placing planets in 3d Cartographer

HelenAA

I'm trying to do a 3d system. If you opt for a template you get a very different map to when you choose the settings yourself and that's the problem I've got. I've got a sun with orbits; that's not a problem because I drew the orbits centred on the sun.

Its the planets I'm trying to place. Do I put the planet symbol on the orbit (the left one in the image below) or do I place the planet so the other end of the line giving the actual position/co-oridinates on the orbit line?

PS Sorry for the awful image.

Monsen

That's a bit of an unusual way to combine those things. But I would say the marker should be on the orbit line. The marker will show where the planet is on the orbit line, while the symbol's height above the marker serve to show the angle of the planet's orbit in relation to the plane.
But it looks really wrong to have a height symbol for the sun itself. The Sun cannot really be above the plane, as the plane in an orbital system would always be dead centered on it.

JimP

Agreed.

In our solar system Pluto is in an eccentric orbit. The rest of the planets are on the ecliptic, basically the Sun's equator.

Poor Neptune got knocked over some time in the distant past, but I don't think it has an eccentric orbit, just over 90 degrees with its poles pointing at the sun.

HelenAA

Posted By: MonsenThat's a bit of an unusual way to combine those things. But I would say the marker should be on the orbit line. The marker will show where the planet is on the orbit line, while the symbol's height above the marker serve to show the angle of the planet's orbit in relation to the plane.
But it looks really wrong to have a height symbol for the sun itself. The Sun cannot really be above the plane, as the plane in an orbital system would always be dead centered on it.

Yet that's the way it's set up. I agree about the oddness though. If I try not having the markers they just sit on top of the sun/planets and are a pain in the neck to get rid of. Any thoughts as to not have the hight markers will be appreciated.

Monsen

Use the regular non-height symbols. When you click the star/planet symbol catalog buttons, you should be given a choice between 3D and flat symbols.

JimP

I use the non-height planet symbols myself. They are in the same folder.