Map size/scale increase

Okay, this may just be me being really stupid.

I'm a writer, and I'm in the process of writing a fantasy novel, so as expected, a map is always a useful point of reference. I'm not necessarily looking to create something amongst the epic scale of some cartographers in here, but I do want it to be understandable and look quite cool.

However, I seem to have reached a problem, an impasse if you will...is there a way of increasing the scale/ size of the map once you're in the process of making it? It's only 400 x 300 miles, and now I'm regretting making it quite so small. I'm looking at maybe tripling it to 1200 x 900 if possible. Is there a way of doing this without starting again?

Thankfully I only purchased the software recently so I can excuse myself from complete stupidity...I hope... This is said map in the attachment.

Comments

  • Quick point, the black outline text refers to big cities, blue is towns, green small villages, red the seas, and yellow forests.
  • Also, I appreciate it looks too computer generated to feature in a book, I intend to have an artist do a drawn version that'll tone down the "technologicalness".
  • Make a copy first.

    The easiest way to scale everything is to make sure all the sheets and layers are visible and unfrozen. Then click the scale button and select everything. You can drag to change the scale or enter it on the command line.

    Alternately (there's almost always a second way in CC3) is to select File>Drawing Properties>Drawing Units and change the scale to 1/3 what it is now (if you want everything 3x the size) -- make sure that the rescale button is clicked.

    Steve
  • 6 days later
  • 1 month later
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited March 2011
    I'm having trouble with this as well. I created a map at scale N but later realized it should be N*5.75. I barely had anything drawn but I did import, resize, and position the background. That was sufficiently a pain in the butt for me to want to rescale the map rather than try to get that right again. However, I can't seem to scale the map. When I try to get a particular distance from the Info menu, it keeps coming up as 115 feet rather than 660 feet. Is there some way to rescale the map itself? That is, not simply shrink or enlarge symbols but make the distance from one end of the map to the other actually be treated as different values when invoked from the Info menu?

    Sorry if I'm clear as mud. I'll be happy to clarify anything for any kind soul willing to help out a floundering noob.

    Many thanks,
    -Dogtag
  • You should be able to do the first of the things I suggested (the second might work that way too, I just don't recall).
    * Make a copy
    * Make sure all Sheets and Layers are visible and unfrozen
    * Click the scale button (It has a small blue box on the left side with dotted lines to a larger rectangle on the right side of the icon), then select everything and doit
    * Keep the origin at 0,0 (I think you have to key that in)
    * When it asks for "scale to", enter "660/115"

    If you check the distance now, it should all be good. But if not, post again and we'll try to help.
  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    Thanks Steve, that did the trick! I must've done something wrong when I tried it earlier.

    Thanks very much!
  • 23 days later
  • What if your only looking to increase the canvas your drawing on. I started a map at a 100 by 200 scale canvas but now need to increase this to 600 by 200 without increasing the actual drawing I've done. I just need the background and grid to expand to the new dimensions. Can you help me overcome my lack of forethought?
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    edited April 2011
    Two options:
    1. Create a new map of the desired dimensions, then just copy your work from the existing map to the new one. Make sure you do not copy over the map border or grid, but get everything else.
    2. Make sure none of your layers are frozen. Then either delete your current border (Make sure to include all entities on the map border layer, these are the entities that restrict your mapping tools) and create a new one at the new size, or use the SCALE command to rescale the original one. Do the same for the background. The grid should simply be a case of deleting the existing one and create a new one.
  • How do you copy work from one map to another?
  • jaerdaphjaerdaph Traveler
    Posted By: mfrizzellHow do you copy work from one map to another?
    You need to use Copy to Clipboard. By default, left clicking on the Copy button in CC3 only brings up the Copy in Drawing command which doesn't allow you to copy items, open another map and paste them in to the new map. Instead, *right* click on the Copy button and select Copy to Clipboard from the pull-down list to select items to copy, open the new map and paste them in.
  • Thank you very much. Love this program but some things are just not so obvious if you haven't used a CAD type program before.
  • 5 years later
  • I'm in the same pickle. I have a map, that I imported from FT. From the distance function in the info menu, I get a distance of 266.5735 m (I read that as 266 and a half metres, though I'm not sure, I understand the notation). Obviously I want the distance of my mighty island nation to be a bit larger than that. At least 2660 km! The scale button doesn't do, what I want it to, though I have followed the instructiones mentioned in this thread. The option of rescaling through the Drawing Properties menu, I simply doesn't understand.

    Is it possible to walk me through the procedure?
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    edited December 2016
    Is there really a "m" unit symbol in that distance box? I ask because there are circumstances where it would display a unit symbol, but in most cases, it does not. And a raw number without a unit is measured in map units, which represents km or miles on an overland map (feet or teeters on floorplan/city level maps).

    Anyway, to scale your entire map, first make sure that no sheets are hidden and that no layers are hidden or frozen.
    Then, right click the scale button, and select non-visual scale. Hit the A key (for select all), then the D key (for Do It), and then enter your scale factor on the command line, followed by enter. When asked for scale origin, enter 0,0 and hit enter. This should rescale your entire map. Hit Zoom Extents to see the rescaled map properly.

    The scale factor is calculated by taking your new size divided by the old one. So to make distances 10 times larger, simply enter 10 as the scale factor.
  • The distances between ft3 and CC3 varies.

    I export pngs from FT3 for continents and islands. Load a template of the size I want the result to be, or decide my own settings, then trace it/use it as a guide.
Sign In or Register to comment.