Errispa

[Mouse]

I've probably mentioned this before, but http://www.progonos.com/furuti/MapPr...C/cartTOC.html has a great deal of information about map projections. You might want to look at adding a grid to get a solid impression of the kinds of distortions that you're seeing. For whole-world projections, I like the Hammer projection. Some folks are put off by the continuously-curved grid, but I find that to be part of its appeal.

Attachment 92884

The two-element projection in FT is called "AE Hemispheres" and it's a composite projection with two azimuthal equidistant elements on the same display at once (it may not have made it into the final shipping versions). FT uses the Projection.txt file to define composite projections such as the two below that are composed of various Sinusoidal elements. I didn't do a great job on the interface for those, though.

Attachment 92885

Aw thanks Waldronate

I was looking for a definitive webpage with all the answers together in one place!

Not sure about the Hammer. Here's Errispa as a Hammer Projection, adjusted so that the three continents I'm primarily interested in are centrally placed.

Hammer.jpg

Very nice landshapes! I'm looking forward to see this develop.

Thanks Ilanthar

I just hope I can live up to expectations now that I've mentioned just how much I like Francesca's border work! LOL!

[Mouse]

Waldronate you managed to ninja me with your edit - even as I was in the middle of quoting you!

It must be those CL superpowers of yours! LOL!

FT3 is simply far too powerful and clever for me. Thanks for the additional information. I'll go away now and have a look at that

[Abu Lafia]

Hey Mouse, i like the landshapes (and colours) a lot and it sounds like a pretty interesting project. Also nice to hear a bit more about the story you're working on! Thought a bit about map projections too lately. One argument for the "best fitting" projection here hasn't come up yet, although to me (if i understood the background of the story correctly) it comes rather naturally: Given the cartographer/astronomer of the map is the only one on Ethran and the world is in a late-middle ages level of technology, it might make sense for him to map Errispa the way he observes it from Ethran, that is as a globe or as globe-like as possible, which might mean the two sides of the globe --> Nicolosi Globular? I really have not too much knowledge about the history of cartography not to speak of the history of map projections, but i think it's fascinating how the view (and thereby depiction) of things generally changed so drastically in history. Hope these two cents of thought help you a bit deciding what fits your stoy best.
Cheers,
AL

[Mouse]

Thank you Abu

I've been very cautious about giving too much away, but its pretty obvious that at least one person is going to manage to get to Errispa, or there wouldn't be two very time consuming world maps and several regional maps to be drawn, and neither would there be 5 books to be written. The story is in the how and the why, and the lives and particular circumstances of the characters, which I haven't said very much about at all. I can say one further thing, however, and that's that I'm going to drive people who insist on the laws of physics, despite magic and fantasy, right up the wall with it all

I think you might be right about the double hemisphere map, even though Domar will of course be aware of all matters projectional because of his observations, and also his desire to ensure that Eonat has the very best map he can possibly have.

...

For anyone thinking to themselves right now 'hang on a bit, didn't Mouse say that these two worlds are stuck in a geosynchronous orbit?' yes - Ethran is very much stuck with one face to Errispa, but Errispa rotates on its own axis relative to Ethran. Its a bit like the moon and the Earth, where Ethran is a very much larger moon, and Errispa is the Earth. The planets are also much closer to each other than the moon and the Earth currently are. About 14,000 km, which is the distance that astronomers reckon the moon first formed away from the Earth back in the early days of our solar system. That's close enough for Errispa (the larger of the two worlds) to be gradually stripping Ethran's atmosphere away, which is why Ethran is dying, and Errispa flourishing with all manner of vegetation.

[Mouse]

Ok.

I've made a decision - several in fact, and I have a new slightly weird question...

I decided that both world maps should begin and end at roughly the same longitude to avoid confusion, and that the sensible map should be a Compact Miller, while the decorative map should be an Azimuthal Equal Area double hemisphere map. These are the chosen maps:

Compact Miller.jpg Azimuthal EqualArea (Two-Hemisphere).jpg

I'm going to make the geomorphology of the world a little more realistic when I get down to drawing the maps by adding evidence of plate tectonics (a Pacific ring of fire around the largest ocean and a few ocean ridges and rift valleys).

The slightly weird question is this: If a planet is rotating clockwise (all the planets except Venus and Neptune rotate anticlockwise on their axis) are east and west reversed?

[Voolf]

I would say yes. West and East is reversed. I mean the names can remain as they are, but the sun will rise on West and sunset will be on the East.

[waldronate]

The quick answer is "yes, they will be reversed". However, if north and south are also reversed, then there is no net difference (hooray, semantics!)

To illustrate, if you define east as the direction of the rising sun and north as the direction to the left when you face the rising sun, then it doesn't matter what direction the world rotates: the compass directions are all relatively the same.

If you define north as the direction of a celestial object (e.g. a pole star) and west as the direction to the left of north, then whether the sun rises in the east or west is dependent on the direction of rotation of the world (as viewed from above the north pole).

If you define north as the direction of a celestial object (e.g. a pole star) and east as the direction of the rising sun, then the directions labeled east and west will be dependent on the direction of rotation of the world (as viewed from above the north pole).

Did that muddy things a bit?

[Mouse]

I would say yes. West and East is reversed. I mean the names can remain as they are, but the sun will rise on West and sunset will be on the East.

Umm... I see what you mean. Thanks Voolf

The quick answer is "yes, they will be reversed". However, if north and south are also reversed, then there is no net difference (hooray, semantics!)

To illustrate, if you define east as the direction of the rising sun and north as the direction to the left when you face the rising sun, then it doesn't matter what direction the world rotates: the compass directions are all relatively the same.

If you define north as the direction of a celestial object (e.g. a pole star) and west as the direction to the left of north, then whether the sun rises in the east or west is dependent on the direction of rotation of the world (as viewed from above the north pole).

If you define north as the direction of a celestial object (e.g. a pole star) and east as the direction of the rising sun, then the directions labeled east and west will be dependent on the direction of rotation of the world (as viewed from above the north pole).

Did that muddy things a bit?

*Mouse's eyebrows dance and her whiskers twitch very slowly with total concentration...*

Absolutely!

Thanks Waldronate.... I think! LOL!

So if I ever get east and west mixed up again (as I famously do when playing the role of navigator in a car journey), I can just say I thought I was on Errispa

This, however, still doesn't give me an excuse for getting left and right the wrong way around.

[Mouse]

Here is the first draft of the CC3 part of the decorative map. I have decided to draw most of it in CC3, with the exception of the border sketches and hill shading, which I will draw in, and import from, GIMP

Errispa Decorative 1.JPG

[Mouse]

Done the second hemisphere and adjusted the sheet effects.

I'm wondering now if I should make the land darker and the sea paler...

The next stage is taking this to GIMP and starting with the artwork, but I will probably play with my city map again while I'm thinking about the imagery I want to include in the border.

Errispa Decorative 2.JPG Or... Errispa Decorative3.JPG