Deviating from Earth Norms in FT?

[Robbie]

Yeah I figured out the situational stuff with the river error...no big deal...Only thing I'd use equirectangular for woul dbe for a google maps api overlay...

Or is Google maps a different projection than equirectangular? Since its square...maybe google maps is mercator?

[waldronate]

I have been looking at the Google Maps things lately and they appear to be using Mercator as the default projection, which is quite unfortunate as the Mercator projection is a navigation projection and not well suited for general use. (As an aside, Mercator-projection maps are popular only because there was a large surplus of them at the end of WWII and they made their way into schools because they were very cheap to obtain).

At first glance it appears that there might be a way to use different projections, but I need to look at the whole area in more detail in my copious free time.

[SeerBlue]

The first post in this thread
has a link to a few custom projections in google maps using custom imagery. The code is linked of the page, and the html/jscript can be viewed via "view source".
The google map google group is great for information, just follow the beginners guidelines and ask away, all in all they are very helpful.
Concerning applying custom projections you have to be pretty clear you mean custom projections for custom imagery, or you will get alot of replies that it can't be done, as most will think you mean using jscript to reproject Googles own imagery.
That is if YOU even need to ask, being a dev your self,,,,,me, I ask a lot.

this link brings up the gmap google groups entries for projections.
SeerBlue

edit; just found these, so I have not used them yet, tooooo much going on.
free tools for making google maps
this one cuts imagery
and this one makes google maps. this one also requires registration, free, but only takes a minute. available for windows,mac, linux.

[Robbie]

Yeah, SeerBlue, I started a project a while back that was going to be a "service" here on the guild where people could upload their maps, and the server side script would slice it and dice it into tiles, and serve the tiles through a google maps api...I've experimented quite a bit with the api, but never got around to doing the automation portion. I've not messed with projections though. I'll take a look.

Joe, if you could write a function for FT that would export 256x256 tiles at different zoom levels...you'd make a LOT of nerds like me VERY VERY happy campers.

Basically...mercator projection rendered at 256x256 would be the outer zoom level...and you'd just keep doubling it 512x512 (2x2), 1024x1024 (4x4), etc...etc...I would think it would be somewhat possible to do something like that right?

[waldronate]

There are a lot of things on the work list for FT3 and one developer with not much time.

[NeonKnight]

The 'Horizontal' river problem I can fix in the Eqirectangular projection by looking to the river's that spawn the problem, do a little smoothing/raising/lowering and the rerun the find rivers. Seems to work. You are lucky, you only have two, I sometimes have twenty!

[NeonKnight]

Hi all.

With 4E out, and me being anal retentive about worldbuilding...I wanted to rekindle my Arsala efforts...Arsala is a smaller planet with 1 sun and 8 moons...

I plan on using FT to create a base map to work from, and then begging Redrobes to help me or let me use his software to do erosion and world color and whatnot like he did for the CWBP.

But I guess I should start here with FT...

Highest Peak: 19340 ft
Lowest Depth: -12309 ft
Circumference: 15433 miles
Rough: .87
Percent Sea: 60
Land Size: 2.31
Cont Shelves: -750.99
Axis Tilt: 15 deg
Greenhouse: 1.11
Method: Wilbur Ridged Multifractal

How did NeonKnight calculate averages and all that?

I assume you mean the Temperature and rain falls?

I guessed (because it didn't say anywhere in the documentation) that the Rainfall and Temperature was a yearly average because it just didn;t make sense any other way. I will admit it would be nice to know what the Means would be for Summer and Winter.

[RobA]

There are a lot of things on the work list for FT3 and one developer with not much time.

<cough>open source<cough, cough>

Seriously, though. I have to commend your efforts on and commitment to FT (and Wilbur, as well). They are fabulous resources for the genworld/conworld creator.

-Rob A>

[waldronate]

My FT royalties get me a new computer every couple of years, which is why I did the project in the first place.

[Robbie]

Just out of curiosity what other projects do you work on? Anything that would interest us?