Difference in distance between FT3 and CC3+
smhollingsworth
Traveler
Is there a difference in how distance is measured between FT3 and CC3+? From what I have read in the forums, it doesn't seem there should be, but what I am seeing says otherwise. I have a world created in FT3 with a circumference of 25000 miles. When I export that to CC3+, the distance at the equator is only 23000 miles. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but when I try to use exported coastlines from FT3 (to fill as landmasses) with a PNG of the world from FT3 (to use as a reference for drawing natural features), the two cannot line up. The difference in distances eventually leads to large variance between the two. Am I doing something wrong here or overlooking something?
Comments
FT3 correctly measures distance on a globe (even when viewing the map in a different projection), while CC3+ isn't projection-aware, and just measures on the flat plane of the drawing.
Since there are no way to correctly project a globe to a flat surface and keep proportions, shapes, directions and distances all intact, it basically means that the numbers will differ more and more the further you get from equator. This is just how mapping a globe works, and isn't anything particular to CC3+/FT3. Just look at a typical world map for example, in most maps, Greenland looks absolutely huge, way larger than it actually is, and if you bring out your ruler and try to measure it, the results will be pretty far off.