Second start to the right

[Glacialis]

Hello! I need to find a word for someone that reads about and is a fan of a thing, but doesn't have experience or skills doing that thing. For me, that's maps. My interest started as RPG maps but these days I'm focused on fictional star and star/solar system maps. I'm part of an international live action roleplaying group that is in the process of launching a sci-fi game set five thousand years in the future, and in another galaxy. My aim here is to ogle beautiful maps, and create 2D/3D star maps for the larp group.

I have a little more than zero skill, but I'm passingly familiar with vector software (paths, layers, etc). I can follow tutorials and tweak them to do what I need done. Recently I've purchased CC3, Cosmographer, and Astrosynthesis. Not sure how far I'll get with them, but I figure it's a good starting point.

[selden]

Hello! I need to find a word for someone that reads about and is a fan of a thing, but doesn't have experience or skills doing that thing.

I think the generic term is "fan". Perhaps prefixed by a term specific to the area of interest: e.g. a cartography fan.

For me, that's maps. My interest started as RPG maps but these days I'm focused on fictional star and star/solar system maps. I'm part of an international live action roleplaying group that is in the process of launching a sci-fi game set five thousand years in the future, and in another galaxy. My aim here is to ogle beautiful maps, and create 2D/3D star maps for the larp group.

I have a little more than zero skill, but I'm passingly familiar with vector software (paths, layers, etc). I can follow tutorials and tweak them to do what I need done. Recently I've purchased CC3, Cosmographer, and Astrosynthesis. Not sure how far I'll get with them, but I figure it's a good starting point.

There also are free 3D astronomical visualization programs like Celestia and Space Engine. Celestia is very light-weight (until you start loading Addons!) while Space Engine requires substantial computing resources and automatically generates procedural planets.

[Glacialis]

There also are free 3D astronomical visualization programs like Celestia and Space Engine. Celestia is very light-weight (until you start loading Addons!) while Space Engine requires substantial computing resources and automatically generates procedural planets.

I'm somewhat familiar with them. As far as I know, no matter how pretty they are, they aren't suited for creating custom galaxies*, drawing sectors, or doing general sci-fi cartography things to them. I do appreciate tips.

* Dwarf elliptical, in my case

[selden]

Celestia and Space Engine are just display programs.

The design of objects, routes, surface texture map images, etc has to be done using other applications and then described in "catalog" files which say where they're located. Then these two programs can show those objects in 3D. For example, I'm in the process of writing a Celestia Addon which provides an interactive version of Ilanthar's Resurgence maps. (See https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...ad.php?t=38300 and https://www.cartographersguild.com/s...ad.php?t=38617 )

Similarly, one could create a list of stars (positions, spectral types, etc) which comprise a galaxy and Celestia could then display them as a cloud of glowing stars, planets, etc.

[Glacialis]

Did not know that about Celestia & Space Engine. Not sure I have the skills for creating the objects, but I could probably plug them in to those two engines. Will take a closer look. Thanks for the info!