New User help
Dfinan
Newcomer
I like the tool, but man its overwhelming :). At this stage what I am trying to do is build a large hex map with hex numbers and randomly distribute star system on it. I picked up the cosmographer 3 add on but am having trouble getting what i need any suggestions, or videos you can point me to that would be good for a beginner trying to achieve the above?
Comments
Being using CC3+ since... well, since forever and to be honest i have no idea of how this program works :D if i spend some weeks without using it, it´s like a restart to me... but eventually menus and options come naturally the more you play with it.
I think there are some few videos, Monsen was creating one, right Monsen?
I don't think there any videos out there for creating starmaps with Cosmographer.
There's not any tool that will populate the map randomly with systems, you'll have to do that manually.
My most important tip for new users is to make sure to understand the program properly before jumping into a large-ish custom project. As you said, it can be a bit overwhelming at first, so if you haven't done so already, I highly recommend working through the basic tutorials in the user manual, even if they aren't about space and sci-fi.
Annual 136 has a template for star charts.
Before it came out, I just made up a color chart for star types, and made rectangles of constellations.
I agree with Monsen in that large maps should be left until later. I did sub-sector maps, sector maps, then partial galaxy arm maps. Here is my Traveller site for ideas.
This is the link for the Cartographer's Annual issue JimP mentioned, although as you'll see, that's intended primarily for drawing a randomly-created night sky as seen from a specific planet.
However, you could use the same procedure as in that Annual issue to construct a random basis for your galactic-scale star systems map. That was done using the Symbols In Area command. Resident mapping expert here Remy Monsen presented this as the last of his 52-week Command of the Week series of written tutorials that ran throughout 2017. You can find that article on the Forum here.
Of course, all that would do would be to place an appropriate number and type of symbol randomly over whatever area of your map you'd chosen. It would then be up to you to decide what the details were for each system (though by using different symbols, and assigning types of detail for each symbol on a separate key list, you could make a start on that process).
Symbols In Area is a useful tool in many respects, because you can vary all the random parameters as much as you like, and by drawing different areas, you can add different populations of symbols to different places. For instance, if you wanted a greater density of star systems in one place than another - along a galactic arm, say - you could just draw a suitable polygon shape wherever you wanted the arm to be, and then add a selection (or selections) of symbols to that area alone.