be like if it had rings, and that made me wonder, what would the sky map be like? This ring would appear as a fixed object (pretty much as ...
- 32.2k
3
votes
4
answers
244
views
are my rivers and map little realistic
This is my first world map so I just need to know if said rivers are realistically flowing from point to point. And if you have other tips those would be helpful as well. Rivers flow from the ...
- 491
-2
votes
1
answer
86
views
Does squeezing image height/width distort true image scale? [closed]
My issue is specifically that I am making a map, but I am planning to use it in the digital format, where I am only limited to let say 1870x860 in size per map. The issue is that when I prepare the ...
- 117
5
votes
5
answers
305
views
Name for a neutral region created by multiple states
Four warring countries sign a compact to cease aggression.
The compact establishes a city to act as neutral territory for economic and foreign policy meetings. The city has an independent government ...
- 3,878
4
votes
2
answers
334
views
How to explain the presence of tropical rainforest and temperate forest at an equal latitude near the equator, in a fictional world?
That's the rough outline of my fantasy world. The entire location is somewhat shifted towards the Northern Hemisphere because you can't see the polar ice caps of the southern hemisphere.
Now, the dark ...
- 1,619
7
votes
3
answers
807
views
Confused on the way Natural Borders should work with mountains on a fantasy map
so I'm in the process of creating the map of my fantasy world, which has a medieval fantasy theme. I saw a few posts and videos, such as this one, that talk about using Natural Borders to define my ...
- 107
8
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Tips for Improving a Fictional Map's Coastlines
So I've created a map of a fictional world using the guidelines established in the Creating a Realistic World Series. However, like all creative endeavors, the first few (hundred) maps are not going ...
4
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do i make a galaxy map similiar to this?
https://i.stack.imgur.com/16dpM.jpg
This is a star wars galaxy map i found. I have inkarnate but i dont think its possible to make a galaxy map like this on it.If anyone knows of any tutorials that ...
- 1,553
20
votes
5
answers
12k
views
How do I put a rectangular map onto a globe?
I've spent time hand-drawing, and then scanning, and colorizing a world map using Paint.Net. The map uses a rectangular projection (something like an Equirectangular, Plate Caree, or Behrmann ...
- 24.1k
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do you map the climates and biomes on a tidally locked planet with no Coriolis Effect?
I've been looking through some videos and reading up on mapping out climates and biomes for fictional worlds very similar to Earth (Artifexian's videos have been a huge help), but I have been curious ...
- 13.1k
-5
votes
1
answer
139
views
Does anyone know of certain galaxies that are at certain distances from Earth?
Okay, I have this quadrumvirate of godlike aliens, each born far from Earth. I would like to make a map of the universe for their fictional homeworlds that use existing galaxies. I’ll refer to the ...
- 1,219
3
votes
2
answers
223
views
Himalayan sized/altitude mountains at the equator
I’m crafting a map for my world and I was wondering what the biomes of mountains the size and height of the Himalayan Range would be like at the equator? The region south of them has multiple large ...
- 304k
0
votes
0
answers
27
views
What would be the geographical effects on a map of a 1mm black hole on the earths surface for 5 seconds? [duplicate]
First of all I've read the other posts and know what the effects of a black hole appearing on the earth's surface is. It goes through the crust, the tectonic plates break apart, volcanos appear ...
- 389
5
votes
2
answers
225
views
Maps of star clusters
Inside star clusters, there are regions where stars are within 1 light year of each other. I wish to create a sci-fi setting in one of these regions. To start, I have tried to find maps/charts of ...
- 99.8k
6
votes
2
answers
4k
views
What would the world map look like if sea levels rose 49 meters
If the sea levels of Earth were to suddenly rise by 49 meters, or 160.7 feet, what would the world map look like?
CommunityBot
- 1
8
votes
3
answers
395
views
What would maps look like in a post-apocalyptic world where every 2x2 mile square of land is subject to a different supernatural gimmick?
So, I've got this setting. It's a supernatural post-apocalyptic story involving guys with superhuman abilities traveling across an America that's become a grid of 2x2 mile "squares" (...
- 5,141
3
votes
3
answers
207
views
How to map a world that changes continuously?
This world is made of living creatures instead of land. Many, small or big, some as big as Scotland, moving around the world.
What they eat doesn't matter, how they are alive doesn't matter.
The ...
- 1,199
0
votes
1
answer
82
views
Does anyone know of a stellar map that gives the distance between the nearest systems? [closed]
What im looking is for something like this but with more stars
- 26.3k