Realistic SC paper maps for Captains/Pilots

[KingNerd]

Hey everybody! I saw a few threads about cartographers and I posted in there but I wanted to start my own thread to collect some feedback from you guys. I am making what I consider to be realistic, accurate and useful maps (working with what we have, for now) that would be something printed and stored aboard ships. I'm sure most captains would own a full set of the known surveyed galaxy and it would be stored in a dusty cabinet that never gets opened but you never know!

Attached is a PDF copy of the first system I'm working on which is the Odin system. I choose this because of the ongoing discussion about "Find us a home" and it's been brought up a couple of times. I know this might not be our system but it was somewhere for me to start! This is my second version of the map, I made revisions after some feedback from Ducenucom last night, thanks for the help!

Take a look at all the fine details I've got in the map if you would, look it over and give me feedback about the usefulness of the map itself. If there's any extra data or some way to clarify information/add information that would be essential to travel please comment and if it's something I can do and believe is beneficial then I'll add it to the map. Also any maps your input is used in will from that point forward contain your name as well ;)

Also request systems you want me to make and I'll have a list going and start working on it. All of these maps are custom made by me, they are printable on large scale printers and are full sized maps. This Odin system map is 18"x24" but I'm sure more detailed systems will take up a 24"x36" map and smaller systems or important features in systems may use only 11"x17" maps.

Feedback please! Even if it's an "I love it!" or an "It sucks stop doing this /wrist"

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

Lets get this on blueprint paper, and sent to people. This is great to have a physical copy of it. Also color in the test logo ;)

 

[mromutt]

Lets get this on blueprint paper, and sent to people. This is great to have a physical copy of it. Also color in the test logo ;)

The blue will make it pop and more legible

 

[CrimsonCyclist]

Man that's a pretty awesome, it's just one system inside of Nyx right? Seems pretty easy to read once you take the time to learn the different markings

 

[KingNerd]

Lets get this on blueprint paper, and sent to people. This is great to have a physical copy of it. Also color in the test logo ;)

99% of the maps we print (I draw maps professionally for a survey company) are black and white and look just like what you see. Blue prints are an old style of doing thing that involved etching out your map and acid washing paper that tinted the paper blue, in modern times we just print on a large format laser printer which does black print on white paper rolls. We do have a large color printer but that's specifically used for printing aerials where tree lines or pond edges are important :)

I have been playing around with the idea of trying to get these printed and framed but it's not cheap, to make one for myself is like $20-$30 so if you included shipping on that it would be who knows how much. I'd be more than willing to print and send them to people that wanted to hang them on their wall, if I printed the map and rolled shipped it in a poster tube it would probably be pretty cheap to ship, you could then frame it yourself or leave it rolled up depending on how you liked it.

 

[Krystal LeChuck]

Man this is awesome! I guess you made it in Autocad? Can you pass over the template? I wanna help in making more systems like that.

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

99% of the maps we print (I draw maps professionally for a survey company) are black and white and look just like what you see. Blue prints are an old style of doing thing that involved etching out your map and acid washing paper that tinted the paper blue, in modern times we just print on a large format laser printer which does black print on white paper rolls. We do have a large color printer but that's specifically used for printing aerials where tree lines or pond edges are important :)

I have been playing around with the idea of trying to get these printed and framed but it's not cheap, to make one for myself is like $20-$30 so if you included shipping on that it would be who knows how much. I'd be more than willing to print and send them to people that wanted to hang them on their wall, if I printed the map and rolled shipped it in a poster tube it would probably be pretty cheap to ship, you could then frame it yourself or leave it rolled up depending on how you liked it.

The reason why I say blueprint color is it is easier on the eyes and you don't have a reflective surface as much as white.

 

[Kersakov]

No improvements to suggest because I think it's awesome.
I'd love to see Nyx interior system and/or Pyro. I would be very tempted to get one printed for my wall.

 

[KingNerd]

The reason why I say blueprint color is it is easier on the eyes and you don't have a reflective surface as much as white.

I can't think of any way to do it in blue but I think you're totally right. If it were an option or you can find one for me let me know, I'd love to give it a classical look which would be awesome. A classic blue print of a futuristic star chart, that would be freaking awesome!

 

[MzHartz]

99% of the maps we print (I draw maps professionally for a survey company) are black and white and look just like what you see. Blue prints are an old style of doing thing that involved etching out your map and acid washing paper that tinted the paper blue, in modern times we just print on a large format laser printer which does black print on white paper rolls. We do have a large color printer but that's specifically used for printing aerials where tree lines or pond edges are important :)

I have been playing around with the idea of trying to get these printed and framed but it's not cheap, to make one for myself is like $20-$30 so if you included shipping on that it would be who knows how much. I'd be more than willing to print and send them to people that wanted to hang them on their wall, if I printed the map and rolled shipped it in a poster tube it would probably be pretty cheap to ship, you could then frame it yourself or leave it rolled up depending on how you liked it.

Awesome job!!

I work for a printer, but we don't have a large format printer, the largest size we can go up to is 13x19. But I've printed out the ship brochures all professional like so they look like a car brochure, and they came out great! (Credit where credit's due, that was actually Baior's idea, I just did the printing.)

Maybe at some point I could do an atlas like that too. Although I guess the oversized would still be a problem, since it gets folded, it would have to be a smaller atlas than the typical one I have in the trunk of my car (I think, somewhere...).

But I would be interested in some of those maps. Maybe we could talk about doing a trade at some point?

 

[KingNerd]

Awesome job!!

I work for a printer, but we don't have a large format printer, the largest size we can go up to is 13x19. But I've printed out the ship brochures all professional like so they look like a car brochure, and they came out great! (Credit where credit's due, that was actually Baior's idea, I just did the printing.)

Maybe at some point I could do an atlas like that too. Although I guess the oversized would still be a problem, since it gets folded, it would have to be a smaller atlas than the typical one I have in the trunk of my car (I think, somewhere...).

But I would be interested in some of those maps. Maybe we could talk about doing a trade at some point?

I think we could definitely work something out :) I'm not doing anything with these yet but I'm really happy that everybody likes them, I have to talk to Montoya and Seung along with some others I'm sure before I start mailing stuff with the TEST logo on it (thanks for bringing that to my attention Krystal LeChuck) but I don't see why not if they give me a pass on it :)

 

[KingNerd]

No improvements to suggest because I think it's awesome.
I'd love to see Nyx interior system and/or Pyro. I would be very tempted to get one printed for my wall.

When you say Nyx interior do you mean the actual Nyx star and orbiting celestial bodies?

 

[SeungRyul]

Absolutely beautiful in its simplicity! Can you do some variations where we have black background and yellow (#FFCC00) or cyan blue (#42EDF8) highlight?

Also request of Leir!

 

[Kersakov]

When you say Nyx interior do you mean the actual Nyx star and orbiting celestial bodies?

Yes that is what I mean. I am not good with words :)

 

[KingNerd]

Yes that is what I mean. I am not good with words :)

I understood it so you're totally fine :)

 

[Serious Table]

That is a fantastic looking map! Very well done, King!

 

[Azmodeth]

Hey everybody! I saw a few threads about cartographers and I posted in there but I wanted to start my own thread to collect some feedback from you guys. I am making what I consider to be realistic, accurate and useful maps (working with what we have, for now) that would be something printed and stored aboard ships. I'm sure most captains would own a full set of the known surveyed galaxy and it would be stored in a dusty cabinet that never gets opened but you never know!

Attached is a PDF copy of the first system I'm working on which is the Odin system. I choose this because of the ongoing discussion about "Find us a home" and it's been brought up a couple of times. I know this might not be our system but it was somewhere for me to start! This is my second version of the map, I made revisions after some feedback from Ducenucom last night, thanks for the help!

Take a look at all the fine details I've got in the map if you would, look it over and give me feedback about the usefulness of the map itself. If there's any extra data or some way to clarify information/add information that would be essential to travel please comment and if it's something I can do and believe is beneficial then I'll add it to the map. Also any maps your input is used in will from that point forward contain your name as well ;)

Also request systems you want me to make and I'll have a list going and start working on it. All of these maps are custom made by me, they are printable on large scale printers and are full sized maps. This Odin system map is 18"x24" but I'm sure more detailed systems will take up a 24"x36" map and smaller systems or important features in systems may use only 11"x17" maps.

Feedback please! Even if it's an "I love it!" or an "It sucks stop doing this /wrist"

wow, nice job. Kudos there bro !

 

[Wolf Lord Caldersson]

If I could chime in one more time. Whenever I got maps, I would get a map of the country and then maps of regions and the request maps of specific places. We would then take a binder and take only the maps we needed.

We could do the same thing. Give everyone a universe map ( that could fold out if needed) then behind that, maps of the systems they want. Then they could build their own binder of what maps they need on a smaller paper size. This would help without having oversized prints.

 

[KingNerd]

Making smaller and smaller detail area's is doable for sure but I'd like to have more information on the smaller area's that would be needed. Right now I'm just making an over system set, then I could work my way into more specialized area's. These things take a little time, I'm working on Nyx and I've already put a couple hours into it, I'll still be another two at least to get it looking right :)

 

[Space Monkey]

This is such a great job. Very elegant solution. The only thing I would add is a way to differentiate the origin system from the Jump Point Connection frame. A big black dot. Otherwise, nothing really jumps out.