[Paid] In Need of a Custom Map

[Redrobes]

Right, cool - well lets get started then.

Well to start with lets get the basic shape. If you go here :-
http://www.viewing.ltd.uk/cgi-bin/vi...nstant_islands
and download the Instant Islands app then it allows you to keep pressing next, next, next until you come across a continent that you like.

If you don't want polar ice caps then put in polar height -1000 and polar height bias 100. If you don't want it to wrap the world then put in a zero into Horz Wrap. It defaults to 45% randomness. Lower is more rounded shapes like Africa, higher is very crinkly like Norway.

Crucially, in the top right is the Random Number Key. Can you find something that you like, tell me all the settings including the random number key or just screen grab it and post up. Then say which bit of the map you would like as the bit to model. I thought this one looked nice and a lot like Europe...

Oh yes, it only updates the map on 'next' and 'prev' so if you type these numbers in the image then you might have to go next followed by 'prev' to see it. Or you can type in key 1121 (instead of 1122) and then stab next to see it.

Also, with same settings as the image below, look at random number keys: 1154, 1201, 1262, 1339, 1350, 1357, 1371, 1447, 1699, 1729 any of these might be good.

It's up to you whether you want some of your land going off the edge of one or more sides or to have it sorrounded by sea. You dont have to use all of the map image window, you can pick one bit of it out. The numbes above have islands which might have a kind of America feel about them.

[Galrion]

Downloaded it. After going through about 100 files I decided to ask if it is at all possible to use something like....

http://www.bin.sh/gaming/tools/world.cgi

If not I'll keep digging.

[Redrobes]

As well as creating the simple color map, the program generates a height map which can be used as a starting point for the modeling. The height map is refined by a big app which does erosion, climate modeling, river prediction and some guesses at the amount of vegetation.

Were any of these :-
1154, 1201, 1262, 1339, 1350, 1357, 1371, 1447, 1699, 1729
any good tho ?

[Galrion]

I actually really like 1351. Is there a way you can complete the land masses that go off the edges?

First.. here are the settings:

Size: 1000
Key: 1351
Random: 50
pointy: 9
wrap: 0
Polar: -1000
Polar hgt: 80

The only thing I would ask changed to it (aside from the edges filled in) would be the thin bit of land connecting the two land masses. Possible to remove it and make two separate land masses?

[Redrobes]

Ok with this ? I can change almost anything on it easily. If you are happy then we need to know where all the mountain ranges will be. If you could draw rough lines in thick red where you think they ought to be then ill make sure they get there. Also have a think about where you want jungle, deserts, plains, wetlands, volcanic regions and hills etc and mark up anything that I ought to make sure gets in there. Do you want a typical north and south ice caps type thing or something a little different or less severe.

[Galrion]

I like it.

And my comp died. I currently have no program other than paint at my disposal. I've also lost spell check for web apps in this so expect my spelling to spiral to near unreadable.

Now... the mountains. In all my personal projects this is the step the killed me. In all of my attempts my mountains were oftain to large and ended up consuming the majority of the land mass making it seem far smaller than it should have. I'm more then willing to trust you with them, if at all possible.

[Redrobes]

Before I get really started on this then I need to know a bit more about the target. The 6ft poster is presumably a 6ftx4ft color poster which could be vertical or horizontal. The map as it stands is square so do you want me to stretch it into portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal). If your not sure ill go landscape as generally that's how world atlas posters are done.

I guess ill choose where to put some mountains then. Also, shall I put in a jungle and desert and stuff and mix up the climates over different areas in general resemblance to the US.

[Galrion]

i would actually say portrain for this, becaus this is just a portion of the entire world.

And i wand some part of the continent to be on the equater... i'm almost thinking southern areagiving the southern most tip to tropics.

Desert, certainly. not to much, but i don't want it overly controlled.

and thent he climats, yes please.

[Redrobes]

Ok, ill trim off a little more left and right and sqish it a bit in the horizontal and make it a 4ft wide by 6ft deep target then. So furthest south point like tropics - jungle and such and northern going up to cold and icy areas with equator more than half way down - maybe 2/3 or so where it will be pretty hot there and leave the bulk of the landmass for Florida to Canada type climates. Southern islands being usual balmy tropical stuff etc.

[Galrion]

sounds good to me.