Creating regional maps
I'm trying to figure out how to take parts from my large world map and turn them into smaller regional maps. Nothing I can seem to find can tell me how to do this clearly. I'm completely puzzled and growing frustrated.
Comments
I can't.remember if the cc3+ manual has these instructions, but I KNOW the Tome of Ultimate Mapping does... But I'm not at my computer, so I cant tell you what page it's on.
To cut it into four quarters I would do this:
1. Save a new version of the main map.
2. Hide the background, frame and border sheets on the new map, then hit the scale button on the left hand side of the screen and select everything else.
3. Right click, chose "do it", then enter the coordinates 0,0 on your keyboard in response to the prompt on the command line for "Scale origin".
Then instead of trying to scale it accurately by moving the mouse, enter the value "2" and hit return.
This has the effect of enlarging the entire map to exactly twice the length and width, and four times the area, while maintaining the background, border and frame at their original size and position (but leave these three things hidden for the time being because there's more to do).
4. Save this map as four different filenames, representing the four new quarter maps.
Working with the top left map first...
5. Select everything again with the move tool, right click, then chose "do it" and enter the coordinates 0,0 to the prompt "Move from point" and hit return
6. You should now have the "Place:" prompt. Enter the coordinates 0,-400 (subtract the original height, moving the top left hand quarter down into position within the original frame and border).
When you make the frame and border visible again you will see there are a lot of things falling outside them. You will have to delete all the unnecessary polygons, symbols and lines, and trim any large polygons that extend a long way outside the border and frame.
For the top right hand map repeat the same process from 5 and 6 above, but when you come to enter the coordinates for the "Place:" prompt, enter -800,-400 (subtract both the original width and height of the map, moving it diagonally down into position within the original frame and border). Again, you will have some tidying to do.
For the bottom right hand map enter the "Place:" coordinates -800,0
You don't have to move the bottom left hand map anywhere. This should be positioned correctly because it was from the bottom left hand corner of this area that the map was originally scaled. You will, however now have to delete all the stuff that falls outside the border and frame.
You can apply this to other sizes and other ways of cutting the map up. I just used this as an example to help me explain the basic idea of how I would do it.
I hope that helps you sort it out
Next (and leaving the frame still visible) unhide the sheets one at a time and delete things that are completely off the map, being careful not to accidentally delete anything that even just a tiny bit showing on the map, or the frame.
Lines that trail off map can be cut just outside the frame, using the break line tool (the rectangle with the broken edge on the top, also on the left hand side), and the bit that falls outside the map deleted using the delete tool.
Polygons that fall partly in and partly out of the map...
This is where my way is most definitely a botch, because I haven't got the Tome yet and don't understand trimming and such things (this will however change in the next couple of days
Currently I would break the edge of the polygon just outside the frame at both intersections, delete the half I don't want any more, then use path to polygon (found by right clicking the fractalize button and choosing the command from there) to repair the polygon.
Any line grids you have can be ungrouped, using the ungroup command and the extra lines deleted. Those that extend outside the frame can be broken and the extra part deleted just like any other line. You may wish to regroup the grid after you have done with it and make sure its back on the grid sheet, the grids and hexes Layer, and protected once again.
Let me know if I've forgotten anything
This might seem like a huge amount of messing around, but it really doesn't take as long as you would think - not compared to the fact that you've just made yourself an entirely new regional map with most of everything already nearly finished - including the same sheet effects and everything that you had in your original
Also, symbols from the original rarely belong in the new map. For example, mountains placed for a world map almost never look good in a regional map, even if scaled properly. They're laid out for a completely different scale and they usually need to be redone. Same for forests, cities, and all that stuff. Honestly, when zooming in (or, I suppose, zooming out) from one scale of map to another, it's almost always a good idea to copy the landmass and, possibly, the terrain fills, but redo the symbols. And add or remove additional detail as desired.
The good thing is that you have the original map for reference. And you can keep the original symbols in place to use as a guide, if desired. In that case, I'd recommend moving them to a temporary layer or sheet so they can easily be hidden when checking your work and deleted when finished.
But all of this is just suggestion. There's no absolute "right way" to do it.
Cheers,
~Dogtag
Choose "path to poly"
Select the broken poly
Right click
Choose "Do it"
Well crap... that did not work very well....
EDIT: perhaps you could tell me if there was a problem selecting the broken polygon, or if having selected it the command didn't work?
If you look at the original line of the coast you will see that one end crosses the top bar of the frame, and the other end crosses the bottom bar of the frame. What we need to do now is add two nodes to pull the dead straight part of the path back to the corners again.
Its not easy to describe this, but I will try
Click the add node button. That's the one immediately below the move node button.
Pick a spot somewhere on that dead straight line and click once only, then move the cursor over to the bottom right hand corner of the map, taking it further than the actual frame to make sure you don't end up with any gaps, then click just once more.
Repeat this process, but this time take the new node to beyond the top right hand corner of the map.
I'm going to bed now, but if you get any more problems there should be others on line in the next couple of hours who can help you.