Looking for linear/bar scale tips
I did a search and didn't come up with much, so forgive me if this has already been asked elsewhere... But basically I'm looking for any general tips/advice on making linear/bar scales... I usually just do something simple like in the attachment, but was looking for ways to step it up a bit in terms of ascetics and functionality.
I suppose that you could do anything you wanted to change the aesthetics of the scale bar but if you make it too fancy then it loses its purpose and becomes difficult to read.
If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)
My Maps ~ My Brushes ~ My Tutorials ~ My Challenge Maps
A bar scale should show several different distances. So for example you show <----------> 100km and <-------------------------------------------------->500Km As far as representation itself, you can style that to fit the map. It doesn't have to look all sciency as long as it's clear that it's a scale.
A map must contain the following four elements: Title, Author, Scale and Orientation. It should also contain these two elements: Date and Legend. Without these, it's just a piece of paper with something on it.
I already asked for that some time ago too. With little success.
The thread is here : http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ad.php?t=28489
This issue is especially important when you make a medieval style map. These have always quite elaborated scale bars and one can't just throw in a straight black and white line.
Finally I found this one which was quite nice : http://www.metaldetectingworld.com/c...scale_p1.shtml
First off, not all maps have a consistent linear scale. Generally speaking, the larger the area covered by a map, the more distortion to distances from flattening out the curved surface of the planet. Beyond that, some maps simply don't bother, either because precise enough information isn't available, or because the cartographer intentionally traded off between precision and some other trait. A linear scale indicator should never appear on maps like this. For fantasy mapping in particular, be sure to consider whether the capacity and need exists to survey with sufficient accuracy to make a scale map.
Even if a map does have a consistent linear scale, it may not be important to the purpose of the map. Cluttering a map with unnecessary elements is harmful to the map. Before putting a linear scale, or anything else, on a map, make sure it is aiding the purpose the map is being created for.
At simplest, a scale indicator gives an idea of how big the map is. A single marked distance is sufficient for this. To act as an aid in measuring distances on the map using tools like dividers, scale indicators can incorporate multiple sections. To increase precision without excessive clutter, you can place two such scale bars going in opposite directions from a shared 0. One of them is as long as one section of the other and provides a fine grained sections. Measurements at the resolution of the finer scale can then be made using the combination. This is usually only needed for maps intended for navigation.
scale.png
Your example has a few problems. First off, is lack of contrast, both within it and with the background. If something is worth putting on a map, it's work giving enough contrast to see clearly. Don't make your maps too dark.
Second, you've gone with a divided design, but haven't provided enough divisions to be useful. If it's just there to provide an idea of how big the area covered is, then a single division is enough. If it's there as a tool for navigation, then it needs to be big enough and with enough precision to be useful in that role.
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