Charmed to join!

[Renacido]

So, I stumbled upon this website quite by mistake but found myself loving it. With that said, I enjoy making maps, and worlds. But I really love the culture design aspect of world creation. I've seen some amazing maps here so far, and I'd love to contribute to that number at some point.

There is a project I'm working on right now which calls for a map. I've spent a long time looking at satellite photos, and elevation maps and the like to try and understand how those work and how I could better approach them. I've done next to nothing with the water in this map yet, I haven't mapped out fault lines either. I was wondering though, does anyone here have any tips to approaching something like a satellite-image sort of mountain? I've played around with emboss in PS some and have achieved only unsatisfactory results. I'm trying to avoid pulling from stock images as much as possible.

Oh yes, and do the land-masses make sense?


Revita WIP map.jpg

[Korash]

We do have a few mountain tutorials for PS in the Tutorial section further down on the main page. You might want to look at Ascension's Atlas style tut, because that is the closest to what your map seems to look like to me.

At a quick glance I don't think there are too many problems with the land masses. Looks to me that they are once again in the process of breaking apart even more than they did initially. A young and active planet maybe?

****EDIT****

Doh!!!

Forgot to say a few things...

1 - Welcome to the Guild, The Mappiest Place on the Web
2 - Have some Rep for posting a map in your First Post

[Renacido]

Thank you! I didn't realize maps/world creation fell into cartography until just the other day, but I tell you what I'm so happy to have found this place!
I'll definitely have a dig around the tutorials section for mountains and anything else.
You actually got the breaking apart bit right on the money, it is meant to be a younger planet, there is still quite a bit of movement. Cheers for that being able to be seen. I see there is also a crits/WIP thread, awesome!

[Korash]

and the WIP threads are where you will really grow as a mapper. We are a friendly bunch and are quite willing to help others get to where they want to go. Post your work as you go and ask any questions that you may have or for clarifications that you may need. Help is almost never far away.

[Hai-Etlik]

Well, as it appears you are trying to do a global map, wether the landforms are realistic will depend a great deal on what projection it is supposed to be in.

To start with, the rectangular shape make it look like it's meant to be a cylindrical projection, but the polar ice caps should completely span the top and bottom edges if that were the case.

[Renacido]

Hai-Etlik, thank you for the input! I was aiming for a global map, is there a better shape than a rectangle to use for a globe sort of map that you recommend? I've made some changes to the WIP that's posted here, though I'll be putting that in the WIP/critique area, and not here.

I'm pretty new to maps, so I'll take whatever pointers I can get.

[Hai-Etlik]

Hai-Etlik, thank you for the input! I was aiming for a global map, is there a better shape than a rectangle to use for a globe sort of map that you recommend? I've made some changes to the WIP that's posted here, though I'll be putting that in the WIP/critique area, and not here.

I'm pretty new to maps, so I'll take whatever pointers I can get.

It isn't the shape by itself, it's what the shape implies about the projection used. It's impossible to draw a flat map of a globe without causing some form of distortion. So if you are making a map of a globe from scratch, you have to draw the correct distortion into it, otherwise it means that the features of your map, on the globe itself are what are distorted.

Cylindrical projections (Those that make global maps rectangular) are fairly simple, and have their uses, but they also have some problems. Consider that the width at the middle, is the entire circumference, while the width at the top or bottom, is 0, as it's just a a single point, the north or south pole, stretched out.

That's why your icecaps are wonky, If they circle the poles,then they should span the entire map and their edges should never touch the top or bottom edges of the map.

I'm afraid I don't have time to go into details but you can look at the Wikipedia pages on Projections Map projection - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or look up some of my previous posts with the forum search function.

[arsheesh]

Welcome to the Guild Renacido! I have nothing further to offer in terms of feedback, but just wanted to welcome you on board.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh